These are officially THE BEST multitools ever.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Good to have you back Harley !   

Thanks.

[ddogu]

Great thread idea.

Best plier MT has to be the Spirit.

Outside opening tools is a game changer imo. Build quality and easy to get at and open tools is great. Didn’t know how much I disliked tool clumping until I didn’t have to deal with it anymore.

Size to number of tools that I actually use is amazing.

Only issue is the scissors are not prefect. Useable but not the regular style SAK scissors they could be.

Why is the Spirit loved so much?? As a person who never used one, I wonder where the fandom comes from 
I mean, the LM Wave also has outside opening tools (and there are others, too). What's so special about the Spirit?

[Aloha]

I personally feel the love comes from a variety of good reasons  First the tool is without doubt one heck of a looker.  Its also engineered to very high tolerances ( minus the wobble ).  The tool density is wonderful and the tool choices are too.  The tools for many screams quality. 

The other side is those who have used the tool.  The tool has all outside accessible implements.  The robustness of each implement is really inspiring to use.  The egos are wonderful.  Precision and quality is exuded and well earned.   

Where I am confused are the scissors.  Seems a well known "issue" for many and the fandom always ignores this.  The notorious handle wobble.  Seems this too gets swept under the carpet.  The softness of the steel is something that is "understood" so this is more of a feature for many.  Some have issues with the polished tool being slippery.  IIRC the wire cutters had some issues with certain wire but in fairness other MT are challenged with certain wire.   

I once asked https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,56276.msg1261569.html#msg1261569.  While certainly not definitive it was an interesting poll. 

I think for many including myself there are tools we just like.  I am a notorious LM fan.  NO secret I love the Wave/Charge/Surge tools.  I am a fan of the Swisstool as I have 2 in active use.  The Spirit has seen its fair share of use from me.  SO much so that I am confident when I speak about the tool from my perspective.  My phillips is beginning to show a lot of wear.  The fins will be rounded over sooner than later.  The scissors have not been my favorite. 

The MTs from Vic are great and they deserve all the praise they get.  Most IMO is when compared to MTs with known issues.  Sadly however its seems there are more MTs with known issues so the comparisons are easily made.  This may come off as a contradiction however the Spirit and Swisstool are really that great but not without issues tool.  No they are not perfection or mystical in their capabilities.  They are just darn good and for those that just like them they more than adequately do their jobs. 

As I type I am looking at both my Swisstool and Spirit as well as both my Charges.  If I had to choose, then yes my Charges would get the nod.  But I dont so they Spirit and Swisstool are a valued part of my stable.   

 

[gustophersmob]

 

The spirit isn't perfect, and isn't the end all tool for every user in every circumstance. It is high quality and feature packed and has a lifetime warranty that is useable in most of the world to boot.

My number one reason for gravitating to it (besides my victorinox fan boyism ) is that I can open all the tools easily. Every. Single. Leatherman I've tried has been a nail breaker to access the inside tools.

I've thought about giving Gerber another try, maybe the mp400, but owning 3 spirits, I don't really see the need.

[HarleyXJGuy]

The wobble is something I don’t even notice since I am either using the Spirit or it is in my Large Skinth. If I wasn’t a member here I wouldn’t even know it was a thing.

The scissors are the biggest downfall of the Spirit by far. I am not a frequent scissor user and they are at least somewhat useable. That said I am very close to picking up a Swisstool X in the hope that it will provide the best of all I love about the Spirit and some good Vic scissors.

As for the things that make the Spirit so good are the perfect tool selection and how easy it is to open the tools. No nail breaking for me.

As someone who served in the Army for 21 years I want to love the American made Leathermen tools but between the clumping and the stupid bit changer thing I am not a huge fan.

The bit thing is an excellent idea but the little half bit things are just bad.

[ToolJoe]

The big things for the Spirit with me are it just seems to blend away in my pocket and doesn't feel like I am carrying a lump in it. Also, I have brought it out to use at various functions including at work and nobody has batted an eye at me regarding it. I agree with the consensus that after using a Spirit, it is hard to try another mt.

