Use a multi-tool in trades/farming/law enforcement/work?

Commercial plumbing here. We have a small company and I am a project manager who winds up in the field once or twice a week. Leatherman charge ti with the extender and all the bits on my left hip daily. Most used are drywall saw, pliers and phillips. If youre on a ladder or squished in somewhere its a pain to go to your tools.Also, I lost my keyhole saw so if its not enough for a sawzall it works great even if I am near my tools.

The blade is used mostly when people want to borrow a knife. Its s30v but woulnt really matter if it were a lesser steel. I dont maintain it as well as my other knives or I'd get pissed if someone used it to scrape rust off threads or the like. Funny how folks make fun of me for carrying several knives but always seem to need to borrow one. The boys are all going to get leatherman wingmans along with their christmas bonuses this year.
 
I do a little farming, and I've tried to carry the multitools, but to be honest, I'm a lot better off with a good pair of pliers and a sharp knife in my pocket. I do carry a Vic Farmer (appropriately enough, I suppose), but the Leatherman tools and a Gerber I had several years ago just couldn't hold up. I'd always end up twisting one of the screwdrivers all up, or screwing up the jaws or wire cutters.

As it comes to the multiple use tools, I guess I can sum up to say it's hard to beat a Vic SAK of some kind supplemented with a good pair of pliers.

Steel type? Just moving about the general day, I'm a steel snob, but when I'm in farm mode, I don't give a shit one way or the other, as long as it's sharp when I start the day.
 
I was a stagehand for most of the nineties, and I always had a Leatherman and/or Gerber Multiplier in my belt pouch. Pliers, wrenches, and screwdrivers were constantly needed, and often a blade. A dedicated tool is always a better choice, but sometimes things just came up when the tool bag was a 90 ft spiral staircase or a truss crawl away. Having 2 brands of MTs with different loadouts meant that if some knucklehead put a Robertson or Metric allen bolt in a strange place, I had a decent chance of getting the job done anyways. A lot of the guys would try to get by on the cheap with a knockoff MT, and they always broke with various degrees of danger and hilarity--mine never did.
 
I think there is a 'survivor dilemma' when we post a question about whether tradesman do use multitools, most that have responded here is possibly a MT enthusiast/user, so it would seem most tradesman may use a MT. But there are so many more countless tradesman that haven't responded, or we have no access to, that may or may not carry a MT for their work.

I too am curious whether the steel used for MT blade make a significant difference when people are choosing their MT. And so far, from the responses, my feeling is most tradesman whom carries a MT for their work don't seem to concern too much about the steel used for the MT blade, and mostly utilize pliers or other tool functions from the MT.
 
comis said:
I think there is a 'survivor dilemma' when we post a question about whether tradesman do use multitools, most that have responded here is possibly a MT enthusiast/user, so it would seem most tradesman may use a MT. But there are so many more countless tradesman that haven't responded, or we have no access to, that may or may not carry a MT for their work.

I too am curious whether the steel used for MT blade make a significant difference when people are choosing their MT. And so far, from the responses, my feeling is most tradesman whom carries a MT for their work don't seem to concern too much about the steel used for the MT blade, and mostly utilize pliers or other tool functions from the MT.
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This was very true for me when I lost my original wave multi tool at airport security (rushed to catch a flight after work and left it clipped in my pocket) and was looking for a replacement...I looked at all the higher end leathermans, but soon realized that I didn't need s30v or a titanium frame for what I use it for and that the wave I had served me well for 7 years. So I ended up just getting another wave, and it's working just fine for my use. I also feel like I'd hesitate to use a $200 leatherman in the same manner I use my $60 wave. (Thou I only paid 30 for mine due to a home depot stocking error)

I may eventually buy one of the better models just to have in my collection, but my edc will continue to be the much cheaper wave.
 
I used to work a lot with computer hardware. I carried dedicated screwdrivers with interchangeable bits, some small vise-grip pliers, diagonal cutters, cable cutters, crimp tools. I used to carry regular needle-nose pliers, but since the LM PST had some pretty good needle-nose pliers plus the small screwdrivers, I swapped it out in my tool bag for the needle-nose pliers.

I would use the knife blade to cut the packing tape on boxes. I used all of the screwdriver tools on it. Never recall using the file or the can opener.

Unfortunately I lost that original PST at a job site out of state about 10 years ago. Since then I replaced it with a Juice S2 plus the bit-driver kit for it. However, my current job really doesn't have me doing much with computer hardware any more so it just stays in my bag these days.
 
Im a professional firefighter and keep a leatherman sideclip in my gear. Among the other items i carry ( prybar, spanner wrench, webbing, door chock, spyderco saver salt , wire cutter,bailout system, combo screwdriver .....etc) the leatherman doesnt see much use because it contains mostly redundant tools i already carry. I have used it more around the station than i ever use it on calls. Its just one of those things everyone has but rarely uses in my line of work since dedicated tools are typically deployed quicker and are more ergonomic using with gloves. Its more or less there to use in a pinch if i lose something or ever need a needlenose for any reason. You never know when you are going to need one so a multitool is a good thing to have handy.
 
