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Coleman Pro Lock

Chako · 58 · 10649

us Offline clown

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #30 on: April 01, 2018, 05:00:38 PM
There seems to be a couple on eBay now in the $30 range.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #31 on: July 29, 2018, 06:54:52 AM
So I just snagged a brand new one of these on eBay. I really like it!

But you know, I got to thinking. With used models being pretty cheap out there why not snag one or two used Pro locks and then mod some tools to fit the cartridges. I mean the pivots are Allen bolts. That makes this sucker easy to mod!

My brand new one I’m already debating moving some tools around. The can opener should be over with the wood saw IMO. That’s more a camping thing.

It’d be nice to retrofit some kind of bit driver into one spare cartridge, and swap out the camping cartridge for it. Hrm. It’d be fun to fashion a fork too. Maybe from a divot tool or something. The cartridges fit in the hand like small knives, And that would be convenient for camping.

Anyhow, I may snag a used one to play with modding. Got too much on my plate to mess with it now though. Instead I’m just going to enjoy this tool for what it is. A bunch of fun and a damn high quality, well-made tool.

Charles.


ca Offline Chako

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #32 on: July 29, 2018, 07:26:28 AM
If and when you do mod it, I would love to see what you have done with it.
A little Leatherman information.

Leatherman series articles


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #33 on: August 02, 2018, 09:02:33 AM
I've been EDCing my new Pro-Lock for 3 or 4 days now, and my impressions of the tool have only improved. I installed a headboard to a new bedframe with it, and the drivers were great. There was one screw on each side that would have been easy to get to had I put it in before putting the mattress back on,... but I wasn't about to take it back off again. Popping the tool handle out and using it on the screw while I had the pliers on the nut was just genius. I couldn't have easily fit the whole tool back in there to turn the screw, and I'd have needed another tool to hold the nut. So, that was a use case I am surprised to have actually come across.

I do get the "Feels like a Schrade" thing... but I like it more than the Schrade Tough Tool ST5E I had. It's a lot smaller folded up, and it slides into the belt pouch and almost disappears on my hip. I often carry a pouch with something in it -- usually my Victorinox Troubleshooter in a leather sheath. This Coleman sheath may be wider, but it doesn't stick out hardly at all, and I find I don't catch it on things or bump into it with my arm. It's almost like its not there.

The pliers are long needle nose and the handles are beefy. They feel very solid to me, not cheap at all. Because of the shape and the tool cartridges, the blades and drivers are on the short side. The file isn't very good. It will do nails, but it's not aggressive enough for anything other than that. It's a good flat driver though.

I'm finding it really useful, and I enjoy using it more than I thought I would. That said, I do have an affinity for the odd and underdog tools... so keep that in mind :)

Charles.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #34 on: August 08, 2018, 08:10:06 PM
So I'll just leave this little pro-lock mod here... :)

Charles.
prolock_scissors.jpg
* prolock_scissors.jpg (Filesize: 242.82 KB)


us Offline Alan K.

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #35 on: August 08, 2018, 08:25:37 PM
Skizzers! What a good idea! :like:


ca Offline Chako

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #36 on: August 08, 2018, 10:49:00 PM
 :tu:
A little Leatherman information.

Leatherman series articles


us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #37 on: August 09, 2018, 05:26:08 AM
Nice mod, Charles! The ProLock is on my cheap-radar. Maybe this coming weekend I'll order one. :)
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us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #38 on: August 09, 2018, 08:45:54 AM
You can get them new on eBay for $20 plus shipping. VERY worth it.

Charles.


es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #39 on: August 09, 2018, 02:05:17 PM
Nice mod, Charles! The ProLock is on my cheap-radar. Maybe this coming weekend I'll order one. :)

If it's on your cheap radar, you might miss it and never ever see it!!  :D
My toys:

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us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #40 on: August 09, 2018, 05:10:15 PM
Nice mod, Charles! The ProLock is on my cheap-radar. Maybe this coming weekend I'll order one. :)
If it's on your cheap radar, you might miss it and never ever see it!!  :D

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:Very nice! :like:
Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #41 on: August 09, 2018, 06:49:59 PM
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362099009841

$27 with shipping for a brand new one. That's what I did, and it was worth every penny.

I also found a used one for $10,  (almost $20 shipped) and snagged that too. It's well-used, but not abused. The blade was resharpened poorly, and someone didn't clean the gook off the can opener last time they opened a can of something, so the tools were stuck together and grody. But it was in good shape nonetheless. Lots of the off-brand MTs turn to dust after heavy use. The Pro-Lock doesn't.

