Need my first multi-tool.

V

VolundoftheForge

Joined
Jan 3, 2012
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Hey guys, looking for my very first(besides some cheapo Walmart models) multi-tool. I'm liking the Leather Tti Charge and the Leatherman MUT EOD. Which of these would you recommend? I'm open to any, but the primary uses would be every-day tasks, but also as an emergency "survival" tool. :rolleyes: Thanks guys!
 
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The Wave is a nice multi with a nice assortment of tools. I've owned the Charge too, but unless you're a steelsnob, then I don't think the 154cm/s30v steel is worth the extra pricepoint.

The MUT looks nice, but many of its features are geared towards soldiers and others who shoot a lot. I don't like tools, that i most likely never will use as intended.

Have you checked out the Swisstool? That's a multi worth looking at too.
 
PropThePolecat said:
The Wave is a nice multi with a nice assortment of tools. I've owned the Charge too, but unless you're a steelsnob, then I don't think the 154cm/s30v steel is worth the extra pricepoint.

The MUT looks nice, but many of its features are geared towards soldiers and others who shoot a lot. I don't like tools, that i most likely never will use as intended.

Have you checked out the Swisstool? That's a multi worth looking at too.
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Agree on the MUT being a bit more specialized, except the hammer/pry end is very useful to anyone. I find I use that as much or more as the pliers and blade. I'll admit I've banged the butt end of other closed multitools into something to get it in place and used the pliers or flat head for some prying to get stuff loose, so it's nice having a multi with a dedicated tool for those tasks. I really wish they'd put it on some standard models.

I have a MUT and TTI and carry around the TTI more because it's more compact. The TTI is the only of the two I like carrying around in my pocket. If you plan to belt or pack carry, however, size is probably a non-issue. The s30v blade on the TTI is nice as well.
 
kreole said:
Agree on the MUT being a bit more specialized, except the hammer/pry end is very useful to anyone. I find I use that as much or more as the pliers and blade. I'll admit I've banged the butt end of other closed multitools into something to get it in place and used the pliers or flat head for some prying to get stuff loose, so it's nice having a multi with a dedicated tool for those tasks. I really wish they'd put it on some standard models.

I have a MUT and TTI and carry around the TTI more because it's more compact. The TTI is the only of the two I like carrying around in my pocket. If you plan to belt or pack carry, however, size is probably a non-issue. The s30v blade on the TTI is nice as well.
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Thanks. I imagined I'd like the weight and size of the Charge better, but I wasn't sure which would work better to go in a BOB, tool-wise and size-wise.
 
I have lots of tools around me for the most part, so I get by with a Wingman mostly. I'd like to pick up a side kick too though.
 
I too have the wave. It is perfect for most any task that is multitoolable..dont forget the aftermarket belt clip for it. its on amazon for like five bucks i beleive and it makes a world of a difference. yup i loves mine. good luck.

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PropThePolecat said:
The Wave is a nice multi with a nice assortment of tools. I've owned the Charge too, but unless you're a steelsnob, then I don't think the 154cm/s30v steel is worth the extra pricepoint.
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Premium steels are swell, but IMHO, regular 420HC doesn't get enough respect. When properly done, it takes and holds a sharp edge long enough for casual purposes, which is the way most pocket knives are used, and easily re-sharpened.

Steels like S30v are preferable in applications that involve hard, frequent cutting. Typically, multi-tools aren't the best choice for that kind of work, so their knife steel is even less of a consideration than for a dedicated blade. If, however, you do have heavy duty cutting requirements and want to make do with a multi-tool only, the Charge TTi would be a better choice. In addition to the blade steel, if you were to spend much time with it in your hand, the Ti grip is more comfortable than the sharp edged Wave. For occasional use, though, the Wave is just fine.
 
I have a charge tti and like it quite a bit. It came a little hard to open at first but loosened up after a couple weeks of daily use. I've had a wave before as well and it is very good. I think many of us that read Bladeforums are a little steel-snobbish so it may be best to just go for the charge tti or you may end up with more multitools than you need (which is also fun). I think I'm going to end up with a victorinox swisstool soon as I can't seem to stop buying things that are sharp and pointy.
 
