Best and worst multi tool on the market

S

shantipole1

Joined
Dec 17, 2006
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39
Interested hearing opinions on the what people think are the best and worst multi tools produced. No sheffield stanley or chinese type multi tools they are obviously terrible.

Best

LM Charge XTi (The crimper is essential)

Gerber MultiPlier 800 (Older models as the quality of gerber has decreased significantly in the 5 years ive owned the tool)


Worst

SOG SwitchPlier (Total POS broke first time i used it)
 
For me the ultimate tool is the Victorinox SwissTool. The worst would be my BuckTool...the handles bent the first time I used it:rolleyes:
 
I can only comment on what I've owned.

Best: Victorinox Swiss Tool and Spirit

Worst: Leatherman
 
Best - Original Swisstool

Worst - have to second Shantipole1. My Switchplier bent immediately as well.
 
I have yet to try the Swiss tool although I am tempted to try the spirit because ive seen some in the 50-75$ price range which is reletivly cheap. Im probably the only person on here who really likes the multi plier 800 but all the tools open when the plier is in the closed position which is a wonderful feature and the fact that it has bearings between the tools is also a plus. on the negative are the completely pathetic knife and the horrendous philips tool. well you got me on a rant but Im certainly going to investigate the swiss tool further.
 
I can only comment on ones that I have owned and used. Of them, the best is the Leatherman wave (old style) and the worst is the gerber multiplier. The Gerber opens well (a real flick plier) but pinches my fingers when you use the pliers on small items. The screwdrivers also were too rounded and needed mods.
 
yeah i own an old style wave (purchased 98 i think) and it was a dynomite tool for many years that took a licking and never quit on me but it is old now and half a step down from the current top of the line tools.

MDG by the way the MP800 butterfly opens not like the slide up MP600 i hate the 600 its a total POS
 
Well, I have a Gerber Multitool that I got years back when I was in Boyscouts... Lets see, I must have been 12 or 14 at the time, so that makes it about 10 years old! Blade has some to be desired, but all-in-all its in damn near perfect condition and it has seen some harsh use (albeit nowhere near daily!).

The file and serrated sheepfoot really impress me. I've used the file to fix more than one bent/broken knife tip, and the sheepfoot as cut a ton of nasty stuff. Could use a steel though, as it has devoloped a sort of bur along the back edge of the chisle grind.
 
spoonrobot said:
Have the fixed the exploding bit holder yet?

Until they do there are better options out there than the Charge/New Wave.
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I didn't know they MADE an exploding bit holder yet, but it sounds pretty cool. Let me know when it comes out. My Wave's bit holders are strong and durable. I can torque on them all day long, and nothing happens other then them gettin the job done. I've actually, at one time or another, pulled, twisted, torqued, and pryed on my Wave for something or other, and it's held up strong. The Wave rules. Harder working tool you won't find. You'll find equally hard working tools, but harder, at a comparable size, no way. I had A Swisstool, and bent the crap out of two of the screwdriver heads, and I wasn't using them anywhere near as hard as I use my Wave. The pliers on the swisstool are good, but I wasn't impressed with the other tools, so I gave it away. Gerbers? Not a very good tool. Never used one that doesn't bend all out of shape. Granted, I haven't used ALL the tools in their line, but the ones I have used weren't very good. I've used CHINESE tools that have held up better then some Gerbers.
 
yeah my wave is a great tool that has served me very well just the tools were getting a bit loose from use but ive had it for 10 years now

and the new LM bit holders are great ive had no such problems with the 2 on the XTi
 
I haven't tried one of the Swisstools yet - spirit soon, I hope. You know, now that I think about it a bit, my first LM PST was probably my best one:) I have the Wave II, but I also need a Micra for that little screwdriver it has - the Wave one is next to useless for me. It's also a bit heavy - it's handy, granted, and I use it a lot, BUT I find that my Paladin/SOG PT-510 is handier on smaller jobs, especially home reno/electrical, and it's about the same size as the PST:) My PST is in my wife's toolbox in the SUV. Up until I got my PST, I had broken more than few of the "others":D

- gord
 
The SwissTool is pretty darn good. A bit crude looking imo, but strong as as an anvil.

I had an old style Wave that was pretty good. It did everything I ever asked. The handles were kind of loose and didn't line up well though. The new Charge Ti I handled recently still had the misaligned handles problem.

I never had a problem with the drivers on my SwissTool, however those bit driver on the new Leathermans look like a real good idea. With the driver you could use (make yourself) any bit you might ever need.
 
best = leatherman or sog multipliers
worst = gerber and the chinese made junk. I have broke several gerbers under situations that dont constitute abuse.
 
I had an original Gerber palm-pinching pliers multitool. The screwdrivers were too stubby. It was difficult to get the pliers head to deploy and it rattled when carried.

The worst design aspect was a safety issue. The handles pinched my palm when the pliers closed, drawing a painful blood blister. I got rid of the tool afterwards.

Best multitools? That list should include the original Leatherman SuperTool and the full sized Victorinox SwissTools.
 
parnass said:
Best multitools? That list should include the original Leatherman SuperTool and the full sized Victorinox SwissTools.
Click to expand...

I agree with Parnass, and find it such a close call that IMHO they are about equal. Between the two I opted more for the Leatherman because of its needlenose pliers that open wider and superior screwdrivers. Both are classics.
 
Hi,
I own a Victorinox and they are really weak.
The metal and wood saw are very good, so they are the pliers. But the scissors are horrible and many tools are unuseful. The plastic breaks easily and I wouldn't dare to twist most parts of the tool. I think it's a beautiful gift for a teenager, but not a good tool.
I don't have my own Leatherman but I've used some. They are much better.

Does anybody know a model from leatherman with metal saw?
 
Get a surge and a nice T shank blade for metal. (though the holder isn't that strong)

Worst is Gerber's pliers and Leatherman's fit and finish.
 
I have the Swiss Tool. Used it for years and there is virually no sign of wear. It is a definite favourite. I bought my son the Sog Paratool and whilst it could do with some more features it is well made and works a treat.
 
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