Leatherman Free P2/P4 Club and Feedback Thread

[The Lone Wanderer]

So what's the overall consensus on these tools? I see mixed feelings and have come to the conclusion that although carrying a Wave or a Charge is nice, I really don't need a super heavy duty tool for daily use, figured I would ask. I would like to try one but am going to try and trade my way for one. If anyone here has one they want to trade, check out my post in the "Tools Wanted" section.

[pa_strunk]

Think we have a buddy who will be selling bit adapters like they are going out of style soon

[Poncho65]

 

[ReamerPunch]

 
Maybe they'll buy the Free bit driver design and put it in the Free tools?

[SteveC]

So what's the overall consensus on these tools? I see mixed feelings and have come to the conclusion that although carrying a Wave or a Charge is nice, I really don't need a super heavy duty tool for daily use, figured I would ask. I would like to try one but am going to try and trade my way for one. If anyone here has one they want to trade, check out my post in the "Tools Wanted" section.

Save your money and get a Rebar instead 

[Yoda mpb]

So what's the overall consensus on these tools? I see mixed feelings and have come to the conclusion that although carrying a Wave or a Charge is nice, I really don't need a super heavy duty tool for daily use, figured I would ask. I would like to try one but am going to try and trade my way for one. If anyone here has one they want to trade, check out my post in the "Tools Wanted" section.

I personally think the p2 and p4 are great. For me I want ease of use, which is what they do. All the tools are on the outside and to me that means fast access.

There are so many people that don't like them and I am yet to understand why.

I've owned both for a few months and have daily carried most of the time. I do still reach for my MUT for bigger weekend work. But that more because its very well used and next to be replaced by another MUT.

I have a bigger issue with the T4. Yes it's OK but very big for what it does and doesn't have pliers.

[Syncop8r]

Save your money and get a Rebar instead 

Or save no money and get two Rebars instead.

[StrangeToolbot]

I did a video review of the Free P4, and I did like it, but not enough to keep it. I traded mine for an OHT.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Time22]

So what's the overall consensus on these tools? I see mixed feelings and have come to the conclusion that although carrying a Wave or a Charge is nice, I really don't need a super heavy duty tool for daily use, figured I would ask. I would like to try one but am going to try and trade my way for one. If anyone here has one they want to trade, check out my post in the "Tools Wanted" section.

Get a Free P2. If you need the other tools, and a better file and awl, get a Charge and add the awl

[Poncho65]

[bobartig]

I think as a self-contained multitool the P2 and P4 are both great functionally. I think the only real design issue with them is the blade lock hotspots at the ends of the handles. They can make heavy duty plier work uncomfortable. This probably becomes a dealbreaker for people with larger hands. Even though my hands are very "medium" sized (based on various gloves), the palms of my hands are wide so those lock tabs do get in my way some of the time.

I think that everything else people gripe about is fairly moot. There are no moving parts at the magnet assemblies, so dust and dirt accumulation (assuming they occur) don't actually impede functionality. Plus, opening the tool completely provides ample access to the internals for cleaning (although iron filings directly on the magnet seems like it's probably very hard to remove). As a percentage of total use cases, the number of times you are working around metal shavings (for the vast majority of users) is zero, just zero. I get that someone working in construction or in a machine shop must instantly veto this design, but for them, they only have every other Leatherman tool to choose from, so they haven't been abandoned by any means.

Having said all this, I barely use my P2 or P4. Most of the time I need a driver, it's a torx or hex, so I really need a bit driver for my EDC. Outside of that, for gardening and around-the-house work, I just use either a Bond (lighter and smaller) or a Victorinox Cadet ("just a knife" plus some extras).

[Jothra]

I've been carrying my P4 almost exclusively for a month. I could probably get away with a P2, but I like having a saw, even if I don't use it too often.

The included drivers will handle Phillips and slot screws, obviously, but the end of the file can handle Robertson, which has most of my bases covered. It kind of feels like a Farmer X with full-sized pliers.

[Poncho65]

Some great feedback, Jothra  I still only have a P2 and don't carry it as much as I need to to get a real feel for it

[MikeJay]

Been a lurker since about 2013, haven't posted much so giving back a little about
my Free series experience. I first bought one very early after release. Cool. Magnets. But uh, that's it?
So I pretty much hated it compared to me Vic Spirit. Sold on eBay for a loss and continued using my Spirit of almost a decade.
Then I stumbled upon the ratchet driver which I was very interested in, then ZapWizard's mods, and those changed everything. Now I could visualize the big picture: All outside accessible tools, mostly one handed, a bit holder with ratchet, t-shank holder, all those bits... So I jumped back in the ring, all in...