For any Leatherman with the socket holding different bits, invest in the bit extender.

Not only does it help when the socket is too short, it also takes normal hex bits.

Great value, small price.
 
you'll do well with any of the leathermans, or Victorinox multies. I would go for a mid-range one, like the rebar, blast, or sidekick, and see which tools get the most use. You may find that you are served well by a smaller EDC multi, and a bigger "BOB" tool. Or you may decide that you must have a certain tool that is only available in a couple models. Personally I don't like bit holders on multi-tools, I'd rather a smaller dedicated bit-holder, like the one that comes with the swisstool. But to each his own.
 
I have the Leatherman MUT EOD and I love it! While yes it is geared towards soldiers and those who may shoot more often than others, it's still a great all around tool. Most of the parts on it are replaceable/interchangable if you don't like one or more of the tools but you'll always be able to find a use for any one of the tools on it and they're accessories available for it at leatherman.com . The only downside to the tool is that it's a tad bit heavy but in my opinion that means it take more abuse than other multi-tools :D Hope you're able to find what you're looking for!
 
This thread is still new, so I'm going to piggy back on it.

I currently own the following Leatherman products:

Sideclip
Squirt P4
Squirt S4
Micra
Juice CS4
Juice XE6

Up until last year, the Sideclip was my only Leatherman product. I got it for free in 1999 as part of a giveaway at a retail store (try on a pair of Timberland boots and get a free Leatherman). I guess because I got it for free I didn't think too much about it. But then somebody gave me an "Ohio Forge" multi-tool and later a Husky multi-tool. They were both so horrible that I began to really appreciate my free Leatherman. So I bought the others above, finding good deals on used products.

I was going to order a Wingman today, but after reading and finding a Fuse in black oxide and camo for actually less money, I ordered the Fuse. I'm excited about that, as it is similar to my beloved Sideclip, only with locking tools, scissors, and hopefully more comfortable grip. I'm also curious about the improved pliers heads .... they are supposed to handle a lot more torque than the older Leatherman models. Lastly, I'm excited to have a different/funky color configuration.

As you can see, my small collection is concentrated on the smaller, mid-sized models. The XE6 and CS4 are feature-laden, but aren't heavy duty. I'd like a new model to round out my "collection" on the beefier end of Leatherman products.

First, my uses and preferences:

I'm a typical DIY, handyman around the house, occasional camper. But not a hard user. For this reason, I prefer tools light enough to actually carry, and NOT on a sheath (unless I'm working at that very moment .... I won't wear a sheath routinely). For this reason, anything over about 6 oz starts to become "heavy" for me. In the winter, I'll carry something heavier in a coat pocket, however.

I'm also not a stickler for accessing blades without opening the tool. I actually like how the Sideclip, Fuse, Blast, Suptertool 300, etc, have very clean lines when closed. It's a bit more work to access a tool. But I'm ok with that. I usually have another blade on me, btw.

For the reasons above, I'm leaning toward either buying a Rebar or a Supertool 300. With the ST300, I'm afraid I won't carry it much because of the size. With the Rebar, I'm afraid I may secretly hope to have a true "heavy duty" model. What can you advise about these two?
 
Mud Shrimp Moe said:
This thread is still new, so I'm going to piggy back on it.

I currently own the following Leatherman products:

Sideclip
Squirt P4
Squirt S4
Micra
Juice CS4
Juice XE6

Up until last year, the Sideclip was my only Leatherman product. I got it for free in 1999 as part of a giveaway at a retail store (try on a pair of Timberland boots and get a free Leatherman). I guess because I got it for free I didn't think too much about it. But then somebody gave me an "Ohio Forge" multi-tool and later a Husky multi-tool. They were both so horrible that I began to really appreciate my free Leatherman. So I bought the others above, finding good deals on used products.

