Ozark Trail MULTIFORCE - A Leatherman Inspired Multitool

[Aloha]

I wonder who manufactured it for Wally World?  The recent post ChopperCharles made about his first LM Wingman reminded me of this tool.  Great to hear this tool continues to impress. 

[mikekoz]

I wonder who manufactured it for Wally World?  The recent post ChopperCharles made about his first LM Wingman reminded me of this tool.  Great to hear this tool continues to impress.

   I am not sure, but I bet if I searched Amazon I could find one just like it but under another name! 

[NetsNJ]

Crazy how slim the wave feels after handling this for a few days.

[Happy Gilmore]

So some info from people who have been using the tool a bit and have messaged me on IG. There are some issues with the file, for one thing the diamond side isn't flat because they cut the file then applied the diamond coating after. This causes the edges to be higher than the middle of the file. In one case the entire diamond coating began to come off.

So far the two drawbacks:

bad file and the extender doesn't have magnetic retention. The rest still seams to work great. I really loved making this tool into a pocket knife since it has retention on both sides due to the slip joint mechanism. Cheers.

[gregpost]

This is why Leatherman came out with the gimmicky Free series design. They knew Wave copies were coming and they couldn't do anything to stop it, the designer said so in a magazine interview. I might check one of these out during Christmas when they'll probably be under $20.

[mikekoz]

While it is definitely inspired by the Wave, it is definitely not a clone. It is wider, heaver, has a MUCH different (And better!) bit driver system. The magnet problem can be resolved easily by putting 2 small magnetic disks in the holder. It has no micro screw driver also. It is not better than a Wave by any means,  but is more than worth what you pay for it!

[Aloha]

This is why Leatherman came out with the gimmicky Free series design. They knew Wave copies were coming and they couldn't do anything to stop it, the designer said so in a magazine interview. I might check one of these out during Christmas when they'll probably be under $20.

Interesting. 

[gregpost]

Interesting.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,80374.msg1939114.html#msg1939114

I posted the magazine link in the original Free series announcement thread. This is probably the first of many legal Wave copies or based on wave platform designs that we will see. I'm actually a fan of patents expiring, I think it spurs innovation and increases good competition that benefits the consumer.

[Aloha]

 

[shadow78]

Can anyone kindly help me here getting one of this and ship it to the UK?
I will cover all cost.

Thanks in advance

[ChopperCharles]

I think I’m going to have to get one of these next Walmart trip. I have the workpro with the scissors, which is ridiculously big and heavy. I actually love it, but without a pocket clip it will never see rotation as my EDC. But this Walmart wave-like tool might be just the ticket.
.

Charles.

[mikekoz]

I think I’m going to have to get one of these next Walmart trip. I have the workpro with the scissors, which is ridiculously big and heavy. I actually love it, but without a pocket clip it will never see rotation as my EDC. But this Walmart wave-like tool might be just the ticket.

   If you think that tool is heavy, you should get its big brother! It is about the size of the Leatherman Surge, but heavier. It is also made a bit better. The Multitforce is a tad bit heavier than a Wave, but the weight of most tools does not bother me anyway.
.

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

I might snag one of the bigger workpros if I can find it at a reasonable price. But again, without a pocket clip I'm unlikely to ever EDC it. But for a vehicle glove compartment, or a motorcycle tool roll, it'd be damn near perfect.

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

So I just picked up the ozark trail multi force. I also have a leatherman wingman and the workpro with scissors to compare it to.  I’ll do a big video review later, but I will post some observations here.

The ozark trail has the best scissors of the three. They cut through para cord in one snip, and they can be used to slice down thin wrapping paper like a good pair of regular scissors. The leatherman can do this for short distances with wrapping paper, but there is enough resistance that it starts tearing pretty quickly. the workpro is worse. Both the workpro and the leatherman have too-soft scissor springs, which results in the scissors sticking in the closed position quite a lot.

The crosscut file in the workpro is better than the crosscut file on the ozark... but the ozark has a diamond side and a third edge with file teeth. So it’s a draw. The wingman file is nice and sharp, but too small to be of any use.

The saw in the ozark has a longer cutting area and sharper teeth. It’s also machined better with the top narrower than the teeth. So it wins the saw battle against the workpro. The leatherman doesn’t have a saw.

The flat drivers bottle and can openers all work fine on all three. The leatherman and ozArk both have dual use can/bottle openers which can pierce the bottle top if you’re not careful. The workpro has a dedicated opener.

The Phillips driver on the workpro is very nicely made. But the ozark wins it with a 1/4 bit driver and extension.

