Al , what issues have you had with the Micra ? This is the first I'm hearing of any problems with it.
Get yourself a Farmer
Quote from: SteveC on September 24, 2017, 09:28:43 PMGet yourself a Farmer Thanks for your suggestion,But... the Farmer is not the answer.I like it a lot but it's not as pocketable as a 84mm 2 layer alox. Nearly double the weight and the girth.
Floppy scissors. VERY floppy scissors.
I would MUCH rather have a Rambler than a Micra. The Micra is OK if you get a good one - my success rate at picking a good one is 50%, and I've heard of other having issues too. Moral of that one is that even if you do decide to go that route, try before you buy - and buy the one you try. Even if you get a good one, I have found the Rambler/Manager better for my needs.I would suggest looking at getting a Tourist, taking it apart and adding the saw from the Lumberjack. If the idea of knife surgery worries you, there's always a 91mm Camper (which you could add plus scales to if you want). Unfortunately there is no currently available 84mm or 85mm equivalent.I do have a craftsman screwdriver somewhere, but no real experience using it.
Quote from: SteveC on September 24, 2017, 09:55:17 PMAl , what issues have you had with the Micra ? This is the first I'm hearing of any problems with it.Floppy scissors. VERY floppy scissors. The ones on my 30th Anniversary set are horrendous, Steve. There's play in all directions. I might expect this much play on a pair of scissors that has been used heavily for a few years, but not straight from the factory, and certainly not on a 30th Anniversary set. I've heard others complain about bad scissors on them too. The rest of the tool seems OK on this one to be fair.As an aside, my success rate on the Squirts quality is about 25%. Three of four had blades that clashed with the scales on closing, and at least two of them had bald patches on the file. I could fix up these Micra scissors with a few slaps with a hammer, but have so far chosen to keep them as a reminder of how many times I've had to fix defects on tools from that factory. The fact they are celebrating 30 years with a badly made tool, makes me feel even more justified about my feelings towards them.
Quote from: Bamba on September 24, 2017, 10:32:10 PMQuote from: SteveC on September 24, 2017, 09:28:43 PMGet yourself a Farmer Thanks for your suggestion,But... the Farmer is not the answer.I like it a lot but it's not as pocketable as a 84mm 2 layer alox. Nearly double the weight and the girth.Put it on a pocket hanger and it's hardly noticeable.
Quote from: 50ft-trad on September 24, 2017, 09:37:55 PMI would MUCH rather have a Rambler than a Micra. The Micra is OK if you get a good one - my success rate at picking a good one is 50%, and I've heard of other having issues too. Moral of that one is that even if you do decide to go that route, try before you buy - and buy the one you try. Even if you get a good one, I have found the Rambler/Manager better for my needs.I would suggest looking at getting a Tourist, taking it apart and adding the saw from the Lumberjack. If the idea of knife surgery worries you, there's always a 91mm Camper (which you could add plus scales to if you want). Unfortunately there is no currently available 84mm or 85mm equivalent.I do have a craftsman screwdriver somewhere, but no real experience using it.Thanks for the warning, point taken!I haven't handled a LM in a few years I think (I had a couple nearly 20yr ago, both lost/stolen) but I've seen complaints about their QC/QA in general on the forums.The Rambler is good for my needs as well but maybe the Micra will do better. Can you comment on the Micra's drivers compared to 84mm opener layer drivers?
