Hello,
Razor
. I'm not an old farmer, but I am a middle aged rancher. I carry a Swisstool. I don't own a Supertool 300, but I did test drive a friend's for a while when I was looking into replacing a multitool that I lost.
T. Erdelyi
is right. The Swisstool and Supertool are very close in terms of quality and functionality. It's going to be the small, individual tradeoffs between the two that make one fit your particular needs slightly better than the other. For Ted it was the Leatherman, in my case the Swisstool won out.
From what I've seen, there's three basic models of the standard Swisstool with slight tool variants: The BS, which appears to be what Ted has (sorry, Ted, I didn't name it
) with a serrated sheepsfoot blade, file and no scissors, the CS which has no serrated blade but has scissors and a file (looking at them online, (I can't spot a difference between the CS and X models other than the name) and the RS which has scissors and a serrated, blunt tipped "rescue" type blade in place of the file. If I have something wrong here, someone please correct me.
The one I carry now is the Swisstool CS Plus (the plus models come with a 10 bit holder, a bit driver either ratcheting or solid, 6 bits, an attachable corkscrew and (if I recall correctly, I always add it if not included) the Vic glasses screwdriver that stores in the corkscrew all in the belt pouch. In the past I carried the RS until I lost it and needed to replace it. In that time I decided I had more use for a file than a serrated blade.
Reasons I chose the Swisstool over the Supertool:
The scissors. I use these a lot more than I ever imagined I would. Trimming gaskets, paper, plastic, fingernails, loose threads, baler twine, etc, etc ad nauseam. At this point I'd be absolutely lost without them with me at all times while working. That said, it's the least important advantage to me. I could easily toss a Vic Explorer in my pocket for the scissors. I sometimes carry one as it is for the magnifier, tweezers and straight pin if I feel they might be needed.
The lock. I liked the lock mechanism better on the Vic. I found it easier to disengage, but part of that was likely familiarity. It did take noticeably less pressure to disengage though. Not a deciding factor for me.
The scraper/chisel/wire stripper blade. The one closest to the knife blade in my pic. I use this a lot and I don't think Leatherman has an equivalent. The wire stripper notches work easier than just using the knife blade, but not enough that being without them would be a hardship. The scraper tip of that blade, on the other hand, I've found very useful. Sometimes for a quick cleanup of the seating surface for a bleeder screw on a tractor fuel system and sometimes just to get in a spot that's inconvenient to get into with a normal sized gasket scraper or putty knife and various tasks perhaps outside the design intent. I use it enough that it's needed sharpened almost as often as the knife blade.
In looking at the photos I just noticed (duh) that with the all of the Supertools you have to open the handles to access a tool and then close the handles to use it whereas you can open and use the tools on the Swisstool without opening the handles. That's a nice feature.
This. This is one of the biggest advantages of the Swisstool over the Leatherman in my mind. On my test drive of my friend's Leatherman, every time I had to open and close the #@%©$&! pliers, adding two extra steps to get at a screwdriver or bottle opener or knife blade and another two to close said folding tool, it pissed me off and I called it extremely unkind things after being used to just opening them on the Vic. Not only can you access the folding tools without opening/closing the pliers on the Vic, when you're using the pliers, your hand is gripping the more comfortable closed/smooth side of the handle instead of the open side with the tools. This only really matters of you're squeezing pretty hard like cutting tough wire or really needing a tight grip on something. Also, the cutting edges on blades and saws are at the outside edge of the tool, not set halfway in when unfolded. I liked this a lot better in use. To my mind, the tools that open without opening and closing the pliers are all advantage, no disadvantage. Others may have a different view.
What I liked better about the Leatherman:
I can't disagree with anything that's been said about the Leatherman pliers. Finer needlenose, open wider, replaceable cutters, addition of a crimper. They're just better in all ways but strength. You give up some strength with the finer tip. The friend I borrowed the ST 300 from breaks a tip off his pliers regularly enough that he keeps an extra pair to use if he needs to send his in for warranty work. They always fix or replace them for him though and he says turnaround is fairly quick. They don't even ask what incredibly stupid thing he did to break them.
Warranty. See above. I've never had to use the Vic warranty, but Leatherman is the stuff of internet legends when it comes to warranty
What's a tie:
The folding tools once they're out and ready for use. I think comparison of the knife blades deserves special attention. I like the overall shape of the Leatherman plain edge blade better with more belly and a useful point, but the Vic was thinner behind the edge and a better slicer because of it. The classic Vic blade outline comes from the SAK's particular design needs and, personally, I wish they hadn't repeated it on the Swisstool for legacy's sake. A shape more like the Leatherman with their thin, slicey geometry and they'd have had a clear win instead of a wash as far as I'm concerned.
So, there it is. My own personal thoughts on the two. Either is a great tool to have on your hip. Which one fits your personal needs better is something you need to decide for yourself.
Sorry for the wall o' text...
