Leatherman Free P2/P4 Club and Feedback Thread

[Monrogue]

Looks like a good fit.

Yeah, just peeks out a bit, but not bad at all. 

[Top-Gear-24]

...
You could  always use two security torx bits to tighten the pivot a little, if you're worried about any tools popping open when slipping the pliers or cutting something thick. But, if LM had made the tools tighter, then they wouldn't be easily opened OH and people would be talking about how tight they are. Catch-22.
...

When I read this I thought you were right, and I wanted to comment that it reminded me of people saying they wanted torx bits on the Spirit instead of rivets, so they could tighten or loosen it.  Which is also a Catch-22 since the rivets as they are don't need tightening/loosening, and what do I read on the next page ... 

... Victorinox needs to follow suit with replaceable cutters AND stop using rivets on the SwissTools. I like screws I can tighten/loosen/service the tool with.

I can only speak for myself but I have never experienced any kind of loosening on the tools of my Swisstools or Spirits, that's the beauty about their design, it's rock solid.  And the whole movements of opening the pliers and the click when you close them again are all pure mechanickal (no, not you Nick  ), I mean ...  I do like that the Free seems to offer the same experience, but I also do think that the magnets are a bit like cheating to achieve the same feeling people have on the Swisstools. 

And don't get me wrong, I really like what I'm seeing (and reading) here in this topic, from the pics shown here I would say that the Free looks like the lovechild of a ST300 and a Swisstool/Spirit.  I mean, some of the tools have a real Victorinox look going on, the big flat/prybar, the combo tools, the design of the phillips and even the can-opener.  To be honest, I always liked how sturdy the phillips was on the Swisstool/Spirit, but I preferred the tip of the phillips on the ST300/Rebar, especially when I had to use it for a longer period, for one screw it didn't matter, but if I had to use it on 10 screws or more, I always grabbed for my ST300 or Rebar.

And you're absolutely right about Victorinox needing to upgrade their tools with replaceable cutters.  I don't understand why they haven't done it already, it wouldn't take much R & D to design it, and it would only affect the production of the plierhead, and I think it would boost the sales of the Swisstools quite a bit (I know I would like to get one right away, and by one I probably mean 4 or 5  ).

Anyway, really liking the looks of the Free P4 and I guess I've made my choice and I'm going to get myself one (but if it fits, I will wear it in one of my black sheaths ...  ).

 

[gerleatherberman]

Sorry about my wording,  T-G!

I meant to implicate the problem with the SwissTools as the problems I have with them. My Spirit is almost too tight to use after 30 days at my work. And I'd love to be able to loosen the pivots to clean them out and reduce nail breakage. A little metal dust got in my Spirit pivots and not you can see the half moon scoring in the pivots, because I can't get them perfectly clean/loosened. I do not like rivets for those reasons.

[Top-Gear-24]

Sorry about my wording,  T-G!

I meant to implicate the problem with the SwissTools as the problems I have with them. My Spirit is almost too tight to use after 30 days at my work. And I'd love to be able to loosen the pivots to clean them out and reduce nail breakage. A little metal dust got in my Spirit pivots and not you can see the half moon scoring in the pivots, because I can't get them perfectly clean/loosened. I do not like rivets for those reasons.

No need to apologize mate, I have no problem with what you said.

I mean, we all use our tools for very different things, and since I never had the tools on my Spirit/Swisstool tighten up I assumed this didn't happen on them.  And I've always been able to clean them and remove any bits by cleaning them out using nothing but hot running tap water and a small brush.  But like I said, you might use them for a lot of different stuff than I do.

P.S.:  Just found out that the Free P4 will get to Belgium (and to me  ) a little sooner than August ...   

[gerleatherberman]

No need to apologize mate, I have no problem with what you said.

I mean, we all use our tools for very different things, and since I never had the tools on my Spirit/Swisstool tighten up I assumed this didn't happen on them.  And I've always been able to clean them and remove any bits by cleaning them out using nothing but hot running tap water and a small brush.  But like I said, you might use them for a lot of different stuff than I do.

P.S.:  Just found out that the Free P4 will get to Belgium (and to me  ) a little sooner than August ...   

thanks, man!

 
Glad to read they will be available soon! How many of each are you going to buy?

[Buzzbait]

And I'd love to be able to loosen the pivots to clean them out and reduce nail breakage. A little metal dust got in my Spirit pivots and not you can see the half moon scoring in the pivots, because I can't get them perfectly clean/loosened. I do not like rivets for those reasons.

I loved the Spirit until this happened to me also. It was a nightmare to get the tools opening and closing properly again, and they still feel a bit gritty. It was when this first happened that my true love for the Wave began.

[Mechanickal]

Just found out that the Free P4 will get to Belgium (and to me  ) a little sooner than August ...   

