Powerlock 30-day challenge

Nix · **Reply #240 on:** July 20, 2018, 01:42:33 AM

Day 27 :

No uses today. Just have a portrait shot:

Mrs Nix did spot another chipmunk, but this one seems to have eluded my cunning trap. Tomorrow I'm going fishing, so he might not get caught until the weekend. I hope.

gerleatherberman · **Reply #241 on:** July 20, 2018, 04:07:35 AM

Nice photo!

Good luck with the other chipmunk. Maybe it will be the last one.

Nix · **Reply #242 on:** July 20, 2018, 04:40:41 AM

I hope so!

Wspeed · **Reply #243 on:** July 20, 2018, 12:15:45 PM

Fingers crossed

Nix · **Reply #244 on:** July 21, 2018, 01:06:31 AM

Day 28 :

Today was forecast to be hot, so I headed up into the mountains to do some fishing. Here was today's gear:

It was pretty warm, but the water was cool and nice to wade in.

Here is a better view of where I was fishing, sort of:

I headed up toward that hill and covered about 3 miles of stream. I didn't see anybody else, but I did see lots of birds and a few deer. Also spotted lots of deer sign, some elk sign, and some old bear tracks.

Really nice day and caught a few of these:

Not going to challenge the state record, but they were fun and behaved like proper trout. Powerlock was useful for removing hooks. I do like the ease with which the piers can be deployed with one hand (while holding a fish in the other).

While it was nice and cool, I still ended up getting a little dehydrated. A lot of wading, hiking, and scampering. But the scenery was worth it......

Wspeed · **Reply #245 on:** July 21, 2018, 12:13:34 PM

Wow that’s a gorgeous area Nix

Do you eat the fish you caught
or do you let them go again

ThePeacent · **Reply #246 on:** July 21, 2018, 12:26:44 PM

looks like and excellent trip

As mucha s I like flicking multi tools, I must admit I much prefer the OHO-ablitiy of SOG tools over the Gerber ones,
and the advantages that come with it (longer tools not shortened by the "flicking frame", Compound Leverage, non-rattly tool, etc.)

Nix · **Reply #247 on:** July 21, 2018, 03:23:34 PM

W, these lovely trout got released back into the river.

I eat the perch and walleye I catch, but I like releasing the trout back into the streams.

Wspeed · **Reply #248 on:** July 21, 2018, 03:42:30 PM

It does look fun catching trout
especially with those gorgeous surroundings

Nix · **Reply #249 on:** July 21, 2018, 03:44:56 PM

I go fishing so people won't think I'm just some lunatic standing in a stream.

Not that anyone would have seen me yesterday.

Wspeed · **Reply #250 on:** July 21, 2018, 03:46:11 PM

jaya_man · **Reply #251 on:** July 21, 2018, 07:56:56 PM

Just finished reading through your challenge... awesome uses and stories... now i feel the need to try out my PL scissors... but it can wait til morning...

Nix · **Reply #252 on:** July 21, 2018, 08:40:30 PM

Thanks, J-man!

Nix · **Reply #253 on:** July 21, 2018, 08:52:43 PM

Day 29 :

Mr Postman brought me a parcel today. Used the SOG's blade to open it up.....

Nix · **Reply #254 on:** July 21, 2018, 09:01:08 PM

The book was published in 1958, so there's no mention of SOG.

But before Special Forces and the Special Operations Group (SOG), there was the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

An early OSS multitool:

Wspeed · **Reply #255 on:** July 21, 2018, 09:22:20 PM

Nice book Nix looks interesting

Nix · **Reply #256 on:** July 22, 2018, 03:26:02 AM

Day 29 (continued):

Tonight was pizza night. I was using leftover stuff to make the pizza, but it turned out fairly well. Used the SOG's main blade to peel and core some garlic. Worked just fine.

I figured opening a can of tomato sauce would be no problem. The SOG's can opener has been fine in the past. But, for some reason, this was the result:

I was moving in reverse (rotating the can counter-clockwise) and this didn't seem to work too well. Perhaps I should have been moving forward (rotating the can clockwise). With a Victorinox can opener I usually move forward. Lesson learned. I think.

Pizza turned out pretty well, but I didn't grab a photo (too busy eating).

Sorry, guys. Next time!

Wspeed · **Reply #257 on:** July 22, 2018, 12:35:09 PM

That can looks good Nix

Nix · **Reply #258 on:** July 22, 2018, 02:24:41 PM

ThePeacent · **Reply #259 on:** July 22, 2018, 04:12:40 PM

I once unintentionally made "Steeled Beans"

when opening a can of Pinto Beans with my Powerlock in the middle of a trip.

