Leatherman Free P2/P4 Club and Feedback Thread

[gerleatherberman]

O.K.
Looks like LM may have figured out there was an issue(possible tabs breaking during QC checks maybe), because the double-bend appears corrected slightly on the dated handle.
Dated handle bottom.


On the plus side, checking both P4s and the P2, I don't see any stress cracks or fissures on the 6 pliers return tabs.

[AimlessWanderer]

That's still quite a sharp transition though  A softer nose radius there might be quite helpful (and on the inside of the other bend too)

[gerleatherberman]

I pushed extremely hard on all of the tabs in my Ps and none of them broke and barely flexed. I think this is not going to be a common problem. The 420HC they used for the handles on the Ps is quite strong, even at the 'weak' areas.

[gerleatherberman]

A quick question, if it's cool. Is regular petroleum based gun oil immediately an issue for the elastomer cushions?

I had disassembled both of my P4 tools to make a swap of the handle scale only(with no date code) to the unused P4 that had a date code. Which meant an entire disassembly of one handle to swap the tools and swapping the other handle over to the other pliers head(decided I liked the first pliershead better for the collection P4). OK. The collection P4 does not do what I am about to describe. But, my user P4, after a day or so of use, has developed a slight "squeak" in one of the handles when opening/closing. I traced the noise the pivot where the elastomer cushion is at. Only one side does it, but I am not sure if I damaged it, or if it is the oil I used. It didn't occur to me when I oiled it after reassembly that I used petroleum based oil, since I usually use silicone based oil, but was out.
The P4(and P2) are somewhat troublesome to take apart, so I thought it might be a good idea to ask first. Well, not so much as troublesome to disassemble/reassemble, but getting the pivot tightness perfect(which took me about half an hour).
Should I wait and see if the "squeak" goes away, or do I need to take the pliers off, clean out all of the oil and dry the cushions, then apply some sort of rubber-safe grease?

Any insight would be much appreciated.

[Striker]

Hi everyone
Just received a leatherman free p2 from leatherman australia for $290 aud or $202 usd, thats what they cost here.
First impressions are good. Nice solid lockup on all tools. Its a nice size thickness wise. It's kind of a skeletool with scissors, which is exactly what i was hoping for.
Here is a few thickness comparisons between some modern leatherman tools i have on hand.
First the new shiny itself





This is a skeletool





This one is a rebar



This one is a wave



This is a OHT





Thanks 

[Blackbeard]

GLBM

https://www.leatherman.com/CustomerService-Maintenance.html

I didnt see any info on what the material is in the P4 pivot but saw this page, not sure it will help, maybe there will be a PDF in the future that gives material specs

[Blackbeard]

also saw a vid of a guy who switched some tools to make it more left hand useable, he mentioned there was some handle flex from the elastomer and the fact that the handles are made from 4 parts(2 per handle) as opposed to 2 on the other models, but didnt say anything about squeaking....but I doubt you could degrade the elastomer in such a short time period, maybe something got inside there?

[Raoul Octav]

Lube them so the squeak goes away, this is what we did in the automotive industry.
Regarding Bit adapter adn Tshank
From my point of view , the structure of the tool is not strong enough, although a carve-out in the pliers head can support the strength and provide the support for a bit adapter.
T-shank can be mounted yet it would sit without a tool, you would have to open it and mount the file or saw and than use it, which is somehow against the philosophy of the free(dom) P series.

[Raoul Octav]

I'm studying the parts, i'll upload a reassembly tutorial tommorow. Those magnets definately are making the job harder, or easier depends if i can understand how the fields behave

[AimlessWanderer]

A quick question, if it's cool. Is regular petroleum based gun oil immediately an issue for the elastomer cushions?