At any rate, I bought the cheapie just for the spare cartridges. The new one though, recently that's my EDC. It's always on my hip. It takes up far less space than other multis, and it's just really nice to have. I love the long needle nose. I actually used them to bend a wire on my girlfriend's braces last night, which was poking her in the cheek and causing a nasty little wound to form.

Charles.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #42 on: August 16, 2018, 09:47:54 AM
So, more Pro-Lock mods today! I have completed a full cartridge!

In this cart there are the scissors from a Sheffield A100 clone, a scraper blade from a Schrade Tough Tool, an awl made from one of the Pro-Lock phillips drivers, and a better file from a Coast Pocket Toolbox. The file technically is a duplicate. It is however much more aggressive than the file in the Pro-lock, and it has a nail pick on the end instead of a flat screwdriver.

I've currently completely buggered a Surge bitdriver, so i have to order another one, but the final cartridge will have leatherman bitdrivers and take leatherman bits.

Charles.
pro_lock_mod1.jpg
* pro_lock_mod1.jpg (Filesize: 129.08 KB)


au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #43 on: August 16, 2018, 01:52:29 PM
So, more Pro-Lock mods today! I have completed a full cartridge!

Well done, you have taken your Pro-Lock much further than Coleman ever managed to. :tu:  :salute:

Like a few others here on MTo I was disappointed that Coleman never followed up and developed the Pro-Lock concept more, as it showed considerable promise for customising the tool load to what particular buyers wanted.
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us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #44 on: August 16, 2018, 02:38:48 PM
Thanks to everyone who recommend a ProLock for the collection! Mine came yesterday me I am blown away at the cool factor. :)
Quality it there and being able to remove the cartridges to use the smaller tools(example: screw driver) is awesme. Makes finer work a walk in the park.:like:

I'll post pics of it with the Buck 360,  Schrade TT, and SOG ParaTool at some point. Maybe tonight. The Coleman ks a truly neat piece of MT ingenuity.  :multi:
Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #45 on: August 16, 2018, 05:27:18 PM
I've actually had call to use the tools separate from the pliers on several occasions now. I don't know how I got along without this in the past!  Was able to de-tangle a fine necklace using the can opener and the smallest screwdriver blade (which is my inspiration for putting an awl in my DIY cartridge), and needed two tools. It was super convenient to be able to just pop the cartridges out and use them as I needed. I used the pliers to hold a nut while turning an inaccessible screw, and I've used the serrated blade several times to cut foam to fit knives for display. Fine work made easy because the cartridge pops right out of the multi tool.

Now in the garage I find one-handed tools a lot more useful, like the Coast Pocket Mechanic or the Gerber Multi-plier. But for every day carry, for something to have on my belt at all times, I grab the pro-lock.

Charles.


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #46 on: August 21, 2018, 05:54:29 PM
MWA-HAHAHAHA

This wasn't cheap, but it is awesome. I've finagled Leatherman drivers into one of the Pro-Lock cartridges!  I've also realized that of all the tools the pro-lock has, a bottle opener is not one of them. That's not a big deal, because pliers are essentially a bottle opener... but I didn't have a last tool to put in with the bit drivers, so I went spelunking through my tool pile and found this opener out of a Sheffield A100 clone, and decided to repurpose it. (after a lot of grinding and re-working the pivot)

I think I'm going to move some blades around to get a more optimal setup for the tools I keep loaded in the handles on a day-to-day basis, but otherwise my modding is done I think.

Charles.

IMG_4594.jpg
* IMG_4594.jpg (Filesize: 227.08 KB)


us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #47 on: August 21, 2018, 05:58:34 PM
Looks great so far, Charles! :like:
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au Offline ReamerPunch

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #48 on: August 21, 2018, 06:00:52 PM
This will be the ultimate Frankenstein multi-tool, but with the added bonus of looking amazing!  :salute:


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #49 on: August 21, 2018, 06:20:50 PM
Thanks! I keep the tool with the scissors in it loaded instead of the one with the saw and serrated blade, as I find the scissors, awl, and nail file more useful than the serrated blade, drivers, and saw in the original cartridge.  BUT it'd be nice if I didn't need two files...the original just isn't very sharp, but I don't want to molest the original cartridges. For some reason I want to keep them stock.

