Toughest multitool on the market?

Swisstool by a mile. I have a Gerber and a Leatherman and the Swisstool is the only one that didn't feel like it was going to break or bend under pressure. It is built like a tank.
 
A few years ago I was talking to the company rep from one of the multi tool outfits, I made a few suggestions and he just smiled. He informed me that only one of 1,000 was ever used for anything serious, that they would go broke making them for ranchers (folks who really use them hard) and that they were better off economically to replace those that broke.

I believe that if we want to have a multi tool for really tough work we need to be ready to pay for that kind of product. To survive economically they have to make them for the most folks who will buy them at the cheapest price they can produce them or they won't be in business long.
 
dillon_b12 said:
They are machined on a wire EDM.

I've been looking at getting a Charge AL, but if Multitasker had a non-AR specific MT I would be getting it. The build quality looks amazing from the pictures floating around the web.
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Our Gen2 pliers are wire-EDM'd from barstock (D2 equivalent), then final machining is done via CNC

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Exploring options for an EDC version, but we still need to get caught up on the weapon-specific one first.

Maybe Spring 2011?
 
dawsonbob said:
I have to say that that's one of the neatest things I've seen in quite awhile. I've been considering a Swisstool, but after seeing the Crunch, I may have to reconsider.

Does anyone have one who would care to comment, and tell us how they like it?
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The LM Crunch is a neat tool for occasional use. You should try before you buy this one. The pliers need two hands to “assemble” each time you use them. The bottom jaw needs to be connected to the bottom handle after the jaws are folded out. This is a cool concept that makes the tool very compact when compared to the Kershaw A100. The blades are inboard so the handle must be opened to access the blades.

I’m a heavy user/abuser of MT’s and found this tool required too many steps/hands for frequent use. I broke my first one in a few weeks but I was using it as a welding clamp. I don’t believe it was the tools fault, I just clamped it too hard. I bought another one as a “formal wear” tool. It is very compact when folded and easier to conceal than an A100. (My wife thinks it’s tacky to have a 7” A100 sheath hanging from my waist at weddings or church.)
 
WorkSharpEngineer said:
The LM Crunch is a neat tool for occasional use. You should try before you buy this one. The pliers need two hands to “assemble” each time you use them. The bottom jaw needs to be connected to the bottom handle after the jaws are folded out. This is a cool concept that makes the tool very compact when compared to the Kershaw A100. The blades are inboard so the handle must be opened to access the blades.

I’m a heavy user/abuser of MT’s and found this tool required too many steps/hands for frequent use. I broke my first one in a few weeks but I was using it as a welding clamp. I don’t believe it was the tools fault, I just clamped it too hard. I bought another one as a “formal wear” tool. It is very compact when folded and easier to conceal than an A100. (My wife thinks it’s tacky to have a 7” A100 sheath hanging from my waist at weddings or church.)
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Thanks, WorkSharpEngineer. That helped me make the decision to go with the Swisstool first, and maybe try the Crunch sometime down the road. It sounds like the Crunch requires too much "fussin'" with to be practical for my uses.
 
Ed Fowler said:
A few years ago I was talking to the company rep from one of the multi tool outfits, I made a few suggestions and he just smiled. He informed me that only one of 1,000 was ever used for anything serious, that they would go broke making them for ranchers (folks who really use them hard) and that they were better off economically to replace those that broke.

I believe that if we want to have a multi tool for really tough work we need to be ready to pay for that kind of product. To survive economically they have to make them for the most folks who will buy them at the cheapest price they can produce them or they won't be in business long.
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Makes sense. But if the basic Leatherman Wave sells for $60 street price and their premium Charge TTi is $105 with the exact same pliers just with premium scales (titanium) and blade (S30V), there must be a market for premium toughness as well. I think $45 price difference is enough to cover for machined (rather than cast) pliers and stronger construction overall.
 
Multitaskertools said:
Our Gen2 pliers are wire-EDM'd from barstock (D2 equivalent), then final machining is done via CNC

Exploring options for an EDC version, but we still need to get caught up on the weapon-specific one first.

Maybe Spring 2011?
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I appreciate the response! I saw on another forum that you were looking for input as to what should be in the EDC version. This forum is another place that has people with a wealth of knowledge about these things.