Needless to say, the SOG was easily cleaned in the water stream afterwards but I remember that being the last time I usd the Powerlock Can opener, and the rest of the hike I reached for the trusty SAK every time, and have ever since.

Maybe it was me, my technique or the fact that we were tired after hours of walking but I loathe SOG's can openers and never use them

PS: I've read good things about that book, it sure looks like a good read

Wspeed · **Reply #260 on:** July 22, 2018, 04:14:16 PM

Like you TP I prefer the SAK can opener

Nix · **Reply #261 on:** July 22, 2018, 04:52:00 PM

I thought this can opener was better than my PowerAcess Deluxe can opener. I've used it without incident a few times. I might give it a try again this evening, but moving the opener forward, like I do with the far superior Victorinox openers.

Nix · **Reply #262 on:** July 22, 2018, 08:47:24 PM

Day 30 :

Quite a few uses this morning.

First off, I used the large driver to open a can of Spar Varnish. I mixed the spar varnish with turpentine and linseed oil to make a finish for the knife handle project I mentioned a few days ago.

No problems there. A simple tool for a simple task.

While the finish was drying, I went out for some yard work. I have two young Apricot trees that I planted two years ago. I left them unprotected the first summer and some deer came along and ate them down.

Since then, I keep them protected with some fences. The fences are held together with tie wire. But, a few times every summer I have to take the fences down and pull weeds and cut the grass down.

The SOG's wire cutters handled this well. I used the pliers to pull open the wire, then the cutter to reach in and snip the wire. With two cages, this required multiple cuts, maybe 20. I also used the knife blade to cut some old, hardened paracord from off one of my rebar stakes.

I thought I saw some edge-rolling on the cutters:

But with closer inspection with a magnifying lens, it is primarily just a bit of wear. There is some very fine chipping at the edge, but it is fairly minimal. I subsequently went and used the wire cutters to cut down some woody weeds growing in the back and had no problems doing so.

The knife edge felt like it rolled a bit from cutting the paracord. I then tried to slice paper: the edge caught and just tore the paper. After a light sharpening and stropping the edge came back fairly well.

Just to follow up on my earlier posts about my homemade fixie, here's a shot of the completed knife:

It has multiple flaws and has a poor grind and terrible finish, but it is sharp!
I could try to refine it a bit more, but I think I'm leaving it as is right now.
If, after I use it a bit, I think the handle needs refining, I may sand it further and then refinish it.
The tip isn't quite as 'pointy' as I'd like, and I may see about reshaping that during subsequent sharpenings.
But, for now, it's done and will be pressed into service as an EDC.....once I get a sheath made.

Nix · **Reply #263 on:** July 22, 2018, 08:48:28 PM

Oh, and the chipmunk trap is set, but so far, Number 5 seems to have eluded me. Or run away.

Wspeed · **Reply #264 on:** July 22, 2018, 09:10:07 PM

Excellent work Nix with cutting that wire
And maybe you scared the
5th chipmunk after seeing his family disappearing

Nix · **Reply #265 on:** July 22, 2018, 09:16:02 PM

I'm wondering....

Nix · **Reply #266 on:** July 22, 2018, 11:27:38 PM

Final thoughts:

I’m going to try to do this Dutch_Tooler style and award points to various features.

Pliers: 10/10. I have no issues with the pliers at all. They are a bit pointy than I’d like, but I never had an issue using them, and I can see some potential advantages to have such pointy pliers.

The compound leverage is nice and, with the covers in place, the grip is fairly comfortable. The compound leverage design makes these seem a bit fussy and probably prone to collecting sand and mud in harsher environments, but I didn’t encounter an issue.

The fact that later models, like these, had guards added to cover the gears is a bit concerning and also means that the overall weight of the tool is increased.

Nevertheless, if you can carry a tool of this size and weight, the pliers are nice. So, full marks.

Wire cutters: 8/10. The wire cutters worked well and cut some tough materials (like that double-stranded barbed wire). The compound leverage works nicely and makes cutting easy. However, I’m deducting 1 point for the cutters showing some fine chipping and wear after only 1-month of relatively light use, and 1 point for not having replaceable cutters. Otherwise, the wire cutters were great.

Drivers: 9/10. I used every driver at least once. They all seemed to work well for light-duty tasks. The Phillips started to wear with a more demanding task, but is still serviceable. I think that for a multitool, the driver are adequate. I deducted 1 point for the ease with which the Phillips started to wear (although, it was a tough test).

