ARC Owners Club

[Crunchie64]

Hello everyone,  just a question on arc issues and help from leatherman.  Have you gone through warranty return on a brand new tool or a different route? My tool came scratched up dull blade, super wobbly handles and cutters that won't cut through 12g house wiring!! I started going through warranty repair but realized that return shipping was required.  I don't feel its fair to pay shipping on a damaged brand new $230 premium tool! I have an email into leatherman and its been 3days no reply back. Anyone have similar issues?

I was lucky, no issues with mine.

If you bought it from a physical bricks and mortar store, maybe you can return it to them for a refund or exchange. In the UK, your contract is with them and they have a responsibility to sell goods that are fit for purpose.

Annoying though it is, at least you know Leatherman will make it right with repair or replacement as many times as it takes over the next 25 - 40 years. That should dilute the pain of shipping costs a bit.

[2018DRZ400SM]

I hear you on the repair replaced for 40 years (I'm an insider too) but if it cost $10 -$15 to ship it and it takes 10 times hahaha you know! It was ordered directly from Leatherman. I included the order number in the email. Guess we will see what happens

[2018DRZ400SM]

I really want to like this tool. Its light and seems like it will have the tool set I use most.  A blade changer would've made it the absolute perfect tool but it is what it is. I will swap out the cutter for some EOD cutters as I feel these pliers don't have the burleynes to cut heavy wire anyway. But all that is irrelevant if Leatherman doesn't make it right.

Like all of you on here I have many multi tools and carry them everyday. They work flawless and came sharp and the quality was amazing! This tool seems rushed through production and parts especially the now possible metal injection molded cutter blades are a big step back for Leatherman.

 I have an older surge, st300, and mut that all have the the older cutter blades. Guessing they are the 154cm blades. The ARC blades show the marks where the mold was injected. Like cheap gun internal parts. There are no grind marks at all. I would be curious if all the tools with crappy cutters show the mold marks instead being a grinded piece steel.
 I don't know how much Leatherman saves by doing this but damn please stop! Charge another 50 cents on the blades and give us back the good stuff!

Ok I'm sorry I'm done venting hahaha continue on

[Murphy Slaw]

cutters that won't cut through 12g house wiring!!

What are you talking about?

The issues with the cutters, that I have seen, is with coat hanger wire, which is pretty darned hard in the first place, and people are shoving the wire into the void.

Copper wire is totally different, and my Arc will eat copper like me eating smoked ribs.

[2018DRZ400SM]

The large gap at the bottom of the cutters they don't close. All my other Leatherman close where the cutters overlap each other. If I don't lift the wire up in the cutter it leaves a thin "slab" of metal that either needs to be wiggled side to side or cut again. Makes a simple job of dropping the wire in he cutter and squeezing like every single other multi tool or dedicated pliers with cutter I own. That's all I'm saying. That's why I wouldn't even try to cut a coat hanger (like all these people in YouTube) I believe that is a job for Klein linesman's pliers. The absolute only way a coat hanger would end up in my Leatherman cutters is if I was stranded on the side of the road and had to cut that coat hanger to get unstranded hahaha but in have a bunch of tools in my truck that are designed to due just that. So it would be a pretty special circumstance.

[2018DRZ400SM]

But yeah to bring up coat hanger I just thought of this. Couple years ago I was in a buddy car coming back from a gun show when his rear exhaust hanger broke and started banging on rear axle.....in comes Leatherman surge and coat hanger. And it ate through that coat hanger like it was copper wire easy and smoothly. But yes I hear you, if I lift the wire up into the cutter it goes right through. What my problem is ,is that none of my other Leatherman tools have to do that. None of them have that gap. But the cutter is only 1 of the problems I have with my ARC. If that was the only problem trust me I'd have no problem tossing those cutter in the scrap pile and grinding some EOD cutters to fit it. Those are still actually grinded steel. Not MIM parts. I just added some to my st300 a couple weeks ago.

Sorry for the long replies and don't mean to drag down this area of the forum, just sharing. Like I said I want to love the tool it has a lot of potential. For the price and how they hold it as the king of the multi tools hahaha it shouldn't have these issues.

[Aloha]

Really sorry to hear about the issues.  I am sure LM will take care of you.  As to the shipping?  Maybe ask for a prepaid label?  Cant hurt to ask  . 

As to the cutters not being able to cut coat hanger.  I have a few sizes of coat hanger.  I just recently cut a thiner one to use in my yard.  I have cut thicker as well.

I know this is a ARC thread but my Swisstool has never had an issue with coat hanger thick or thin 

Not hating or trying to start a riot     

[2018DRZ400SM]

Really sorry to hear about the issues.  I am sure LM will take care of you.  As to the shipping?  Maybe ask for a prepaid label?  Cant hurt to ask  . 

As to the cutters not being able to cut coat hanger.  I have a few sizes of coat hanger.  I just recently cut a thiner one to use in my yard.  I have cut thicker as well.

I know this is a ARC thread but my Swisstool has never had an issue with coat hanger thick or thin 

Not hating or trying to start a riot 

I hear you and agree 100% even though a multi tool is not the "correct" tool to cut such heavy wire it should do it with blinking an eye. I saw a video once of Tim Leatherman personally cutting such a hard wire that he made a jig to insert his tool into an step on it!! I believe it was a LM charge or wave .....either way not to talk smack but I would tend to believe if this was Tim personal tool it was probably built to higher standards being material or heat treatment than the off the line ones that are shipped out to us. But I could be wrong

[2018DRZ400SM]

A return label would be perfectly fine by me I didn't even think about that when I wrote the email!