I had disassembled both of my P4 tools to make a swap of the handle scale only(with no date code) to the unused P4 that had a date code. Which meant an entire disassembly of one handle to swap the tools and swapping the other handle over to the other pliers head(decided I liked the first pliershead better for the collection P4). OK. The collection P4 does not do what I am about to describe. But, my user P4, after a day or so of use, has developed a slight "squeak" in one of the handles when opening/closing. I traced the noise the pivot where the elastomer cushion is at. Only one side does it, but I am not sure if I damaged it, or if it is the oil I used. It didn't occur to me when I oiled it after reassembly that I used petroleum based oil, since I usually use silicone based oil, but was out.
The P4(and P2) are somewhat troublesome to take apart, so I thought it might be a good idea to ask first. Well, not so much as troublesome to disassemble/reassemble, but getting the pivot tightness perfect(which took me about half an hour).
Should I wait and see if the "squeak" goes away, or do I need to take the pliers off, clean out all of the oil and dry the cushions, then apply some sort of rubber-safe grease?

Any insight would be much appreciated.

Without knowing what they're made of, it's hard to say, but the sensible thing would be to have used an  resistant grade. Assuming it's a good industrial grade O ring rubber, that same material can be found sealing hydraulic powerpacks, neat cutting oil delivery systems, auto lube systems, and many other industrial applications where they're subject to load, movement, and petroleum based products. They need to have done something very stupid for this to degrade with gun oil.

If it squeaks, add more lube. If it still squeaks, take it apart and give it a good clean and inspect.

[shadow78]

Lube them so the squeak goes away, this is what we did in the automotive industry.
Regarding Bit adapter adn Tshank
From my point of view , the structure of the tool is not strong enough, although a carve-out in the pliers head can support the strength and provide the support for a bit adapter.
T-shank can be mounted yet it would sit without a tool, you would have to open it and mount the file or saw and than use it, which is somehow against the philosophy of the free(dom) P series.

Spending my first day with the p4, my second thought is it’s quite heavy. Don’t have a scale to see the difference between the p4 and a wave + so not sure but seems a bit lighter then the wave.
Anyway I wanted to share my findings regarding bit the bit adapter. I have a range of tools Gerber and SOG some with bit set. I found the sog bitset the most useable with the tool. The adapter sits on the top of the Phillips firm enough to use any standard bits. The only drawback I found is the adapter end goes to the Phillips doesn’t have a magnet so can fall off easier.




On the last image there is a similar adapter (Gerber) which potentially would be better but I don’t have tools to make the hole wider to fit the Phillips driver.
I also seen a YouTube video about a similar concept where a guy was using a wera adapter for the bits. If someone interested the video can be find online.
I hope the above would help someone who interested to extend the possibility of this tool...

[gerleatherberman]

Hi everyone
Just received a leatherman free p2 from leatherman australia for $290 aud or $202 usd, thats what they cost here.
First impressions are good. Nice solid lockup on all tools. Its a nice size thickness wise. It's kind of a skeletool with scissors, which is exactly what i was hoping for.
Here is a few thickness comparisons between some modern leatherman tools i have on hand.
First the new shiny itself

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

This is a skeletool

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

This one is a rebar

(Image removed from quote.)

This one is a wave

(Image removed from quote.)

This is a OHT

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

Thanks 

Very nice, Striker!

GLBM

https://www.leatherman.com/CustomerService-Maintenance.html

I didnt see any info on what the material is in the P4 pivot but saw this page, not sure it will help, maybe there will be a PDF in the future that gives material specs

Thanks, Blackbeard!

Lube them so the squeak goes away, this is what we did in the automotive industry.
Regarding Bit adapter adn Tshank
From my point of view , the structure of the tool is not strong enough, although a carve-out in the pliers head can support the strength and provide the support for a bit adapter.
T-shank can be mounted yet it would sit without a tool, you would have to open it and mount the file or saw and than use it, which is somehow against the philosophy of the free(dom) P series.

Thanks, Raoul!

