Have you ever been wrong about a multi-tool?

[ReamerPunch]

Inspired by Butch, I was wondering if anyone else got a tool and realized it was pretty good, much better than previously thought.

Before I got my Gerber MP400, I was not sure about them. I kept watching reviews of Gerber MTs, or comparisons between Gerber and LM mostly, and people commented how Gerbers were smurf, or even worse, and how inferior they are to LM ones.

I was certain that they were right, but I decided to see why some people liked them. Don't they realize they're smurf?

Until they day I got my MP400. Even though I was afraid of it, I wanted a flicky Gerber for the collection. Well, let me tell you, I am glad I did.

Those pliers are great, very satisfying to flick out, and precise. Absolutely zero handle splay, which is underrated with the flicky Gerbers, and also great in the hand. You'd think that the buttons and screws would poke you, but it is amazingly comfortable, and with no handle splay, it is outstanding.
Great scissors, great Phillips which also fits the Ganzo bit adapter, and everything locks solidly. No play or even wobble.

I intend to do the 30 day challenge with it at some point, and I know it will come out victorious. I am glad I got it, and decided that I'd not pay attention to people who are bashing on something without trying it out myself.

[magentus]

Nice write up RP - I agree - the 400 was a revelation - fantastic MT. Having only owned a Spirit I wanted to try something else out and the Gerber seemed like fun. Kev Davey sent me a BO one and I haven't looked back since. I love how strong and compact it is and how easy it is to mod.

I went from owning one to owning three but have gifted one to a friend to experience the 400 in all its glory.

In answer to the OP I think LM tools are the only ones I have misgivings over in that they probably won't match the sheer brilliance of the Spirit or the fun and tolerance of the MP400. But I haven't tried one out so that's purely subjective on my part.

[greenbear]

I have had the opposite scenario.  I used to have a Wingman, that I gave to someone as I felt it was not as good as I had expected (clumping of tools etc). However I had not realised just how much I used the sprung pliers and how neatly it fitted my pocket.  I sometimes wonder about getting another one.....

[magentus]

I have had the opposite scenario.  I used to have a Wingman, that I gave to someone as I felt it was not as good as I had expected (clumping of tools etc). However I had not realised just how much I used the sprung pliers and how neatly it fitted my pocket.  I sometimes wonder about getting another one.....

That feeling.....when you've given something away and suddenly you regret it. 

Maybe someone has a spare one they aren't using.

[Gareth]

Back in the very long past, when I only owned some Leathermans, I thought the handle shape of the Spirit just looked odd and I resisted getting one.   However given it's reputation here on the forum I wasn't that surprised that I liked it when I finally got one.

Far more of a surprise to me was the Gerber Flik.  I had a Gerber or two already so I wasn't snobbish about the brand, but it still seemed like a Wave wannabe.  Now I'm not going to try and claim it's flawless, but it's a MUCH better tool than I was expecting and it became my go-to MT for my job in building maintenance for a long time.  As far as I am concerned it's a "don't knock it until you've tried it" MT.  Too big for casual belt carry I'd say, but if you know you are going to be using it then the bulk is worth it.

[Aloha]

I remember this video  well done. 

[magentus]

I remember this video  well done.

Me too - makes me  after a Flik

[Gareth]

 

[SirVicaLot]

I would add the Gerber Suspension. I did not expect much for the price and the reputation this tool has in this forum is not the best either. Yet i still pick it up more than some of my other MT‘s, mostly because i like the spring pliers.

While i am not a hardcore mt user i still use it for all work around the house and my leatherworking projects. So far it has not failed me 

[Aloha]

Best as I can contribute is the Skeletool.  I initially bought one because I was new and early in my MT collecting.  I got the basic model.  I bought new and as with most new tools I got I carried it right away.  I forget how I felt other than I just didn't bond with it.  I moved it on and never looked back.  I believe this was 2013.  I got one for my friend and she liked it a lot.  I didn't get it and while I could appreciate all the love for it the Skeletool just wasn't for me. 

Fast forward a few years 2015ish I believe.  I got the opportunity to get a CX model.  Initially thinking the 154CM blade and cool black frame would make a difference I was super stoked.  Pretty much like my last experience I was left unimpressed.  I felt a little confused because Kam liked his so much as did others.  What was I not getting?  I chalked it up to simply the tool was not for me.  I decided to keep it however since I abruptly moved my other Skeletool on and didn't have one for the collection.