Took a little filing and tweaking to get it just right, but once complete it is a thing to behold. I really believe I own the best multitool in the world, I sure haven't seen a better one for my needs. I decided to remove the plain edge since I carry a main blade anyway. Bottle opener? Never. File? Upgraded to an actual usable one. Phillips? Got a whole bit kit now. I spent quite a while re-arranging tools until reaching the current config. I was surprised and happy I could keep the large flat screwdriver/pry bar *and 2* thin tools by removing the washers on that side, which I don't miss at all. Actually the t-shank holder is now buttery smooth and self-closes nicely with the spring tension.
While I was at it, I Dremeled an extra flat bit with a groove and glued in a LM precision bit, so I can use it in my new bit holder also.
T-shank screws are the ones recommended by ZW, but I opted for Nickel plated.
So after a little work, a ridiculous amount of money, and flushing my warranty down the drain, here she is...

 

[Poncho65]

Welcome to   well posting anyways 

Those are some great mods and I love the layout of your P4

[MikeJay]

Welcome to   well posting anyways 

Those are some great mods and I love the layout of your P4

Thanks! Of course everyone has preferences, but man I do believe for me it doesn't get any better than this. The one elephant in the room, no offense to ZapWizard of course, is that LM should have made it with bit and t-shank holders to begin with - *especially* for the price. Or better yet, focus on tool interchangeability and allow customization on their website. That would bring them solidly into the future.

[Poncho65]

  wished we had different options of tools for different models

[Jothra]

It's the Leatherman Free P4! Magnets? How do they even work‽


Its dimpling reminds me of the Victorinox Farmer X, so it's got that going for it!

For a variety of reasons, I had been thinking about carrying a multi-plier instead of my long-standing Swiss Army Knife. Traditionally I've carried a Victorinox or Wenger in my pocket, and a plier-based tool in my satchel, so I had a few to test out before I had to look at purchasing anything new. I tried with my Rebar, Swisstool Sprit X, and Wave, and the Wave was basically the winner...

...until I stared looking at the Free P4. Like, really looking at the Free P4. Focusing on the tool itself, rather than the glut of "honest" and "real" reviews that seemed bizarrely polarized, and (more often than not) highly thoretical (as in not actually demonstrated or even tested.) Finally, I caved, and picked one up. I've been carrying it for a month and a half now, and not one of the horrors of the review world has come to pass.


Look at all those tools!

• Pliers! These are the pliers you'd expect from Leatherman. They are the only non-locking tool on the P4, but they snap nicely into place, and have all the usual design features: needlenose tips, standard toothy midsection, and replaceable cutters. My giant, meaty palms find the handles perfectly comfortable. I had seen a video with serious play in the handles with the pliers out, but mine only display a very minor amount, and even then it's only noticeable when I intentionally make it happen rather than in ordinary use.
• Pocket clip! Traditionally, I haven't been a pocket clip guy, but multi-pliers are much heavier than the SAKs I'm used to. This clip is easy to install and remove, and quite beefy. Because it attaches at the plier pivot side instead of the end of a handle, it won't open in my pocket (though this was a pretty rare issue with my Wave anyway).
• Phillips driver/bottle opener! I don't require a dedicated Phillips driver. After all, I'm used to using the can opener on a Swiss Army Knife, which absolutely gets the job done. This is an excellent Phillips driver, though, and the bottle opener works great without getting in the way.
• Flat driver/package opener/pry tool! I don't really care about the "package opener" edge (in that I just use the knife blade), but it's a perfectly good slot screwdriver. Where it excels is as a pry tool. I have been known to really punish pry tools, and this one is nice and beefy. Yay!
• Plain-edge knife blade! What's to say? Robust shape, easy to open, straightforward to sharpen, corrosion-resistant stainless...it's what I'd expect.
• Scissors! These are my favourite Leatherman scissors, bar none. Wave scissors are just fine, but these? Wow! They are a nice middle ground between beefy shears and fine grooming scissors (multitool scissors are what successfully ended my nail-biting habit). I absolutely require scissors in my pocket carry, and these go above and beyond.
• Serrated knife blade! Everything I said about the PE blade applies here. I don't use this one very often, but that just means it stays Emergency Situation Sharp at all times, so that's nice.
• Wood saw! I don't need a wood saw on my person as much as I used to, but as a forest-raised kid who grew up on a mountain, I just can't break the habit. It's a good saw, and I've used it several times on recent camping trips.
• Can opener! This thing could probably stand to have an extra function or something, but it opens cans just fine. I know can openers are divisive, but I'm a big fan. It's already saved the day on four separate occasions.
• Awl/micro screwdriver! My Wave has a better awl...that I put in there myself, because the Wave doesn't come with an awl. It works fine on belt leather, and anything soft. I need a pokey more often than a proper reamer anyway, so I like it. The fine driver tip has been getting tons of use fixing glasses and removing watch spring bars.
• Medium driver/ruler! I've never had much use for multitool rulers, and this one is no exception. I have used it to measure some washers, just to see if I can (yes), but I'm really more of a ruler-or-tape person. It works great for thinner slot screws, though.
• Small screwdriver/file! The driver tip on this works with Robertson screws, which are ubiquitous around here. That's my one issue with the Wave's bit driver, is having to carry an extra bit, because there are slot, Phillips, and Robertson screws all up in my biz all the time (Robertsons are my favourite, by the way!) The file works great for the small-scale uses I usually have for a multitool file — on those rare occasions in which I need a diamond file or a metal saw, or even a longer wood file, it's dedicated tool time. It mostly does fingernails anyway.

