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Multi-tools


Richard Thomas

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Been having a look at multi-tools, since the screwdriver's gone missing from my kit- wondering if anyone had any opinions?

I'm thinking screwdrivers, pliers and a knife/scissors would be the most useful things. A soldering iron might be handy too :)

Shortlist:

Leatherman Skeletool

Leatherman Juice S2

Victorinox Cybertool

Gerber Crucial

Any opinions? Or anything really useful I'm missing

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I would take a look at the micra too it is the small leatherman with the scissors. I find that they are heavy duty enough to cut smaller gauge wire, strip the rubber coating when rewiring something and most anything else plus the tool is small enough to fit on a keychain.

http://leatherman.fa...ulti-Tools.html

otherwise definatly something in a full sized tool, I find that for what we do you will probially want something with needle nosed heads like the leatherman line. Though gerber makes good stuff too and while I have never used victorianox multi tools they make good stuff. I only go into brands because I have used some off brand tools and found them to almost all be poor substitutes. Either too hard to open and lose, poor design on the pliers etc... the list goes on.

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I've got an off-brand one at the moment and I can't see it lasting much longer.

I'm a bit keener on getting something on the smaller/lighter side (the micra looks good). The screwdriver with interchangeable bits on the skeletool looks good- and it looks like it'll take a beating, although I'm a bit wary about carring a big knife around

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Unless you often lose things, a good one will last a looong time. I have been carrying the same leather man since 1995, and it replaced one I lost. I don't know the exact names, back then there were two Leatherman tools. I bought the bigger one when I lost the smaller one. Gerber *used* to have an option on their site to build a custom one where you picked the tools, but I think that went away.

I do carry a butane soldering pen in my kit. I don't carry it with me every day, but it is with me when I am away from home for longer jobs, or jobs where I have a truck with a lot of extra gear.

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I enjoy my SOG multi tools. I reccomend the Power assist.

http://sogknives.com/store/B66.html

What I like about the SOG multi tools the most is the pliers come to a really fine point and they have twice the pinching power because of their gear system. It also has the flip blades accessible when the tool is closed.

Also, Ignore the retail pricing. I got mine for like 40 dollars on woot.com. But you can find them other places for similar prices.

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I'm a bit of a multi-tool geek. My main ones are a Leatherman Skeletool that I keep in my pocked all the time - its pretty small and has just the right features for everyday. I have a Leatherman Wave that I take out on gigs where I might need some more stuff. I definitely recommend the leatherman stuff - it lasts!

-Mike

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I enjoy my SOG multi tools. I reccomend the Power assist.

http://sogknives.com/store/B66.html

What I like about the SOG multi tools the most is the pliers come to a really fine point and they have twice the pinching power because of their gear system. It also has the flip blades accessible when the tool is closed.

Also, Ignore the retail pricing. I got mine for like 40 dollars on woot.com. But you can find them other places for similar prices.

Seconding the SOG power assist multi-tool. Their knives are also fantastic. Great product and great warranty! I carry their SOG Flash II knife everyday.

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I have the original Leatherman that I bought more than 25 years ago, and I often drool over all those new (and probably far better) models, but to date resisted to the temptation. After all, that Leatherman served me well countless times, so why retire it ?

I've got the original leatherman also!

Bit scary that I brought it around 25 years ago too, these days it's my "around home" multitool.

For work I bought a victorinox around 10 years ago and it's still looking like I got it yesterday.

Happy with both brands and would recommend either to a first time purchaser.

Grant.

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I'm a Gerber guy. Got a good and sturdy kit for a fantastic price a couple years ago. Super happy with it, don't know the model. I love the fact that you can flip the tools out without having to open it up. The quality of the tools and the knife in particular is superior to Leatherman IMO.

Though if my Gerber breaks, I'll probably get a Leatherman anyway. The service is, I've heard, awesome. And they look better too ;)

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  • 9 years later...

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