Leatherman Squirt, any opinions?

J

J. MacDonald

Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Messages
3,140
I've been thinking about replacing my Micra as my wife borrowed it and won't get it back. This past weekend I was at Blade West and saw the new Squirt model. Does anyone have one yet? normally I'd just buy a $28.00 and try it out, but the wallet was already a little lite due to the purchases I'd already made (BM 941D2CF and an Elishewitz custom).

It seems like a cool tool. One of the things I liked about the Micra is the scissors, but it seems that the scissors is what everyone breaks on the Micra while trying to cut wire, where the Squirt has small pliers that include a small wire cutter section.

Also: How well does the finish on the colored Micras hold up

What do you folks think?

jmx

PS: I know someone is going to suggest just buying both.
 
Actually the Squirt will come in two forms, the one you saw: P4 which has: Needlenose Pliers, Straight Knife, Wire Cutters, Extra Small Screwdriver, Medium Screwdriver, Small Flat, Phillips Screwdriver, Single-Cut File, Cross-Cut File, Opener, Lanyard Attachment, Awl. I personally don't see much use for this since I'd rather carry a fullsize for pliers like the Wave or the Supertool 200.

The other is the S4 which is the 'juiced' micra (and the one I'm waiting for). It comes with Scissors, Straight Knife, Tweezers, Extra-Small Screwdriver, Medium Screwdriver, Small Flat Phillips Screwdriver, Nail File/Cleaner, Opener, Lanyard Attachment, Ruler. It's 1/4 inch shorter than the micra and supposedly has a much nicer set of tweezers. The blade profile is also different but I'm not sure how. As long as you stay away from cutting hard wires, it should do a great job. A friend of mine works with a lot of a computer equipment and his micra is all he uses to cut his CAT5 cable. It should also fit nicely in the watch pocket of your Levi's.

My advice is to get the S4 and let your wife pick which one she wants and keep the other.
 
The first shipment of Squirts is totaly sold out. I placed my order in June. The first shipment will hit the distributors sometime in November. I suggest you place an advance order soon. They are very slick.
 
Keep your eye on the Gadgets & Gear forums also. I believe that Ryan Malpiede placed an advance order, and he usually posts reviews and pics.

My Micra is a handy little critter, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, I think it was manufactured by Amalgamated Rust-O-Matic. My Juice has been very rust resistant so far, and I hope that the Squirt follows suit. The tools in the handle also open from the outside, which is more convenient, although that makes them a little more likely to fold up on unwary fingers.
 
I picked up a P-4 Squirt today at Target.
The blade has the same "chisel" ground edge as the Micra. A little work on the diamond hone will correct this little problem :). Quality is the same as all other Leatherman products.
Overall, it seems like a useful little tool. One that you can easily carry at all times. It fits great in a watch pocket. If scissors suits your purpose more than the pliers, then by all means hold out for the S-4.

Paul
 
I have both leathermna mutitools and SOG multitools. SOG wins hands down they are hard to find retail, but put in some extra effort and get a better tool at the same price. The equivalnt to the squirt is called the crosscut and has a compound leverage system which gives those little snips extra cutting power. I like my SOG powerplier so much I guilty about how much I paid for it.
 
I'm looking at keyring carry for this tiny tool I'm looking at. I rarely wear Levis anymore, so no watch pocket. It's business attire during the week, so I need something small. This will be carried along with a real 3"-3.5" blade EDC and I usually have a Wave in my briefcase for more serious work.

Enkidu- funny about the cat5. My boss swears that the Micra is perfectly suited to prepping Cat5. Now if he could only wire the plugs right! Lucky we're in sales not networking.

Hotswat; After the second SOG Micro Toolclip screwdriver broke off while actually unscrewing a screw, and SOG refused to warranty the item (which was a two week old replacement which had the same failure mode although under much greater stress). From all using tools both breaks looked like the metal was overly hard and crystalized. I don't know if it was actually SOG, or the distributor who refused the warranty claim, but that's what the dealer told me. I was so pissed I told him to just keep the Micro Toolclip From what I hear, that would never happen with a Leatherman product. I'm sure that if I still had it, Ron@Sog would try to make things right, but I don't.

jmx
 
Just got the scissors version Squirt, like night and day compared to the pliers version. I would say a definite must have! All the tools are useful & well made, and comes in a smaller package than the Micra.

Ryan
 
Ryan,
Was there some problem that led to your conclusion that the S-4 was "like night and day compared to the pliers version"? I have a Micra and a Wave, but I am interested in your opinion of the smaller pliers version.
Thanks,
Jim
 
Jim,

You know the cheap knockoff's of Leatherman's that look like the blades are made of aluminum??? That's what the P-4 sort of reminded me of. I mean the file & awl looked very shoddy. The pliers were so small on the P-4 that I am not sure what they really could be used for.

Now the S-4, the scissors are perfect (Good Mechanics, Comfortable, & Sharp), the blades are perfect (All are usefull and well made), the tweezers could be a little more sturdy/gripping ... but overall this is a very nice upgrade to the Micra.

Ryan
 
I like my new S4 better than my Micra. With me, size and weight count a lot -- the less of both the better. I did not like the chisel- sharpened blade so I reprofiled it to allow a quick tough up with a sharpmaker. The S4 is a keeper and a user for me.
 
I recently bought a P4 and, so far, I like it.
It's very small and fits into the pocket even better than the Micra.
I also like that I can access the tools without having to open it like you had to do with the Micra.
There seems to be a good selection of tools and the pliers are rather handy. You will not turn alot of screws with them, but think of them as precision grippers or non-locking hemostats and you begin to see their usefullness.

A few negatives:
The awl was very dull and needed alot of work.
The phillips screwdriver is'nt as good as the Micra's overall, but works fine on very small screws.

I have'nt owned it long enough to determine if it will stay in my pocket in the long run.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
I have the S4 and P4. I like the S4 better than the Micra because it is smaller and the tweezers actually come out. It's also easier to access the tools since they're on the outside. Oddly enough the P4 has the same configuration but weaker springs. Without the handles to stop the blades from closing on you this is more important. All in all I would say to get the S4 but pass on the P4. If you need small pliers try the S4 Juice.
 
What I like about the Micra is the strong opening action of the scissors. On a larger scissors with a loop for the thumb and fingers, you can manually open the scissors after each cut. On these small tools, you have to depend on the spring. The Micra really excels at that, which is why I feel it is a very efficient little cutter. Some other scissors-based tools do not seem to have the same strong opening action after each cut. Does the Squirt S4?
 
I've seen the P4 version of the Squirt, and IMO the pliers are pretty much useless except for very light tasks. I already carry a SOG PowerLock and I'm very comfortable with it and I really don't see the point of getting the P4.
I think the S4 has more potential.
 
Just got my first Micra !! I must be behind the times I guess. I've always liked the design of the Micra and think I prefer the shape and finish over the new Squirts. Is it true that the Micra scissors are more sturdy than the Squirts ?? Anyway, time will tell but for now I'm quite happy with the Micra and it's a handy accompaniment to my Delica :)
 
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