The Swisstool 11 years on

[Dunc]

Acording to Bobs extremely helpfull multitool timeline http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,2281.0.html   The Swisstool is 11 years old this year  So what are your thoughts , how many broken ones have we seen , and what the best bits and worse bits ? I think eleven years is plenty long enough to test a tool out . I bought my first one on the 12th of Jan 2000 and its still my favourite tool by far .

Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It must be less than 1% of Swisstool's that have been defectve overall

[Dunc]

It must be less than 1% of Swisstool's that have been defectve overall

I think your right . It would be great if companies released these details but I doubt that would happen . I would stick my neck out and say Vic must get less returns then any other company .

  Theres one photo on the whole of the internet ( that we know of ) of a broken Swisstool  Sure I have bent a couple of tools but that was because I was doing something with them they werent designed to do  ( both were replace ) . I've never had one fail even when pushed very hard .

Dunc

[MultiMat]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

[Dunc]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

LMAO!!! 

[Dunc]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

LMAO!!! 

 

[DaveK]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

LMAO!!! 

 

You do meet a better class of people in that forum though... oh hang on, they're the same aren't they?

[max6166]

Well, in the "other guy's" defence, my SwissTool was definitely a rattler. From what I understand, it was likely the exception though.

Maybe one day Vic will answer one of my emails, or even better, just send my ST back to me and I will know what a normal ST is like.

Except for the plier pivots, everything was great though. Fantastic even.

What does everyone think the chances are of a new model coming out? What would you want it to be?

[Tarrodemierda]

i have two broken ones,one has a spoiled wirecuttr and other has its blade split in half.all my fault

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

i have two broken ones,one has a spoiled wirecuttr and other has its blade split in half.all my fault

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

What does everyone think the chances are of a new model coming out? What would you want it to be?

There almost certainly working on one right now , but they won't release it till it's bug free. And there probably paying very close attention to the future legality of certain knife/tool type's in the rest of Europe before commiting to one design

Plus in the slow, methodical evolution ethos of the Swiss, they know they've got a very good tool on there hands already, so why rush the demise of it

[Dunc]

i have two broken ones,one has a spoiled wirecuttr and other has its blade split in half.all my fault

Please post pics  then we'll have three 

Dunc

[Mike D]

Well, in the "other guy's" defence, my SwissTool was definitely a rattler. From what I understand, it was likely the exception though.

Maybe one day Vic will answer one of my emails, or even better, just send my ST back to me and I will know what a normal ST is like.

Except for the plier pivots, everything was great though. Fantastic even.

What does everyone think the chances are of a new model coming out? What would you want it to be?

I'm not so sure it is the exception. My first ST is an X with a 2002 plier head and it loosened up way too quickly for my tastes, to the point where the wire cutters will actually make contact with each other when using the pliers.

I thought I might have just got a bad tool so I bought a RS about four months ago and have been EDC'ing just to see how the 2005 plier head on it was going to hold up. Well I hate to say it, but at this point the plier head is only slightly tighter on it then on my X.

I will say this is my only complaint with both tools, I love everything else about em, its just a bummer the plier heads aren't tougher

[MultiMat]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

Dunc I spent a little time looking at that link  I could not find any mention of rust & rattles  But I did have Micky's "one brand" rose colored glasses on at the time so I might have missed something 

[max6166]

Well, in the "other guy's" defence, my SwissTool was definitely a rattler. From what I understand, it was likely the exception though.

Maybe one day Vic will answer one of my emails, or even better, just send my ST back to me and I will know what a normal ST is like.

Except for the plier pivots, everything was great though. Fantastic even.

What does everyone think the chances are of a new model coming out? What would you want it to be?

I'm not so sure it is the exception. My first ST is an X with a 2002 plier head and it loosened up way too quickly for my tastes, to the point where the wire cutters will actually make contact with each other when using the pliers.

I thought I might have just got a bad tool so I bought a RS about four months ago and have been EDC'ing just to see how the 2005 plier head on it was going to hold up. Well I hate to say it, but at this point the plier head is only slightly tighter on it then on my X.

I will say this is my only complaint with both tools, I love everything else about em, its just a bummer the plier heads aren't tougher

Say it ain't so. And after only a few months...?

I had assumed the whole point of the ongoing plier head changes was to fix that problem. Sounds like they haven't made much of a difference at all.

It's rather odd though, because I am sure Vic have it in them to make a superb quality plier pivot. For example, has anyone ever seen this problem with a Spirit?

The rest of the tool is just so mind-boggingly well done. It's hard to believe they haven't solved this one remaining problem in 11 years of attempted changes...

[Leatherman123]

Hmm, eleven years already! 

[Mike D]

Well, in the "other guy's" defence, my SwissTool was definitely a rattler. From what I understand, it was likely the exception though.

Maybe one day Vic will answer one of my emails, or even better, just send my ST back to me and I will know what a normal ST is like.

Except for the plier pivots, everything was great though. Fantastic even.

What does everyone think the chances are of a new model coming out? What would you want it to be?

I'm not so sure it is the exception. My first ST is an X with a 2002 plier head and it loosened up way too quickly for my tastes, to the point where the wire cutters will actually make contact with each other when using the pliers.

I thought I might have just got a bad tool so I bought a RS about four months ago and have been EDC'ing just to see how the 2005 plier head on it was going to hold up. Well I hate to say it, but at this point the plier head is only slightly tighter on it then on my X.

