Thanks to K man’s incredible generosity, I had the opportunity to check out the SOG PowerLock and Gerber 400 Compact Sport multi-tools as part of a pass around lottery (thanks to Dave H. for organizing it). I decided to pit the PowerLock against my Leatherman Super Tool 200 and Victorinox SwissTool for this review (the Gerber 400 was reviewed separately HERE).
These are the three tools most recommended when someone asks about a full sized, full featured, “heavy duty” multitool, so I think it will be an interesting contest.
- THE CONTENDERS –
- SOG PowerLock S60 –
http://www.sogknives.com/pwrlck.htm
- Leatherman Super Tool 200 –
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/super-tool-200/default.asp
-Victorinox SwissTool –
http://www.swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=2107&category=39
- THE MATCH UP -
The three tools are well built and heavy duty as far as multi-tool go (although no multitool is truly heavy duty compared to specialized heavy duty tools). All feature locking tools and are of roughly similar weight and bulk. (Overall, I would say that the PowerLock is the bulkiest followed by the SwissTool and Super Tool. The SwissTool weighs in at 9.8 oz., the PowerLock at 9.5 oz. and the Super Tool at 9 oz. nominal.)
The Super Tool 200’s strong points are handle comfort and very nice screw drivers.
The downside to the Super Tool is its tool clumping and difficult to disengage lock.
The SwissTool’s big advantage is the ease of tool access (without unfolding the handles). The lock release is also very easy to use, allowing closing tools easily with one hand. The handles are also very comfortable and there is no tool clumping.
The SwissTool’s disadvantages are its small pliers, slippery screw drivers, poorly designed Phillips driver and wire crimper. The SwissTool is also the most difficult to get the pliers open with one hand.
The PowerLock has several innovative features not found on other brands of multi-tools, these include: 2:1 compound leverage gears for the pliers, hex bolt construction which allows individual tools to be removed from the handles and a ¼” drive.
The SOG’s weak points, as I see them are handle comfort (due to exposed compound leverage gear teeth), inconvenient tool access (due to handle “wings”
, and tools which could use improvement (wood saw, file, screw drivers, awl, and especially, scissors).
– OPERATION –
The PowerLock can be flicked open Bali Song style, but was adjusted a bit too tight, so it usually took me a couple of tries to get it fully open. The PowerLock’s handles need to be unfolded to access the tools and the handle wings have to be unfolded to open or close the tools (they also make it hard to see the tools in the handles). Most of the PowerLock’s tools clump together when opened.
The Super Tool’s pivots seem to be adjusted just right, not too tight to flick open without being too loose – this is a good thing, since unlike the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s pivots are not readily adjustable without special tools. Like the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s handles have to be unfolded to get to the tools. All of the Super Tool’s tools clump.
The SwissTool is too tight to flick open with one hand, but I can open the SwissTool one handed by brushing the handles along my hip – not as smooth a move as flicking but it works. The SwissTool’s pivots are riveted, so there is no adjustment. The SwissTool’s implements are easy to access from the outside – no unfolding of the handles and no clumping.
- LOCKS –
The SwissTool uses a bolt action type lock, which is released by sliding back the metal lock release tabs about 1/8”. This is an excellent multitool lock (a similar system is used by Gerber). The SwissTool’s lock is easily disengaged and tools can be closed safely with one hand (although it takes two hands to open them).
The PowerLock has a lock back style rocker lock that works well and is fairly easy to disengage.
The Super Tool’s lock is something of a chore to disengage to the point of being dangerous if you are not careful. The Super Tool has an integral spring lock in the back of the handles that works sort of like a lock back, except that there is no locking lever to release the lock. On the original Super Tool, you disengaged the lock by unfolding one of the other tools half way, which pried the integral lock out of engagement, allowing both tools to be folded back into the handle.
Leatherman attempted to improve the Super Tool’s lock release when they redesigned it into the Super Tool 200, by adding thumb levers to each handle which allowed the locks to be pried out of engagement without having to open one of the other tools (although you can still use that method with the 200 if you prefer). The levers are nearly as awkward as unfolding another tool and make safely closing tools with one hand difficult. The levers also rattle a bit and add bulk.