Without knowing what they're made of, it's hard to say, but the sensible thing would be to have used an  resistant grade. Assuming it's a good industrial grade O ring rubber, that same material can be found sealing hydraulic powerpacks, neat cutting oil delivery systems, auto lube systems, and many other industrial applications where they're subject to load, movement, and petroleum based products. They need to have done something very stupid for this to degrade with gun oil.

If it squeaks, add more lube. If it still squeaks, take it apart and give it a good clean and inspect.

Thank you very much, AW!
That was definitely what I was hoping. Will lube it up a bit more and see what happens. Perhaps the oil didn't make it to the pivot area. I called myself making sure it did, but like anything else, it could have just been 'one of those days' when messing with the P4s.

Spending my first day with the p4, my second thought is it’s quite heavy. Don’t have a scale to see the difference between the p4 and a wave + so not sure but seems a bit lighter then the wave.
Anyway I wanted to share my findings regarding bit the bit adapter. I have a range of tools Gerber and SOG some with bit set. I found the sog bitset the most useable with the tool. The adapter sits on the top of the Phillips firm enough to use any standard bits. The only drawback I found is the adapter end goes to the Phillips doesn’t have a magnet so can fall off easier.




On the last image there is a similar adapter (Gerber) which potentially would be better but I don’t have tools to make the hole wider to fit the Phillips driver.
I also seen a YouTube video about a similar concept where a guy was using a wera adapter for the bits. If someone interested the video can be find online.
I hope the above would help someone who interested to extend the possibility of this tool...

The P4 weighs about .3oz more than the Wave+. So the weight difference is negligible.

Thank you for your insights into the bit holder situation. I'm hoping LM releases a bit adapters at some point, because at this points, making a solid-setup bit adapter would involve reshaping the phillips shank on the P4.

[Raoul Octav]

So, after gettin inside the Free and using it intensly i have to say the following:
-Inteligent platform, with real easy axx of the tools with one hand
-not quite as hardcore as other LMNs, Wave Surge, Rebar and ST300 are my points of refference
-tools are great EDC, yet i would have skipped a blade(serrated one) to have a larger file and some sort of bit holder/adapter
-Leatherman has skipped some washers/spacers, wich would make the tools more easy to deploy. And for that i am real pissed off

[gerleatherberman]

So, after gettin inside the Free and using it intensly i have to say the following:
-Inteligent platform, with real easy axx of the tools with one hand
-not quite as hardcore as other LMNs, Wave Surge, Rebar and ST300 are my points of refference
-tools are great EDC, yet i would have skipped a blade(serrated one) to have a larger file and some sort of bit holder/adapter
-Leatherman has skipped some washers/spacers, wich would make the tools more easy to deploy. And for that i am real pissed off

I whole-heartedly agree with all, but the last point.
I think more washers and spacers would have either added to the thickness and/or compromised the thickness of the blades. IMO of course. And not to mention, the thing is already complicated to assemble/reassemble already with just two washers per handle(because of magnets). 

[Raoul Octav]

Actually is really easy to reassemble. I'll ppst tje video tomorrow.
You have to go SAK mod mode, if you know what i mean

[gerleatherberman]

Generally I compare, difficulty in reassembly, relative to simple tools, such as a PST or what not. The biggest issue I had was getting the screw tension perfect on the two P4s once assembled.

I've broken down and reassembled about 200 MTs, so it isn't too big of a deal to me, but I'd never want to mislead someone who doesn't have experience with it into thinking it is easy.

And if anyone wants to know how to take out and put the magnets back in, without taking everything apart, let me know. It makes reassembly quite a bit easier.

[Top-Gear-24]

Got an e-mail from Leatherman U.S.A. today ...

Show content

They are sending me a pocketclip for my Free P4 as a courtesy, how cool is that  .

