Living with an OHT

[kirk13]

A week ago my OHT arrived,the prize I won in the World Cup giveaway thread.

I was a little apprehensive about getting it. I've been a bit cynical about the OHT,I Havnt really seen why Leatherman needed to make a flicky tool,nor why all the tools needed OHO. The lack of scissors and the lack of a bit driver,or bit driver compatibility struck me as major drawbacks.

Jzmtl's excellent review highlighted another thing...pliers and blades are pretty much Juice sized. To me,the blade issue isn't a big one,but it's a hell of a big tool for such small pliers.

[kirk13]

I've been carrying the OHT since I got it(except for my trip into London last Thursday. There's just no justification to taking an OHT to a pub ).

Tuesday and Wednesday last week saw it getting a pretty fair workout,as there were two largish deliveries to deal with.



I'm really rather impressed with the Phillips. Despite not being a full 3d tool,it bites the screw heads well,even taking on the tiny screws on HO/OO scale cars. I've not tried the can opener yet,but it follows the standard LM pattern,which I really like. The large flat driver has been used foe some light prying with much sucess.

[kirk13]

OMG,those blades are nice and sharp I've only used them for box bashing,but man,they just go through the packing boxes like a hot knife through butter

Deployment of the PE blade is easy and instinctive. The SE,on the other hand...well my gut feeling is that it should be where the hook is,allowing easy access to right hand users. I've been playing,and the SE can be opened one handed,but it isn't all that easy. Not a big deal,but the USP is supposed to be OHO on every tool

[kirk13]

The belt cutter is nice,I like that a lot! The Oxygen Wrench makes it very easy to open,and it's great for cutting straps! I doubt I'll get much of a chance to test the wood saw,but having used both Wave and Juice saws,I'd have few doubts as to its ability. It's short length might be a drawback for some,but I can't see it being an issue for me.

[kirk13]

My favourite feature has been the lock on the pliers! Oh how I love this!


The little catch rotates through 90 degrees,allowing you to lock the pliers in the closed position. One of Gerbers biggest failings is its tendency to deploy the pliers within pockets or sheathes. This lock catch is a real touch of genius!

I'm not a fan of spring loaded pliers,never have been! I don't need to be fighting a spring when I'm trying to get a tool into its point of use. The Wingman failed big time on this for me( as well as a list of other faults). The spring on the OHT is quite soft,making it easy to partially close the tool with only a finger and thumb,even for those like me with smallish hands.

On the subject of size...

[kirk13]

The OHT is a full size MT!


Compare it to a Wave,a PST (well KST ),a SwissTool and a SAK !

I'd thought the OHT would be a beast to manage. It's not. The ergonomics rival the Spirit for good design. It's been well thought out,it's very tactile,the little relief details on the scales of what tool is where are very good( although I agree with jzmtl about it needing Wave style riding on the spine of the SE blade).

The molle sheath is ok,although how it will wear over time is another question. If I were going to carry the OHT on a regular basis,I think I'd be off looking at Skinths again.

[kirk13]

Ages ago,I made a contraversal  statement about the Wingman: LM had finally made a tool to rival the Gerber Suspension.

With the OHT I'm going to make another one: This is the first Leatherman I've owned since my first PST that I've not found any real faults with! With Waves,Fuses etc,there's always been something to rankle,but the OHT has had the PSTs instant and complete useablity.

Yes,it lacks scissors,and yes,it lacks a file,and yes these might well be oversights,but conversely,I can't see how you'd include them.

No,I can't see that it offers a military alternative to say a MUT or a MP600ST,but I could see it being a winner for LEOs or EMTs.

Is it a direct competitor to the MP600?

Depends...verses a ProScout? Probably no,the ProScout has a much higher tool density,but it's an alternative to a standard 600.

We've taken to calling the MP600 the Kalashnikov of multitools,so what does that make the OHT? Maybe the Armalite,or an MP5? I'm really surprised how much I like this tool,I'd been dreading finding something nice to say just to be polite,but it's a gem!

Thank you Leatherman. Not only for supplying my OHT as a prize to a bunch of tool geeks,but for designing your best MT in years! Well bloody done

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice write up, John. Thanks for that 

I'm also surprised how much you like it  It seems quite far removed from what I'd expect you to enjoy using. Is this a tool you've been carrying at work, or just at home? One of my reservations with the tool is not just what it hasn't got that I need (such as scissors), or all the other stuff bandied around about the OHT, but also it has got what I don't need. It seems to be overly full of cutting edges with the little saw, the two knife blades and the strap cutter. What's your thoughts there?

I've never felt a need for a strap cutter as a daily carry item (aside from the Res-Q-Me on my car keys), are you getting much use out of it? To me, it just seems a little redundant alongside the other cutting implements.

[sawman]

Nice review. It could never replace my MP600 but I'd sure like to win one 

Would I use it? Probably not. But I'm sure it would get lots of OH/flicky action.

[kirk13]

Al,to be very honest,I'm surprised just how much I like it!

Yes,I've been using it at work,as well as going down to the gun club. It's only on Thursdays drinking session that it's not been with me.

In answer to your question of the proponderance of cutting edges: your not wrong,but I think that's down to the para-military nature of the tool. The rescue hook would be damn useful to anyone where there's lots of strap cutting needing done( for example,the loading bay at my work,as opposed to me as a salesman).

