One-handed Plier Action?

[TudeNCoco]

I recently took on some DIY projects and realized how often I need to use the pliers on my Wave.

I pretty much like to close my tool after every use and put it in my pocket each time, so I end up opening and closing it quite a bit.  I wish I had a pair of one-handed opening pliers for this very reason.  What is your experience on this:

Do you use your one-handed pliers a lot?
What kinds of tasks do you use it for?
Would you recommend getting one?
Which one?  What are the pros and cons?

I’d like to hear your opinions on this.  Thanks Guys!

 

[thebullfrog]

I always use my pliers one-handed. I was always able to one hand open/close all of my leathermans with some practice. I open/close my Spirit one-handed all the time.

[Kmarr]

OHO pliers = good idea

BUUUUUT....it seems everytime they do that, the other implements are shortened- i.e. Sog and Gerber.
If you use the pliers the most, and don't really care for a multitude of screwdrivers, then you should totally go for it.

I have way to much caffine jitters to type right now, it took me 5 mins of correcting this post cuz I keep HITTING THE WRONG KEYS!!
So I might have more opinions and info to add when I'm not shaking like a heroin addict

[thebullfrog]

Why is this thread in two places?

[SteveRacer]

I would ...

1.  Get a LM Surge, which comes with a sheath that you can stow the tool with the pliers deployed, even if just for the length of the job.

   - OR -

2.  Get a LM Surge, that you can (with a little practice) flip open the tool and lock in the pliers, with just one hand.


-steve   

[thebullfrog]

like I said in the other thread  I can open pretty much any multi one handed. That includes the Wave. Just takes some technique and practice. Like Kmarr said there's always a trade off and it's not worth buying a certain tool just for it's one handed pliers, especially when it's really not necessary. One handed opening pliers are just a gimmick in my opinion. Though with SOG it's really just a by-product of the compound leverage system.

[Kmarr]

like I said in the other thread  I can open pretty much any multi one handed. That includes the Wave. Just takes some technique and practice. Like Kmarr said there's always a trade off and it's not worth buying a certain tool just for it's one handed pliers, especially when it's really not necessary. One handed opening pliers are just a gimmick in my opinion. Though with SOG it's really just a by-product of the compound leverage system.

Agreed

When I carry an MT, I usually go for function over form.  LM Core- no gimmicks, just pure function.  But Gimmicks like outside blades(not rly a gimmick but some tool length is sacrificed), OHO blades, OH pliers, Compound leverage, etc. makes tools fun to use. And some people just won't carry a tool unless its interesting and fun to use.  With good reason!!

Gimmicks also make things a ton easier- OHO blades for knife carrier converts,  OHO pliers for those who use them the most. I personally use a balance of tools, that's why I don't like to make sacrifices though I understand why some do.  I'm thinking of getting a Gerber myself

[thebullfrog]

I don't see the compound leverage and OH blades as gimmicks however, as there are good reasons to have those in a given situation. OH pliers I consider a gimmick since most multis can be opened one handed with some practice, and a special mechanism to accomplish the same thing a tad easier is a waste. Compound leverage serves a purpose other multis don't have, OH blades are important in some circumstances and not all multis have them. Those are actual useful, purposeful features.

[Inzelique]

I really like one handed pliers myself.  so much that I carry my SOG powerlock most of the time.  Even if using the scew drivers can be quite painful.  I have been able to get my other tools to do the one hand flip.  The surge is pretty easy since it is so heavy, and the wave just takes a harder flip .  The blast takes a really hard flip.

[Dunc]

What would be nice is to have a multi with loose/floppy handles which snapped shut , so they wouldn't keep opening up when trying to use the drivers etc.  They could be under a little spring tension that when realeased allows the handle to swing open and then just a sgueeze with the hand would seat them in place    The spring to open could consist of something similar to the lock spring on a Wave i.e a sprung tab rather then a conventional long spiral spring .
   I wouldnt want the pliers spring loaded when open though .