The blades are all white similar. The wingman however has the shortest, and it’s a combo. All three are nice and sharp, but the ozark and wingman are tied. The workpro is good but slightly less sharp than the other too.

For outside opening tools, the ozark has a plain edged blade, serrated blade, file, and saw.

The work pro has PE blade, file, saw, and scissors.

The wingman has a blade and scissors.

The workpro has 5 additional outside opening tools.

The ozark has 4 internal tools

The wingman has 5 internal tools.

All workpro and ozark tools lock. Only the blade and scissors lock on the wingman.

Fit and finish, the ozark trail wins handily. I really liked the workpro when I got it, but neither it nor the wingman can hold a candle to the ozark trail multi force.

It has smooth rounded handles, well machined parts, and an intuitive locking mechanism. But the pliers are also far better.

Both the workpro and wingman have sprung plier jaws, and both have a fair bit of side to side play  to the jaws. There is none in the ozark trail. The ozark also has the smallest handle splay, which make them the most comfortable to use. The jaws open wider than the other two as well, and the plier Head is also thicker than the other two.

Like the work pro, some of the ozark’s jaw space is taken by a protruding cutter, though the jaws appear closer in shape and length to the wingman jaws.

The cutters are excellent. Beyond excellent, really. They can cut individual strands of #000 steel wool. The workpro is the next best, and the wingman is abysmal.

I like the workpro. I think it’s a great tool with a lot to offer in this price range. But the ozark trail multi force is the winner in my book. It’s the most comfortable to use, with the best jaws, best cutters, best scissors, best Phillips driver, best saw, and the file is a tie with the workpro. It also comes with a bit driver extension.

The workpro has two additional flat drivers and an awl, but lacks the serrated blade. It has the second best jaws and cutters. Unfortunately it does not have a pocket clip.

The wingman is a distant also-ran. It’s more expensive than either the workpro or the ozark trail, and it has a ridiculous amount of side to side play in the jaws. The cutters don’t meet and are only good for household solid copper wire. And even then, only after I filed down the tips of the jaws a bit so the cutters came closer to meeting. The scissors are the largest of the lot, but the spring is weak and the scissors often stick in the closed position. It has the fewest outside opening tools and none of the internal tools - including the screwdrivers - lock. The Phillips is also a 2.5D.

The workpro runs about $30. The ozark trail $38. The wingman is $60!!!

For the money, the ozaek trail is the clear winner. Fit and finish is excellent, it’s the most comfortable to use and has the most robust jaws and best scissors.

Charles.

[Happy Gilmore]

The scissors were by far the biggest surprise...they utterly destroy every Leatherman scissor except a surge (which is amazing but also not really the same thing).

[shadow78]

The scissors were by far the biggest surprise...they utterly destroy every Leatherman scissor except a surge (which is amazing but also not really the same thing).

The free series and juice has a better scissors, but its definitely has a good pair compared to the wave.

Does anyone know where to buy bits for this?

[ChopperCharles]

Yes. I posted in the other multiforce thread.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,82869.msg2064279.html#msg2064279

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

I’ve been carrying this tool ever since I got it, instead of my beloved modified MP600 blunt nose. As an EDC it’s a lovely tool. I’ve never felt like there was anything it couldn’t do, until today. Today I was reminded that I like blunt nosed pliers for a reason. I was trying to remove the master link clip on my motorcycle’s chain, and was repeatedly thwarted by this ozark trail. It slipped off the link and pinched the meat of my palm or my thumb three times before I gave up and got my MP600. To the tune of much cursing.

Basically to remove the master link I need pliers wide enough to push up on both tangs at the same time. So this isn’t a failing of the ozark, but a failing of the needle nosed design. A needle nosed MP600 would have failed as well. My leatherman crunch could have probably done it, and a pair of channel locks or the like would also have worked.

I test my tools hard because I use them hard, and this was the first time it’s slipped and pinched me. Several times. Painfully. I know how to move my hand so a Mr Pinchy doesn’t get me, but I haven’t found the trick for this tool yet because it got me every time.

For everything else this tool worked great. Even for filing the end of a bolt to tame the threads after I cut it short with a dremel. It wasn’t a great filing experience, but no damage was done to the file and it did take metal off. Not quickly but it did the job.

Overall I’m very happy and will continue to EDC this tool for a while longer. But when motorcycles are concerned I will probably switch back to my MP600. It’s more heavy duty plier head is needed for some tasks.

Included is a gratuitous photo of my now blistered thumb. This sucker got me good.

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

Got the Wiha bit kit in today. It all fits perfectly in the driver extension except the 5mm/6mm bit. The 6mm bit doesn't fit all the way down in the handle and doesn't touch the magnet.  Everything else locks in place via the magnet perfectly.

