Well, I guess I'm a convert. So many years I've carried Leathermans while everyone else around me carries a SAK. I thought LM was the best, but then I finally ordered a SOG PowerLock, and my opinions changed.
FIT/FINISH:
First of all, I got the gold TiN version, which is absolutely beautiful. The tools and 'wings' are not coated, I suspect that is becasue they would be hard to keep sharp and make function well, and also becasue TiN does not stick to aluminum ('wings') very well.
The things that really set this tool apart from all the others is the ability to customize the tools (SOG sells alternate/replacement tools), and the compund leverage in the pliers.
PLIERS:
The Powerlock has wonderful pliers, with a well dressed needlenose, wire cutters, hard wire notch and a crimper (inside handle). The pliers could pluck hairs, but most of the time they cut them, since the teeth are fine and sharp. The wire cutters can cut steel bands (crate bands and hose clamps) easily (coins too), due to the leverage, and they still can cut paper afterward. My old LM wave can do this, but it's much more difficult. I have not yet had to crimp with the PL yet. The pliers open quite wide, but the handles travel farther than normal, so you may have to use two hands or , choke up, for something larger.
The pliers also can be used in the 'almost' folded position if you have a tight space.
The aluminum 'wings' make the pliers very comfortable to use. They do slow tool access, but they are easily snapped on and off if you don't like them, so it's no big deal. I find that the pliers are not too bad without the wings anyways, unless you would be working for a length of time with them. The wings also cover the tool compartment when a tool is open, so you can (for example) use the knife blade comfortably by holding on to only one handle.
I noticed from another review that some have experienced the rear edges of the wings biting into the palm when using the pliers. I noticed this immediately and it is due to the folding of the aluminum at the end of the wing (little bumps on/near the fold), and is easily filed smooth, (You can detach the wing and use the file implement
) which fixes the problem.
And yes the pliers can be flipped open with one hand. They are slow at first. You can also adjust the tension of the handle joints with a pair of 1/4" wrenches (also used to change out tools), But I found that the slowness is mainly in the gear joint, which I've heard will loosen up with use.
TOOLS:
All the tools lock on the powerlock and the lock seems very strong and safe. Since you can get different implements, that is one of the first things I did. With the pliers facing up, and the 'SOG powerlock' label to the right, the original arrangement is:
Left Side:
Saw
can opener
phillips
Large Flathead
reamer
file
Right Side:
1/2 serr blade
bottle opener/md flathead
1/4" driver
scissors
And my final (for now) arrangement is:
Left Side:
Serrated line cutter/cutting hook
can opener
phillips
Large Flathead
reamer
file
Right Side:
Plain edge blade (sharpened on both sides)
Wood SAW
bottle opener/md flathead
wood chisel/small sharpened prybar
scissors
I replaced the 1/4" driver and the half serrated blade with a plain edge blade and the line cutter. Longer blades have to be at the edges of the tools so that the pliers can close properly, so the thin wood saw swapped with the place I tried to put the line cutter.
Let's look at the tools:
1/4" driver (removed)- this is a great idea, but not for me. I tested it with sockets and it works very well, but I use a ratchet or standard driver when I use sockets, so I see this tool as non- essential. It is also about twice as wide as the other tools, so you get a lot of room to play with when you take it out.
Half-serrated blade (removed)- I simply do not like a chisel grind, and I would rather have a PE and a seperate serrated blade, though this does go through cardboard quite nicely.
Serrated line Cutter/Cutting hook. (added)- This is a wavy (serrated) blade with a cutting hook on the end. Good for cord, line etc. I added this because I had the space, and a cutting hook could be useful. Note that the serrated blade and the hook opening are on the same side, unlike the LM charge, so this would be slightly safer for rescue applications. This came dull, so I sharpened it.
Can Opener/Small flat - The small flat driver is decent, but like the vic SAKs, is short and stubby. The can opener is adequate, but tends to ride toward the center of the can. I believe this is because the can opener (a short implement) cannot be right on the edge of the handle. (Longer implements must go on the edges). You wouldn't want to open more than a few cans with this in one sitting.
Philips driver - Works very well. Looks to be forged, at least it's different than the standard stainless used by other implements and other companies phillips drivers. Since the gears can bite into your hand when you drive screws, you wouldn't want to drive many with this. Bolts and machine screws are no problem, since you don't need to push as hard. You can also lock the driver in the 90 degree position for more leverage.
Large flat driver. - Square and good. Same gear dig issue as the phil.
Reamer. - Not sharp at all, after sharpening it works okay, Thinning down the tip should help more.
File - One side is an X pattern and the other is a finer file. Seems okay, and does work, but it is short and so is the saw edge (File pattern is 2" long
but the saw teeth are only 1 5/8") The vic and LM files are better. I think SOG could have made this file thinner and run the pattern the whole length.
Scissors - . These are NOT the best in the world. The vic's and LM scissors are much better. However, they do fine on paper and other light materials like fingernails. The chew on thicker/tougher stuff and you are probably better off using the knife. They are sharp, but I think the short mouth is the main problem, followed by the non-rounded lever/handle, which is uncomfortable. These could definitely use improvement.
Chisel (added). This is just a large screwdriver that I filed and sharpened to make a chisel/prybar. It can do fine chisel work and it saves the knife blade if prying is necessary.
Bottle opener/Med flat. Works okay, sometimes bottle caps need a couple points lifted, but will get the job done. While changing the implements I took the opportunity to 'fix' this bit. This bit tends to fold into the handle more than it should, which pushes the lock lever up when the PowerLock is folded up. I widened the notch for the closed position, so the lock would not ride high. This did not change the functionality of anything.
Wood Saw. - This is very sharp, but not as aggresive as my LM or VIC saws. It is also shorter, and the last few teeth are 'unfinished'?
Plain blade (added) - this blade came with a dull chisel edge, so I reprofiled it to double edge and sharpened it as such, now it shaves and is very useful. Note that when you use the knife blade with the handles closed, that the edge is near the centerline of the handles instead of the side, but if you open the pliers halfway and close the 'wing', you can do more detailed cutting while holding only one handle.
GENERAL
Many of the tools could be improved simply by making them longer (file, saw, scissors, but the almost perfect pliers take up a lot of room. Some of the tools need work, but you could easily replace them if SOG made new ones.
I think the impressive pliers make up for the poorer parts. You get more power than a LM wave, but less than a LM crunch. Although, the crunch is not a needlenose, so I think the SOG is more useful.
This tool is definitely on par or better than others, and I think the ability to dissasemble to clean/add/remove tools puts it over the top. Of course I am slightly biased against the LM charge, because carrying bits separate from the tool limits your sheath/carry options and can be annoying.
Note: in addition to the tools I've discussed above, SOG has available:
Robertson (square) driver and a Full Serrated Blade.
Also the Large flat driver (that I turned into a chisel) and the the serrated line cutter came from SOG with no locking notches, so I presume they were for the powerplier originally. Anyway, the notches were cut perfectly using the file on my Cybertool SAK, it turns out that it's just about the right width for the notches, though you have to round the edges for smooth operation.
So, Is the PowerLock the perfect tool? If you are fussy and want to customize it, I'd say it could be perfect for you. It certainly has that potential. The only real competition I see is the SwissTool and LM Charge. (neither of which I have), but you can't tinker and adjust those.
