What can a multitool do?

[lovenhim]

Hello everyone, newbie question here.  What can a multitool do day in and day out?  What is a multitool no no, when do you put the multi away and get the correct tool?  I have an origonal leatherman supertool on the way and I want to use it for what it can do and not abuse it.  What are realistic tasks that it will safely do? 

[Zed]

I would say most jobs the tools are designed for, i dont push the drivers to hard, but i saw with the saw  and cut with the blade, all good, 

[Vadim]

Yeah,Zed is right ,the multitools is very tough,I can agree and prove that on my own test  .They can do a lot of more than you can imagine,especially the Swisstool ,believe me,I know 

[gafftapegreenia]

Basically, don't do heavy duty jobs repeatedly and expect them to last.

Don't cut chain link all day every day and complain when a month later the cutters are dead.

Don't twist/roll the pliers as the cast pliers of a multi break easiest this way.

Overall, a multi can handle all jobs. They do best at screwing, cutting, sawing, and medium duty plier-ing, but when the need arises, they can go pretty far.

[lovenhim]

ok sounds like a plan and thanks for the help.  :0  So they are rather tough but not extreme, and heck I do not do extreme type of work so I should be just fine.  So much for cutting that car in half, oh well.  LOL   

[Threeme2189]

Whatever you do, do NOT use it as a hammer!!!
 
 

[AHB]

Whatever you do, do NOT use it as a hammer!!!
 
 

Wise words... 

And you can always take a look here to see what the tools are used for in everyday life Paul.. 
What Did You Use Your Multitool For Today?

[Mr. Whippy]

ok sounds like a plan and thanks for the help.  :0  So they are rather tough but not extreme, and heck I do not do extreme type of work so I should be just fine.  So much for cutting that car in half, oh well.  LOL   

Erm...

I've used a Leatherman metal file/saw to cut off the exhaust from my Land Rover, where it runs near the transfer box (don't want to nick up the box too much... ).  Did just fine. 

[Styerman]

Multi's are light duty/ backup tools . They do a lot of things well , they are the general practitioners of the tool world . Kinda like pocket pistols , compared to assault rifles , both will protect you , one is a lot easier to have on you at all times , but they can't really go head to head .

Chris

[evil510]

Whatever you do, do NOT use it as a hammer!!!
 
 

Evil begs to differ.....     Granted, it's not a heavy duty hammer, but sure beats using the pivot point of your pliers as I have done many times in the past  (in case you're wondering, it's just part of project Skeletool)

[Vadim]

You can also do like this with your multitools 

[Vadim]

one more 

[Vadim]

Multi's are light duty/ backup tools . They do a lot of things well , they are the general practitioners of the tool world . Kinda like pocket pistols , compared to assault rifles , both will protect you , one is a lot easier to have on you at all times , but they can't really go head to head .

Chris

" Multi's are light duty/ backup tools "  -  I think some of them can easily do tough work.And,of course,they can't really go head to head with some of regular big tools.

[Charger]

Hammers...
i would get the mut just for the hammer part.  it is simply brilliant (i have pounded various parts of tools as a hammer).  The thing that excites me the most about the MUT is the hope to see it's innovations in other tools, not military specific.  i think they have a great chassis for future tools.  The marketing is smart too. All us civillians are drooling over it (and some might by it amyway) but as soon as a non rifle version appears, we will all snap it up,

Use a multi tool for whatever the picture on the box labels it as, exactly how it sounds.  It is a tool. Don't hold back.  I have reached the point where I feel like a bit more torque will blow the charge up in my hands, but it always pulls through.  LM charge, that is...

[GraysonK]

Well, what everyone else has said is right on the money, but here's a few other don'ts:
Don't throw it in a pond/lake...it won't float (I believe someone on here did that to a skeletool I think)
Don't use a Juice SC2 corkscrew to open wine (bad things happen)
Don't use any part of the MT as a pry bar that you lean most or all of your weight on (again, bad things happen)

[Styerman]

Put another way , you can wire a few pieces of rebar with a multi , but is you plan to do it 12 hours a day , 6 days a week - better get a pair of kline's .

The advantage is in the flexability , not sustained productivity . They can save yopu a lot of walks to the truck or toolbox .

Chris

[Swiss Man]

I doubt that anyone mentioned this one but an MT can fix a Pinata.

This weekend we had my son's open house and for the first time  in his life he had a pinata (I know we are bad parents).

Well it seems that one of the teenagers took a swing and caught the rope it tore right out of the top and dropped straight to the ground
without breaking.

Taking out the Wave I poked a couple more holes in it ran some zip ties thru it and rehung it shortly after that though it met it maker.

<img src="http://api.photoshop.com/home_d565191d475d4e15af3b0f0ee4e69fde/adobe-px-assets/4144727311c241638ffd25fef3a94b5b" width="4000" height="3000"/>

[valvestem125]

I know my old PST helped me remove a Harley Davidson tail light light lens one night (on the side of the road) to change the burnt out bulb.  That's why I like the long Phillips head drivers, not the short bits. The lens's screws are recessed about an 1" in the plastic.

[porteiro]

In 1998 I was driving cross-country in a Ford Festiva when the fuel filter got plugged up.  After a couple of frustrating hours, I was finally able to change it on my own with nothing but my Leatherman PST.

[lovenhim]

In 1998 I was driving cross-country in a Ford Festiva when the fuel filter got plugged up.  After a couple of frustrating hours, I was finally able to change it on my own with nothing but my Leatherman PST.

That is neat, a fuel filter change in an emergency with a multi tool.    I am thinking about how you did that, my wife and I have a 1994 Ford Escort and the fuel filter for it is on the firewall behind the engine.  It is fun to do with a 1/4 drive ratchet and seckot.  My hats off to you sir for doing it with a multi tool.   

[Mercury]

Whatever you do, do NOT use it as a hammer!!!
 
 

Unless it is a ST300.  If it had a cord it would be a jackhammer.  Stupid big way-too-useful-and-awesome-to-not-carry hunk of steel weighing down my belt......

[DaveK]

Multitools make great hammers. Just sayin'

[ryan1835]

yep ive done that before, only to hammer bits of plastic sorting frames together though  

[valvestem125]

I used a variety of LM's as hammers to start small nails in drywall for picture hanging at my old job.  Then I found it was easier on the tool to just push the nails in holding them with the pliers.