Awl: 9/10. The awl worked well, as I typically use an awl. I prefer the Victorinox-style awl, but this 'spike' seemed to work fine. However, I do like to be able sew with an awl, so I deducted 1 point for not having a sewing eye.

Knife: 4/10. Some of the deductions here are down to my own preferences, so you’ll have to recognize some personal bias in this scoring.

I hate the knife. Full stop. First the design is poor: the blade is thin and evidences significant play, both side-to-side and up-down. I suspect that with heavy use it might bend or snap.

And I dislike serrations. The only thing worse than a serrated edge is a half-serrated edge. And the portion that has a plain edge is ground with a chisel edge. So, right from the start, I don’t like this knife.

But it gets worse. The steel is 420HC (I think?) and not well heat treated. So the knife can’t hold an edge. I had to retouch the edge after every use, with the exception of when I sliced through some tape to open a package. A knife that doesn’t hold an edge is of little use for any practical purpose. Yes, it can be rationalized as an “Emergency” back-up knife, but that doesn’t play with me.

A knife should be able to work like a knife. This works like a nice Chinese noodle (which I’m suspicious it might actually be……). If you anticipate having an emergency where you will need to cut just one or two pieces of twine, this tool may work for you.

I gave it four points because 1) it can cut something and 2) it’s pointy enough to get into tight places. Even as I type this I’m thinking 4 points is about 5 too many…….but, hey, it is, technically, a knife.

Saw: 8/10. The saw is pretty good. The kerf is wider than the blade, which facilitates cutting. The teeth are aggressive. It works primarily on the pull cut, and I think that’s a good idea for a multitool. I dinged the saw 1 point for being too short. This is a full sized multitool; it should have a decently long saw. I dinged it 1 point for being loose, both up and down, but also side to side. This looseness made sawing a little sloppy and inefficient. Overall, a good saw.

Scissors: 5/10. When I first got the Powerlock, the scissors could not cut anything. Now normally, this would be a big fat ZERO points, however, I was able to peen the rivet holding the scissors together and tighten up the scissors. This resulted in the scissors being able to cut at the tips (last 40% of the scissors does cut). The tips now cut week enough that I could use the scissors when I went fishing a few times. Since the scissors do work, with some customer assistance, at a 50% level, I gave the scissors 5 points. ….and, again, that seems a bit generous……hmmmmm.

File: 3/10. I sort of thought I could use the file to clean up the edge of an axe, but the file is fairly useless, even on brass. This multitool would be better without the file (save weight) or if the file were replaced with a second knife blade (one serrated, one plain edge). The file did work well to throw some sparks from a ferro rod, so it gets 3 points.

1/4” Driver: 8/10. The 1/4” driver is one of my favorite features of this tool. Although, I don’t think I carried 1/4” bits or the adapter & hex bits for more than six or seven days of this challenge. I’m just not the kind of person to tote a huge bag of stuff around on a daily basis. However, the ability to use a 1/4” socket/bit is hugely appealing for me. I like to ride motorcycles and I usually have several 1/4” bits with me. Nice to think I could press the Powerlock into service if I needed to.

I dinged the 1/4” driver 2 points for being loose and for having the retention spring pop off unexpectedly. I noticed it fell off and replaced it, but that’s a little concern.

Still, a 1/4” driver is just cool if nothing else. So, 8 points.

Openers: 9/10. The openers worked just fine. I know I struggled with opening a can of tomato sauce, but I think that was user error. Is the can opener as good as a Victorinox opener? No. This simple tool has never been done better than Victorinox has done it. I have no idea why. But, the Powerlocks openers work and are there if you need them, so 9 points.

Ease of Use: 6/10. Tricky category this. The locks worked easily, but were sloppy, allowing blade play in most all tools. The pliers can be ‘flicked’ open easily, which makes them essentially one-hand opening. Of course it was not an infrequent occurrence that I whacked my knuckles or fingers when flicking the pliers open. Once open, the compound leverage definitely made using the tool easier.

The biggest draw back for me, and I never could get past this, was the need to open the handle covers to access the tools. This was a big drawback for me. It might not be an issue for other users. I thought I would become accustomed to it, but I found that I was irritated time and time again when looking for a tool.

A secondary issue was tool clumping. Because the nail nicks are so bad on the Powerlock, tools are hard to select and open. So, in some ways, tool clumping might be considered a ‘feature’. But in general, the clumping is a pain. And, when first using the Powerlock, clumping led to me cutting myself while putting the undesired tools back in the handle.

