Leatherman vs. Victorinox

[Aloha]

I dont always carry a dedicated knife so my MT is generally my go to blade.  All opinions and others personal usage scenarios aside if you can get your hands on the tool you're considering  that would be a great start.  The Spirit has changed many minds about what a MT should be.  I've seen plenty abandon a range of MTs in favor of it.  I have also seen several come back to their LMs.  I have 3 Victorinox plier based MT in action as well as 3 LM tools in action.  Kinda tells you how I feel?   

They are great tools.  I let my personal preference and work needs dictate which tool gets belt time.  My Charge TTi sees most belt time for work hours.  My Charge AL will get off work carry time along with my BO Wave.  One of my Swisstools is permanently on my vehicle and the other on my coffee table.  The Spirit is the least used.  I keep it out because it is a great tool and I love the tools on it.  I will carry it when I'm doing a variety of chores in and out of my home.   

[gerleatherberman]

Nice group of top-tier tools, aliha!

[gerleatherberman]

Nice group of top-tier tools, aliha!

Eek. Just saw my typo. Sorry, Aloha!

[Aloha]

Nice group of top-tier tools, aliha!

Eek. Just saw my typo. Sorry, Aloha!

Thanks.  Haha I'm sure most of my post have typos. 

[gerleatherberman]

Nice group of top-tier tools, aliha!

Eek. Just saw my typo. Sorry, Aloha!

Thanks.  Haha I'm sure most of my post have typos.

 

[gregpost]

Leatherman for pliers based tools but I also love the Victorinox 91mm, 111mm, and 130mm formats.

[Shuya]

The Charge is "closer" to the Vic Spirit pliar based tool. The Charge is stronger, but has less tools than the Spirit. The Spirit is a work of Swiss art.

Why do you assume the Charge is stronger?
I got all the tools mentioned and more (Swisstool, SwisstoolSpirit, Charge XTi, Wave, OST, ST200, ST300, Core, ...) and I would not by any way rate the spirit weaker than the Charge. In fact its pliers are not as pointy as the charge so I would rate it a bit more sturdy.
Has anone seen a broken Swisstool Spirit?

[Padre]

Has anone seen a broken Swisstool Spirit?

I have multiples.
But in my opinion they hold better than any Leatherman.

[gerleatherberman]

The Charge is "closer" to the Vic Spirit pliar based tool. The Charge is stronger, but has less tools than the Spirit. The Spirit is a work of Swiss art.

Why do you assume the Charge is stronger?
I got all the tools mentioned and more (Swisstool, SwisstoolSpirit, Charge XTi, Wave, OST, ST200, ST300, Core, ...) and I would not by any way rate the spirit weaker than the Charge. In fact its pliers are not as pointy as the charge so I would rate it a bit more sturdy.
Has anone seen a broken Swisstool Spirit?

In the end, the steel is softer on the Vic stuff. The frame is thinner to save weight. The handles twist easily when cranking on the spirit hard. The swisstool is more robust. My Spirit developed minor pliar head play from trying to remove a particularly rusty bolt. Pulled out the wave and finished the task.

It is all really a matter of what you use your MT for. The Spirit is fine in sone lines of work, and LM is fine in others.
I restore antique pieces of furniture and other antiques as well. The polished drivers on the Vics do not bite like the LM stuff. The teeth get botched more easily pulling old nails and twisting the whole tool. The Spirit suffered some damage and misaligned handles doing stuff the Wave would have laughed at.
I still love my spirit, so don't get me wrong, but the swiss tool is a better option for my line of work than a spirit(the wave has no trouble for most of my usage). But, it also suffers from a softer steel. Did not take much to smooth the teeth  on the pliars during my 30day swisstool challenge.
Years ago I did IT work(cable running, rack mounting, hardware replacement and etc.). The Spirit would have been perfect for that.

However, with that all being said, some Victorinox fans will swear a Spirit is an HD tool, even though it is not. Some people will say an LM wave (charge) is an HD tool, even when it is not.
Then some people say that a SAK Swisschamp is better than a LM or Vic Tool, when it is not.
Preference and 'brand mentality' will always outweigh the facts. The great old LM vs. Vic vs. Gerber vs. SOG vs. Etc. debate. 

[fivesense]

The Charge is "closer" to the Vic Spirit pliar based tool. The Charge is stronger, but has less tools than the Spirit. The Spirit is a work of Swiss art.

Why do you assume the Charge is stronger?
I got all the tools mentioned and more (Swisstool, SwisstoolSpirit, Charge XTi, Wave, OST, ST200, ST300, Core, ...) and I would not by any way rate the spirit weaker than the Charge. In fact its pliers are not as pointy as the charge so I would rate it a bit more sturdy.
Has anone seen a broken Swisstool Spirit?

In the end, the steel is softer on the Vic stuff. The frame is thinner to save weight. The handles twist easily when cranking on the spirit hard. The swisstool is more robust. My Spirit developed minor pliar head play from trying to remove a particularly rusty bolt. Pulled out the wave and finished the task.

It is all really a matter of what you use your MT for. The Spirit is fine in sone lines of work, and LM is fine in others.
I restore antique pieces of furniture and other antiques as well. The polished drivers on the Vics do not bite like the LM stuff. The teeth get botched more easily pulling old nails and twisting the whole tool. The Spirit suffered some damage and misaligned handles doing stuff the Wave would have laughed at.
I still love my spirit, so don't get me wrong, but the swiss tool is a better option for my line of work than a spirit(the wave has no trouble for most of my usage). But, it also suffers from a softer steel. Did not take much to smooth the teeth  on the pliars during my 30day swisstool challenge.
Years ago I did IT work(cable running, rack mounting, hardware replacement and etc.). The Spirit would have been perfect for that.

However, with that all being said, some Victorinox fans will swear a Spirit is an HD tool, even though it is not. Some people will say an LM wave (charge) is an HD tool, even when it is not.
Then some people say that a SAK Swisschamp is better than a LM or Vic Tool, when it is not.
Preference and 'brand mentality' will always outweigh the facts. The great old LM vs. Vic vs. Gerber vs. SOG vs. Etc. debate. 

I enjoyed this synopsis- lots of great information and perspective.

I did a lot of looking at the Swiss Tool last night- since I have a Leatherman Skeletool and a Swiss Champ, I think the Swiss Tool fits the "next level" need for me. It would be the difference between pulling out the toolbox and just having the right tools on my belt. Mind you, I'm talking about around the house tasks as I don't use tools for work.

So often my Swiss Champ handles what I need, but if I want something (especially pliers) more robust, then the Swiss Tool seems like it would be the right set.