'Les Stroud' Engage Multitool TEST TO DESTRUCTION!

[Lynn LeFey]

I tried to sell my Engage MT, and instead, Grant and zoidberg coughed up the money for me to destroy the thing.

As I want to make this as entertaining as possible, I'm up for suggestions on testing methods, including those far above and beyond 'reasonable'.

Let... the Games... BEGIN!

[jerseydevil]

 


This should be fun.

[Lynn LeFey]

I dropped the flashlight into a glass of water, and will give it ten minutes. I actually hope it succeeds, because I kinda like the little flashlight. Photo to follow...

[Lynn LeFey]

Okay, the flashlight (on) after 10 minutes...


PASS!

The flashlight's beam (lower) compared to a fauxton (upper)


Pretty dim, but much brighter than the 'moonlight' mode of my Preon a0.

Drop test at 3', 6', 9', and a 15' (or thereabouts) toss up in the air, all landing on concrete...

The flashlight PASSES!

THEN I realized that while the light was on, the o-ring was thoroughly engaged, when the light was off... not so much. So it got another 10 minutes in the water while off, and... PASS. Still works.

Whistle. The Db app for iPhone registered it at 100. Hubby and I could both whistle at 96Db. And we suck at it. I'd call this a FAIL!! I tested a pen cap and got a better result. Suckness.

More to come...

[ColoSwiss]

We were talking about using a SAK for a target over on the Break Room. How about blasting this for a finale?

[Higgins617]

I'm taking half credit for the idea!!!

[Lynn LeFey]

We were talking about using a SAK for a target over on the Break Room. How about blasting this for a finale?

If I can find a place that I can do it, sure. Most indoor ranges won't allow this sort of thing, due to fear of ricochet.

Also. FIRESTEEL test, struck against the file.
Into Jute birdnest. Fail, but that was expected. In dryer lint, SUCCESS, after 3 strikes.

[Lynn LeFey]

Those... SMURFING... scissors.

Not intending to test them, but I tried to cut a thin bit of plastic with the scissors and struggled. Tried to cut the jute for the birdnest in the firestriker test, and had to spend fifteen seconds or so chewing through thin jute cord with those utterly fecal-failure scissors.

[zoidberg]

We were talking about using a SAK for a target over on the Break Room. How about blasting this for a finale?

If I can find a place that I can do it, sure. Most indoor ranges won't allow this sort of thing, due to fear of ricochet.

Also. FIRESTEEL test, struck against the file.
Into Jute birdnest. Fail, but that was expected. In dryer lint, SUCCESS, after 3 strikes.

That would make a brilliant finale if it's possible.    I would also like to know how fireproof it is. 

[Lynn LeFey]

I would also like to know how fireproof it is. 

THAT, I believe, I can do. 

[Chako]

Oh the horror!!!   

[Lynn LeFey]

The absolutely suck-tacular philips drive vs. a wood screw. This is NOT what I'd consider a torture test. The Tinker did it. The frickin' MICRA did it. To make this tool rotate that screw two full rotations tore a LOT of metal off this driver, jumped out about eight times, regardless of a lot of pressure on the tool, and despite BOTH the pressure AND the stupid bent design, the smurfing thing collapsed on me three times. WORST FAILURE POS EVER!!! 

[dks]

I think the only way to test it is to go out in the desert/bush/mountains etc. and survive for a few days using just that tool; do a Les. You will ofcourse need to video yourself for proof.
Build shelter, capture animals, fix equipment etc.   

[cornholio2188]

Give a tribesman who's been using only the most basic Stone Age technology and he will keep it as a 'last resort' tool 

[captain spaulding]

The only word that comes to mind is...... pathetic.

[Noa Isumi]

Maybe it could be forge welded into a usefull knife. Na I like the idea of shooting it better. Who knows if the welds will even take its not like its high quality steel like you find digging at the scrapyard or lying on the side of the road.

[lowtech]

I would like to see the "Tim Leatherman Nail Cutting Test". Is that possible?

[Kin-Luu]

Saw of some nice big branches and then baton them with the blade.

[Lynn LeFey]

Some actual scissor testing.

Just to recap, in my initial review, I called these the worst scissors I'd ever tested left-handed.
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,51479.0.html


So, here they are, after cutting various paper materials.
Versus Paper: Right handed, pass. Left handed, FAIL. YOU FAILED PAPER!!!
Versus light cardboard (the yellow stuff): Right Handed, barely adequate. Left Handed... FAIL.
Versus Corrugated Cardbaord: Right Handed, barely adequate. Left Handed... you guessed it. FAIL.

