Talk me into (out of) leatherman charge tti or sog powerlock 2.0 eod or any multitool

S

Sonny

Joined
Sep 12, 2002
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I can't decide on a multiplier tool to buy. It has to be a multiplier (leatherman style). I'm not interested in gimmicky crap. I want a multiplier that is made to take abuse and not break under pressure. I've narrowed it down to the charge tti or the sog powerlock eod vcutter so far unless you guys can offer better suggestions. There is no cap on how much I am willing to pay.

Thanks :thumbup:
 
Victorinox Swiss Spirit -- stronger pliers, better build quality, great selection of tools.

Go to the multitools subforum and ask the same question, or maybe a Mod will move this thread there.
 
KeithAM said:
Victorinox Swiss Spirit -- stronger pliers, better build quality, great selection of tools.

Go to the multitools subforum and ask the same question, or maybe a Mod will move this thread there.
Click to expand...

Darn, stole my thunder! :D

I love the Spirit.
 
If you have to have a multitool, just bite the bullet and get the Leatherman Charge TI. It will only hurt for a moment, and then you'll have the best multitool on the market, and you'll have it for years.

No multitool will have a knife blade as good as a good commercial knife. The S30V blade steel won't make up for the blade's diminutive size, but it does make it the best multitool knife blade available. One might hope the serrated blade also would be S30V, but it's the standard 420HC.

The Charge Ti takes a bunch of screwdriver and hex bits, too, which is nice. The pliers also are reinforced, which adds to the strength of the device.

In short, just do it.

Amazon.com, I think, is the best place to get it. Shipping is FREE.
 
I got the Leatherman Surge for a stong multi-tool. Between the Charge and the Powerlock I'd go with the SOG. They are a little heavier than the Charge and the leaverage mechanism can be nice.
 
I had tried about every quality multi-tool available as of about 5 years ago.

I settled on full-size Power-locks in my tool bag and in my car. That camming action has proven most helpful a number of times.

When I carry a multi-tool (rarely, these days), I carry a WAVE (I have the smaller original version - well, a user and a spare). Blade access is important to me and the size is right.
 
+1 charge ti. The titanium saves a lot of weight without sacrificing strenth, and the main blade uses s30v. My surge is fine if left in a tool box, but it is too heavy for belt carry as it tends to pull my pants down.
 
I ultimately went with the Charge TTi and have no regrets. I think if you go with either the Charge or Spirit - you'll be in good shape. Not a huge fan of the PowerLock myself, but to each their own :)
 
I own and have used both, and think both have their strengths and weaknesses:

The Charge TTi has outside opening, one-handed S30V PE & 420c SE blades(I'm pretty sure I'm wrong in this, but I thought it was the same stuff that Buck uses it their knives), a bit holder for screwdriver variety, great scissors, and a diamond/metal file (double sided). However, the bit holder is very stubby, and if you lose a bit, it's now a useless tool. I've found that I like dedicated drivers. There's also no awl, and I sure as heck don't need a can opener on a multi-tool that I don't take camping. The Charge TTi will also run close to, or over, 100 bones.

The first thing that you will notice about the Powerlock is that it's huge. It's longer, thicker, and noticeably heavier than that charge. And that's the main reason I don't really carry it. The extra ounces really do make a difference with belt and (especially) pocket carry. It's not so bad in a backpack, but still.

One major feature that I absolutely adore is the ability to mix and match tools. I have a SOG Powerlock 1.0, and if I wanted to add a V-Cutter, I could. Or remove the blade (which I'm not a fan of, anyway), and make it airport friendly. Not sure if I could squeeze it past the TSA, but it would be a more viable solution than if the knife was still attached.

The compound leverage is really neat, too. I guess it works, but I don't have any real way to test this. I just like watching the gears move, I guess.

