Leatherman Surge Failure

S

sodak

Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Messages
6,192
I was using the pliers to pull open a chain while hanging a light in my dining room. Fairly stiff chain, but not that big. I was holding the chain in one hand, twisting it open with the leatherman, and SNAP! I finished the job with a channel lock. I was twisting hard, but it wasn't like I had it in a vise or anything.... This one is going back for warranty work!

leatherman.jpg


PS - I forgot to say, I think LM's ought to be able to handle this sort of thing. It makes me think twice about multi tools....
 
Man, that looks like a nice, even break - straight line, too.

Is there some structural line where it broke?
 
Had the same kinda failure on my new Skeletool. Had just bought it, took out the pliers to bend some wire and it cracked.

You can see a pic here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/km-m/3845986674/

After that ive become real suspicious of Leatherman, though i still use a wave at work and a juice ad EDC.

The Skeletool went back to Leatherman USA and beacuse it was bought in the UK and broke in Denmark (long story) i got a knifeless fuse back. Worst deal ever!
 
The break is very "grainy", almost like some fairly dry mud that you smeared your finger over. Whether or not it means anything, I don't know, but I was pretty surprised when it let go...

But no, no obvious structural line or stress riser or anything like that.
 
one in the woods they do so many things" . Sound like a $6 pair of cutting pliers would been better
 
My favorite multi tool is the Gerber 600 series pro scout with the RemgritGJ-4 saw blade. I have used it to spread small chain links without damage to the pliers. That tool is generally with in a short walk of where ever I am. I doubt that I am strong enough to break the pliers like that and I’m no weakling. Get this multi tool and you won’t be disappointed.
 
Thanks for the tip, I'll check out the Gerbers! I have some Uncles who are dairy farmers, and still milk some cows by hand. They are strong enough to snap a regular pair of pliers with wrist strength, I'll have to see what they use...
 
I've never broken one of their multitools, but I had a Leatherman knife that broke fairly easily. The good news is that they fixed it without any hullabaloo. If you are shopping, SOG gets good reviews, though I've never owned one.
 
they may have had several break so on the ST300 decided to beef up that area, I broke a saw blade on a the Original ST, and the little pins in the lock on a Core broke after a guy dropped it off a building about 15 feet onto very hard ground, from what I understand that area got beefed up as well on the ST300.

RickJ
 
Get a Victorinox SwissTool. I got one after reading all the multitool reviews I could find online. SOG also gets good reviews for absolute strength, but they have some questionable design decisions. Victorinox tools are very solid and tight, and the steel feels much less springy than Leatherman. (My Leatherman blade was so soft that it rolled with light use. I still use it for small jobs, but only small jobs.)
 
sodak said:
I



PS - I forgot to say, I think LM's ought to be able to handle this sort of thing. It makes me think twice about multi tools....
Click to expand...

I think so, too.

I've not had any problems with either of my LM tools.

But my newest LM is something like 10 years old. AFAIK, mine were made completely in USA. Don't know about the new ones. I've heard various things about where the new ones are made.

I like my designs to be made in my factory. Any time you sub out, you lose control of quality and on-time delivery. I hate curtain operations, which, by definition, a sub is.
 
sodak said:
It makes me think twice about multi tools....
Click to expand...

As well you should. Multi-tools are a world of compromises and respective strength/weakness and benefits need to be address and weighed when choosing to buy or use a tool/ ;)

Multi-tools are mass-produced, investment cast pliered, wonders that are most comfortable in the light-medium use roles. Venture into heavy territory and that is where problems start happening, twisting is pretty much a death-knell to most multi-tools since it directly affects the thinners, weakest part of the plier head.

As soon as I encounter a job that requires even moderate twisting I pop the multi back into my wasitband and find a real, forged set of pliers.

If you're really concerned about overall plier strength I would recommend you look up the ol' USA made Series 1 Schrade Tough Tool. Probably the strongest regular multi-pliers ever. 'Course, then you get into other compromises like crappy implements and no warranty support.

Good Luck!
 
Sorry did not want my other post in this thread to sound bad on Leatherman, leatherman is the only multi tool I carry, what I was trying to say is they have their limit as far as what they can take. Twisting and dropping from high places is a no go and I make sure it does not happen with my tools. Multi tools are more for light, small jobs that you can do with out having to get to a tool box. I currently carry a Core, but I plan on getting the ST300 as soon as possible.

RickJ
 
I carry a small pair of channel locks, a screwdriver, and a Vic. knife that has a saw blade. It all fits in a small tool pouch. Works Great!
 
I figure that if I'm going to carry multi-tools, I carry the strongest.

Original Supertool and Crunch.

I've put tremendous grip pressure on the Supertool pliers with never a thought that they'd fail, and they never have.

For less high strength applications, a Vic Swiss Champ.
 
I am also a super tool fan!!! I have done things to it and with it that shouldn't be possible. I have a wave and a crunch ( and the biggest one LM makes...forget the name?) but I have only beat the supertool. And I have had two micros in the past 10 years that also have performed beyond their meager size.
T
 
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