- HANDLE COMFORT -
I would rate the Super Tool and the SwissTool in a dead heat when it comes to handle comfort. The Super Tool 200’s rolled edges are big improvement over the original Super Tool which had irritating unrolled edges that would dig into your hand. The Super Tool 200’s handles fit my hand well but there is a little bit of unrolled edge left where my index finger and the web of my hand goes. The SwissTool is comfortable thanks to a fully rolled edge, but feels a little big and blocky.
When driving screws, both the Super Tool and SwissTool are comfortable, with a slight advantage going to the Super Tool.
The PowerLock has unrolled edges but dose have a pair of (removable) aluminum “wings” that cover the edges for a comfortable feel. Unfortunately, the rear edges of the wings tend to dig into my hand and like the Super Tool 200, the upper part of the unrolled edges are exposed (not covered by the wings). The wings are easily removable (in fact one of them popped off a few times on its own), but without them you are left with uncomfortable handle edges much like those on the old version of the Super Tool. In my view, the wings represent a Band-Aid solution.
The most uncomfortable area of the PowerLock handles is end with the compound leverage gear teeth which dig into the palm when using the tools in the handles. This is a problem not only when using the screw drivers and awl, but also the wood saw and file.
– TOOL BY TOOL –
PLIERS - The PowerLock’s pliers are not only the largest (inside jaw length = 1 13/16” from base to tip) of the three tools but they also opens the furthest, measuring 2 3/16” from tip to tip when fully open, or about 63 degrees. The PowerLock also has the advantage of 2:1 compound leverage, so the grip is tighter than tools without this feature.
The Super Tool also has fairly large Pliers ( 1 11/16” inside length, approx. 48 degrees and 1 ¾” tip to tip when fully open), but there is, of course, no compound leverage. The tips of the Super Tool’s Pliers are only about half as wide as those of the PowerLock, making them easier to get into tight spaces. Unlike the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s Pliers are dressed finely enough to pluck hairs from my arm.
The SwissTool has comparatively small (1 3/8” inside jaw length, approx 45 degrees / 1 7/6” from tip to tip when open) truncated needle nose Pliers that are about 50 % wider at tip than the PowerLock’s.
WIRE CUTTERS - Both the PowerLock and the Super Tool have similar wire cutting sections at the base of their plier jaws. Both measure about 5/16” in length and have small notches for hard wire cutting. The SwissTool’s wire cutters measure only about 3/16” and have no hard wire notch.
The biggest wire I had around was some 12 gage (.081” dia.) copper wire; and all of the multi-tools cut this without breaking a sweat.
The SOG seemed to cut very slightly easier than the Leatherman and the Victorinox, likely due to the compound leverage, so I would rate the PowerLock first in this category.
I rate the Super Tool over the SwissTool due to the extra 1/8” length of the wire cutter and the hard wire notch.
WIRE CRIMPER – I used the crimpers to crimp some 14-16 gage (blue) connecters.
The PowerLock crimper really crimped the connecters on tight, thanks to the compound leverage.
The Super Tool’s crimper performed adequately but it was a little difficult to get a good tight crimp.
The SwissTool dose not have a real crimper - just a little space between the handles where you can mash a connector and this dose not leave a tight or well formed crimp.
KNIFE BLADES - Both the Super Tool and the SwissTool have separate plain edged and full serrated edged blades, while the PowerLock has a 50% serrated combo blade, since the scissors take up the space for a second blade.
Overall, I like the SwissTool’s blades the best. Both of the SwissTool’s 3” blades are the familiar SAK style flat ground spear point blades, one plain edged and the other with the little Victorinox “wavy blade” serrations. These blades are ground thin and cut very well. Since the SwissTool’s blades open from the outside of the handles when folded, there is no lower handle to get in the way when cutting. Unfortunately, Victorinox missed out by not outfitting the blades with studs or holes for one hand opening.
The Super Tool 200 also has separate 3” plain and serrated blades; the plain is a clip point and the serrated is a sheepsfoot pattern with mild Spyderco style serrations. Both blades have high, slightly hollow grinds. I like the idea of a sheepsfoot shape for the serrated blade for situations where a pointed blade is undesirable.
