Bought a new Wingman...

[campussecurity]

So I bought a new Wingman yesterday for $15 at Sears with a veteran's day discount. I was looking for a date code and there isn't one anywhere on the tool. I googled it and I found a thread about early production releases not having a date code. I looked at my packaging and it's trademarked for 2011. Is this normal find a production release 2 years after the tool is introduced? I also noticed little things like the blade is wobbly once in the locked position, like a cheap lockback knife, it moves back and forth, I also noticed the handles themselves wobble when closed. I'm probably just used to the higher end Wave quality but are these little issues normal?

Thanks friends.

[detron]

Mine does not have a date code either,  I bought it a few months ago.

However, there were some changes made to the back of the tool, mine has the changes not original  design.  not sure how long before they added the date stamps

[powernoodle]

are these little issues normal?

In my view, yes.  http://forum.multitool.org/reviews/leatherman-wingman-not-recommended/

I still sorta dig the Wingman, and $15 is a very good price.  But these are entry level MTs, and its apparent when you get one in your hands.

[colt 1911]

Same issue with mine, I don't use it at all. Impulse buy on my part.


Swiss Army knives .

[enki_ck]

$15

They are practically giving them away.

[Aloha]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

[Monrogue]

The blade is solid on mine, but the handles do have some wobble to them.  For $15 though, you got a heck of a multitool.  I think I did at less than $25 really...but maybe I'm just easier to please than some others who have a lesser opinion of the Wingman/Sidekick

[Aloha]

im with you monrogue as I bought 3 myself and I can totally see where these fall short for some especially when compared to a wave or charge for example.  I used mine hard everyday just like I use my wave and swisstool and it performed very well for me I just got tool crazy and kept buying more and more tools so the wingman and sidekick have taken a back seat.     

[Monrogue]

im with you monrogue as I bought 3 myself and I can totally see where these fall short for some especially when compared to a wave or charge for example.  I used mine hard everyday just like I use my wave and swisstool and it performed very well for me I just got tool crazy and kept buying more and more tools so the wingman and sidekick have taken a back seat.     

Yeah, I can feel a slight difference as well, but I don't get the feeling that they can't handle some abuse, and it seems they can based on your experience.  I'm sure you put your tools to harder use than I, and that is why I feel the Wingman/Sidekick is sufficient for my typical use.  And if for some reason, it proves not to be so in a time of rare abusive use, then I can send it back to LM under the warranty.  Good deal all around imo

[rickboone]

Can you tighten the blade at all?  I broke te file on mine. Sent it in. Got it replaced. Use the snot out of it. If it breaks, it's covered. I really like mine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[campussecurity]

$15

They are practically giving them away.

They were the normal $30 but I got a 50% discount for being a vet. Thanks for the replies everyone. The wingman is my new offduty casual day leatherman. Some days I just dont want to wear a sheath.

[campussecurity]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

Thank you. Don't hear thanks much anymore. This country has gone to hell and it's like it's post vietnam days all over again. I've been spit on called a baby killer everything my dad went through when he got home back in the 70's. Glad to see some Americans still have a head on their shoulders. 

[Aloha]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

Thank you. Don't hear thanks much anymore. This country has gone to hell and it's like it's post vietnam days all over again. I've been spit on called a baby killer everything my dad went through when he got home back in the 70's. Glad to see some Americans still have a head on their shoulders. 

from family to friends serving this country I have nothing but the highest respect 

[detron]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

Aloha has it right,  every Veteran deserves much more than they receive, and the recent "environment" has not helped with public approval of Vets.  Thank you for your service! 



Thank you. Don't hear thanks much anymore. This country has gone to hell and it's like it's post vietnam days all over again. I've been spit on called a baby killer everything my dad went through when he got home back in the 70's. Glad to see some Americans still have a head on their shoulders. 

from family to friends serving this country I have nothing but the highest respect 

[campussecurity]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

Thank you. Don't hear thanks much anymore. This country has gone to hell and it's like it's post vietnam days all over again. I've been spit on called a baby killer everything my dad went through when he got home back in the 70's. Glad to see some Americans still have a head on their shoulders. 

from family to friends serving this country I have nothing but the highest respect 

Hooah

Spc.  Airborne Infantry;  1st Armored Division, 3rd Infantry Combat Brigade, 2nd Battalion-5th Infantry Regiment ( Medically Retired)   