Dunc

[Dunc]

Why is this thread in two places?

I have merged the two together .


Dunc

[Zed]

Its never bothered me that much, my old wave i got used to OH the outer tools/blades, and could flick the pliers open if i wanted to and that wasnt that often,its the same as opening older style MT's to get out all the tools , it only takes a sec to do , i do like the OH blades on my wave though, and kind of miss them when using another tool, but the pliers dont bother me OH or 2HO 

paul 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Opening my Swisstool two handed has never bothered me in the least

[Kmarr]

I don't see the compound leverage and OH blades as gimmicks however, as there are good reasons to have those in a given situation. OH pliers I consider a gimmick since most multis can be opened one handed with some practice, and a special mechanism to accomplish the same thing a tad easier is a waste. Compound leverage serves a purpose other multis don't have, OH blades are important in some circumstances and not all multis have them. Those are actual useful, purposeful features.

I do agree with your view on the compound leverage, it's not really a gimmick, that was the wrong word. When I made my little list I was thinking of things that required certain sacrifice for a special feature.  The compound leverage pushes into the tool more when closed so the amount of bulk you can add to the tools is more limited, prob why sog uses a #1 philips instead of #2 (that's debatable).  And OHO blades I was thinking about the wave/charge and how there are 2 separate body pieces that take up the space of an additional tool. Not so much gimmicky but a cut had to be made somewhere to provide such features.

[Shorty66]

If you loosen the screws on your wave a bit and put some oil on it it will be quite easy to open the pliers butterfly-style.
Thats what i always use on my TTi.

I think a OHO assist-mechanism for the pliers is unnecessary as the butterfly opening works quite well. It would just result in a bulkier, heavier tool.

You might want to look at the slide out plier Gerber tools. Those are even easier to deploy one handed.

[J-sews]

Yeah, I agree, the spring-loaded one hand pliers like the SwitchPlier and the Gerber Recoil are more fun gadgets than useful features. The best right out of the box one hand pliers IMO are those on the Gerber 600. Anyone can master them in a few seconds, and they can be deployed in tighter areas than can the butterflyers.

[thebullfrog]

I do agree with your view on the compound leverage, it's not really a gimmick, that was the wrong word. When I made my little list I was thinking of things that required certain sacrifice for a special feature.  The compound leverage pushes into the tool more when closed so the amount of bulk you can add to the tools is more limited, prob why sog uses a #1 philips instead of #2 (that's debatable).  And OHO blades I was thinking about the wave/charge and how there are 2 separate body pieces that take up the space of an additional tool. Not so much gimmicky but a cut had to be made somewhere to provide such features.

Ah I see, and there I do totally agree with you. In those cases it's more about what you are willing to give up. I prefer having more tools in a compact space (hence my EDC of a Spirit) in exchange for OH blades. I never need my knife that fast, let alone my damn file lol. I would love to see other companies come up with some other sort of compound leverage however, as I love SOGs for that, there's just too many other things about SOGs I don't like (all small complaints that add up, great tools, just don't suit me). It'd be nice to see LM or Vic develop something similar, but more compact. Makes me wonder if SOG's patent is for their specific system, or if they hold the patent for any kind of "force multiplication" system on a multi-tool, which would explain why nobody else has tried. Or maybe they're just lazy lol.

As far as Gerber goes, their plier design has always felt like a gimmick to me. I mean back in the day I could always get my Wave open just as fast as a co-worker who insisted his Gerber was better because of the pliers. The trade-off in tool density never made any sense. Yes, Gerbers are kinda nifty and fun to fidget with, but losing that much versatility just to get the pliers open a fraction of a second faster never made any sense to me. Especially considering how awkward it feels getting at the rest of the tools on some of their models as a result. At least the trade offs for LM's OH blades make some sense, as some times you really do need a blade that fast (ask Dunc), but I can't imagine any situation anywhere, where being able to get the pliers open a fraction of a second quicker is worth the trade off. Even if there was, it always seemed to me that holding a LM/Vic/SOG by the handle and doing the butterfly thing was more secure than squeezing a Gerber by two fingers. But Bullfrog, "I can't flick my Wave hard enough. What happens if I need my pliers up on a ladder?" Well what happens when you drop your Gerber 10 feet down because it slipped out of that dainty 2 finger grip when you flicked it open? I don't know if anyone has ever really had that problem, I've never used a Gerber long enough to find out. It's just a thought I've always wondered about.