The PowerLock has a single 50% serrated combo 2 9/16” drop point blade. Like most combo blades, the straight edged portion has a single bevel (sharpened on one side only), and this is a disadvantage for most purposes.
SCISSORS - The PowerLock is the only one of the three multi-tools equipped with scissors (in place of a second knife blade); although the SwissTool is available with scissors in place of the serrated blade as the SwissTool X.
To give the PowerLock’s scissors a good work out, I tried them on phone book paper, 32 lb. cardboard, monofilament fishing line, rubber bands, string, shoelace, paracord, and denim jeans.
I also hauled out every tool with scissors that I had for comparison; these included a Leatherman Mirca and Wave, a Victorinox Classic and Huntsman, a Wenger Handyman and the Gerber 400 Compact Sport Multi-Plier which is part of the same pass around/ lottery as the PowerLock.
The PowerLock’s scissors were by far the poorest performing of the group. They felt wimpy and they often jammed closed with out finishing the cut and the exposed wire spring seems to be vulnerable to damage. The SOG’s scissors were the only one that failed to cut through the paracord or cotton shoe lace (the Gerber 400, Micra and Wave sometimes took 2 tries to get through the paracord and the Wave sometimes took two attempts to get through the shoe lace, but the PowerLock would not cut through even with multiple attempts). The PowerLock was the only scissors that sometimes took several tries to get through ¼” wide rubber bands. The PowerLock’s scissors were only barely able to cut the cardboard and felt like they were going to bend. The SOG scissors even performed poorly on paper. The cuts are snippy since the throat is only about 7/8”. The PowerLock’s scissors where the only ones that world not cut denim at all (the other scissors were all capable of cutting denim easily and all were able to cut through the hem with varying ease or difficulty).
The PowerLock’s scissors aren’t worth including on the tool. I would like to see SOG come up some better scissors or replace them with a second knife blade.
BOTTLE OPENER - Both the PowerLock and SwissTool have bottle openers (combined with screw drivers) much like those found on SAKs. The Super Tool dose not have a separate bottle cap lifter, but the can opener is supposed to be good for both cans and bottles.
The PowerLock and SwissTool bottle openers seem to work well, while the Super Tool’s combination can/bottle opener is marginal, at best, for bottles. The Super Tool’s opener just barely gets a grip on the cap and easily slips off.
Continued......
These are the three tools most recommended when someone asks about a full sized, full featured, “heavy duty” multitool, so I think it will be an interesting contest.
- THE CONTENDERS –
- SOG PowerLock S60 –
http://www.sogknives.com/pwrlck.htm
- Leatherman Super Tool 200 –
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/super-tool-200/default.asp
-Victorinox SwissTool –
http://www.swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=2107&category=39
- THE MATCH UP -
The three tools are well built and heavy duty as far as multi-tool go (although no multitool is truly heavy duty compared to specialized heavy duty tools). All feature locking tools and are of roughly similar weight and bulk. (Overall, I would say that the PowerLock is the bulkiest followed by the SwissTool and Super Tool. The SwissTool weighs in at 9.8 oz., the PowerLock at 9.5 oz. and the Super Tool at 9 oz. nominal.)
The Super Tool 200’s strong points are handle comfort and very nice screw drivers.
The downside to the Super Tool is its tool clumping and difficult to disengage lock.
The SwissTool’s big advantage is the ease of tool access (without unfolding the handles). The lock release is also very easy to use, allowing closing tools easily with one hand. The handles are also very comfortable and there is no tool clumping.
The SwissTool’s disadvantages are its small pliers, slippery screw drivers, poorly designed Phillips driver and wire crimper. The SwissTool is also the most difficult to get the pliers open with one hand.
The PowerLock has several innovative features not found on other brands of multi-tools, these include: 2:1 compound leverage gears for the pliers, hex bolt construction which allows individual tools to be removed from the handles and a ¼” drive.
The SOG’s weak points, as I see them are handle comfort (due to exposed compound leverage gear teeth), inconvenient tool access (due to handle “wings”
, and tools which could use improvement (wood saw, file, screw drivers, awl, and especially, scissors).– OPERATION –
The PowerLock can be flicked open Bali Song style, but was adjusted a bit too tight, so it usually took me a couple of tries to get it fully open. The PowerLock’s handles need to be unfolded to access the tools and the handle wings have to be unfolded to open or close the tools (they also make it hard to see the tools in the handles). Most of the PowerLock’s tools clump together when opened.