And the whole time, the spring kept popped out from behind the handle, ala what's seen in the pic.

I don't think I'm going to bother with more difficult materials, and skip right to test-to-destruction with these things.

So, how about the tool's scissors versus the tool's sheath? Okay, I tested it, and a number of other MTs, versus this tool's sheath. The Engage, Vic 91mm, Leatherman Wave, and the Mountain MT from Northern Freight (a $7 MT), in that order.


Huh... strange. I bet you can only see 3 cuts, can't you? That's because after 17 strokes of the scissors from the Engage, (maybe visible above the first real cut), the Engage managed what I'd describe as an abrasion. Then the SAK's cut, then the Wave, then the Mountain, which, to be fair took about four strokes to make its cut. And the SAK was one I got off of ebay for $6!



I hate these scissors so much on the Engage, I can't even put it into words. So... let's see what I can find to test them to destruction.

[Lynn LeFey]

The requested Leatherman Nail Cut Test will interrupt the scissor testing for the moment.

Here's the Engage versus the Sidekick. I'm going to be honest. The Engage's cutters did the task, and took noticably less effort that the notoriously not-great anvil cutters of the Sidekick.


That's the GOOD news for the Engage. The bad?


Sorry for the blurry. See the 'shiny spot' at the base of the wire cutters? Yeah, there was some damage. None to the Sidekick

These were also pretty small nails. I'll get a larger on from the garage for further testing.

[Lynn LeFey]

So... I went out into the garage, to get MORE nails.



Both the Engage and Sidekick cut through the trim nail.

Then I got to that roofing nail.

I had to press the Engage against the floor of the garage to generate enough force to cut the roofing nail, bit it DID IT... kind of.

The result is that now, when the handles are fully pressed together, the plier head doesn't close. FAIL!


And just so you all know, I ALSO cut the roofing nail with the Sidekick. The anvil cutters of the Sidekick required even more force than the Engage's. I was LITERALLY standing on the handle of the plier to push it closed. I was applying probably 150 lbs of force when the Sidekick cut the nail, and something more like 100 or less when the Engage cut through.There is absolutely ZERO damage to the Sidekick. While I would consider this test abusive, it also makes me REALLY appreciate how well the Sidekick is made. Not so much with the Engage.

I didn't bother trying the largest nail, since the Engage is pretty well done with any nail cutting, or fine plier work, from now on.

[Lynn LeFey]

Question: Can you 'baton' a #2 pencil by sticking it into the scissors, and hitting the upper scissor blade with a hammer?

Answer: Yes.

These things are always good to know.

[Etherealicer]

 

The scissors seem slightly "out of shape"

[Syph007]

This thread is great! Keep it up!

Also it's nice to hear the sidekick can take some abuse.   

[lowtech]

This thread is great! Keep it up!

Also it's nice to hear the sidekick can take some abuse.   

What he said. Thanks for the Entertainment.

[Toolslinger]

This is good. Need to find my snacks...

How about running it over with vehicle?

[Lynn LeFey]

Saw of some nice big branches and then baton them with the blade.

Your wish is my command!

Here's the Engage, again versus the Sidekick. Both cut a 1.25" (32mm) branch.



First, I think this is getting near to prime conditions for testing the Engage in it's intended environment. It's 38F (3C) and feels like 28F (-2). I was not wearing gloves, and the wind was very 'biting'. The Sidekick was less comfortable in hand, but cut better, and the longer reach made for a noticeably shorter time to cut. Not profoundly longer, but maybe 2/3 the time of the Engage. The engage was more comfortable in hand, but a pain in the butt to cut with, and i noticed a measure of blade binding deep into the cut. Still, I'd call it a pass.

As for batoning. Here's the Sidekick...


And here's the Engage...


They both managed to baton the 1.25" piece of wood. The Sidekick did this VASTLY better ,due to the locking, and longer,  blade. Also, in both pictures, you can see a technique I'm working on, where I drive a wood wedge into the piece I'm batoning as soon as it will fit. I don't see any point in beating on a blade any longer than absolutely necessary, when making a wedge out of wood is such a simple task. And if a wood wedge breaks, meh.

So, for both tasks, sawing and batoning a 1.25" branch, the Engage passes. I would have been terrified and enraged if it didn't manage these tasks, what I'd consider the bread and butter tasks for this MT.

[Etherealicer]

I'm not defending the Engage, but it looks like the saw gave a much cleaner cut, than the saw of the Sidekick.

Keep up the carnage

[Higgins617]

I'm still rather impressed that you stood on the Sidekick to up the force and suffered no ill effect.

[derekmac]

This is great!!!!