Warning..amateur review in progress.
I just recently bought this piece at a local archery shop. I must be part crow because the first thing that caught my eye was the decorative finish. Once I saw that, I just had to have it for the collection, it being different and all. The price was also a feature. Actually based upon the price, I wasn’t expecting much, and was very surprised at the solid quality feel of the Trek Tool.
The Trek Tool is a rather large specimen. I think someone gave it steroids during its conception. With the size, comes a nice solid heft. This is a large tool that would be great for large jobs.
From left to right: Trek Tool, Leatherman Core, Leatherman Surge, and Schrade ST1.
Some might call this a feature, and others won’t like it at all. I am sort of on the fence with this one. The Trek Tool has a spring that keeps the pliers apart at rest. Great if you want to one hand the pliers with greater ease. However, I find the spring gets in the way somewhat during use. I can see a pro and a con to this feature.
The tool selection is somewhat limited for its size. However, what is there is solid and well built. I was very surprised that the tools actually have an effective locking mechanism. It is an old design..but for once, it really locks down on the tools. One major issue with the operation of the Trek Tool is the requirement to swing another tool 90 degrees to unlock any locked tools. On my specimen, there was no way that I could force a locked tool to unlock otherwise. On the up side, no worries of a tool letting go and diving for the fingers. On the downside, it takes some time and effort to unlock them.
On one side, we have:
- A nice blade that is serrated for half its length.
- A combo can and bottle opener.
- A needle hole punch.
- A chisel/scrapper (too sharp to be used as a flat head screwdriver)
- A saw.
On the other handle, we have:
- A two sided file.
- A magnetic ¼” drive bit adapter.
The Trek Tool comes in a nice nylon sheath with a separate storage area for the 12 bits that come with the kit. The assortment consists of flat, phillip, torx and hex bits.
The Trek Tool is a lot of bang for the buck. Not only is it a nice hefty piece with fairly large tools that don’t feel cheap. The handles have rounded edges, meaning no sharp edges to dig into the palm. They are very comfortable to use.
CONCLUSION:
A cheaply priced and solid piece of gear that I wouldn’t mind bringing with me into the bush. The solidity and quality gives confidence that it won’t fail when you need it the most. The swirl brush finish is unique and eye catching. Does it replace a much better quality and far more expensive multi-tool? No. However, it comes awfully close. This is the multi tool for someone who wants a big heavy duty tool for not much money. Also, if your looking for a serious pair of pliers that will open on their own when you use them...this is the tool for you. For me, it gets a spot in my collection.
PROS:
- Price.
- Quality.
- Solid construction giving the user confidence in being able to get the job done with the tool at hand.
- Best locking tools that I have seen for its antiquated design.
- Interesting mix of folding tools.
- Spring loaded pliers.
- You won’t get any sore hands from sharp sheet metal when using the pliers on this tool.
CONS:
- Size, weight.
- Spring loaded pliers.
- Missing scissors.
- Drive bit adapter takes too much room.
Donations
Community Links