The Super Tool’s pivots seem to be adjusted just right, not too tight to flick open without being too loose – this is a good thing, since unlike the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s pivots are not readily adjustable without special tools. Like the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s handles have to be unfolded to get to the tools. All of the Super Tool’s tools clump.
The SwissTool is too tight to flick open with one hand, but I can open the SwissTool one handed by brushing the handles along my hip – not as smooth a move as flicking but it works. The SwissTool’s pivots are riveted, so there is no adjustment. The SwissTool’s implements are easy to access from the outside – no unfolding of the handles and no clumping.
- LOCKS –
The SwissTool uses a bolt action type lock, which is released by sliding back the metal lock release tabs about 1/8”. This is an excellent multitool lock (a similar system is used by Gerber). The SwissTool’s lock is easily disengaged and tools can be closed safely with one hand (although it takes two hands to open them).
The PowerLock has a lock back style rocker lock that works well and is fairly easy to disengage.
The Super Tool’s lock is something of a chore to disengage to the point of being dangerous if you are not careful. The Super Tool has an integral spring lock in the back of the handles that works sort of like a lock back, except that there is no locking lever to release the lock. On the original Super Tool, you disengaged the lock by unfolding one of the other tools half way, which pried the integral lock out of engagement, allowing both tools to be folded back into the handle.
Leatherman attempted to improve the Super Tool’s lock release when they redesigned it into the Super Tool 200, by adding thumb levers to each handle which allowed the locks to be pried out of engagement without having to open one of the other tools (although you can still use that method with the 200 if you prefer). The levers are nearly as awkward as unfolding another tool and make safely closing tools with one hand difficult. The levers also rattle a bit and add bulk.
- HANDLE COMFORT -
I would rate the Super Tool and the SwissTool in a dead heat when it comes to handle comfort. The Super Tool 200’s rolled edges are big improvement over the original Super Tool which had irritating unrolled edges that would dig into your hand. The Super Tool 200’s handles fit my hand well but there is a little bit of unrolled edge left where my index finger and the web of my hand goes. The SwissTool is comfortable thanks to a fully rolled edge, but feels a little big and blocky.
When driving screws, both the Super Tool and SwissTool are comfortable, with a slight advantage going to the Super Tool.
The PowerLock has unrolled edges but dose have a pair of (removable) aluminum “wings” that cover the edges for a comfortable feel. Unfortunately, the rear edges of the wings tend to dig into my hand and like the Super Tool 200, the upper part of the unrolled edges are exposed (not covered by the wings). The wings are easily removable (in fact one of them popped off a few times on its own), but without them you are left with uncomfortable handle edges much like those on the old version of the Super Tool. In my view, the wings represent a Band-Aid solution.
The most uncomfortable area of the PowerLock handles is end with the compound leverage gear teeth which dig into the palm when using the tools in the handles. This is a problem not only when using the screw drivers and awl, but also the wood saw and file.
– TOOL BY TOOL –
PLIERS - The PowerLock’s pliers are not only the largest (inside jaw length = 1 13/16” from base to tip) of the three tools but they also opens the furthest, measuring 2 3/16” from tip to tip when fully open, or about 63 degrees. The PowerLock also has the advantage of 2:1 compound leverage, so the grip is tighter than tools without this feature.
The Super Tool also has fairly large Pliers ( 1 11/16” inside length, approx. 48 degrees and 1 ¾” tip to tip when fully open), but there is, of course, no compound leverage. The tips of the Super Tool’s Pliers are only about half as wide as those of the PowerLock, making them easier to get into tight spaces. Unlike the PowerLock, the Super Tool’s Pliers are dressed finely enough to pluck hairs from my arm.
The SwissTool has comparatively small (1 3/8” inside jaw length, approx 45 degrees / 1 7/6” from tip to tip when open) truncated needle nose Pliers that are about 50 % wider at tip than the PowerLock’s.
WIRE CUTTERS - Both the PowerLock and the Super Tool have similar wire cutting sections at the base of their plier jaws. Both measure about 5/16” in length and have small notches for hard wire cutting. The SwissTool’s wire cutters measure only about 3/16” and have no hard wire notch.