In short,it'll be great for cops or paramedics,but I'm loving it in that its a LM that's working straight out of the box,and the fact that its a refined Gerber! Think of a MP600 as a Land Rover,the OHT is a Range Rover.

It's one of those tools that's better in the hand than on paper,if that makes sense?

[kirk13]

Nice review. It could never replace my MP600 but I'd sure like to win one 

Would I use it? Probably not. But I'm sure it would get lots of OH/flicky action.

Steve,you might be surprised...I know I've been!

[styx]

ofc blame Kirky for making me want an OHT. to be fair Joel shares this blame

[kirk13]

ofc blame Kirky for making me want an OHT. to be fair Joel shares this blame

Yeah that's fair

[AimlessWanderer]

Al,to be very honest,I'm surprised just how much I like it!

Yes,I've been using it at work,as well as going down to the gun club. It's only on Thursdays drinking session that it's not been with me.

In answer to your question of the proponderance of cutting edges: your not wrong,but I think that's down to the para-military nature of the tool. The rescue hook would be damn useful to anyone where there's lots of strap cutting needing done( for example,the loading bay at my work,as opposed to me as a salesman).

In short,it'll be great for cops or paramedics,but I'm loving it in that its a LM that's working straight out of the box,and the fact that its a refined Gerber! Think of a MP600 as a Land Rover,the OHT is a Range Rover.

It's one of those tools that's better in the hand than on paper,if that makes sense?

Yeah, I can certainly see the benefits to the first responder type role. I do most of my (non emergency) strap cutting with serrated blades, which this already has. The Wings slipit was used just last week for destroying a damaged 2 tonne lifting sling. I know what you mean about better in practice than on paper too. I was very surprised by the performance of the much maligned BG Strata this weekend. Sometimes a tool kind of looks wrong but feels right when you actually come to use it.

You ought to roll all those thoughts together, add a few pros and cons, and you've got the makings of a good review for the main site there mate 

[jerseydevil]

I noticed your work with the BG Strata, Al.  The Strata is an extremely underrated tool IMO.  As for the OHT, I'll have to get my hands on one just to play.  Most of the OH function is kinda lost to me being a lefty.....

[rdub934]

Great review! Glad you are getting along with it so well. I have never used one, but I think I will wind up getting an OHT at some point. I just really like the notion of everything being so easily accessible, even though this tool seems to have one too many blades. A little redundant, IMO

I have never understood the statement some have made that they thought the pliers were small. They look huge to me (although I've never used a Surge, ST, or comparably sized MT). Long needle nose, big bolt gripper, and they use the same size cutters as the ST. Maybe it's an optical illusion because of the way the handles cover the pivot area of the plier head?

[derekmac]

Great review John!!  I still want one (depending on my mood), and would love to be able to compare it to my MP600.

[Syph007]

Good stuff, nice to read your opinions.  I had one briefly but returned it. I could have got used to the sping loaded pliers, but for me the killer was the size.  Too much size and weight for that tools it has.

[kirk13]

I have never understood the statement some have made that they thought the pliers were small. They look huge to me (although I've never used a Surge, ST, or comparably sized MT). Long needle nose, big bolt gripper, and they use the same size cutters as the ST. Maybe it's an optical illusion because of the way the handles cover the pivot area of the plier head?

I'm glad you commented on this. I still had the OHT sitting next to the other tools in from the group photo above,so I opened up the tools to prove the point...

And guess what?

Here's the OHT with the SwissTool

[rdub934]

Funny that you chose a Swiss Tool for comparison - I have always considered it's pliers to be small relative to the rest of the tool. 

[Act2uToo]

Yes, the OHT and Swisstool pliers extend out of the tool body the same amount, but the OHT's pivot is inside the body of the tool, thus it has much longer plier jaws.

[Kampfer]

There is an OHT coming to me, I can't wait to feel it myself.
So far it doesn't look like something that i would like (that is why I never purchased one), but seen like this MT had surprised a few members here in a good way, I hope I would be along them shortly.

[CanadianLMfan]

Nice review! It's time to get a Rebar.

[kirk13]

Nice review! It's time to get a Rebar.

I've had one cLMf...gifted it away,it didn't gel with me

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice review! It's time to get a Rebar.

I've had one cLMf...gifted it away,it didn't gel with me

Same here

As for the optical illusion on the plier size, I think it's the 80's shoulder pads that confuse the eye  They seem to have done a better job with these pliers than on the Rebar too, in as much as the cutters don't seemd to impede on the gripping area as much

[Nhoj]

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It took me a minute to put my finger on what looked strange about that wave!

[kirk13]

That's not a Wave,that's my P.U.G!

 

[WWW]

Great reading material mister! Sure there are some drawbacks but overall the OHT do seem to be a pretty neat "little" tool.

You definitely changed my mind, with the exception of the strap cutter (and I'm sure it excels at cutting straps) and the absence of some others, the tools seem to be very usable making it a good option as na around the house carry (at least for me).

Thanks again sir, a very enjoyable Reading as always .

[kirk13]

Thank you very much WWW

I need to get some more pics done on how the BO is wearing,I'll see if I can get them done this evening

[kirk13]

So,we're well into the second week of living with the OHT. I'm still taking a lot of pleasure using it. I don't know how the Great Book of Multitools will remember the OHT,but damn it a Jim, I like it!

What I have noticed,however,is the wear patterns starting to develop on the BO finish!

The plier release buttons




Large flat driver/my Prybar/backup cabinet key




And the much used Phillips