[jerseydevil]

from a Wave to a wingman many differences are going to really stand out however I have always felt the wingman while lesser priced is far better that some of other offerings from others.  the wingman was my 3 MT of which it was a far better tool than the 2 previous ones I had.  having the wave and many other LMs as wells as a few swisstools and a spirit I can see how and why this tool and the sidekick can be looked at with a sneer.  as far as date codes none of the 3 I had had them and as mentioned the handles seem to be the only difference between the runs of these tools. at $15 id say beat the living daylights out of it and if it should fail send it in to LM.  thanks for you service campussecurity

Thank you. Don't hear thanks much anymore. This country has gone to hell and it's like it's post vietnam days all over again. I've been spit on called a baby killer everything my dad went through when he got home back in the 70's. Glad to see some Americans still have a head on their shoulders. 

from family to friends serving this country I have nothing but the highest respect 

Hooah

Spc.  Airborne Infantry;  1st Armored Division, 3rd Infantry Combat Brigade, 2nd Battalion-5th Infantry Regiment ( Medically Retired)   

Thank you for your service, sir.    I've never been able to serve, being an asthmatic.  There are many veterans in my family and circle of friends and acquaintances though.  I have nothing but the highest respect for those that have served this country.

[campussecurity]

Thank you for the kind words  friends. Us veteran's really appreciate it. It always seems like the hard working men and women of America are always more appreciative. Maybe it's because we know about getting the job done no matter what the task at hand is,  and we support the anti-war-haters and moochers with our taxes.......

[campussecurity]

Can you tighten the blade at all?  I broke te file on mine. Sent it in. Got it replaced. Use the snot out of it. If it breaks, it's covered. I really like mine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I used mine as a hammer earlier. Worked great. 

[leatherman35]

I actually really like my wingman - maybe I was lucky but there isn't any play and it is really comfortable it was hard to stop edc it for my wave. Especially since the scissors and knife are the main tools I use it was nice having them accessible from the outside so easily. Only gripe is the knife could be about a half inch bigger. But for 20 bucks you can't beat it

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Cupboard]

I had a Wingman and Sidekick, both bought here as brand new, one had been opened and one was still in its blister pack. The one that wasn't in its blister pack and a reasonably tight blade, good lockup and not play. The one that was in the blister pack had a really loose blade, sloppy lockup and lots of play in all directions.The Wingman's scissors didn't seem to like cutting anything either, they just pushed the material out of the way and off the end of the scissors.

I like the tools as a concept and would quite happily recommend the Sidekick for someone wanting a cheaper MT. The Wingman's scissors let it down too much IMO, and both could do with better consistency. That would probably put the price up though.

[Taxi Dad]

I had a Wingman and Sidekick, both bought here as brand new, one had been opened and one was still in its blister pack. The one that wasn't in its blister pack and a reasonably tight blade, good lockup and not play. The one that was in the blister pack had a really loose blade, sloppy lockup and lots of play in all directions.The Wingman's scissors didn't seem to like cutting anything either, they just pushed the material out of the way and off the end of the scissors.

I like the tools as a concept and would quite happily recommend the Sidekick for someone wanting a cheaper MT. The Wingman's scissors let it down too much IMO, and both could do with better consistency. That would probably put the price up though.

I've just commented on Lowtecs thread about modding a wingman. I totally agree with your comments about 'consistency' and it lacking in the wing/kicks. my user 'works' but the blade wobbles and the scissors unlock themselves when you apply pressure in a certain direction, although I've had no problem with them cutting (or NOT cutting) all in all it's a worthy pocket tool great for 'what-if' scenarios IMO i'd rather have a Rebar (preferably one with scissors  ) or a wave or my spirit. but I wouldn't want to 'hack' at rubber hoses with a spirit like I can with 'wingy' nor would I let some oafish friend borrow it !

[Monrogue]

I think the quality consistency issue is an all around LM issue it seems.  The Rebar is another polarizing tool on here from what I've read because some have gotten duds and others (me included) got an excellent tool.  It's the same for me with the Wingman in that I lucked out and got a good one.  Perhaps it's an issue in the early batches of these tools, and they take care of some of the QC issues after some feedback on the initial batch?  Of course it still seems like the occasional lemon slips through...

[PPCAPache]

Hi Guys, Late to this conversation, but thought I would add some of my findings.

I currently own the Rebar / Micra / Surge / Wingman / Sidekick all purchased in that order. I know that my Wingman and Sidekick are lower in price and expectation than even my Rebar and defiantly my Surge that is to be expected, however in saying that I love the Wingman and Sidekick, they meet my needs for a quick deploying Full MT, if the job is something that my Surge would be over kill for.

