Juice XE6

[gatch]

I have 2 Leatherman Juices (S2 & KF4) and was thinking of upgrading to the XE6 so that I could EDC a single tool. I took a look at an EX6 in the shop and I wansn't that impressed with it. Some of the tools are in the middle of the outer handle and are not easy to get to. Also the pliers are not in the middle of the tool but offset to one side so that one side of the handle is wider than the other (the S2 suffers from this as well, although not to the same extent). The corkscrew also seems a little flimsy and looks as if it will easy bend.

But what really concerned me was that when closing the pliers one side (the side with the 3 flat screwdrivers) kept getting jammed into the screwdrivers; the tool would not close and it was difficult to unjam it. I have never seen this on my S2 or KF4. Has an EX6 owner had this problem or was the display model in the shop faulty?

 

[JohnJ80]

I've carried one for 18 months and have no problems opening or closing it as you mention.

J.

 

[klattman]

I have an XE6 and most of what you say about the bulk is true.

I have never had a closing problem like that. If the screwdrivers are closed, they should be tight enough to stay closed and not get in the way of the pliers, if they are loose you are looking at a defect. Mine is fine.

The corkscrew could be bent, but again, I have not had a problem with it. OTOH, Using the assist can chip the rim on a wine bottle if you aren't careful. (the can opener/assist is thin, if it were thicker it would probably not chip out bottles).

If it helps, I don't use mine anymore because the sheath disintegrated and I have too many newer tools to carry. I also think the springs are on the weak side on mine, so you may want to check for that.

Hope this helps.

 

[gatch]

Thanks for the replys. Sounds like the display was defective then, or too many people messing with it in the shop.

After looking the EX6 I have decided not to get one. I have a Swisstool Spirit on order from Amazon (before they upped the price ) and will wait an see if I am going to EDC carry this on me or have it in my bag depending on the weight and feel of it in the pouch. I am really a minimalist of what I have on my person.

 

[klattman]

Thanks for the replys. Sounds like the display was defective then, or too many people messing with it in the shop.

After looking the EX6 I have decided not to get one. I have a Swisstool Spirit on order from Amazon (before they upped the price ) and will wait an see if I am going to EDC carry this on me or have it in my bag depending on the weight and feel of it in the pouch. I am really a minimalist of what I have on my person.

Yep, I have a Spirit on the way as well. You can buy the corkscrew for the spirit separately (vic dealer?) ... the CS seems like the only thing the Sprirt lacks compared to the Juice.

We'll have to start yet another Spirit thread in a week or so huh?

 

[gatch]

Yep, I have a Spirit on the way as well. You can buy the corkscrew for the spirit separately (vic dealer?) ... the CS seems like the only thing the Sprirt lacks compared to the Juice.

We'll have to start yet another Spirit thread in a week or so huh?

The "Plus" kit comes with the corkscrew, but I am sure you will be able to buy it seperately as a replacement part. I bought the original Swisstool before the Plus version for that was available and was able to purchase at a later date the entire kit as one product from the official Swissarmy store (the company I was working for a the time had an agreement whereby employees got discounts when purcashing from them - something that I regularly took advantage of )

To be honest the corkscrew is not a must have for me, but being a collector it is something that I must (eventually) have.

 

[Gryffin]

The corkscrew also seems a little flimsy and looks as if it will easy bend.

I try to be careful with mine, but I've lost count of how many wine bottles I've opened with my SC2 and Juice Pro (same as the XE6, in pewter finish + adds a foil cutter blade), and I haven't bent either yet. The assist hels a LOT, you don't need to twist the crap outta the corkscrew.

[

Has an EX6 owner had this problem or was the display model in the shop faulty?

Sounds like that one was faulty. I've got one of just about every model, and have never seen that sort of binding. Take it back!!

Since you seem to like minimalism in your tools, but want a screwdriver, keep an eye out on eBay for the Juice SC4. It was a special-run model done for some big-box store, but it's one of my favorites: the usual pliers and screwdrivers, plus a knife blade, scissors, corkscrew & assist/bottle-opened/can opener. That's it. About as much bulk as the KF4, little less weight, and all the tools I need for a night on the town!

 

[gatch]

Since you seem to like minimalism in your tools, but want a screwdriver, keep an eye out on eBay for the Juice SC4. It was a special-run model done for some big-box store, but it's one of my favorites: the usual pliers and screwdrivers, plus a knife blade, scissors, corkscrew & assist/bottle-opened/can opener. That's it. About as much bulk as the KF4, little less weight, and all the tools I need for a night on the town!

