Why I prefer blunt nose pliers

[Grant Lamontagne]

Hot on the heels of my Wingman issue I was failed by another Leatherman, in painful fashion even, but truth be told, any of the pseudo- needlenose plier tools would have failed, so this is by no means a reflection on Leatherman, other than the fact that they need to consider a blunt nosed model!

While playing in the mud with my Jeep over the weekend I noticed I had trouble staring it in the odd time it would stall.  Initially I chocked that up to the starter (and pretty well everything else) having been under water for about half an hour.  As it turns out, that wasn't the case as the problem continued well after the Jeep dried out.  While we were getting ready to head home the Jeep wouldn't start at all and so we had a closer look at the starter.  As it turns out, I guess I didn't tighten the nut that attached the negative lead as much as I should have and it had come loose.  No problem, I have a Leatherman!   

I pulled out the Fuse I keep in the center console and went to tighten the nut.  It's actually not that easy to reach, especially not from the top, but I managed to grab it and start making several small turns, all the while thinking "What a great ad for Leatherman- fixing a Jeep that was under water at the side of a trail!  This is exactly the kind of thing they are made for!"

Then a giant ass shooting pain went through my finger as the overhanging needle nose tips got too close to the other contact and the electricity arced through the plier head and up into my hand.  I have a nice burn on one of my fingers now, not serious, but painful, and my momentary elation at how great being prepared was disappeared in a flash- quite literally.

Yes, I probably should have disconnected the battery, and yes I probably should have climbed under the Jeep rather than leaning down in, but a trail side repair is rarely done in the proper manner with the proper tools.  If I'd had a blunt nose plier there is still a chance this would have happened, but I have to think a 3/4" shorter head wouldn't have gotten nearly as close to the other contact and arced like that.

So, all the manufacturers and designers that I know read this forum really need to think more about some blunt nosed plier tools or I'll post lots more finger shots...

Def

[redbaron]

you could always get a crunch

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've always been partial to the hybrid type on the Spirit

[AimlessWanderer]

Good call on blunt nose. There's also the issue of grip. On a far simpler and less painful note I needed a blunt nosed tool today ... and I had one.

I was pulling some decent sized turnings out of the soles of my rigger boots with an IDL T5. Excellent little tool for the job having a flat driver on the end of the handle. I could pry the turning up with the driver so I could extract with the pliers and move on to the next one. A couple were "well in" though, and I couldn't get enough gripping force with the T5, so I pulled the Wave out of the drawer. I couldn't get much more purchase with that either, so out came the SOG Toolclip which sorted it straight away

[Grant Lamontagne]

you could always get a crunch

Actually I have a Crunch but I don't think it would have been much use either since the handles would have to have been partially open to accomodate the nut, and there wouldn't have been room to turn it.  The Pirahna, Guppie or SydeRench would have probably been more useful than anything else.

Def

[sawman]

MT's aside, I actually prefer my set of 4 Stanley vicegrips.  I find them practical for most uses and keep them in my big toolkit.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well if that's how you want to look at it then I'd have been better served with a cheap socket set.

Def

[sawman]

Well if that's how you want to look at it then I'd have been better served with a cheap socket set.

Def

More fitting to your topic, a nice bluntnose MP600 would also suffice 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yup- I suppose if I did more work with dainty things I might prefer needle nose, but then none of them are true needle nose pliers either.  For the most part multitool pliers are elongated blunt nose or stubby needlenose.  One of these days I'm going to go through with my plan to cut off the tips of the plier head on a multi just to make a blunt nose mod....

Def

[sawman]

When my SOG PL broke, that was actually due to it being "needlenose".  They simply weren't designed to have that kind of pressure applied to the tips.  So, yes, there most certainly is a market for more blunt nosed MT's.

[derekmac]

You'll have to throw a blunt nose MP600 in the glove box as well to keep the Leatherman company.

*edit* doh, didn't realize sawman already said that.  That's what I get for trying to watch TV and MTO at the same time.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[powerring]

I've solved the electrical conductivity issue.   




Sorry it happened but glad you're OK. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Thanks Powerring- it wasn't the first time in my life I've been shocked and I doubt it will be the last.  And, I have to say it was a hell of a lot better than the time I got some good ol 220 out of the dryer... 