Backend Maintainer at Ball.
I operate and maintain large factory machinery.

Long answer:
I DO have a very-stocked toolbox, but it stays in one place, while I'm often out and about. The plant is very big.
9 times out of 10, I don't have a MT. I usually just carry my knife, but it seldom gets used.
My job just doesn't require much (if any) cutting.
Honestly. It really doesn't.
But the days I have carried a MT, it gets used a ton.
But I haven't really found a MT that speaks to me like my knives do.
I have a Wave, a Skeletool, and a Rebar.
My Wave has been used quite a bit.
When I first got it, one of the handles was really crazy tight to lock open.
So me and my cousin sanded down the little track.
It's better, but just as bad, because now it's looser than the other side. :(
And the 100% lockup on the Skeletool drives me freaking nuts.
I'm trying to like my Rebar now. :)

Short answer:
Yup. It's handy.
 
bladeboss said:
Backend Maintainer at Ball.
I operate and maintain large factory machinery.

Long answer:
I DO have a very-stocked toolbox, but it stays in one place, while I'm often out and about. The plant is very big.
9 times out of 10, I don't have a MT. I usually just carry my knife, but it seldom gets used.
My job just doesn't require much (if any) cutting.
Honestly. It really doesn't.
But the days I have carried a MT, it gets used a ton.
But I haven't really found a MT that speaks to me like my knives do.
I have a Wave, a Skeletool, and a Rebar.
My Wave has been used quite a bit.
When I first got it, one of the handles was really crazy tight to lock open.
So me and my cousin sanded down the little track.
It's better, but just as bad, because now it's looser than the other side. :(
And the 100% lockup on the Skeletool drives me freaking nuts.
I'm trying to like my Rebar now. :)

Short answer:
Yup. It's handy.
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You send that wave in under their warranty for replacement or fixen.
 
bladeboss said:
Even though I'm basically the one that did it, and carved my name in the handle?
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Well the initial over tightness was a defect...maybe atleast reach out to em about it, they had excellent customer service when I had an issue a few years back. Worse case all they say is no, best case you get a replacement
 
Bobby3326 said:
Well the initial over tightness was a defect...maybe atleast reach out to em about it, they had excellent customer service when I had an issue a few years back. Worse case all they say is no, best case you get a replacement
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I'm not 100% sure it's worth it though.
Like you said, I should have sent it back when it was tight. It's still definitely useable, but not "Chris Reeve"-ish.
To be honest with you, I think I'm just being OCD.
But on the other hand, for 100$ I shouldn't have to think about it.
 
I do wildlife control and rehab for a living. My Leatherman has saved me from numerous trips to the truck for a dedicated tool. I use it just about every day--mostly use the pliers, wire cutter or screw drivers. Very handy when a tool is needed in an attic or when up on a nasty roof
 
I'm the sexton of a 30 acre cemetery and use my Leatherman Sidekick everyday. Typically, the tools used are the pliers, file (used to touch-up lopper blades while in the field), saw and large flat head screw driver (used for scraping, prying, and digging). The knife is kept sharp and is typically only used to shave trimmer line so that it fits in the holes of the spindle of the trimmer. It also opens the occasional letter or package.

If ever lost or broken, it will be replaced (probably by a Wave). MTs are too handy for me to be without.

I don't mind 420HC. Again, the blade doesn't see much use, so it works well for me.

Before working at a cemetery, I worked for my city's street department and carried a Gerber MP600 Pro Scout that was also used daily (mainly for the pliers and large flat head screw driver). I typically carried an additional box cutter because the knife on the Pro Scout refused to take a sharp edge.
 
It seems like the knives on multitools rarely get used as a primary knife, and more as a sacrificial one of sorts. I know I have a cheap no-name one that came with a Dremel I got as a Christmas present once, and I use the knife for cutting things that would dull any blade, like cutting pieces of plastic or wood that are against a metal backing surface.
 
Me, I've never used a mt at work. or have I seen another tradesmen in any trade use a mt at work. My brother and ex brother in law both mechanics and one a tow truck driver as well, use a a mt all the time.

Well I do use a leatherman micra. The only thing used on it is the tweezers and those are for the varry varry varry rare chance I get a tile splinter. I did use the scissors once to cut a rag in half(for toilet paper cuz the port a john was out of tp) But other than that it sits in the truck somewhere. Not used for work purposes just the odd tp and splinter purpose.
 
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I'm on a roof working on a 25 ton unit trying to find a short. All I brought with me (not counting all of my other edc stuff, gun, Emerson, etc) is what you see in the picture, and a couple of big kits I carry in my pocket, a multimeter, and a small Makita driver to remove screws. Sure beats lugging a tool bag up 3 ladders.
 
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