Leatherman vs. Powerlock

[jeremy1517]

I'm on a mission to find a new multitool. What are your opinions on how the Sog Powerlock 2.0 stacks up against the leatherman lineup. I found a Powerlock for a really good price but price doesn't matter if its junk. How is the Powerlocks function, quality, durability, etc. as compared to leathermans?

Thanks!

I know I've been posting questions. I don't have an opportunity to try these tools out before I buy them so I thought I'd ask your opinions.

[ducttapetech]

I like the Sog Powerlock. But you can't compare it to the whole LM line up. It would be close to a Supertool.
That's said, the can opener on the powerlock is about the only tool that sucks. The scissors seem to be hit and miss. It the pliers on the powerlock is what shines. No other tool out there works as smooth and cuts as good as it does.  It eats barbwire for breakfast. No kidding. And I am die hard LM Surge fan.   


That's us mobile.

[jeremy1517]

Are the covers annoying?

[ducttapetech]

I don't mind them. But you can take them off. Something else that forgot to say, the Powerlock is easy to mod. You can get different tools for it and change it up. And it does not void the warranty.

That's us mobile.

[Zed]

I liked the powerlock and didn't mind the covers but removed them for work,personally I didn't like the locks and the file was crap but the pliers are awesome, that all said i would get another one but still prefer the leatherman rebar as compact and well priced .

[babola]

Are the covers annoying?

They used to drive me bonkers...so I ended up removing them which left unsightly holes in the scales. Ended up selling it for 1/2 price I bought it...but I'm OCD and you may not care about these little unimportant things.

My only 2 SOG tools I still own and carry are the Crosscut and PPP, diminutive tools but both come without side-covers

[Cupboard]

I had a PPP for a bit, which is a smaller, lighter, non-locking version of the Powerlock.

The tools are the same on the Powerlock.

The pliers were great, but the handles were a bit uncomfortable (like a LM PST). The Powerlock gets more comfortable handles because of the addition of the covers, but then you have another step to getting at a tool. The knife was pretty good, as was the wood saw.

The SOG Phillips isn't as good as the Leatherman, Victorinox or Gerber Phillips. It's a No.1 size with decent reach but I found it didn't really fit anything very well and was prone to folding. The SOG large flat driver is OK, not as good as the Leatherman or Victorinox offerings (it's longer than an MP600 one) and not as substantial as any of the other 3 for prying. The SOG medium flat was less good, a bit meh really. The SOG small flat driver (on the end of the can opener, like the Victorinox) is terrible. No reach, extremely flimsy and served no purpose to me.
The file exists but wasn't good for filing much. IMO the Leatherman and Victorinox files are the best, followed by the Gerber MP600, the Grappler's file doesn't have very aggressive teeth and the SOG file is a couple of steps below that.
The scissors aren't as good as anyone else's offering but they're better than the file and will get you out of a pinch.

IMO it's worth getting a SOG if you want the compound leverage pliers and have the work for them.

As an aside, the butterfly opening tools (most Leathermans, some Gerbers like the MP700, Swisstools) can be aligned fairly straight for good screwing. The SOG can sort of be but you end up with the pliers sticking out the side. The slidey ones (OHT, MP600...) can't be, you always have to swing the handles round the screw.


TL;DR: Pliers great, knife good, saw good, rest of tools not great. If you ever want to use a screwdriver, don't get a SOG.

[powernoodle]

Jeremy, I like the Powerlock lineup.  Its a largish MT.  Opens very smoothly, and can be flicked open with one hand.  The big selling point is the compound plier head that doubles your grip strength.  I have removed the covers in the past, but now keep them on there for comfort when gripping the pliers.  The tools are user replaceable, which is a big plus over Leatherman.  The drivers, scissors, etc. do their job.  Lifetime warranty.  So if you like it and see a groovy price, there is no reason not to go for it.

[ducttapetech]

Also, you use 1/4 bits with it too.

That's us mobile.

[AimlessWanderer]

I had a PPP for a bit, which is a smaller, lighter, non-locking version of the Powerlock.

The tools are the same on the Powerlock.

The pliers were great, but the handles were a bit uncomfortable (like a LM PST). The Powerlock gets more comfortable handles because of the addition of the covers, but then you have another step to getting at a tool. The knife was pretty good, as was the wood saw.

The SOG Phillips isn't as good as the Leatherman, Victorinox or Gerber Phillips. It's a No.1 size with decent reach but I found it didn't really fit anything very well and was prone to folding. The SOG large flat driver is OK, not as good as the Leatherman or Victorinox offerings (it's longer than an MP600 one) and not as substantial as any of the other 3 for prying. The SOG medium flat was less good, a bit meh really. The SOG small flat driver (on the end of the can opener, like the Victorinox) is terrible. No reach, extremely flimsy and served no purpose to me.
The file exists but wasn't good for filing much. IMO the Leatherman and Victorinox files are the best, followed by the Gerber MP600, the Grappler's file doesn't have very aggressive teeth and the SOG file is a couple of steps below that.
The scissors aren't as good as anyone else's offering but they're better than the file and will get you out of a pinch.