THANK YOU LEATHERMAN U.S.A. 
P.S.: Still no answer from Leatherman Belgium to my question from a couple of weeks ago, "if they could tell me when the Free P4 would be available here, and if they knew how much it would cost ... "

[Wspeed]

That would be great GLBM if you could show us
how to take the magnets out and put them back 

[Wspeed]

Nice one TG 

[Raoul Octav]

I have been told by Support that only Canada and USA will receive the pocket clip. No pocket clip for the Land of Dracula
Great achievment GBLM, i envy you, honestly i wish i'll be able to build a multitool for my kids based on their requierments (when they are bigger).
Yet, everyone who made a sandwich and used a screwdriver will be able to reassemble it.
While it was dissasembled and i analyzed the behaviour,  an extra washer for the main 4 tools will make a big difference in their ease of deployment, and i have tightened the tool much more than it was delivered by LMN, well... I guess it was about an extra quarter.

[shadow78]

Got an e-mail from Leatherman U.S.A. today ...

Show content

They are sending me a pocketclip for my Free P4 as a courtesy, how cool is that  .

THANK YOU LEATHERMAN U.S.A. 
P.S.: Still no answer from Leatherman Belgium to my question from a couple of weeks ago, "if they could tell me when the Free P4 would be available here, and if they knew how much it would cost ... "

Can I ask did you buy yours from Leatherman direct or a retailer?

[gerleatherberman]

That would be great GLBM if you could show us
how to take the magnets out and put them back 

Yeah man. I'll take some pics or video this evening if I remember. 

I have been told by Support that only Canada and USA will receive the pocket clip. No pocket clip for the Land of Dracula
Great achievment GBLM, i envy you, honestly i wish i'll be able to build a multitool for my kids based on their requierments (when they are bigger).
Yet, everyone who made a sandwich and used a screwdriver will be able to reassemble it.
While it was dissasembled and i analyzed the behaviour,  an extra washer for the main 4 tools will make a big difference in their ease of deployment, and i have tightened the tool much more than it was delivered by LMN, well... I guess it was about an extra quarter.

Very cool.

[Top-Gear-24]

Can I ask did you buy yours from Leatherman direct or a retailer?

I ordered mine from the webshop of a local outdoorstore (A.S. Adventure) since they are an official Leatherman dealer in Belgium, which is always easier in case of a warranty issue.  I took a printscreen from my order history and send it along with my e-mail to Leatherman U.S.A. to "prove" that I bought one.

I asked them where/when I could find a pocketclip for the Free P4 in Belgium, and if they could tell me the retail price on them.  And they answered that they were going to send me one, just like that  .

[gerleatherberman]

  For LM customer support.

[Dutch_Tooler]

For LM customer support.

Yep. I've just sent a mail too; after all I bought my P4 in the US, albeit at BladeHQ. Let's see if they send me one too (to my home address as I'll be flying back day after tomorrow)...

[gerleatherberman]

 
I am hoping they will. Bet they don't sell premium tools without the clip included again.

The $120 Charge comes with an optional clip and lanyard. The Free Ps should have included the same options, now that I think about it.

[Raoul Octav]

Hmm, i'm going to stress Leatherman again, about that pocket clip.
This is my experience regardin reassembly.

[gerleatherberman]

Hmm, i'm going to stress Leatherman again, about that pocket clip.
This is my experience regardin reassembly.

Good video, Raoul!

That is definitely going to be helpful to people. I like your pliers-removed method of stacking. 

[gerleatherberman]

My quick and dirty magnet replacement video. It's awful, but I don't have the life force left this evening to remake it. 

If anyone wants, I'll remake the video using the correct tools(like angle pick, soft tip pliers, etc) at some point. I just used what I had at my desk for the video.

Note: The springs are difficult to damage, but be careful to not put too much force in pulling them upwards to remove the magnet. You only need them to be raised just a bit to slide each side out one at a time. And always make sure the magnet polarity is correct. Also make sure the scissors spring is seated with the two "bumps" placed into the main scissors implement.

[Syncop8r]

What's the centre-to-centre distance between the plier pivots? I am interested to see how it compares with other tools.
It looks to be about 18mm on my Surge.