[Aloha]

The wobble is something I don’t even notice since I am either using the Spirit or it is in my Large Skinth. If I wasn’t a member here I wouldn’t even know it was a thing.

I cant agree enough.  We might tend to be overly critical, certainly more so than the average fella picking up their first or second MT.  In use its not a thing at all to me.  Heck on my hip its not a thing.  Can't argue the tool is one heck of a MT tho not without issues IMO.   

[Sam Lim]

OG Surge and Core. These buddies are the best heavy duty Leatherman MT I have used. I recently had to cut some cloth hanger for decoration stuffs. Apparently, there are different grades/thickness of metals used.. These 2 performed best with their excellent cutters, God approved ergonomics, handle splay and tools selection. Nothing else comes close. After Sog's legendary compound leverage of course when it come to cutter performance.

[ThePeacent]

OG Surge and Core. These buddies are the best heavy duty Leatherman MT I have used. I recently had to cut some cloth hanger for decoration stuffs. Apparently, there are different grades/thickness of metals used.. These 2 performed best with their excellent cutters, God approved ergonomics, handle splay and tools selection. Nothing else comes close. After Sog's legendary compound leverage of course when it come to cutter performance.

I hear the voice of reason 

these three are arguably the toughest, great hard working and excellently ergonomic MTs in my opinion 

[gerleatherberman]

 
LM does make the absolute best hard use tools in the world. Nothing even comes close from my personal experiences. Second best series would be the Gerber MP600, as it is a beast under pressure. I have never broken a Gerber MP600(or Pinchy) part. Everyone else is playing for runner-up with flashy bells & whistles, fit & finish, and features. I like SwissTools(I've got both models) and SOGs(I collect SOG MT models as well), but both have a lot of work to do.

[Obi1shinobee]

Here is my short and dirty list of some of my favorites.

Leatherman MUT
I love this big honking piece of metal. I especially love the super long driver bits, the V cutter, and the built in hammer. There are so many other uses for the dedicated AR 15 tools that it has found itself in my motorcycle kit.

Schrade Navitool
I am probably the only real liker on this forum of this tool. I like it so much that I now have 3 Navitools and 1 I-Quip. The electronic I-Quip is not my choice for bushwhacking, but the Navitool is perfect in my opinion. A medley of great tools tied to a nice compass, and a compartment where one can store either a lighter, or their own mini survival kit in a watertight ziplock bag. So yes, one of the Navitools is a user.

Leatherman Knifeless Fuse
My constant companion since it first came out. It was a sad day indeed when Leatherman saw fit to retire it. I immediately bought 2, with one being a user. I have found that the lack of a knife is not that big of a loss considering there is a real good pair of scissors here. I am a bit surprised that Leatherman hasn't come out with a replacement. These either didn't sell well, or there wasn't much of a market demand for them to come out with a replacement tool.

Victorinox SwissTool
Don't get me wrong, I love the Spirit, but the SwissTool is where its at. Supreme engineering and tight tolerance in build. This multi-tool is the Cadillac of multi-tools when it comes to fit and finish. I especially love how the handles splay outwards a little sideways to make them very ergonomic...but the tool looks like a brick when closed.

Gerber Evolution MP 650
Now here is a quirky design with one major downfall, the tool isn't compact at all. However, you do get the option of several removable plier heads and even a wire cutter head. So its compactness is a small price to pay for versatility. This quirky tools just highlights Gerber's dedication for trying new things out. Of course it didn't hurt that the tool's form factor is that of the much loved MP 600 series of tools.

SOG Switchplier
Another interesting and unique take on what a multi-tool is, the SOG Switchplier makes my top list for the sheer love of fiddling with it. People talk about how good Gerbers are for playing with, well I think most haven't seen a Switchplier in action. Press a button and the whole thing flips around like a hoped up transformer on steroids, and presto, you have a one handed tool, when it comes to using the pliers. SOG also put a lot of love and attention in building these, and I do believe these older tools are built to higher specs compared to
 the newer stuff.

Navitool  Number 1