Last year 2018 for whatever reason I decided to get my CX out.  I often have a play with some tools that don't get carried.  I like to handle them and look at the features or simply admire the tools.  The CX sure is a good looking tool. I decided to give the blade a bit of a tuning up.  While I was stropping and testing for sharpness I decided to carry it.  I clipped it to my belt loop by its carabiner and off I went.  IIRC I employed it a few times and enjoyed it.  I keep MT, SAK, lights, and Knives on my night stand that I am currently trying or regular using.  The CX earned a spot there. 

I found myself reaching for it often when off.  More and more I was realizing why this tool is so wonderful.  The more I reached for it the more I enjoyed it.  It began to have a role which for me was important since I tend to a few tools on my night stand that are good tools but dont see much usage. 

The Skeletool to me is a straightforward tool.  Whether you consider it a knife with plier or plier with knife what you get is capability in a easy to carry MT.  As I also said, its a really good looking tool ( CX ) IMO too which for some is also important.   

[SirVicaLot]

Me too - makes me  after a Flik

Just watched it, now i want one too 

[Aloha]

 

He really should get some revenue for any sales as a result 

[AimlessWanderer]

There have been a few times where I thought I might have been hasty in getting rid of a tool, and have actively sought another one to give it another try. On almost all occasions, all I ended up doing was wasting money, and having a slap in the face reminder of why I got rid of it the first time.

The only exception that springs to mind, is the Leatherman Sideclip. I got one while I was still finding my way with multitools, and was expecting a tool to tick every box on its own. I've since come to the conclusion, that the overall package of the tools you have on you, matter more than individual elements. In other words, the pairing or combo choices are what now make or break a tool for me. That didn't save me from disliking the Juice CS4 or XE6 the second time around, nor the Rebar. However, the Sideclip is an absolutely fantastic companion tool to a swiss knife with scissors.

My favourite Victorinox or Wenger patterns for regular carry is the Climber or Traveler - the Traveler being more of a favourite due to the lack of blade duplication, and being more pocketable. Not only does the Sideclip add pliers, it also add drivers that the Swiss knife doesn't, specifically the Phillips and the narrower flat blades which are great for electrical connectors. The Traveler /Climber in turn has tools the Sideclip doesn't, specifically the scissors and awl. Together, they handle the bulk of my urban needs. If a saw or file may be required, it's simply a matter of switching the knife for a Ranger (or Original Outdoorsman in my case).

I can't think of any other occasion where I was wrong. I am now seeing more potential for the Deluxe Tinker, which was the second Swiss knife I bought, and shortly after got rid of. However, it's more a change of personal circumstances and needs that has started making that look appealing again, rather any shortfall in my judgement. I'm fairly confident that if I were to handle any other tool that I've passed by or sold on, I'd still feel the same way about the characteristics of that tool which led me to let it go before.

[gerleatherberman]

Awesome thread idea, RP!

Great to read about people's minds changing and how nice it is to release presupposed thoughts and try something for oneself.
It may not be a secret(haha), but I really don't like reading about a tool from people who don't own one. Now, that said, I appreciate/respect people presumptions, assertions, and misgivings; about tools they haven't tried yet, because good insight(and possible important issues) can sometimes results in that approach. But, in the end, hands-on experience, written about and reviewed, wins every single time.

Before collecting, I had used a Gerber OG MP "Pinchy" and spent a lot of time telling people how great it was, palm blisters aside. Then I lucked up on a Leatherman JPST and the handle splay/sharp edges using the pliers was a massive turn-off. The next week I lucked up on a Leatherman Crunch. They restored my interest in Leatherman.
The tool I was reluctant about, because of the cost, was a Vic SwissTool. I am not a fan of high-polish on MT gripping surfaces in general. But, the awesome member Douglas gifted me a 1998 model SwissTool and my mindset was altered for the better. I can now see why it is so well loved. I have 2x SwissTools and 2x Spirits now and really like them. Sure, like any tool, I have my gripes, but they are quite good overall.

There are many more stories related to the question and will post then soon.

[Aloha]

Deluxe Tinker  .  Nice SAK.  I use one often for work. 

[AimlessWanderer]

Deluxe Tinker  .  Nice SAK.  I use one often for work.

 

It was grossly underpowered for me when I had one, but I'm starting to think it would now be ideal most days (if I was a one knife person). One of the mods I have planned, is putting some pliers on my Sheepsfoot Duke md (a reprofiled DofE), to give me a slimmed down version of the Deluxe Tinker.

[Aloha]

Now that sounds like a PLAN  .

While larger pliers are more needed for me those SUPER tweezers sure come in handy. 

[Butch]

The only regret I have is buying the Leatherman Hybrid ..................I wish I had bought a bakers dozen 

[Gareth]

He really should get some revenue for any sales as a result 

Just watched it, now i want one too 

And my work here is done. 