Ah... the wealthy 1%


I do want to see it when we meet up!!

[gerleatherberman]

I loved the Spirit until this happened to me also. It was a nightmare to get the tools opening and closing properly again, and they still feel a bit gritty. It was when this first happened that my true love for the Wave began.

Funny you mention that. I've developed a strong affection for the Wave and Charge. The exchangeable bit drivers sealed the deal.
And, of course as you know, we can take the Wave apart and make it function like new again.

The more people mention it, the more I wish, at least, the P4 had the driver exchanger or included a slip-over adapter that works with the bit kit.

[Wspeed]

We definitely need a flat bit holder 

[Happy Gilmore]

Funny you mention that. I've developed a strong affection for the Wave and Charge. The exchangeable bit drivers sealed the deal.
And, of course as you know, we can take the Wave apart and make it function like new again.

The more people mention it, the more I wish, at least, the P4 had the driver exchanger or included a slip-over adapter that works with the bit kit.

I wonder how much modding it would take to make the bit kit work with it, maybe it's just a mild filing job on the philips

[Top-Gear-24]

Ah... the wealthy 1%


I do want to see it when we meet up!!

You mean the hungry ... 

Oh well, I've got some reserve build up so I can go a couple of weeks on old bread an water  .

[Top-Gear-24]

I'd love to be able to loosen the pivots to clean them out and reduce nail breakage. A little metal dust got in my Spirit pivots and not you can see the half moon scoring in the pivots, because I can't get them perfectly clean/loosened. I do not like rivets for those reasons...

I loved the Spirit until this happened to me also. It was a nightmare to get the tools opening and closing properly again, and they still feel a bit gritty. It was when this first happened that my true love for the Wave began.

Again, I'm not questioning what you guys are saying, but I must do different things with it because I can say that my first butterblade Spirit (one of the 5 I own) is my most used tool by far, mostly used during construction jobs and home decoration, and I've used about every tool in it during those tasks, and a lot of junk got in it, from sawdust and gyproc to metal shavings.

I even dropped it in a bucket with wallpaper paste (you know, when you drop your tool and there's one spot it really shouldn't fall ...  ), and all it took was rinsing it with hot water while using a fine brush and opening/closing each of the tools a lot (and it did take a lot of rinsing after the wallpaper paste incident ...), drying it with a hairdryer and oiling it up again to get it into perfect condition again.  But I've never had to open up one of my Wave's either, and my stainles New Wave (so the one before the "+") is my second most used tool, so maybe I'm not that hard on my tools after all.

Anyway, enough about the Spirit, this is a Leatherman Free topic  .

Show content

When I get a P4, I'll drop it in a bucket with wallpaper paste to compare it with the Spirit  .

[gerleatherberman]

Enjoy putting your tools in the paste, T-G.

[McStitchy]

That's reassuring TG 
Looking forward to your P4 glue/paste test  review

[LoopCutter]

OK now!!!
I have read through the two threads discussing the NEW P4 and P2 MTs from Leatherman. 

Yet, I have not figured how these new gadgets can be had for FREE?

Many have said they have just received their new FREE P4 or FREE P2, but no mention of how they got it for FREE.

Am I the only one???


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[Top-Gear-24]

OK now!!!
I have read through the two threads discussing the NEW P4 and P2 MTs from Leatherman. 

Yet, I have not figured how these new gadgets can be had for FREE?

Many have said they have just received their new FREE P4 or FREE P2, but no mention of how they got it for FREE.

Am I the only one???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I don't know about the U.S., but over here Free apparently equals one kidney ...   

(don't ask me how I know that ...  )

[gerleatherberman]

OK now!!!
I have read through the two threads discussing the NEW P4 and P2 MTs from Leatherman. 

Yet, I have not figured how these new gadgets can be had for FREE?

Many have said they have just received their new FREE P4 or FREE P2, but no mention of how they got it for FREE.

Am I the only one???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just donated $119 to Tim Leatherman's company and got my Free Free P2. Then I donated $139 to Tim Leatherman's company and got my Free Pree P4. 

[Wspeed]

 

[Sea Monster]

You get a flat bit driver, you want a 1/4" driver, you get a single tool driver, you want a flat bit driver, you get replaceable cutters, you want more space and better gripping pliers, you get space and gripping pliers, you want replaceable cutters, you want tight tolerances and smooth action, but adjustable tensions and easy disassembly!!

There's no pleasing you whinging smurfs!


I can only assume the design teams from SOG, Vic, LM and Gerber are in a bar somewhere passing a scotch bottle and commiserating over endless criticism they face at the hands of the MT.O members....

[genevabuck]

I own over 70 Leatherman Tools and have been working my P4 pretty hard. I don’t see how it is any better or worse than any other.  It just has some new features. As far as the claims of it being less hard core I have yet to see any evidence of it.