So, what about the namesake of the tool? How free and easy are the tools to use? Well, a quick roll with the pad of my thumb, and there it all is, ready to use. Everything is so friction-free and smooth! This is  by far the most one-handed multitool I've ever used. My Rebar and Wave pliers are easy enough to butterfly, but getting other implements out one-handed takes some serious finger yoga. Not here. Wow, is it easy to open any tool you want on the Free in an instant with one hand.

It's also an easy tool to take apart, opening the door to all kinds of customizations (though I'm not actually interested in any of them at this point; it's basically exactly what I want as-is!) and for thorough cleaning if that's ever something you feel like doing. I've taken mine completely apart twice, just to see what's what, and there are way fewer parts than I expected.

I wish I'd had the Free P4 back when I worked commercial construction. It's a fantastic Jack-of-all-trades tool to speed up that connection between thought and action, without the kind of specialization that tends to keep things out of my EDC. I'm obviously not about to get rid of my Rebar or Wave (or, for that matter, my Farmer X or my Swisstool), but the Free P4 is really getting the job done.


Leatherman Free P4 is go!

Pros:

• One-handed, locking everything!
• Intuitive and comfortable!
• Jack of all trades!

Cons:

• The ruler is pretty tiny, I guess.
• The awl isn't as beefy as on many other tools.
• The can opener is single-purpose, though it's good at that single purpose.
• Bonus con! As demonstrated in an actual Youtube review, if you take your tool and throw it on the floor, the tools can open up. This is real.

I'm not going to get into the strange laundry list of "problems" people claim to have with tools flopping all over, magnets attracting all kinds of unwanted things, unlikely breakages, etc., except to say that most of them seem to be either overblown, highly conjectural, or contingent on intentionally misusing your tool.

[Syncop8r]

Well now I REALLY want one. 

[Chako]

Yes, you need at least one...maybe 2 or 3.     

[Poncho65]

Awesome review, Jothra I know that you as a member of MTO are much more reliable of a source than most other places online I haven't carried my P2 much and still want a P4 but I haven't had any problems with any of my Free tools because of the magnets or any other problems for that matter, either I just prefer a Wave, Charge,  Rebar or Supertool (all the generations)  over the Free series but that doesn't mean I dislike it, it just means that I like the other options better

Great pics to go with the review as well

[Jothra]

1/4" socket. No modification.

[Poncho65]

Nice

[ReamerPunch]

It's the Leatherman Free P4! Magnets? How do they even work‽

It's magic. Duh.

[ReamerPunch]

Awesome review, Jothra I know that you as a member of MTO are much more reliable of a source than most other places online I haven't carried my P2 much and still want a P4 but I haven't had any problems with any of my Free tools because of the magnets or any other problems for that matter, either I just prefer a Wave, Charge,  Rebar or Supertool (all the generations)  over the Free series but that doesn't mean I dislike it, it just means that I like the other options better

Great pics to go with the review as well

 
and also
Because now I am kind of thinking of maybe getting one possibly. We'll see.

[ReamerPunch]

Or I'll wait. 

[Poncho65]

 

[Max Stone]

probably a good call RP 

[Jothra]

Used the Hunk Of Steel^TM plier pivots to...umm...persuade the 2x4 locking bar into my parents' back gate. It was almost in, darn it!

Tool is untarnished. No pictures, because I do my best not to carry my phone these days.

[Poncho65]

The pliers are very Hefty on the Free P series and I do wished that we would see those on some of the next Gen tools