Example I was taking out the overhead lights of my Kitchen range-hood as one of the bulbs had blown, it was easier to grab for the Wingman to undo the screws, however I found that one of the corners was bent on the casings corner, for this I instinctively went for my Surge as I needed to apply a lot of pressure to straighten the section. I may have been able to do this on the Wingman but why when I had the big bad boy to use.

I have checked both my Wingman and Sidekick to see if there was any play in both the knives or handles none what so ever, even compared it against the Surge basically the same all solid and locked.

Your lucky you can get the Wingman for around $20 bucks, it cost me $49.95 AUD ($44.90 USD) was one of the reason's I got the Wingman as I had received $50 bucks for Christmas, wasn't until I used it I started to carry it everyday in my back pocket, were as my Sidekick came with a Z-Rex, Monarch 6 torch + Carabiner combo pack cost me $88 AUD ($79.06 USD).

I personally think you got a great deal and you maybe surprised how much you use and carry the Wingman, I know I did, I will be using my Sidekick more as i don't need the scissors of the Wingman - I have both the Surge and Micra for those, I may give the Wingman to my Wife.

[Monrogue]

Hi Guys, Late to this conversation, but thought I would add some of my findings.

I currently own the Rebar / Micra / Surge / Wingman / Sidekick all purchased in that order. I know that my Wingman and Sidekick are lower in price and expectation than even my Rebar and defiantly my Surge that is to be expected, however in saying that I love the Wingman and Sidekick, they meet my needs for a quick deploying Full MT, if the job is something that my Surge would be over kill for.

Example I was taking out the overhead lights of my Kitchen range-hood as one of the bulbs had blown, it was easier to grab for the Wingman to undo the screws, however I found that one of the corners was bent on the casings corner, for this I instinctively went for my Surge as I needed to apply a lot of pressure to straighten the section. I may have been able to do this on the Wingman but why when I had the big bad boy to use.

I have checked both my Wingman and Sidekick to see if there was any play in both the knives or handles none what so ever, even compared it against the Surge basically the same all solid and locked.

Your lucky you can get the Wingman for around $20 bucks, it cost me $49.95 AUD ($44.90 USD) was one of the reason's I got the Wingman as I had received $50 bucks for Christmas, wasn't until I used it I started to carry it everyday in my back pocket, were as my Sidekick came with a Z-Rex, Monarch 6 torch + Carabiner combo pack cost me $88 AUD ($79.06 USD).

I personally think you got a great deal and you maybe surprised how much you use and carry the Wingman, I know I did, I will be using my Sidekick more as i don't need the scissors of the Wingman - I have both the Surge and Micra for those, I may give the Wingman to my Wife.

Well I guess you answered my question from the other thread   I was honestly surprised by how much I liked the Wingman when I got it.  I really didn't expect to like it any more than I liked any other multitool I own, but it quickly became a favorite.  Same with the Sidekick.  I would go with the Wingman as a standalone tool since it has scissors.  However, I never really carry only one item, and I normally will have a SAK with scissors as part of my EDC lineup anyway, so that doesn't matter.  I prefer the Sidekick's plain edge blade though. 

[billyboy]

I looked at my wingman. I have two. One has vertical play and the other is fine. Date on my first one is stamped on the side do the handle holding Phil's screwdriver. May have to look for it. If you need pictures I will try. Just let me know.
Billyboy

[pingu]

I also noticed little things like the blade is wobbly once in the locked position, like a cheap lockback knife, it moves back and forth, I also noticed the handles themselves wobble when closed. I'm probably just used to the higher end Wave quality but are these little issues normal?

I'm assuming you mean the blade moves from side to side?

My Wingman was my first LM MT bought on price about a year ago.  Can't see any date codes.  As it happened I moved on to Rebar quite quickly.  I don't recall any slackness or wobble.   Quite soon I transferred a truncated blade inboard to make it legal carry here.  Currently there is no handle pivot wobble but then I might have nipped up the screws if there had been.  Can't remember.   Hardly any in the scissors which cut as well as any other MT or SAK  I have come across. Very very slight wobble in the plier pivot, not a real issue with anvil cutters.

I paid about £30 and still think that was good value.  IMO only the completely useless file is a serious flaw.

Huh, here's a bit of weirdness which I've never noticed before,  while writing this post with all the tools deployed managed to get a plier jaw jammed through the hole in the handle.