I will say this is my only complaint with both tools, I love everything else about em, its just a bummer the plier heads aren't tougher

Say it ain't so. And after only a few months...?

I had assumed the whole point of the ongoing plier head changes was to fix that problem. Sounds like they haven't made much of a difference at all.

It's rather odd though, because I am sure Vic have it in them to make a superb quality plier pivot. For example, has anyone ever seen this problem with a Spirit?

The rest of the tool is just so mind-boggingly well done. It's hard to believe they haven't solved this one remaining problem in 11 years of attempted changes...

I completely agree. I can find no fault with the rest of the tool, but the plier head is its one annoying fault.

Like Dunc has said many times the play really doesn't seem to affect the performance of the plier head, but every time I open the tools to use the plier it looses all of its Swiss quality feel to me.

Not to turn this into a Leatherman vs. Swiss post, but I have a 16 year old PST, and its plier head is way tighter then both my Swisstools.

[Leatherman123]

Yeah, all SwissTools have a little plier head play.. It never bothered me.. But now it does! 

[max6166]

Like Dunc has said many times the play really doesn't seem to affect the performance of the plier head, but every time I open the tools to use the plier it looses all of its Swiss quality feel to me.

That's what makes me hope that the problem with my '98 ST is different from what you guys are describing. The play in my pliers definitely affected their function, especially when using the very tips. The jaws actually moved perpendicular to the pivot.

I am hoping that you guys were talking more about a general looseness in the same direction as the pivot. My ST had that problem as well, but I could live with that. If the jaws still wiggle up and down while trying to grab things though, that will be a dealbreaker.

Of course, at this point, I am praying that Vic simply acknowledges that I exist and sends me back anything at all...

[Leatherman123]

Just send it in Max! It is covered under warranty!!!  Oh, and if you sent in when you posted the thread you would probably have it back by now!

[max6166]

Just send it in Max! It is covered under warranty!!!  Oh, and if you sent in when you posted the thread you would probably have it back by now!

But I did send it in. I sent my Swisstool and a SAK in under warranty almost immediately back when we first talked about it.

It's going into the 4th week since it arrived. Vic Canada is just on the other side of town from me. I had tracking on it, so I know they received it. I was warned it might take a while so I wasn't necessarily hoping to get them back yet.

My concern is that my emails to both Repairs and Customer Service simply asking about the status of my items are going unanswered. I literally just asked them to at least acknowledge that they were receiving any of my emails, but no answer to that either.

I am sure it will be ok, but it seems a little strange since when I emailed them on another topic a few weeks ago, they got back to me within a few hours. This time it has been a week and a half so far and counting. I should have a moment during their business hours next week where I can finally try calling them on the phone, so hopefully that will take care of it.

I think it's really tremendous that Vic has a basically "no-questions asked" lifetime warranty, but the implementation of it is not on par with other companies I have dealt with. Mailing your stuff into the ether and just checking your mailbox every day for a month or two is not really consumer friendly.

[Poncho65]

Hope you get it back soon max   

  Congrats Vic on 11 great MT years 

[Leatherman123]

Try giving them a call.. I have sent back a few SwissTools with the plier pivot looseness and I got them back within a week and a half! 

[Dunc]

Yeah, all SwissTools have a little plier head play.. It never bothered me.. But now it does! 

Dont listen to them , its just LM propaganda 

Dunc

[Dunc]

Watch out guys I am sure in the next little while Swisstools throughout the world will start rusting & produce a deafing rattle 

Sorry MultiMat I think you have the wrong forum , the one you want is here

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/board,3.0.html

 

Dunc

Dunc I spent a little time looking at that link  I could not find any mention of rust & rattles  But I did have Micky's "one brand" rose colored glasses on at the time so I might have missed something 

  I cant find those glasses anywhere on Vics website 

Dunc

[Benner]

Not to turn this into a Leatherman vs. Swiss post, but I have a 16 year old PST, and its plier head is way tighter then both my Swisstools.

I know what you mean.  Both plier pivots on my 2000 PST and my '96 Supertool have far less play than my Swistool.  The play hasn't got bad enough to effect it's function though.

[Mike D]

Not to turn this into a Leatherman vs. Swiss post, but I have a 16 year old PST, and its plier head is way tighter then both my Swisstools.

I know what you mean.  Both plier pivots on my 2000 PST and my '96 Supertool have far less play than my Swistool.  The play hasn't got bad enough to effect it's function though.

Well its just a bummer cause its the one flaw in an oterwise flawless package, IMO.

I haven't sent either of my tools in for warranty cause I kind of figure whats the point? Just to get another one and have it loosen up again in a few months. I'm just going to keep using the crap out of my RS and see if it gets any worse. If it does then I may send them in and retire em.

Max, the play in my plier heads is side to side too, not near as much up and down. I don't really do any fine tweezer type work with my Swisstools, so I guess that's why the play hasn't really affected there performance for me yet.

[Dunc]

I know exactly what you all mean about the plier play but for some reason it hasnt stopped the tool working as it should do .All mine will still cut thin wire . Its not a defect but more of a characteristic of the tool . Even the Spirit can suffer .

Dunc

[NeitherExtreme]

Well, as long as we're looking for problems, I've wondered how common it is for Swisstools or Spirits to have locks that can slip under pressure. I feel like I remember hearing one or two complaints about that somewhere.