Oh, and there's an awl ;)

And the down sides? Well, it's still heavy. There are no outside accessible tools, but that's okay because I usually have a pocket knife on me. There is no diamond file option. The stock, combo edged blade is chisel ground, and of no real use to me. There's that 1/4" adapter thing that has no discernible use to me. And, most importantly, the tools are a) a pain to remove from the handle, and b) clump as if they're a group of teenage girls at Winter Formal.

It should be noted that the 1.0 has that little "see-saw" lever lock only partially locks, and that there are no washers between the tools, which may be causing this issue. The Powerlock 2.0 has piano-key locks on both handles, which effectively gives each tool its own lock, rather than everyone sharing the same mechanism. I'm not sure if that's a deal breaker for you, or if you don't mind.

It's been my experience that the Charge TTi is more of a pleasure to use, for it's form and function, it's ease of access, and its lighter weight. But, it's still my MT of choice when there are no pliers or screwdrivers nearby. Hope this helps.
 
I EDC a SOG Powerlock, and I love it. I find that I baby my multi-tools too much when I have to worry about bending or sheering the inner tools. With the Powerlock, I can replace the tools (myself) for very a reasonable cost. I usually carry a premium grade steel folder on my person for cutting needs anyway.

I have carried everything from Gerber to Leatherman to SOG. I have NOT EDC a Vic yet as I just haven't gotten around to buy one. Mainly due to the fact that I store buy most of my tools instead of purchasing online like my folders and fixed blades. For ME, the SOG fits my need as a tough and very capable tool that I can maintain myself. In over 2 years of heavy use, it has not failed me once. Annnnd, it comes with a fantastic leather sheath;)
 
Sonny said:
I can't decide on a multiplier tool to buy. It has to be a multiplier (leatherman style). I'm not interested in gimmicky crap. I want a multiplier that is made to take abuse and not break under pressure. I've narrowed it down to the charge tti or the sog powerlock eod vcutter so far unless you guys can offer better suggestions. There is no cap on how much I am willing to pay.

Thanks :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I have owned SOGs and wasn't impressed. I currently carry a Leatherman Charge XTI and the 154cm blade makes the entire package hard to beat. I used to carry a pocket knife and multi-tool because they blades on most multis is just crap. The XTI has a very nice and useful blade and so I don't have to carry anything else. Most every other Multi I've ever owned had a "Stainless Steel" blade and they never kept an edge and were pretty much crap as far as knives go. Get the Leatherman... You'll enjoy it. I've been thinking about getting a couple TTIs myself since they have S30V blades. I don't know what SOG makes their multi blades out of but they sell replacement blades for like $7.00 so they can't be that special.
 
Based on your experiences, and doing a little more reading/video research, I'm going with the leatherman charge tti. I thought about it and the only selling point for me for the sog powerlock was the compound leverage. The only selling point for me for the victorinox spirit or swisstool was the nice fit and finish. I've never handled a vic multiplier but looking into some more videos, it was just another sak to me. I already have a cybertool, and I couldn't justify the redundancy of getting a larger version of that.

The leatherman charge tti currently fits my needs the best. I like the no-nonsense versatility it brings to the table. It has a real proper knife blade in s30v. It also has a pocket clip that I need. I'm used to clipping bulky tools like surefire m2, and various large folders so mass is a non-issue to me as long as it has the clip. I bought an extended reach driver bit that allows it to use regular bits. I also bought extra flat bits, and extra regular sized bits. In reality I need and use the full range of torx bit sizes, but only 2 sizes of phillips, and 1 size of the flat head, and no hex bits. I also use precision drivers. So the ability to use these types of bits in a compact package was a huge deal to me. As far as any flaws, I have to say that if it only had the compound leverage and crimper set up like the sog powerlocks it would have been a perfect multitool for me. But those two alone are NOT enough to get me to buy both the sog and the leatherman. I also wish it had some gerber multitool's features like exchangeable hacksaw blades, and tungsten carbide wirecutter inserts. I'm just so feature-greedy, but regardless it is still the closest to the ideal multitool for me and I'm extremely satisfied with that.

Thanks everyone for your help :thumbup::thumbup:
 
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