How Is Quality Of Cheap Multi-tools?

[Rico-2]

Unfortunately I have not enough time, to read all these topics about cheap multi-tools. So my question is: What is your general impression about their quality?

I mean multi-tools that cost between 10 and 30 dollars. Are they worthwile? Do they wear out or break much earlier, than the renowned brands, that cost four times their price?

In my limited experience, these cheap multi-tools perform on average relatively well in lighter tasks. And they perform anyhow much better, than an expensive competitor, that happens to lack the specific needed tool in form or size.

BTW, sorry again that my English is not perfect. Working on that. You would struggle speaking my native language either.

[dks]

They are not bad. Ganzo, cima, bahco, Stanley etc  are decent. Most users worldwide use cheap multi tools.

The really nasty, low price, no brand ones are bad, as the tools will not be hardened properly, the saws will not cut, the pliers will bend. Around €20 should get you a decent tool, online.

[Rico-2]

They are not bad. Ganzo, cima, bahco, Stanley etc  are decent. Most users worldwide use cheap multi tools.

Thanks. And with the progression of technology, these cheaper brands may improve in quality over time. Maybe together we can compose a list of decent multi-tool brands that are cheap. This topic seems an appropriate place for that.

We should realise however, that customer service from these cheaper brands may be limited. I think of a website with selection filter, personal advise, repair, warranty conditions, spare part availability in the long run, etc. And it is often harder to find user reviews on the web from cheaper brands, in my experience.

[Rico-2]

They are not bad. Ganzo, cima, bahco, Stanley etc  are decent. Most users worldwide use cheap multi tools.

Ganzo:
http://ganzoknife.com/category/multi-tools/

Bahco:
http://www.bahco.com/en/p/multitool/c2-1f-5a-f2-66-95-18-8a-65-48-8c-39-d1-51-5e-7a/

[dks]

Any branded cheap multitool, e.g. black & decker, bahco, shop own brands (LIDL) and so on will have some warranty, but it most likely will not be 25 years like leatherman.

For some of us it may be easier to just go to the shop and exchange it, than to go through the warranty process of a more known multifoil company from the US.

For online purchases of unbranded multitool the warranty will come from the seller, PayPal etc. and it will be short. Some will have manufacturer warranties, but, you may have to contact them directly, in China.

Avoid camillus multi tools, by the way.

[Rico-2]

Topic: 'Not Bad Cheapos'

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,42140.msg674956.html#msg674956

[cody6268]

Any branded cheap multitool, e.g. black & decker, bahco, shop own brands (LIDL) and so on will have some warranty, but it most likely will not be 25 years like leatherman.

For some of us it may be easier to just go to the shop and exchange it, than to go through the warranty process of a more known multifoil company from the US.

For online purchases of unbranded multitool the warranty will come from the seller, PayPal etc. and it will be short. Some will have manufacturer warranties, but, you may have to contact them directly, in China.

Avoid camillus multi tools, by the way.

Avoid most of the modern Camillus stuff.   But, the old one's when Camillus was Camillus, not just a brand bought so a holding company could market cheap crap, like the TL-29 electrician's knife, and various iterations of the Scout pattern (Camillus had several, including some with a Phillips driver and wood saw) and the MIL-K (which does have a propensity to break backsprings due to the wrong steel, a steel really intended to be used for spoons and such, but this was the government's fault for requiring that steel in the specification) are all excellent.

[jerseydevil]

Love me some old Camillus stuff.....

[dks]

My Camillus electrician is impossible to open, so the QC was not that brilliant, even then.  I do have a Camillus Barlow from the 50s and is one of the sweetest and sexiest knives I have...

I think that by the time they closed they were just a shadow of what they used to be  (which is why they closed...)

[Grant Lamontagne]

Any branded cheap multitool, e.g. black & decker, bahco, shop own brands (LIDL) and so on will have some warranty, but it most likely will not be 25 years like leatherman.

For some of us it may be easier to just go to the shop and exchange it, than to go through the warranty process of a more known multifoil company from the US.

For online purchases of unbranded multitool the warranty will come from the seller, PayPal etc. and it will be short. Some will have manufacturer warranties, but, you may have to contact them directly, in China.

Avoid camillus multi tools, by the way.

In the defense of some cheapos, they do have "LIFETIME WARRANTY" on the package, but no way to contact the manufacturer when they crap out.  Sometimes, if you happen to have the receipt and take it back to the store you purchased it from they may decide to be nice and replace it for you, likely because the cost of them is so low that it's worth it to them to replace it and have a happy customer.

