Looking for multi tool recommendations

T

The Dude Abides

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Jan 31, 2020
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Hey guys, I have decided to start carrying a multi tool. I’ve owned a couple over the course of my existence but they mainly just stayed in a drawer, I have never carried.
A while back I got some cheap knock off leatherman that came in a package with something else I bought. After carrying a few days I realize how darn useful they are.
I have been searching around and have found a few but want to get you guys input.
I would like it to be under $100. It will be for everyday use so I would like something with pliers, bit driver with exchangeable bits, a knife, wire stripper, saw (maybe). I also want something that opens with one hand and is small enough to pocket but not a mini or keychain.
I like the Skeletool by Leatherman as it seems to have a lot of what I need. The Gerber center drive looks good but is really more than I want to spend.
I would love to hear some options from you guys who have had hands on experience.
 
Leatherman Wave Plus is a great all around tool. Also, consider the Rebar. My personal favorites are the Swisstool Spirit and the Leatherman Surge. I probably carry and use the Spirit more than anything and I have a full assortment of multi-tools.

The Skeletool is a nice lightweight tool that is easily carried. However, it is not as robust as the full size tools and mine flexes under torque when using the pliers.

A lot of folks love their Gerber One Drive, but I have never used one.

Walmart sells one that is pretty good and it is very similar to the Wave.

Another inexpensive one that is very good quality is the Blackfire which you can find at Home Depot. It is like $45 and I have one. It is a solid tool and has the hex driver like the Gerber One Drive.
 
Daniel said:
Leatherman Wave Plus is a great all around tool. Also, consider the Rebar. My personal favorites are the Swisstool Spirit and the Leatherman Surge. I probably carry and use the Spirit more than anything and I have a full assortment of multi-tools.

The Skeletool is a nice lightweight tool that is easily carried. However, it is not as robust as the full size tools and mine flexes under torque when using the pliers.

A lot of folks love their Gerber One Drive, but I have never used one.

Walmart sells one that is pretty good and it is very similar to the Wave.

Another inexpensive one that is very good quality is the Blackfire which you can find at Home Depot. It is like $45 and I have one. It is a solid tool and has the hex driver like the Gerber One Drive.
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Great man thanks so much. I’ll begin to read up on those.
 
Another vote for Victorinox Spirit, probably one of the most elegant and well made MT till today.

But having said that, it might not be exactly what the OP looks for, so another vote for Leatherman Wave+. It has interchangeable bits, wire stripper, saw, pliers and one-hand-opening blade, should fit the requirement well.
 
I love my swisstool but I'd recommend the wave+ as well. Not quite as well made as the swisstool (contraversial!) But the wave is a much better thought out tool (one handed opening blades, bit driver on the tool not separate, not as much of a nail breaker, replaceable wire cutters) and is as popular as it is for a reason.
 
I have the wave and gerber centerdrive and I like the wave more as a portable tool, but the ability of the center-drive to take regular bits is really nice as a mobile tool kit. I picked up a bit carrier thingy from autozone to go with it in a small pouch so I can tackle a ton of different repairs need a saw or scissors. Even the scissors would've been a nice addition to the centerdrive, but the lack of a saw limits it, for me, as an emergency tool or woods use multitool as there have been a number of times I've need to saw up wood or plastic in non-ideal situations to get home when things came loose or got caught up under the body of my car/truck/bicycle.

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Well, I don't have much experience with the latest Gerber offerings, but they seem to have interesting designs as of late.
The G. Center-Drive Plus has a nice tool set but it is a bit heavy at 9.5 oz.
The G. Diesel is a tad lighter at 8.6 oz.

I have never owned a Victorinox multi-tool, but the SwissTool X, while nice, is quite heavy at 10.2 oz.
The SwissTool Spirit X is lighter at 7.4 oz.

Now I'm not going to lie...I love Vic SAKs, but when it comes to multi-tools I'm a Leatherman advocate.
The Super Tool 300 is great...but it is somewhat heavy at 9.6 oz.
The Rebar is nice in weight at only 6.7 oz. But it doesn't have scissors, which is a deal breaker for me.

That leaves my favorite multi-tool....
The Leatherman Wave+, but it is still not light weight at 8.5 oz.

I've never used or even seen one, but the Leatherman Free P4 looks interesting.
If any other multi-tool could replace my Wave...it could be this one.


Good luck,
Allen
 
Another vote for leatherman wave plus. I have carried a leatherman every day at work for over 10 years and and cant recommend them enough. Customer service is great as well, have snapped the plier head a few times on my charge tti and they replaced the tool no questions asked. Even sent a charge back once bc the scissors and knife blade were getting worn, they still sent me a brand new tool. Charge tti or free p4 are my edc multi tool and I couldnt go a day without them
 
Awesome guys. I found a slightly used Wave on Amazon for $40. The seller had a lot of good feedback so I feel pretty confident it’s real and not a knock off.
Figured for that price I can see how it carries at the very least and invest in a new one later if I need to.
I’ll still keep reading up on the suggestions.
Hoping this doesn’t become an obsession like my knives.
 
I got the SOG PowerPint about a month ago and like it. It is pocket sized but you might consider it a bit heavy. I like it a lot and I purposely got it because of the overall size and the bit driver. No bits included, but you can use any of the standard sized bits you see at the hardware store. It has a finer than average needle nosed pliers which I like. This tool goes with me when I am out taking pictures so I have a few tool options other than my little sak knife.

The Vic Spirit is always a good choice.
 
Great snag on that Wave!

It'll serve you well. I have been carrying a P4 for a couple months which is very similar to the Wave. One handed tools will spoil you, for sure;) I love my ST300 and Rebar, but the convenience of the P4 is worth the extra cost.
 
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