Charles.


us Offline GOAT Tools

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #50 on: August 21, 2018, 06:57:35 PM
 :like:

I'm always amazed at the improvements consumers can make on a pro design. From cars to multi-tools - it's truly impressive! :tu:
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es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #51 on: August 22, 2018, 12:47:43 PM
 :popcorn:

great work so far!!!  :like: :like:
My toys:

MTs: Surge (2x), Skeletool CX, Rebar, Blast, Fuse, Micra, Squirt (3x), Wave, Crunch, Mini, Spirit (2x), Pro Scout, MP700 (2x), Diesel, Powerlock, PowerPlier (2x), PocketPowerPlier, Blacktip , ST6 (2x), 5WR, A100

SAKs: Bantam, Executive, Ambassador, Minichamp, Classic Alox, Champion, Farmer, Explorer, Swisschamp, Golf Tool, Wenger Champ, EVO 52, Pocket Tool Chest


Offline Turtle X

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #52 on: September 02, 2018, 07:57:41 AM
So I just snagged a brand new one of these on eBay. I really like it!

But you know, I got to thinking. With used models being pretty cheap out there why not snag one or two used Pro locks and then mod some tools to fit the cartridges. I mean the pivots are Allen bolts. That makes this sucker easy to mod!

My brand new one I’m already debating moving some tools around. The can opener should be over with the wood saw IMO. That’s more a camping thing.

It’d be nice to retrofit some kind of bit driver into one spare cartridge, and swap out the camping cartridge for it. Hrm. It’d be fun to fashion a fork too. Maybe from a divot tool or something. The cartridges fit in the hand like small knives, And that would be convenient for camping.

Anyhow, I may snag a used one to play with modding. Got too much on my plate to mess with it now though. Instead I’m just going to enjoy this tool for what it is. A bunch of fun and a damn high quality, well-made tool.

Charles.

i originally came across it on clearance at K-mart. they were $5. i bought 2 and gave one to a friend . i now wish i had bought all of them ( there were like 20 in the basket) i hope / think  i still have mine . gonna hafta dig into storage to see .


us Offline ChopperCharles

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #53 on: September 19, 2018, 04:30:55 PM
So yesterday I took apart an Alpine 880 air purifier that had a noisy fan motor, and replaced said motor. I did 99.99% of it with my modified Coleman Pro Lock. I started using my Gerber MP600, but it was immediately clear that it was not adequate for the task. While it is great for beefy tasks, it was not good for taking this thing apart. It's not a small air purifier, it's the size of a small microwave, and the electronics inside are very old-school. Still, the MP600 was too large and bulky to fit in places to remove screws. Having the tools pop out of the handles was absolutely the most useful thing ever. I was able to easily get tools behind the fragile plastic fan, and pry it off without damage. I used the original drivers for the most part, but did have call to use the 2.5D Leatherman long driver a couple times, when removing screws where I needed more access. The only thing the Coleman couldn't manage was the nuts on the potentiometers on the faceplate. For those I needed a blunt-nosed tool. My MP600 is also needle-nosed, and did not work there either. I had to snag a rusty pair of K-mart brand linesman's pliers from my girlfriend's tool drawer to get that task done. (Technically, the first time they came off with the pro-lock, but I couldn't adequately tighten them to my liking).

Replaced the fan motor, and then the fan wouldn't fit on the shaft. The new motor has a larger diameter shaft! I was able to use the Pro-lock flat driver to ream out the plastic until it press-fit on the new shaft. I also used the scissors mod to cut zip ties on the wires, as the new motor had to be rotated to a different orientation to fit and I needed more slack on the wires. I also used the scraper blade to remove some adhesive from the case. Overall I was really stunned about how useful the Pro-lock was -- especially with the mods I made... and how useless the MP600 was for the tasks I was attempting.

Now don't get me wrong, the MP600 is now my EDC. It's just a really useful tool and the pocket clip I made for it means it's more convenient to carry than any of my other multitools. But damn the Pro-Lock is just more useful for this kind of work. If I'm out and aobut the MP600 is a good compromise. I don't often find tasks it cannot accomplish in my garage or yard... but for this, the Pro-Lock really excelled. This is the second time I brought two tools and ended up the Pro-Lock was the clear winner. First time was when assembling a bed frame, and needing to use a driver and pliers at the same time.

I'm very pleased with this tool, and very much enjoying using it.

Charles.


us Offline gerleatherberman

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #54 on: September 20, 2018, 03:56:05 AM
 :like:
The ProLock does seem like a seriously useful MT. :)
Pontificating particularly pious positions pertaining to polymorphic paraphernalia. G-Man.


tr Offline ddogu

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #55 on: September 20, 2018, 07:56:30 AM
The first tool I've seen that is pregnant for twins...


gb Offline badwolf

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #56 on: October 12, 2018, 01:37:18 PM
Great mods :like: I always liked the concept of the Pro Lock  :tu:
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JC PT&A


ca Offline Chako

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Re: Coleman Pro Lock
Reply #57 on: October 13, 2018, 12:19:36 PM
Great to hear you are getting a lot of milage from the Pro Lock.  :tu:
A little Leatherman information.

Leatherman series articles


 

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