The biggest wire I had around was some 12 gage (.081” dia.) copper wire; and all of the multi-tools cut this without breaking a sweat.
The SOG seemed to cut very slightly easier than the Leatherman and the Victorinox, likely due to the compound leverage, so I would rate the PowerLock first in this category.
I rate the Super Tool over the SwissTool due to the extra 1/8” length of the wire cutter and the hard wire notch.
WIRE CRIMPER – I used the crimpers to crimp some 14-16 gage (blue) connecters.
The PowerLock crimper really crimped the connecters on tight, thanks to the compound leverage.
The Super Tool’s crimper performed adequately but it was a little difficult to get a good tight crimp.
The SwissTool dose not have a real crimper - just a little space between the handles where you can mash a connector and this dose not leave a tight or well formed crimp.
KNIFE BLADES - Both the Super Tool and the SwissTool have separate plain edged and full serrated edged blades, while the PowerLock has a 50% serrated combo blade, since the scissors take up the space for a second blade.
Overall, I like the SwissTool’s blades the best. Both of the SwissTool’s 3” blades are the familiar SAK style flat ground spear point blades, one plain edged and the other with the little Victorinox “wavy blade” serrations. These blades are ground thin and cut very well. Since the SwissTool’s blades open from the outside of the handles when folded, there is no lower handle to get in the way when cutting. Unfortunately, Victorinox missed out by not outfitting the blades with studs or holes for one hand opening.
The Super Tool 200 also has separate 3” plain and serrated blades; the plain is a clip point and the serrated is a sheepsfoot pattern with mild Spyderco style serrations. Both blades have high, slightly hollow grinds. I like the idea of a sheepsfoot shape for the serrated blade for situations where a pointed blade is undesirable.
The PowerLock has a single 50% serrated combo 2 9/16” drop point blade. Like most combo blades, the straight edged portion has a single bevel (sharpened on one side only), and this is a disadvantage for most purposes.
SCISSORS - The PowerLock is the only one of the three multi-tools equipped with scissors (in place of a second knife blade); although the SwissTool is available with scissors in place of the serrated blade as the SwissTool X.
To give the PowerLock’s scissors a good work out, I tried them on phone book paper, 32 lb. cardboard, monofilament fishing line, rubber bands, string, shoelace, paracord, and denim jeans.
I also hauled out every tool with scissors that I had for comparison; these included a Leatherman Mirca and Wave, a Victorinox Classic and Huntsman, a Wenger Handyman and the Gerber 400 Compact Sport Multi-Plier which is part of the same pass around/ lottery as the PowerLock.
The PowerLock’s scissors were by far the poorest performing of the group. They felt wimpy and they often jammed closed with out finishing the cut and the exposed wire spring seems to be vulnerable to damage. The SOG’s scissors were the only one that failed to cut through the paracord or cotton shoe lace (the Gerber 400, Micra and Wave sometimes took 2 tries to get through the paracord and the Wave sometimes took two attempts to get through the shoe lace, but the PowerLock would not cut through even with multiple attempts). The PowerLock was the only scissors that sometimes took several tries to get through ¼” wide rubber bands. The PowerLock’s scissors were only barely able to cut the cardboard and felt like they were going to bend. The SOG scissors even performed poorly on paper. The cuts are snippy since the throat is only about 7/8”. The PowerLock’s scissors where the only ones that world not cut denim at all (the other scissors were all capable of cutting denim easily and all were able to cut through the hem with varying ease or difficulty).
The PowerLock’s scissors aren’t worth including on the tool. I would like to see SOG come up some better scissors or replace them with a second knife blade.
BOTTLE OPENER - Both the PowerLock and SwissTool have bottle openers (combined with screw drivers) much like those found on SAKs. The Super Tool dose not have a separate bottle cap lifter, but the can opener is supposed to be good for both cans and bottles.
The PowerLock and SwissTool bottle openers seem to work well, while the Super Tool’s combination can/bottle opener is marginal, at best, for bottles. The Super Tool’s opener just barely gets a grip on the cap and easily slips off.
Continued......
Very well done.