Quote from: Bamba on September 24, 2017, 10:41:06 PMQuote from: 50ft-trad on September 24, 2017, 09:37:55 PMI would MUCH rather have a Rambler than a Micra. The Micra is OK if you get a good one - my success rate at picking a good one is 50%, and I've heard of other having issues too. Moral of that one is that even if you do decide to go that route, try before you buy - and buy the one you try. Even if you get a good one, I have found the Rambler/Manager better for my needs.I would suggest looking at getting a Tourist, taking it apart and adding the saw from the Lumberjack. If the idea of knife surgery worries you, there's always a 91mm Camper (which you could add plus scales to if you want). Unfortunately there is no currently available 84mm or 85mm equivalent.I do have a craftsman screwdriver somewhere, but no real experience using it.Thanks for the warning, point taken!I haven't handled a LM in a few years I think (I had a couple nearly 20yr ago, both lost/stolen) but I've seen complaints about their QC/QA in general on the forums.The Rambler is good for my needs as well but maybe the Micra will do better. Can you comment on the Micra's drivers compared to 84mm opener layer drivers?Bamba, can you be more specific as regards application? Where has the Rambler and Lumberjack combo tool left you needing to go fetch a screwdriver?I'm tempted to say stick with the Vic but I'd rather not answer without fully understanding the question first
Quote from: 50ft-trad on September 24, 2017, 11:15:22 PMQuote from: Bamba on September 24, 2017, 10:41:06 PMQuote from: 50ft-trad on September 24, 2017, 09:37:55 PMI would MUCH rather have a Rambler than a Micra. The Micra is OK if you get a good one - my success rate at picking a good one is 50%, and I've heard of other having issues too. Moral of that one is that even if you do decide to go that route, try before you buy - and buy the one you try. Even if you get a good one, I have found the Rambler/Manager better for my needs.I would suggest looking at getting a Tourist, taking it apart and adding the saw from the Lumberjack. If the idea of knife surgery worries you, there's always a 91mm Camper (which you could add plus scales to if you want). Unfortunately there is no currently available 84mm or 85mm equivalent.I do have a craftsman screwdriver somewhere, but no real experience using it.Thanks for the warning, point taken!I haven't handled a LM in a few years I think (I had a couple nearly 20yr ago, both lost/stolen) but I've seen complaints about their QC/QA in general on the forums.The Rambler is good for my needs as well but maybe the Micra will do better. Can you comment on the Micra's drivers compared to 84mm opener layer drivers?Bamba, can you be more specific as regards application? Where has the Rambler and Lumberjack combo tool left you needing to go fetch a screwdriver?I'm tempted to say stick with the Vic but I'd rather not answer without fully understanding the question first Sure,1. One day I needed to fit 4 anchor points for a in-house safety gate.That meant driving 4 small (2-3mm thick, ~15mm long, phillips) screws into the door frame.- I started by using the Rambler's scissors as a makeshift awl, to create guide holes.- I then used the Rambler's ph SD to drive the screw into the frame.- At some point I the SD tip kept sliding out of the screw, so I had to switch to the Lumberjack's combo tool, placed in an angle. It worked for a while and then the very last 2-3 threads were just impossible to do - again the tool would just loose hold of the screw.2. On another event I wanted to assemble some simple toy from Ikea. The thing had pre-drilled holes for the (short) screws, only without the threads.Again, it was easy at first but the last threads required ridiculously high pressure in order to get the screws to move at all. And on 1 of 4 I still had to reach for a proper SD.3. Last event, with a different problem: I changed an electric switch at home, had to undo the slotted screws on a wires connector block. Those were recessed.The slotted SD on the Rambler would fit in the screws but could not go deep enough becuase of the it gets wider after a few mm.(I mention this one because the Micra has the small SD and I wonder if it's a better suited tool for electricals).
Frankly, the forces you are describing sound like they could twist the can opener tip on a Cadet anyway - there's only so much force these things will take, and obviously you don't want to consider a 91mm with in-line Phillips, which would be the best tool for the job. DO NOT attempt jobs like you have described with a backspring Phillips on a Tinker Small - you'll kill the knife!