This thread isn't the place for it, but I'm sure there are plenty of people, myself included, here that have some thoughts they would love to share with you about your potential EDC tool.

An input thread here would probably get you a lot of responses as to what the knife nut public thinks make a good multi-tool.

I really hope you end up making an EDC MT.
 
dillon_b12 said:
I appreciate the response! I saw on another forum that you were looking for input as to what should be in the EDC version. This forum is another place that has people with a wealth of knowledge about these things.

This thread isn't the place for it, but I'm sure there are plenty of people, myself included, here that have some thoughts they would love to share with you about your potential EDC tool.

An input thread here would probably get you a lot of responses as to what the knife nut public thinks make a good multi-tool.

I really hope you end up making an EDC MT.
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I have an AR Multitasker and if they make a general purpose MT I'll be all over it. The fit and finish is top notch, I prefer the G-10 handles over the smooth metal of my Charge and I really like the plier heads, they have a quality look and feel to them that I haven't found on any other MT.:thumbup:
 
Multitaskertools said:
Our Gen2 pliers are wire-EDM'd from barstock (D2 equivalent)
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I thought it was DC-53. That's much tougher than D2. It's also more wear resistant, but that would matter if you made the blade out of it (please, and at 62 Rc) and not just the pliers.
 
richard thurman said:
we will see about that because I just turned one . usa made. I told them I didnt want the china one. they said if they didnt have the usa made they would give me credit so I can get anything else instead but they want to give me china price instead of usa made credit.
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YYYEESSS they gave me a branded new USA one in exchange for my broken one plus they gave me the pouch that goes with it and the little tool so I can change the cutters that are one it. GERBER IS NUMBER ONE 1.
 
hardheart said:
I thought it was DC-53. That's much tougher than D2. It's also more wear resistant, but that would matter if you made the blade out of it (please, and at 62 Rc) and not just the pliers.
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We are working on an enhanced version of the billet pliers with replaceable wire cutter inserts made with Daido DC53 - hope to debut them @ SHOT 2011 in January; the manner in which the inserts are mounted is totally different than the arrangement used by both Leatherman and Gerber.

DC53 blades are also a possibility.
 
Jay S. said:
Swisstool by a mile. I have a Gerber and a Leatherman and the Swisstool is the only one that didn't feel like it was going to break or bend under pressure. It is built like a tank.
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I guess that depends on WHICH Gerber, SwissTool, Leatherman, does it?

My Gerber Suspension/Ripstop/Resolve are not nearly as tough as my Leatherman's. Nor is the Gerber MP4000. The Swisstool and Spirit are elegant MT's, no doubt, but more solid then a SuperTool? Or a Core? Hmmmmmm. Me thinks not. A Surge? Maybe the saw file, but overall toughness? Hmmm.
 
soapboxpreacher said:
SwissTool is the toughest one followed closely by the Leatherman...it is very close. I like the features and functions of the leatherman a bit better so that would be my choice. I have a wave and use it everyday. Heres a write up I did over at multitool.org

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,18823.msg358773.html#msg358773
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+1.
The swisstool is heavier and I dislike it for that. It has less functionality than a leatherman wave or charge. But is is stronger..
My personal preference would be the wave or charge.
I'll be posting a video review in the next week or two doing a head to head comparison on a new wave/charge vs swisstool
 
richard thurman said:
YYYEESSS they gave me a branded new USA one in exchange for my broken one plus they gave me the pouch that goes with it and the little tool so I can change the cutters that are one it. GERBER IS NUMBER ONE 1.
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It's great to hear that they are offering good customer service to back up their "Legendary Warranty." I'm not a fan of their knives because of the mystery steel, but I really like their multitools.
 
PropThePolecat said:
I totally agree. Had my MP600 for years as my main multitool at work and it held up just fine. Only reason i didnt choose it, is that it dosent have any hard wire notches. If you try to cut something hard, itll deform the cuting edge. Other than that, its great. I hope Gerber has fixed that.

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i used to have that one as well until someone stole it (or more likely i lost it:D).. i loved that particular one compared to the radius bc it was smaller and lighter and more compact bc of the retractable pliers. i hate i cant find that one. i had and used that one for 5-7yrs before it was "stolen" from me:D
 
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