Leatherman Wave / Kick Bit Driver Switch

[prime77]

There seem to be strong opinions about the LM bit driver found on the Wave/Charge/Surge models. People either hate them or love them. For some the the bit driver is the reason they stay away from these models. Heres a easy solution to remedy the bit driver and put a standard phillips driver those tools.

I used my beater/experiment Kick for the switch. But the phillips driver from the Fuse and Blast will work as well.

This is what we start out with.

Standard set up. Phillips driver on Kick and bit driver on Wave. Pay no attention to the thing in the the pocket clip hole on the Kick. Like I said this in my beater/experiment Kick. Some experiments didn't work out.

Heres the tools taken apart.

The hardest part about this whole mod will be taking apart the Kick. That is unless you have two Kick pocket clips to use as wrenches to take the LM knurled screws apart. Remember when taking the Wave apart that to find the male portion of the binder screw by first turning one of the screws and seeing if the bit driver and the can opener start to come out. If they don't come out it ok to unscrew the binder. If they do start to come out stop and take the other one out. That will be the male. You wont even need two security bits, just one. That's the magic of the LM anti clumping system.

You will have to fold the little tab down in the Wave handles that the plier head rest on so the phillips driver can fold down.


See in this picture two washers from the Kick.

One is thinner than the other. Use the thin one in the Wave and the phillips and can opener driver will fit perfectly.

Heres the only problem with putting the bit driver in the Kick. You will have to find a washer that will make the bit driver and the can opener fit tightly together. The remaining washer is too thin. If you happen to have one of those  plastic washers that SOG puts in there tools it works perfectly. Heres some shots.



The final results

A Wave with a standard phillips driver and a Kick with a bit driver.

If you have some Kick pocket clips to use as wrenches and a extra washer for the Kick rebuild this is a really easy mod to do.

[Leatherman123]

Very cool mod! I think I may try this after I switch my ALX serrated blade onto my AL. So I would have a TTi without a few other things. To be honest, I really hate the crimper!

[Benner]

That would certainly make it more appealing to me.    Good job!

[J-sews]

A fine job of Wave modification there Prime!

Surprises me about the washer deal though.....I'm on the road right now and can't check myself...are the Kick phillips driver and the Wave bit driver not the same thickness?

[prime77]

A fine job of Wave modification there Prime! (Image removed from quote.)

Surprises me about the washer deal though.....I'm on the road right now and can't check myself...are the Kick phillips driver and the Wave bit driver not the same thickness?

I don't know the exact measurements. But the bit driver is a hair thicker than the phillips driver.

[J-sews]

A fine job of Wave modification there Prime! (Image removed from quote.)

Surprises me about the washer deal though.....I'm on the road right now and can't check myself...are the Kick phillips driver and the Wave bit driver not the same thickness?

I don't know the exact measurements. But the bit driver is a hair thicker than the phillips driver.

Very interesting!

Hey, can I bother you for a full-on picture of the modded Wave with all of the blades fanned?

[prime77]

Very interesting!

Hey, can I bother you for a full-on picture of the modded Wave with all of the blades fanned?

Firing up camera for ya right now Bob.

[J-sews]

Very interesting!

Hey, can I bother you for a full-on picture of the modded Wave with all of the blades fanned?

Firing up camera for ya right now Bob.

Well hurry up man before I wet myself!

[prime77]

Modded Wave


Modded Kick

[J-sews]

Very nice!

Now why the heck do you suppose Leatherman doesn't offer that version? 

[prime77]

Now why the heck do you suppose Leatherman doesn't offer that version?  Undecided

Your guess is as good as mine.

[Benner]

I agree, that is awesome and would be a great Wave option directly from LM.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Great mod there mate , the Charge could do with the same treatment

[J-sews]

(Image removed from quote.)

So Prime are you considering swapping out the little mini screwdriver bit holder as well?

[Leatherman123]

I once saw a pic online of a New Wave w/o any drivers. It was like Prime's but in place of the small bit driver it had the medium flat head thats found on Kick/Fuse/Blast tools.

[prime77]

(Image removed from quote.)

So Prime are you considering swapping out the little mini screwdriver bit holder as well?

I'm thinking about it. I wear glasses. So every so often I need a mini screwdriver. But if I run into lots of medium screws that I can't handle with the flathead driver I may have to.

[J-sews]

So Prime are you considering swapping out the little mini screwdriver bit holder as well?

I'm thinking about it. I wear glasses. So every so often I need a mini screwdriver. But if I run into lots of medium screws that I can't handle with the flathead driver I may have to.

So a medium flathead maybe eh? I was thinking about suggesting a SOG awl blade. You would have to widen the lock notch slightly though. 

[prime77]

I have kept the small bit driver on the Wave for the time being. But on the Kick I no longer needed the medium driver because the bit driver has one so I took it and grinded it down to a awl.

[Leatherman123]

Good work Prime!!!

[J-sews]

Alright! That should save wear and tear on your knife tip.

Is your awl just a sharp poker, or did you put an edge on it so it can be used as an auger also?

[prime77]

Just a sharp poker. But this is enough metal left to take an edge.

[prime77]

Well my strange Kick just got stranger. I used the BO blade I got from Spoonrobot and put serrations on the original Kick blade. It's not the most beautiful tool but it's one of a kind.