Quote from: 50ft-trad on September 24, 2017, 10:19:31 PMQuote from: SteveC on September 24, 2017, 09:55:17 PMAl , what issues have you had with the Micra ? This is the first I'm hearing of any problems with it.Floppy scissors. VERY floppy scissors. The ones on my 30th Anniversary set are horrendous, Steve. There's play in all directions. I might expect this much play on a pair of scissors that has been used heavily for a few years, but not straight from the factory, and certainly not on a 30th Anniversary set. I've heard others complain about bad scissors on them too. The rest of the tool seems OK on this one to be fair.As an aside, my success rate on the Squirts quality is about 25%. Three of four had blades that clashed with the scales on closing, and at least two of them had bald patches on the file. I could fix up these Micra scissors with a few slaps with a hammer, but have so far chosen to keep them as a reminder of how many times I've had to fix defects on tools from that factory. The fact they are celebrating 30 years with a badly made tool, makes me feel even more justified about my feelings towards them.Plus one to this. I want to like the Micra. I love the drivers, the fact you can extend both handles and choke up on the blade, and the form factor. The scissors are even good at zip ties. Want to know what kills it for me? The scissors performance on softer, floppier materials. Any kind of fabric, string, or soft plastic, like a zip lock baggy, just folds over. I've tried peening the pivot to close the gap, tried sharpening or honing by cutting aluminum foil, and there's no change in performance. I have three Micras, two of which were new out of the box, and all three perform identically. That's what keeps me coming back to Vic and the 58mm line. My vote goes to the Rambler or Manager.Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
OK, so two higher torque Phillips, and one restricted access electrical flat.The smaller flat driver on the Micra, is really an eyeglasses driver. Yes, it might turn a few screws a bit wider, but nipping up electrical connections, or loosening such screws nipped up with a "proper" driver, might be too much for it, and might damage driver or screw. The main flat driver on the Micra, is about as wide as the textured area on the SD file - roughly twice as wide as the SD file's driver tip - so that's not going to help you either..As for the stubborn Phillips, it depends on just how stubborn they are, and words on a forum are struggling to quantify this either way. The Micra might have done a slightly better job on these, but it's hard to say. The Rambler Phillips is usually very good on a wide range of screws, but if the forces were too high, I can understand it not having enough bite. Did you try the file tip on these, or did you think it would bend it? The driver on the Micra is out of thicker plate than the SD file, and also shorter, so more robust - but not as thick as the Rambler's Phillips. Frankly, the forces you are describing sound like they could twist the can opener tip on a Cadet anyway - there's only so much force these things will take, and obviously you don't want to consider a 91mm with in-line Phillips, which would be the best tool for the job. DO NOT attempt jobs like you have described with a backspring Phillips on a Tinker Small - you'll kill the knife! Have you looked at a Evo88 instead? There's still only so much torque a keyring sized tool will take, but I think I'd pitch that up against the Micra, and it might bite better in larger Phillips than the Rambler crosshead, (though not on smaller Phillips, as it's really a flathead driver) and also might do better at accessing those recessed electrical screws too. Possibly. Obviously I'm only guessing from words on a screen, but it might be another tool to consider, and leaving you free to carry the Lumberjack. Plus, it has an eyeglasses driver, and an awl
Quote from: 50ft-trad on September 25, 2017, 12:33:18 AMFrankly, the forces you are describing sound like they could twist the can opener tip on a Cadet anyway - there's only so much force these things will take, and obviously you don't want to consider a 91mm with in-line Phillips, which would be the best tool for the job. DO NOT attempt jobs like you have described with a backspring Phillips on a Tinker Small - you'll kill the knife! Concur. Multitools are a collection of compromises, starting with brute force. You can torque apart anything, but the fewer peices the better, and the more surface area and surfaces you have to take the torque the better.Going back to recommending a small bit driver. What you're describing would certainly kill a backspring phillips, and I'd rather not do it to an inline on a SAK or a keyring sized pliers/scissor based multi. A full sized multi is too big from the sounds of it, and even then, sometimes you just have to reach for a monotool. Nice thing about a bit driver is that when you put too much torque on it, you replace the bit- it will sacrifce to protect the driver usually.
I spent about an hour now looking for a pocket hex bit driver. I want something flat that'll stay in the 5th pocket, next to the little SAK.Guess I'll head to the keychain and one piece tools forum for recommendations...
Quote from: Bamba on September 26, 2017, 02:32:28 AMI spent about an hour now looking for a pocket hex bit driver. I want something flat that'll stay in the 5th pocket, next to the little SAK.Guess I'll head to the keychain and one piece tools forum for recommendations... Have you thought about the Victorinox ratchet kit? Ebay linkIf you get the Leatherman extension you could use the Leatherman bits.
If that is too big, let's get down to the itty bitty ones. County Comm is an ourfit you either hate or are in a love-hate relationship with. Shipping sucks, but they design and (mostly) find some really good tools. This is just a skinny little lever put on a bit driver adapter, and they do not get smaller. https://countycomm.com/collections/view-all-tool-products/products/edc-key-screwdriver?variant=29222289222And these are a little bigger. This is the higher quality version, but I've found servicable ones for three bucks in the key chain gizmo rack at the hardware store. Add one of any of the hundreds of keychain tools that has a 1/4" hex hole on it for torque, and if it can be opened with a pocket sized tool, it's probably going to open.https://countycomm.com/collections/view-all-tool-products/products/screw-key-ring-set