I was going to order a Wingman today, but after reading and finding a Fuse in black oxide and camo for actually less money, I ordered the Fuse. I'm excited about that, as it is similar to my beloved Sideclip, only with locking tools, scissors, and hopefully more comfortable grip. I'm also curious about the improved pliers heads .... they are supposed to handle a lot more torque than the older Leatherman models. Lastly, I'm excited to have a different/funky color configuration.

As you can see, my small collection is concentrated on the smaller, mid-sized models. The XE6 and CS4 are feature-laden, but aren't heavy duty. I'd like a new model to round out my "collection" on the beefier end of Leatherman products.

First, my uses and preferences:

I'm a typical DIY, handyman around the house, occasional camper. But not a hard user. For this reason, I prefer tools light enough to actually carry, and NOT on a sheath (unless I'm working at that very moment .... I won't wear a sheath routinely). For this reason, anything over about 6 oz starts to become "heavy" for me. In the winter, I'll carry something heavier in a coat pocket, however.

I'm also not a stickler for accessing blades without opening the tool. I actually like how the Sideclip, Fuse, Blast, Suptertool 300, etc, have very clean lines when closed. It's a bit more work to access a tool. But I'm ok with that. I usually have another blade on me, btw.

For the reasons above, I'm leaning toward either buying a Rebar or a Supertool 300. With the ST300, I'm afraid I won't carry it much because of the size. With the Rebar, I'm afraid I may secretly hope to have a true "heavy duty" model. What can you advise about these two?
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From what you have detailed about your history and preferences, I think you should get the Rebar. After all, the point to having a multi-tool is that it will be on you when the need arises, so make it easier on yourself by saving weight. You will be more inclined to carry the thing. Sometimes the tool can be overmatched by a particular project, but most of the time it will work just fine. However, if over a decent period of time you find yourself in too many circumstances where a larger tool would have been more suitable, then you'll have a better idea of what suits you best. Only you can determine that.

I would bet that the Rebar can do well enough for most multi-tool purposes, and if you have to step it up, a dedicated tool might be more in order than a bigger M-T.
 
znapschatz said:
I would bet that the Rebar can do well enough for most multi-tool purposes, and if you have to step it up, a dedicated tool might be more in order than a bigger M-T.
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The more I think about this, the more it occurs to me that how much the "heavy duty" part of a "heavy duty" multitool concentrates on the pliers portion. What I mean is if you're just driving screws, doing some light filing or sawing, opening cans, cutting something ... you'll be just about as good with a medium duty MT as with a larger one. The larger one might fit the hand slightly better or something. But you'll be fine with a medium. It's when you really want to stress the pliers that you might strongly prefer a heavier duty MT.

But since I carry dedicated pliers, channel locks, screw drivers, and wrenches in my vehicle as well as having them in my home, I think a medium duty MT is fine for me. I hadn't thought it through like that, I guess.

Another factor, is I haven't personally known anybody to break the pliers on a quality MT. I'm sure I could break the pliers on my Squirt P4 if I tried intentionally. But on a medium to heavy duty tool, you'd really have to work to break them.
 
I vote for Super Tool 300,its indeed heavy but have great pliers and drivers are pretty heavy duty too.
 
I have a Mut because I have an AR-15, and because it was given to me as a gift. I never would have bought it, it's not so useful to me for everyday use. I don'tr know the names but I have several others. The one I keep in my truck and gave my wife for her car is a regular small sized one, it's got a ruler that's 8" total, plyers, a 3" blade, a file, screwdrivers, some pokers, and a can opener. It's pretty small and lightweight which is why I got it. I found a larger one on a ski slope about 8 years ago, and it's been in my knife drawer ever since. It's cool, and has lots of gadgets which I love, but it's large and heavy...no good for me. Get something useful and usable.
 
I used the original super tool for a number of years, then I bought a wave and thought it was the best thing ever.
But after acquiring a vic swisstool spirit, I will never look back. The quality is on another level.
 
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