[algernonramone]

I will say that I used the Phillips driver on my P4 today for the hardest job possible for a screwdriver in an IT tech's hands - mounting equipment in a server rack - and it acquitted itself very well. No cross-threading the screws, no stripping the screw-heads, and it even handled screws with heads that had already been partially stripped. I was very impressed.

[AimlessWanderer]

OK now!!!
I have read through the two threads discussing the NEW P4 and P2 MTs from Leatherman. 

Yet, I have not figured how these new gadgets can be had for FREE?

Many have said they have just received their new FREE P4 or FREE P2, but no mention of how they got it for FREE.

Am I the only one???


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They only come free with the $120 and $140 grey sheaths

[gerleatherberman]

You get a flat bit driver, you want a 1/4" driver, you get a single tool driver, you want a flat bit driver, you get replaceable cutters, you want more space and better gripping pliers, you get space and gripping pliers, you want replaceable cutters, you want tight tolerances and smooth action, but adjustable tensions and easy disassembly!!

There's no pleasing you whinging smurfs!

I can only assume the design teams from SOG, Vic, LM and Gerber are in a bar somewhere passing a scotch bottle and commiserating over endless criticism they face at the hands of the MT.O members....

I have to agree. Not the way I worded it when I said something similar in the other thread(about there can never be a 'perfect MT'), but I can appreciate the crassness to some extent. 

I am delightfully happy with the P2 and P4. Great 'average joe' EDC multitools.

[Aloha]

They only come free with the $120 and $140 grey sheaths

 

 

[LoopCutter]

So the tools are FREE, the Super cool Grey Sheaths are costly?

I get it.

The name is conflicting.


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[gerleatherberman]

So the tools are FREE, the Super cool Grey Sheaths are costly?

I get it.

The name is conflicting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Aloha]

You get a flat bit driver, you want a 1/4" driver, you get a single tool driver, you want a flat bit driver, you get replaceable cutters, you want more space and better gripping pliers, you get space and gripping pliers, you want replaceable cutters, you want tight tolerances and smooth action, but adjustable tensions and easy disassembly!!

There's no pleasing you whinging smurfs!


I can only assume the design teams from SOG, Vic, LM and Gerber are in a bar somewhere passing a scotch bottle and commiserating over endless criticism they face at the hands of the MT.O members....

You are very right  .  I do think however that the fine folks of MTO have the best of intentions when discussing these tools.  I'd like to think we have some influence when the makers decide what next to build?  Pretty sure we dont << pointing at you Victorinox >>. 

There will always be one side no matter the perceived or real criticism that will be influenced to buy as a result of these discussions.  They will have to see for themselves is their view.  We dont represent the vast majority in terms of how we view these tools.  While many here are heavy users or regular users even a greater many are enthusiasts that just like discussing these terrific mechanical hand held objects. 

If on any level we can spark one or all of these makers, dare I say ignite these makers to not become complacent then we have done any and all MT aficionados, users, collectors, gift buyers, and every other type right! 

Yes we moan and take the piss out of these makers but we also buy.  We promote and we offer IMO a valuable resource to the makers and end users. 

Again you are very right in your post and I absolutely liked it very much  . 

I would love to walk into that bar myself and listen to them   

[McStitchy]

Thanks Aloha, you made me feel a tiny little useful. I think I deserve a nice and cold beverage now 

[LoopCutter]

Aloha- Your words make sense, yet, MTo is still a great community, made up of contributing (thoughts) members who can participate in a conversation regardless of the direction. And, it is known that we will buy any tool or knife that is made and justify that purchase.

We however, are not the targeted buyers.  The manufactures want to lure in the newbie, the novice, fence sitter, because once the hook is set, then the search begins for the PERFECT Product for their needs. 

We here at MTo have already been caught up with the itch.


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[AimlessWanderer]

Aloha- Your words make sense, yet, MTo is still a great community, made up of contributing (thoughts) members who can participate in a conversation regardless of the direction. And, it is known that we will buy any tool or knife that is made and justify that purchase.

We however, are not the targeted buyers.  The manufactures want to lure in the newbie, the novice, fence sitter, because once the hook is set, then the search begins for the PERFECT Product for their needs. 

We here at MTo have already been caught up with the itch.


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I'm not sure...

We've got quite a diverse mix here, really. We're got...

A) Those that want to catch them all
B) The eager newcomers
C) The tinkerers, who aren't happy till they've put their own tweaks on a tool.
D) The heavy tool users
E) The occasional or light tool users
F) The settled ones, who tried all they want to, and are now content with a chosen few
G) The ones that we probably influence the most. The lurkers, who come here not to talk, but just to soak up all the diverse rambling of those who do post.