[Butch]

Inspired by Butch,

Just thinking out aloud, I have been called many things in my life. Most can't be used on this forum. Inspirational is a first I think . .............

[kkokkolis]

I'm almost always wrong. I can't be sure what tool will I be using just by the appearance of it, or reviews of others.
I was fascinated by Leatherman tools and got some. OHO blades, bit adapters, exotic materials, bells and whistles. I use a Spirit.
I thought Vic Swisschamp XLT was too big to be carried or used. It is my favorite SAK and the size of it makes it the best handed in my big hands.
I was a Gerber snob and I EDC the Double Take for years, worrying where could I find another if I loose or damage it.

[Mechanickal]

Backwards 4 years ago.

I carried a Swisstool and a coworker had a LM Skeletool.
He was quite proud of it but I just saw them as a knife with a driver on it and some pliers.
For some reason, I avoided LM altogether.

I did end up getting a NIB Charge AL at a decent price (over 50% off) and that was the start of a change of mindset.

I sourced a Charge TTI early last year and have since admitted that LM made one helluva tool with the Wave/Charge platform. I've also been thinking about getting a Skeletool for those light carry/off days but the price is holding me back.

If I'd be a US resident and could buy LM tools at US prices, I'd probably have way more then 2...

[Etherealicer]

LM Signal for me...
Thought it is a silly toy, now it is my favorite LM, mostly because it adds the most (HAMMER ) when compared to the Spirit. I carried it through the Signal Challenge and it really grew on me.

[Alan K.]

I never wanted a Wing man or a Sidekick because I already had several other Leatherman tools and I thought of those two tools as entry level tools and I was more advanced than that.  Then I got a Sidekick as part of a package deal and I tried it.  It is a great tool and I find the sprung pliers a great advantage when doing something repetitive such as pulling a needle through leather.  Pair the Sidekick with a Victorinox Mountaineer (which I got in the same deal) and you have all the major points covered. You'll have a file and scissors in the Mountaineer, pliers and a saw in the Sidekick, and very little redundancy.  It is a perfect carry combo.

[Blackbeard]

I would add the Gerber Suspension. I did not expect much for the price and the reputation this tool has in this forum is not the best either. Yet i still pick it up more than some of my other MT‘s, mostly because i like the spring pliers.

While i am not a hardcore mt user i still use it for all work around the house and my leatherworking projects. So far it has not failed me 

Yeah I agree, I had one like 8 years ago, and sold it cause it was doing it for me at the time, but I got another one last year and find it pretty useful.

[ReamerPunch]

Deluxe Tinker  .  Nice SAK.  I use one often for work.

Deluxe Tinker has been my edc since I got it a couple of years ago I think. Those super tweezers are great. And the size is great. I got a Fieldmaster, but the mini pliers were a little more useful, and the D.T. is not that thicker than the Fieldmaster.

[ReamerPunch]

Just thinking out aloud, I have been called many things in my life. Most can't be used on this forum. Inspirational is a first I think . .............

Just calling it as I see it.

[Douglas]

 

[ThePeacent]

like Alan, I looked at the Wingman as one of the "unworthy" and "cheap" LM tools, and ignored it for years.  Got one very cheap and loved it, I carried and used it a lot and found it was almost the perfect entry level, affordable MT to be had, I grabbed it over my Wave most days and it never failed me...and I finally gave it away to a friend in need of a MT.

Now I regret getting rid of it, but I'm sure giving it to him sparkled the interest on Multi Tools Leatherman and being prepared EDC-wise on him. 



And like others in this thread, Gerber flick tools were surprisingly good and unexpectedly capable, that's after owning Victorinox and Leatherman for years and dismissing Gerber tools as a "second quality"  thing...boy I was soooo wrong. 
The one that surprised me the most, that I considered a gimmick before owning, and would've never said I'd like it and use it so much, was the Diesel. What a great, versatile tool!! 



Same happened years later with the LM OHT; which I thought was a poor attempt from Leatherman to compete with Gerber's MP line  . It was much, much nicer than I thought. I was glad to be wrong!! 

[Gareth]

I never wanted a Wing man or a Sidekick because I already had several other Leatherman tools and I thought of those two tools as entry level tools and I was more advanced than that.  Then I got a Sidekick as part of a package deal and I tried it.  It is a great tool and I find the sprung pliers a great advantage when doing something repetitive such as pulling a needle through leather.  Pair the Sidekick with a Victorinox Mountaineer (which I got in the same deal) and you have all the major points covered. You'll have a file and scissors in the Mountaineer, pliers and a saw in the Sidekick, and very little redundancy.  It is a perfect carry combo.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Sidecick as well.  Far better MT than I was expecting and, to my mind, a more useful tool selection than you get on the Wingman.