To be honest, as much as I like the MP600 blunt nose I think I may give my classic SOG Power Plier some carry time and see how that works out.  To be honest, it's just about my favorite compound leverage SOG and I can't for the life of me understand why the heck they discontinued it.

Def

[scrappy]

Grant,
Everynow and then someone says something I couldn't agree with you more. And yiou mentioned two!
Manufaturers need to produce blunt nose tools! They are definetly my preference.

And my favorite sog is the power plier!

[Mr. Whippy]

Wow Grant!

Let me just say ALWAYS disconnect the battery before working on auto electrics!  With big cables you can be killed but even small wire shorts can F up the car's computer.

Glad you're ok

[sawman]

He just wanted to have a shocking experience to share with us all 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

 

[lowtech]

Well if that's how you want to look at it then I'd have been better served with a cheap socket set.

Def

More fitting to your topic, a nice bluntnose MP600 would also suffice 

...that´s what i thought. Gerber Bluntnose rocks. Although it will nopt protect you from touching the frame (ie. ground) when retorquing the hot side of a battery...
And i know that pain.... 12 V DC through uninsulated MT grips don´t feel good - neither on Jeeps nor on Motorcycles. But we made it home, i guess that is what counts...

[Grant Lamontagne]

As much as I like pliers for a variety of tasks, I am coming to appreciate the wrench cutouts in one piece tools or the adjustable wrench on the Guppy and SpydeRench much more.  Sadly most one piece tools are a bit small and oddly shaped to really get much leverage on a nut.

When I got home I pulled the negative battery cable off then tightened the starter wire up properly with a regular wrench then put the battery cable back- ie I did it properly at home where I had access to all my tools.  On the side of the trail I don't have that, and I'd rather not bring a large tool box with me everywhere I go, which is supposed to be the strength of a multitool.

Def

[turnsouth]

While I agree with not wanting to carry a full tool kit, I still find it advantageous to carry more than just an MT in off-road conditions. Not a large kit, but at least something to back-up an MT. For example, along with my MT du jour I keep a FROG tool, LM bit set, and usually a Crunch in my kit.

So it ends up being a kit that could even be carried in one pocket, but offers enough tools to disconnect a battery, and preform most emergency repairs.

 

[Syph007]

Plier based tools kinda suck though for bolts.  A regular crescent wrench with your plier based tool in your console adds much needed bolt and nut turning abilities.  It fits metric AND imperial! 

[jzmtl]

Gerber is in a unique position because the sliding head doesn't share space with other tools, so blunt nose isn't a problem, however if you fit the same in a leatherman there wouldn't be enough space for the tools, and you'll end up with the same comically small can opener on the flik.

[Grant Lamontagne]

While I agree with not wanting to carry a full tool kit, I still find it advantageous to carry more than just an MT in off-road conditions. Not a large kit, but at least something to back-up an MT. For example, along with my MT du jour I keep a FROG tool, LM bit set, and usually a Crunch in my kit.

So it ends up being a kit that could even be carried in one pocket, but offers enough tools to disconnect a battery, and preform most emergency repairs.

 

This is exactly the thinking behind my recent EDC Companions thread...

Def

[Bensasupertool]

I would'nt reccomend this for MT's but electrical tape is a decent inpromtu isoulator for pliers,drivers or a nice pair of 4" adjustible cresant wrench. Every wrap of tape counts for 10 volts of protection. Not pretty but it works. Its saved me from completing a circuit a few times. DC shocks suck as much as any.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Thanks for the tip... but I didn't have any electrical tape either. 

Def

[Bensasupertool]

Thanks for the tip... but I didn't have any electrical tape either. 

Def

Your welcome. Throw a roll in that Jeep of yours. Get a bright color to help offset dark crevases so unwanted contact isnt made.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have a roll of yellow electrical tape that would be perfect!

Def

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

[tattoosteve99]

LM needle nose+ negitive or positive contact = def burn. On the other hand.  LM needle nose+grinder/sander=blunt nose LM. Mmm take your choice. Someone had to say it. Lol

[redbaron]

LM needle nose+ negitive or positive contact = def burn. On the other hand.  LM needle nose+grinder/sander=blunt nose LM. Mmm take your choice. Someone had to say it. Lol

maybe destroy a cheaper tool instead of a LM

[Gareth]

What you need is the MP650 to give you all the options.   Lovely idea, but not that popular I'm guessing as it's no longer available.