Lastly, all the tools are stored in the interior of the handles. The pliers need to be opened, or partially opened, in order to access all the most useful tools. This is exactly the same as the Leatherman ST300, but note that the Swisstool has outside opening tools, a nice advantage in my mind. Of course, one knows this prior to purchasing the Powerlock, so there is a tacit acceptance of that issue in advance.

Smooth opening pliers are great, but the difficulties with clumping, covers, and finding tools really detracted. Perhaps the Powerlock deserves 7 points here, but I’m reluctant to give more than 6.

Comfort: 8/10. Overall, the Powerlock, with cover installed, was fairly comfortable to use. As noted, I did occasionally bang my knuckles when flipping the pliers open, but that seems like a funny issue. More concerning, I managed to pinch my hand with the crimper (Who really needs a crimper?) several times. I found that I started to think about grinding that damn crimper off to avoid pinching myself. The Powerlock is a bit heavy, but I routinely carried it in a pants pocket. In the sheath it carried well and was easily accessible. The handle covers, while annoying, did improve the tool’s comfort. Overall, 8 points, despite the damn pinching crimpers.

Maintenance: 8/10. Good marks here. The SOG is stainless steel and can be washed out easily. Although I didn’t need to, it can be disassembled with Allen wrenches for more intensive cleaning. I do worry that the fussy nature of the compound leverage, gears, and shields makes it more prone to getting dirt, sand, and mud stuck in the pivot area. Not an issue for me, but then I’m not using this in the Horn of Africa in the middle of a dust storm. And, if you are going to use the knife, you’ll need to resharpen it after every use to maintain a razor-edge. My general rule for life: Simpler is Better, and simple with quality is best. 8 points here.

Fit & Finish: 6/10. Overall the Powerlock is finished nicely. I think it would be nice to have some of the exposed edges of sheet metal relieved a bit, and the grind on the tips of the needle nose pliers is asymmetric and uneven. The edge on the knife as delivered was poor. The locks work well, but the scissors don’t lock automatically. Once the scissors are deployed, I have to manually engage the lock. But at least it works. Overall a decent job, but since I had to peen the scissors together and all the tools have some play, the Powerlock can’t really earn more than 6 points here.

Total Score 101/140.

When I was thinking about this review, I thought I’d give the Powerlock a solid “C”. A score of 72% would equal a “C” grade and a pass. So my gestalt impression and specific scoring would seem to match up to a degree.

In the final analysis, I think this tool is a nice set of pliers. If you want a nice set of portable pliers, this is a good tool. And it has a few other nice features.

But if you want a more comprehensive multitool, I’d carefully consider some of the other options in this size and weight range.

For me, the Powerlock will get stored out in the garage or the truck and used as a set of pliers. When I go fishing or camping or motorcycling, it will be a Swisstool or Super Tool 300 that get’s carried along. If I go hiking or backpacking, a Juice, Spirt, or Charge will go along.

In short, the Powerlock didn’t quite earn a place in my EDC rotation. There is no way it would be the multitool I’d take on a deployment to hostile places (the Charge and a Style did go).

This doesn’t mean I think it’s a poor multitool, but it’s just not the multitool for me. Your experience may differ and your needs may mean the Powerlock is the perfect multitool for you. If it is, just be are to carry a reliable knife as well.

Nix · **Reply #267 on:** July 22, 2018, 11:34:00 PM

GAW:

As stated earlier, I have a NIB Powerlock with scissors that I plan to give-away (GAW). If you have already posted in this thread, you are entered for a random drawing for this GAW. If you haven't entered by the time of this post, but would like a chance in the GAW, you must reply in this thread with a review of my final assessment/review of the Powerlock. Be honest. This is a great time to dispute one lazy person's review of the Powerlock. Future generations may want an alternative perspective on my views. And, let's face it, I'm kinda biased. So, chime in and earn a shot at wining a Powerlock.

Oh, the GAW drawing will be conducted tomorrow, Monday, 23 July 2018. So act quickly!

Wspeed · **Reply #268 on:** July 22, 2018, 11:58:31 PM

Nice review Nix

It’s a shame the PowerLock didn’t win you over
It’s been a interesting Challenge

Nix · **Reply #269 on:** July 23, 2018, 12:02:34 AM

Quote from: Wspeed on July 22, 2018, 11:58:31 PM

Nice review Nix
It’s a shame the PowerLock didn’t win you over
It’s been a interesting Challenge

Thanks, W!

In the end, it's a nice set of pliers with some mediocre accessory tools. And that's not a recipe to win me over.

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