[Aloha]

That demonstration is very well known.

 https://youtu.be/GQ2HamoWtG4?si=iLFohlTBlRmoM_QG

[2018DRZ400SM]

That demonstration is very well known.

 https://youtu.be/GQ2HamoWtG4?si=iLFohlTBlRmoM_QG

Yes!!! Thats right it was a hardened cement nail!! Anyone willing to try that with their leatherman? Hahahaha pretty sure the plier will snap off.

[cdcengineer]

That looks like a TTi with old plier head (no replaceable cutters)

[2018DRZ400SM]

Yes it does! Looks like the one I have and carry everyday

[cdcengineer]

Me too, except mines a Ti with old scales

[MrToolJunkie]

Hello everyone,  just a question on arc issues and help from leatherman.  Have you gone through warranty return on a brand new tool or a different route? My tool came scratched up dull blade, super wobbly handles and cutters that won't cut through 12g house wiring!! I started going through warranty repair but realized that return shipping was required.  I don't feel its fair to pay shipping on a damaged brand new $230 premium tool! I have an email into leatherman and its been 3days no reply back. Anyone have similar issues?

I called them. They asked me to send pictures and they sent me a return label and replaced with a brand new ARC. Took 2 weeks for the whole exchange. The new one arrived in perfect order. I never rely on email as those can easily get deleted or lost.

[2018DRZ400SM]

I called them. They asked me to send pictures and they sent me a return label and replaced with a brand new ARC. Took 2 weeks for the whole exchange. The new one arrived in perfect order. I never rely on email as those can easily get deleted or lost.

That is awesome!! Thank you very much for the reply! I will call them again Monday! Every time I called there was a long wait and I hung up. This time I will wait and talk to someone.

If I might ask, what issues did you have with yours?

[Murphy Slaw]

I used the Allen wrench that came with the extra bit kit yesterday on a recliner. What a great idea, I didn't know about those flat Allen wrenches.

I'm gonna buy all the bit kits now!

[2018DRZ400SM]

I used the Allen wrench that came with the extra bit kit yesterday on a recliner. What a great idea, I didn't know about those flat Allen wrenches.

I'm gonna buy all the bit kits now!

I will say they are a great investment as is the bit extender!

[Monrogue]

I used the Allen wrench that came with the extra bit kit yesterday on a recliner. What a great idea, I didn't know about those flat Allen wrenches.

I'm gonna buy all the bit kits now!

Yeah those bits have come in handy a few times for me.  I’ve had the bit kit for years and it’s come in clutch at times.


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[MrToolJunkie]

That is awesome!! Thank you very much for the reply! I will call them again Monday! Every time I called there was a long wait and I hung up. This time I will wait and talk to someone.

If I might ask, what issues did you have with yours?

I had weld splatter or something inside the lock on the bit exchanger so it did no open smoothly. Also the pliers were ground unevenly and the logo was ground off one side...that was more cosmetic. But they replaced the tool . Qc should have caught it before packaging in my opinion

[2018DRZ400SM]

Oh wow absolutely!! Glad you got it sorted out!

[Murphy Slaw]

I will say they are a great investment as is the bit extender!

I think I'm ordering the extender in my birthday month (Thursday....) along with some more bits.

I considered the ratchet, but I think the extension will be more durable.

[2018DRZ400SM]

I think I'm ordering the extender in my birthday month (Thursday....) along with some more bits.

I considered the ratchet, but I think the extension will be more durable.

I do not have the Leatherman ratchet just the standard extender. I did get the 711 ratchet. It was pricey but a very nice little tool! Definitely recommend. I will also say stay FAR away from the "Titanium Pick" on Amazon it is a complete useless piece of butter metal. Highly doubt it's titanium. Super soft can't scribe, pick, bore holes, and definitely not use it to turn the extender!!!!

[Dutch_Tooler]

I did get the 711 ratchet. It was pricey but a very nice little tool! Definitely recommend.

Also just got this, very nice 

Is it just me or are LM ratchets unavailable right now?

[Poncho65]

If anyone can get the Ratchet, then I can attest to it being very durable 

I bought 2 when they first came out and have had zero problems with mine

I have bought Zapwizard screwdriver handles for both and use them just as a ratcheting screwdriver mostly  I carry the Micro Driver handled one in my pocket daily and use the one with the large handle at home

The handles are a bit pricier now than when I bought mine and YMMV but I have had excellent service from them as well

Here is the Micro Driver handled with the Ratchet



And here is what the large handle looks like



They make an excellent companion to any MT with a bit driver as well because of the bit storage

[Poncho65]

Also just got this, very nice 

Is it just me or are LM ratchets unavailable right now?

They just sold out again at LMs US site last week and we're only available that one day 

They really should make an effort to manufacture a bunch of these because the demand is so high

[ajcrean]

They just sold out again at LMs US site last week and we're only available that one day 

They really should make an effort to manufacture a bunch of these because the demand is so high

Bizarre that LM can't seem to get these drivers manufactured and put back into stock.
Strangely, it seems you can still order one (limited to one per household) if you're trying to buy from the UK:
https://www.leatherman.com/en_GB/ratchet-driver-667.html

[Crunchie64]

Bizarre that LM can't seem to get these drivers manufactured and put back into stock.
Strangely, it seems you can still order one (limited to one per household) if you're trying to buy from the UK:
https://www.leatherman.com/en_GB/ratchet-driver-667.html

Still in stock, but unless you’re ordering other things to get you to the £130 free shipping threshold, you’ll pay almost as much for shipping as for the ratchet.

[2018DRZ400SM]

I will be trying to get one as soon as they are available. On another note I took the advice and called LM yesterday. It was 30 min wait on the phone but the CS person was extremely helpful! Sent me an email with a case number for me to reply to with pictures. Hope I can get this sorted out!

[Legend]

Does this count?  If so, I’m in!