Charles.

[shadow78]

Got the Wiha bit kit in today. It all fits perfectly in the driver extension except the 5mm/6mm bit. The 6mm bit doesn't fit all the way down in the handle and doesn't touch the magnet.  Everything else locks in place via the magnet perfectly.

Charles.

Thanks for the suggestion, I went for the TACKLIFE Screwdriver and Nut Driver,16-in-1 has similar bit sets. Its a bit hard to find these in the UK or maybe I just didn't know how to search for them.
Sorry to hear about your injuries, I did't have any yet but will take extra care if I need to use the tool in similar situation.

[ChopperCharles]

Well, I get to figure out how to make a warranty claim. Note to everyone, don’t pry with the plier tips. It won’t end well.  I drilled two holes next to each other and tried to pry out the little strip of metal between them, and the jaw snapped without a lot of force at all.

Charles.

[ReamerPunch]

ouch, but also 
Let's see what happens.

[ReamerPunch]

So you're not tempted to make it a blunt nose?

[ChopperCharles]

Tempted yes. But I also want to see what the warranty process is.

Charles.

[bs1234]

Does anyone know if there's any way to get one of these in the UK?

[ChopperCharles]

So I went on Walmart.com. I called the number and spend about a half an hour on the phone. She found the tool and my receipt in the system, and since it had been < 3 months since I bought it, she was able to authorize the return. She gave me a ticket number and told me to exchange it at the Walmart I bought it at. If I had any trouble she told me to tell them to call in any give them my reference ticket number.

Note that She couldn’t find the info for the warranty in their system, but because I had bought it recently I was okay.

So I went to Walmart. The return took an hour and three managers to accomplish. First I wait in line at return desk. manager paged to return desk when I finally get there. He is down with the plan and knows what to do. Says for me to go get the replacement and bring it back and no problem. He pages a manager with key to sporting goods.

I wait. And wait. And wait at sporting goods. I have two other employees page a manager to sporting goods with a key. Finally I get the manager there, and he rummages around under the glass case for the tool. I get it, go back to the customer service desk and of course that manager is gone.

New manager is called. She is young and not that expierenxed. Says I can’t return it because Walmart doesn’t allow returns on knives. She calls two other managers on the radio. I point out that it’s a multi tool, not a knife, and she takes the policy chart off the wall and reads it carefully. Agrees with me.  Sees the receipt that says “multi tool” not knife.

Starts the return. Someone is calling corporate over the radio. Return goes through, and I exchange it for a new multiforce.

I get the smurf out of there.

Lessons learned: 1. there is essentially no warranty on this tool. You will have to fight tooth and nail through multiple waves of stupidity if you attempt to make good on the warranty promise. 2. Keep the box and receipt. 3. Don’t use the tips of the pliers to pry anything. 4. How much is your time worth? Mine is worth more than $37.73 an hour.

I do really like this tool.  I use the bitdriver and extension ALL the time. It’s far better than a leatherman flat bit driver, because there are far more bits and especially metric Allen bits.  But without a warranty is it worth it? I’m not sure anymore. I like mine and will continue to use it and abuse it. But with the amount of effort it took to make good on a one month old broken tool... that’s not great.

On the plus side this new one is even better than the one I had. Out of the box it was properly adjusted. None of the pivots were too tight, and the cutters have to wear in just like my original.

Charles.

[ReamerPunch]

What a hassle. 
At least you got a new tool out of it. But still, it should not be that hard to get through the warranty process. Maybe things will get easier, once more people start asking for warranty?

[ChopperCharles]

One last thing. The bit driver extension that Gomes with this is an absolutely perfect addition to the leatherman crunch. It also works in the Wenger Swiss grip, to drive normal bits in the t-handle configuration, instead of only the long bits.

I’ve taken to carrying my crunch a little more since I found it fits in my wingman case perfectly. I generally carry the extension in my coin pocket and a strip of double sided bits in my back left pocket. (Right Pocket is for wallet)

The double sided bits also fit directly into the crunch. Normal Short bits get completely lost inside.

Charles.

[ChopperCharles]

On for the second multiforce, the serrated blade was much sharper than the original. It cut through paracord with ease. The first one needed a bit of time with a diamond file before it was at the same level.

Charles. 

[Happy Gilmore]

Charles,    spend a lot of time on the multitool forum digging for the info and feedback you are providing in this thread. Because of you I have gained quite a bit I can pass on to others through instagram and youtube.

Cheers mate!

Please keep doing what you are doing. Have you considered adding magnets to the bit drivers? I found it extremely easy with the right magnets I got from Hope depot which were exactly 1/4 inch diameter and about 1mm thick.