Don't get me wrong, Gerbers (more specifically: their design) have their place. That place just isn't in my pocket lol. No, if for some reason you really just can't get your LM open and closed one handed, then get a Powerlock. At least that way you get the added benefit of the compound leverage, not to mention the customizable tools. This way your not giving up much in exchange and gaining the best wire cutting and gripping power in the business. Just don't get a PowerAssist, as that's about the biggest gimmick out there.

[Shorty66]

I love the idea of compound leverage. It allows you to make a powerful tool in a compact size.
Thats really where multitool developement needs to go to: Compact allround Tools capable of doing "real" jobs rather than those tiny pliered squirt sized tools.
The skeletool does a good job at delivering strong pliers in a light package.
Its far to big and bulky for the function though. That would be a lot better if the avaible space on the skeletool would have been used more efficient.

[TudeNCoco]

Thanks for merging the threads Dunc.  I was hoping one of our quick moderators would read my mind ...

And thanks for the great discussion, what kinds of jobs do you use your OHO pliers to do?

[NutSAK]

I love the idea of compound leverage. It allows you to make a powerful tool in a compact size.
Thats really where multitool developement needs to go to: Compact allround Tools capable of doing "real" jobs rather than those tiny pliered squirt sized tools.

While I'm not a fan of squirt-sized tools, and compound leverage is good in some situations, my concern with compound leverage in a compact tool is that it would severely limit the maximum opening width of the plier jaws.

[Anthony]

Do you use your one-handed pliers a lot?
Nope, I only own one tool with that feature (MP600), and I keep it more as a desk tool rather than a EDC tool.

What kinds of tasks do you use it for?
Not many

Would you recommend getting one?
There are much better tools out there, but if you seriously want one handed pliers, I'd reccomend the Gerber MP600.  You'll find the inner tools lacking though compared to Leatherman and even SOG.  SOG tools can be opened one handed actually because of the design where you can tighten/loosed the bolts to your liking.  Leatherman however makes it difficult to adjust their tools with the use of odd security Torx bits.

Which one?  What are the pros and cons?

Not that I think of it, The SOG Powerlock gives you one handed plier (open and close) capability, and decent inner tools.  The Pros with the SOG are the compound leverage, the con would be the inner tools being somewhat thin compared to Leatherman.  If LM would design a tool with outside opening tools like the Swisstool (and one handed blades like the Wave), and one hand opening pliers (that can be opened butterfly style like the SOG), and kept it no bigger than the ST300, they'd have a winner.

[Kmarr]

I love the idea of compound leverage. It allows you to make a powerful tool in a compact size.
Thats really where multitool developement needs to go to: Compact allround Tools capable of doing "real" jobs rather than those tiny pliered squirt sized tools.

While I'm not a fan of squirt-sized tools, and compound leverage is good in some situations, my concern with compound leverage in a compact tool is that it would severely limit the maximum opening width of the plier jaws.

I forgot to adress that! Thought the arguement stands that Sog's pliers open more, the usable amount they can open with one hand is pretty much half that of a leatherman   But for extreme wire cutting, the Compound leverage wins hands down.

Just wish Sog would pick up on removable wire cutters

[thebullfrog]

I wrote up a good response earlier, then my phone logged me out of the forum when I clicked "post". And I have no desire to re-write it lol. the gist of it was that if you are set on having a "dedicated" oh pliers set-up, then go with the Powerlock. Especially since it sounds like you use the pliers a lot, the compound leverage may be a big asset to you.