Actually I don't want/need a corkscrew. What would be my perfect Juice is the KF4 without the wood saw and scissors in its place. Do you know if Leatherman made a special with those specs?

 

[Gryffin]

Actually I don't want/need a corkscrew. What would be my perfect Juice is the KF4 without the wood saw and scissors in its place. Do you know if Leatherman made a special with those specs?

Sorry, no. But I agree, that would be a nice config. I like my corkscrew, but I use the scissors MUCH more!

 

[Brangdon]

I have the XE6, but I didn't like the bulk or the way the pliers weren't symmetric on the body. It didn't seem quite right. Eventually I bought a Juice CS4 which I'm much happier with. It loses the serrated blade and the file. It has the straight blade, the corkscrew with assist, the scissors, the wood saw , the eye-glass screwdriver and the rest. It's not perfect - the build quality isn't as good as I'd like, and the handles are slightly different thicknesses - but it has pretty much all the tools I want.

 

[Gryffin]

It's not perfect - the build quality isn't as good as I'd like, and the handles are slightly different thicknesses.

That's not a quality issue.

The Juice line is modular; LM mixes and matches tool "layers" to make up the different models. Thing is, the layers are all different thicknesses. As a result, most models have one handle thicker than the other.

 

[Brangdon]

That's not a quality issue.

Indeed - I was making two independant points. My first multitool was a Swiss Tool, which is very solidly built and a joy to handle. After that the Leatherman is a bit of a let-down.

 

[Gryffin]

Indeed - I was making two independant points. My first multitool was a Swiss Tool, which is very solidly built and a joy to handle. After that the Leatherman is a bit of a let-down.

Ah... OK, my mistake, I misread.

The SwissTool and Juice are very, very different tools, though. The SwissTool is a big, stout, no-compromise tool for heavy-duty work; the Juice line are small, sleek, pocketable light-duty tools. I don't see them in direct competition with each other, any more than you could directly compare a Miata to a Ford F-350!

Still, I love my Juices. (I have five of 'em, and a few Squirts too.) I work in a corporate HQ, and a SwissTool on my belt gets me strange stares; but a Juice in my pocket does everything I need, without the funny looks. It definitely has it's place.

 

[Binford]

I also have the Juice XE6, KF4 and CS4. I usually keep coming back the to KF4 for EDC. I like the idea of having everything that XE6 offers, but the added bulk and offset pliers means that it usually stays in the drawer. I also have a Mirca on my keychain so that covers the scissors. And, I can't go anywhere without my Vic Cybertool 29. I carry that just for the screwdriver. Since it is a smaller tool and has the long, narrow screwdriver blade in the middle, it makes for a perfect pocket screwdriver - better in close quarters than the Cybertool 34 or 41 (which I also have, but they lay in waiting next to the other Juices models...)

 

[Brangdon]

The only extra thing the KF4 has that I'd like is the file, and that's a mostly academic for me. I don't think they are practical tools for cutting metal (too thick) and I'm not really competent to sharpen another blade with them. I disapprove of serrated blades.

I like the scissors of the CS4. Having to carry a second multitool to get them kinda defeats the point in my view . Likewise the corkscrew - I don't use it often, but the idea of carrying a separate corkscrew in addition to a multitool is anathma to me.

I'm trying very hard to resist buying a Vic Spirit.

 

[umberto00]

I tend to go back and forth between the cs4 and the xe6 for edc. The cs4 is my "weekday knife" because of the slimmer size and I tend to wear slacks or khakkis at work. On the weekends, it just denim, so I don't mind the extra bulk of the xe6. Now if leatherman could somehow make the juice one-hand openers, they would be the perfect knives for me. I do have the old wave, but I find the lack of an awl problematic (for some reason I tend to need the awl more than anything else).

 

[kapt kopter]

The CS4 Juice is I believe one of the best sellers in Leathermans Juice lineup.
It is widely available to any Leatherman dealer and of the juices its by far my favourite!

Kap

 

[heathah]

I have 2 XE6s and 3 S2s (counting my wife's one) and like them both a lot. I usually carry the XE6 at work and the S2 on the weekend. The XE6 has done everything I've needed it to do. I also carry each of the Leatherman Squirts (P4, S4, and EL) in my front pocket so I have at least two pairs of pliers at all times.