The thing about cheapos is that you can't put them in any certain category with regards to quality- they tend to be all over the place.  And, with some companies (Sheffield comes to mind) they will buy from many different suppliers, so buying different tools from the same brand will often yield very different quality levels.

Def

[dks]

They do it with all their products - and usually they get worst, each time.

The same product can be made by various suppliers, looking the same.

Lidl shaving gel is not as good as it was last year, but it looks the same.....

[Grant Lamontagne]

Very true indeed.  Schrade is a great example of that....

Def

[NetsNJ]

The Gerber Suspension is only $23 on Amazon.  It is a capable, if less-than-ideal, tool.  I wouldn't go cheaper than this. 

The thing about cheapos is that you can't put them in any certain category with regards to quality- they tend to be all over the place.  And, with some companies (Sheffield comes to mind) they will buy from many different suppliers, so buying different tools from the same brand will often yield very different quality levels.

This is very true.  Sheffield's PST/Supertool clones are actually fairly good for the price.  The supertool clone actually has all locking blades, a decently shaped phillips head, and no spacers/washers between tools (good tool density).  I like this tool a lot for the price.  The Sheffield Ganzo-styles are crap just like the rest of the Ganzos.

[Chako]

I agree. All over the map quality wise. Even within a brand.

With that said, you can get the odd tool that is surprisingly well made for the price point...you just have to wade through a lot to get to one however, making them less than ideal to begin with.

[WoodsDuck]

Very true indeed.  Schrade is a great example of that....

Def

The Schrade thing still bums me out. I used a lot of their knives in my youth, and still have a ton of the older Old Timer and other Schrade brand knives that are great, but many of them are in rough shape. It would be nice if the quality was still there so I could get some new ones to carry without having to scour ebay and the like. As it is now, I'm just buying Rough Riders because they make a lot of traditional patterns, and their quality is head and shoulders above the modern Schrades. And the Schrades cost more to boot.
It's just depressing...

[dks]

I did buy some older Taylor  (new) Schrade and they were bad.  I bought one a few months ago, and they are still bad. Some have claimed that the quality had improved, but i did not notice that.

The sodbuster is OK.

[firiki]

WORLDS WORST KNIFE (Fake Swiss Army Knife / Multitool)


Like others said, one could happen across some cheap multi-tools that are very well made for the price but finding them could take a lot of trial and error.

I can't afford to go looking for these bargains, plus I feel bad because by buying junk tools I justify their existence and also I create more waste. I had this exact feeling twice when I threw away two cheap plier-based tools I was hoping I could use as beaters for the dirty, nasty jobs. They weren't up to practically any real use though, on the contrary they were dangerous, the tools were likely to break and the locks kept failing. Rust everywhere!

In conclusion, I paid a high price once for a Vic Spirit and never looked back. I also got hold of a lovely second-hand Swisstool here on the forum and also won a Leatherman OHT in a giveaway (review coming, honestly ) and I' couldn't be happier. These multi-tools can fail too but not as miserably as that thing in the video at the top of my post.

[Fortytwo]

WORLDS WORST KNIFE (Fake Swiss Army Knife / Multitool)


Like others said, one could happen across some cheap multi-tools that are very well made for the price but finding them could take a lot of trial and error.

I can't afford to go looking for these bargains, plus I feel bad because by buying junk tools I justify their existence and also I create more waste. I had this exact feeling twice when I threw away two cheap plier-based tools I was hoping I could use as beaters for the dirty, nasty jobs. They weren't up to practically any real use though, on the contrary they were dangerous, the tools were likely to break and the locks kept failing. Rust everywhere!

In conclusion, I paid a high price once for a Vic Spirit and never looked back. I also got hold of a lovely second-hand Swisstool here on the forum and also won a Leatherman OHT in a giveaway (review coming, honestly ) and I' couldn't be happier. These multi-tools can fail too but not as miserably as that thing in the video at the top of my post.

Now that's an unusually bad example but I do think that all the China-clones are dragging the true SAK names in the dirt. I have friends who were thinking China-clone was the level of quality you could expect from the real deal... There seems to be a bit of a case these days that people won't pay for quality but are willing to spend unreasonable money for Design or just to have their stuff covered in gold and diamonds.

[firiki]

...

Now that's an unusually bad example but I do think that all the China-clones are dragging the true SAK names in the dirt. I have friends who were thinking China-clone was the level of quality you could expect from the real deal... There seems to be a bit of a case these days that people won't pay for quality but are willing to spend unreasonable money for Design or just to have their stuff covered in gold and diamonds.

I've noticed this trend as well. A sad, sad trend, methinks.