Ozark Trail 4 1/2" Multi Tool from Walmart

[Lynn LeFey]

Okay... (sigh)... I did it. I broke down and bought one for testing. This is probably the most reviewed cheap multitool on Youtube, and for a reason. It is the most accessible MT out there, as far as price and local availability in the U.S. This tool is carried in the sporting goods section of Walmart, and unlike all of the name-brand tools, which are locked in a display case, this one is hanging on a peg. So, if you want an MT, and can't find 'that guy' to open the case... which I never can, then this is about your only option.

The tool comes with a Nylon sheath with velcro closure and belt loop. Apparently, previous versions had belt loops which allowed vertical or horizontal carry. Mine ONLY allows for vertical carry. The Sheath's quality is ... questionable.

The tool is 4 1/2" long (114mm), 3/4" (19mm) thick, and just under 2" (50mm) at its widest point. It weighs 8.5oz (240g). The tools are made of stainless steel, The frame is aluminum, and the inserts on the handles feel like a hard rubber. The tool is held together with allen head screws, which might make do-it-yourself work a little easier.

Here's a view with the tools open


One side has a plain edged blade, flathead/cap lifter, small flathead, awl, and saw. The other side has a serrated blade, can opener, Phillips driver, and another flathead.

As with many cheapo tools, the pliers are spring loaded, with a spring seated at the back of the plier head, where it could be intentionally or unintentionally removed. There is a very slight amount of play in the plier head. The tip of the needlenose pliers do not meet up with great precision, but are not the worst I've seen. The wire cutters are blunt, but cut through coat hanger with the force I could generate from a one-hand grip, and were not marred from the cutting.

The Attachment of the plier head to the body is done the same way many cheapos do it for butterfly tools, but unlike the fatally flawed Husky 14-in-1 tool, the connection is metal to metal, and reinforced with a thick ridge on the Aluminum scale.

A close-up of the plier attachment point...


The tool has very little flex when closing the pliers with force.

The plain blade came ragged paper-cutting sharp out of package.

All of the drivers are over-rounded, with the small flathead being an utter joke.

Small flathead (sorry for the shaky-cam)...


The cap lifter is pretty bad, but eventually did the job. I'd rate it a little worse than the Leatherman Squirt's cap lifter.

The Awl has a fairly blunt tip, and is only good as a general scrapy bit of metal in my opinion.

The saw is aggressive and sharp out of package, with teeth designed to cut on a pull stroke. I suspect it will cut about as well as the Husky 14-in-1 and the Kobalt 15-in-1, but this is untested at this moment.

The serrated blade is dull out of the package.

The can opener is only slightly better than the non-functional can opener of the SOG Powerlock. It's generally of the Victorinox style, but that's about where the similarities end. The hook to catch the rim would slide, and the blade didn't want to cut the can. So... hope you're not too hungry.

Can Opener pic


The last two tools are the phillips and flathead drivers. Both have long shanks. All drivers on this tool, wit hthe possible exception of the small flathead, seem to be designed to force themselves toward the open position when force is applied, which is how it should be. The phillips head is well formed, and slots well into screw heads, but cams out heavier force. I didn't have a chance to do anything really heavy with the flathead.

Long Drivers


Tool Retention: These are slip-joint tools, with fair, but not great, retention. Luckily the drivers are designed so they tend to stay open under force. Getting to the outboard tools is not difficult with well defined wells on the scales to reach the nail nicks. Because retention isn't too strong, opening the tools doesn't bust up your nails. The inside tools are harder to access, unless you first open the outboard tools. Expect (and use to your advantage) tool clumping.

Ergonomics: The tool is rather large. It feels like it was made for someone with bigger hands than mine (I have medium hands). Ergonomics in plier configuration is very good, with fairly rounded corners on smooth aluminum. Ergonomics with all other tools is a little less great, but quite tolerable.

Scale with Spirit X and a PST knock-off



Pros
Affordable and Available, at Walmarts across America for about $10
Decent main blade
Long drivers

Cons
Overpolished drivers
Oversized
Bad openers

[ducttapetech]

so how does it cut wire or say a coat hanger?

[gustophersmob]

It looks like the plier head attachment is a variation on how the swisstools do it.

I'm somewhat amazed at how large it appears next to the spirit 

Nice review! 

[Lynn LeFey]

so how does it cut wire or say a coat hanger?

I covered that briefly in the initial post, but they did fine, actually. I could cut coathanger with them with the force I could generate from one hand (which if I recall is about 65lbs of force). They were pretty comfortable doing it as well, and I couldn't see any marring on the tool from the cutting. So... I was pretty impressed.

Gustophersmob... yes, it's big, but the aluminum scales make it weigh the same as a Leatherman Wave. That size thing though made it feel a bit too big in my hands.

[Nhoj]

I got this tool once... yes it is very big! Not a good tool! A Gerber suspension or Leatherman Wingman are much better cheap alternatives. Not too long after getting it, the paint on the handles began to chip off in large pieces, and overall the tool functioned poorly.

About "the guy" to open the case, I have had some interesting experiences with that. One time I needed a multitool out. There was a man there so I asked him to open the case. He then told me he was a hologram. I asked what he meant and he said that the computer controls everything and he was only a hologram. I once again asked him to open the case and he said he couldn't because... you guessed it... he was a hologram. After more demanding from me, he said he didn't have the key. I asked where it was and he said he didn't know. He then said he would call the manager to get it. He called, and the manager said they would bring it. The manager then called and said they would bring it but that they had to find it. I then waited an hour before I saw the manager coming! After an hour of waiting, I was going to have some angry things to say to the manager! The manager then stopped around 30 feet away from me and handed the key to another employee. That employee then walked over to me and the manager jogged away to avoid hearing from me! She was very fat and the jogging was not a pretty sight! I finally got the case open but I was very angry after waiting for an hour on top of 20 min. of an employee trying to convince me he was a hologram.

And that my friends is my Walmart story 56 out of over 9000.

[ducttapetech]

so how does it cut wire or say a coat hanger?

I covered that briefly in the initial post, but they did fine, actually. I could cut coathanger with them with the force I could generate from one hand (which if I recall is about 65lbs of force). They were pretty comfortable doing it as well, and I couldn't see any marring on the tool from the cutting. So... I was pretty impressed.

Gustophersmob... yes, it's big, but the aluminum scales make it weigh the same as a Leatherman Wave. That size thing though made it feel a bit too big in my hands.

Lol, i had to read it twice, somehow i missed the put about cutting.

[Lynn LeFey]

I figured I could either be all snarky, or helpful. You got the lucky coin-toss.

Nhoj... I didn't figure it was going to be a great tool, but felt a need to have a copy of it for fair comparison to other common low-price tools. Also, I'm glad to see it's not just my perception of Walmart's customer service.

[Nhoj]

YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND I AM A HOLOGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -Anonymous Walmart employee

[Lynn LeFey]

[Act2uToo]

No scissors ... 

[Lynn LeFey]

True, but would you really want whatever scissors came on a tool of this quality anyway?

[Act2uToo]

You're right.  I probably wouldn't.