IMO it's worth getting a SOG if you want the compound leverage pliers and have the work for them.

As an aside, the butterfly opening tools (most Leathermans, some Gerbers like the MP700, Swisstools) can be aligned fairly straight for good screwing. The SOG can sort of be but you end up with the pliers sticking out the side. The slidey ones (OHT, MP600...) can't be, you always have to swing the handles round the screw.


TL;DR: Pliers great, knife good, saw good, rest of tools not great. If you ever want to use a screwdriver, don't get a SOG.

This ^^^^ 

The SOG pliers are very good, or at least they were when made in the US. Now they've moved their manufacturing overseas I don't know how the integrity and quality compares. The compound leverage is very useful when you need to get a good purchase on something of a small(ish) size, but when gripping something large, the handles are splayed twice as wide than on any other pliers.

The main downside to SOG is "everything else". The innards that are on a PPP are the same as the Powerlock, so there is a lot of wasted space in the handles on the larger offerings as they contain all the innards from a smaller tool. Aside from that, the quality isn't as high as other makers with drivers either, can opener, file, scissors blah blah blah, aren't as good as most Leatherman or Gerber offerings IMO. I have occasionally used SOG parts in a modification I've done, but on the whole I'd rather use other parts. At one point I had a SOG Paladin PT-510 (a variant on the PPP) into which I fitted Leatherman components, and that worked quite well ... but it's long since lost (not happy when that happened). As far as standard tools are concerned though, I have moved away from SOG completely.

In short, SOG pliers are/were good, SOG tools are/were mediocre, the SOG Powerduo is a total design failure, and the SOG Power Assist is as volatile as Arkwright's till

[Cupboard]

This ^^^^ 

phew. Glad someone agrees with me!

Arkwright's till

Thanks for the reminder, everyone at works keeps saying I need to watch Open All Hours but I keep forgetting. We have a shop localy that they call Arkwrights, you can buy everything from something for your garden to your Sunday roast to fuel for your car to a shotgun.

[sawman]

I used to be into the PowerLock's several years ago, until the pliers snapped apart while bending a piece of metal. IMO, there is just no decent argument for compound-leverage if the pliers can't handle the extra tension!

I'd say save your money and buy a Rebar. Then you'll get tools that work as they're designed, and some great wire cutters.

[Dem]

It's all been said, really. More of the same from me.

Love the pliers. I worry about them snapping but that's just life with MTs in general until we get some with proper steel. The saw is good. Scissors are perfectly acceptable if a little large for the amount of leverage you get out of their handle.

The drivers aren't as good as what you get in a Vic, LM, or Gerber. They're all acceptable (maybe not the small flat.) The Phillips is a weird hybrid thing, not really a #1 or #2. It usually works in both, but not exceptionally well in either. The can opener is absolute garbage (the 'cut forward' versions, at least.) The file isn't nearly aggressive enough. The knife blades are chisel ground and a bit thin. The bit-driver attachment point has a spring that tends to fly off and get lost.

So really, the pliers shine, and everything else (barring the saw) feels not-quite-as-good-but-perfectly-usable (barring that damned can opener) compared to what you find in a Vic or LM, or IMO in a Gerber.

Dem

[Goatlord666]

My preferred heavy duty MT has always been the SOG Powerlock. It was my first full sized Multitool after I retired my Skeletool. I feel however , that if you are planning to just purchase and own one mt, you should go for the Supertool300 - in black oxide, as the stainless ones rust faster especially of you'll be exposed to humid environments or near salt water

[jeremy1517]

I purchased the Supertool 300. Very Glad I did, Love it!

[16VGTIDave]

I have a B61 that I've tried to like. I've removed the knife blade and installed wire strippers because I carry a Spyderco Manix 2 with it. When I need a knife, I don't need a crappy blade that is difficult to deploy. I figured wires trippers would be a good choice. I was wrong.

I've tried to like this MT, but:
- the pliers are great
- the saw is very good
- the tool covers suck
- the handles (without tool covers) suck
- the rest of the tools suck.
- the leather sheath is below average as the belt loop is centred vertically, causing the pouch to flop around and poke/bruise you in the side.

I have this MT in its original box collecting dust in my closet as I can't bring myself to sell it. I just don't think it would be nice to afflict someone else with this abomination at a price that would allow me to recoup a reasonable amount of my investment.

My old LM Surge is overall a far superior tool. My Vic Spirit is a far superior tool. A $10 Sheffield MT is probably a superior tool. I believe that Lynn has done some comparisons that should help the OP narrow down their options.

[Cupboard]

The thing is, the "difficult" bit, the pliers, handles etc is actually pretty good and in some ways better than anyone else. It's just the "easy" bits that aren't. Someone must have used the tools and thought "you know what, these suck". It shouldn't be too hard to fix them either because they're just a flat bit of metal in certain dimensions with a pivot at one end.