Swisstool X (Plus ?) - Initial thoughts.

[donvito]

Dave I'd suggest picking up one of the newer Spirits with both scissors and spear point blade, unless you don't care about scissors (a must for me) and want the Spirit S. I just got my Spirit for under $20 BNIB couldn't let a deal like that pass, I do like it but feel the need for a proper blade.  

[DaveK]

At $20 I'd get one now!

The going rate over here seems to be 5x that! I do prefer scissors on a multi, but for the purposes of this exercise, any model would do me.

[Poncho65]

Well it all boils down to preference doesn't it It's really just apples and oranges

I red the whole thread just now and have seen some very good points made by everyone

For me I have a STX and I like it well enough, I don't have any problems with the locks but I do close them 2 handed (which makes a world of difference) But I also like the locking system that LM implore on the Charge/Wave series as well.  The tools of the STX are superb but  they are the hardest tools of any of my MTs to get out It does seem that they have loosened up a bit but they are still unweildy The pliers of the STX are well different I am sure that in some aspects they would be perfect, I still prefer the LM style though

Do I reach for the STX when working........sadly probably not I am a LM man and have become accustomed to there tools I would more than likely reach for my trusty Wave or Super Tool

Thanks for your view on it Dave seems I have a very similar view (Glad it wasn't just me ) But I more than likely will keep it though

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Where to start

Only kidding

Great review mate , and while I don't agree with some of your point's, even I'll admit that the tool's are hardly the easiest thing in the world to get out, however they do get easier with a bit of practice

The biggest problem wih the ST is the fact that it's very rare for anyone (except possibly me) to fall in love with them straight away , it's definetly one of those tool's that you have to use to really appreciate, as on casual inspection it can seem to fiddly (if superbly built) to be useful in the real world, so if you can, RA permitting, stick with it and see what happens

[Roadie]

Interesting points you bring up there Dave

Let me start with the nail biting bit, i bite my nails (not out of nervousness or an inability to stop, but to keep them short) and i have no problem getting any of the implements out, maybe i don't bite mine short enough?! The hardest thing i find is remembering where each of the lesser used tools are I can if pushed open just about each blade with one hand, not very quick but possible, and i find it fairly easy to use the lock releases too, can do it one handed but i think that from a safety point of view it is much better to use two hands as then you should never lop a limb off in the process

I think a bit more practice (experience) is needed, you've been groomed on Leathermans as you freely admit and yes you have a SAK or two but you don't really have much experience with a ST or Spirit.

You made some good comments though that new buyers will appreciate, not everything about the ST is perfect in everyones eyes

[Benner]

One more point on the locks, I have never had a ST fail on me, but I have had problems with the liner locks on the Wave.  It is because of the Wave that I am now not keen on liner locks at all and will avoid them especially in folders.

[DaveK]

Poncho / Micky / Roadie:

I've persisted with it today, and it is getting easier with practice to open the tools, so you're spot on with that. It's had a proper work out today too, as I'm stripping a room and refurbishing it as an office, I've dismantled furniture, removed fixings from walls, put up guitar hanging brackets, changed plugs, fixed fuses, and probably other stuff that I've forgotten already

She's let me have half an hour for lunch   so here's a very quick overview of the Swisstool today so far:

- Awl is superb - the sharpness is perfect for marking pilot holes for subsequent drilling.
- Bit Wrench - how did I ever manage without one of these? Two different allen keys (one in each end - always ready), makes disassembling Ikea furniture a doddle!
- Pliers - needed needle nose pliers a few times today, not yet found a use for the ST-X. Enter Core  
- Phillips. Sorry guys, it's pants. After scratching it up a bit on a stubborn screw holding a curtain rail up, and fearing that more force would actually twist it, I got the Core. It came straight out.

It's doing OK, but so far the Core has had to bail it out a couple of times.

I'll update later, but to summarise this morning, I've warmed to it a bit, but it's not a serious contender so far.......

[Benner]

Poncho / Micky / Roadie:

I've persisted with it today, and it is getting easier with practice to open the tools, so you're spot on with that. It's had a proper work out today too, as I'm stripping a room and refurbishing it as an office, I've dismantled furniture, removed fixings from walls, put up guitar hanging brackets, changed plugs, fixed fuses, and probably other stuff that I've forgotten already

She's let me have half an hour for lunch   so here's a very quick overview of the Swisstool today so far:

- Awl is superb - the sharpness is perfect for marking pilot holes for subsequent drilling.
- Bit Wrench - how did I ever manage without one of these? Two different allen keys (one in each end - always ready), makes disassembling Ikea furniture a doddle!
- Pliers - needed needle nose pliers a few times today, not yet found a use for the ST-X. Enter Core 
- Phillips. Sorry guys, it's pants. After scratching it up a bit on a stubborn screw holding a curtain rail up, and fearing that more force would actually twist it, I got the Core. It came straight out.

It's doing OK, but so far the Core has had to bail it out a couple of times.

I'll update later, but to summarise this morning, I've warmed to it a bit, but it's not a serious contender so far.......

I agree with all those points.    The phillips is the main let down with the Swisstool IMO.

[Dunc]

Suppose I better have my say 

Locks - I can't believe you don't like them  I think they are the best on any tool out there . Much better then the Core which I found can be pressed accidently .

Nail Nicks -  Your spot on about these and I keep my left thumb nail a little long for this reason . My other 9 nails I bite the hell out of .

Phillips Driver - After using alot of LMs lately I have to agree the phillips is pants 

Like Mike said it does grow on you . The tools don't get easier to open but you learn over time the best way and it won't be a problem .

Dunc

[DaveK]

Dunc - It's not the locks themselves that bother me, it's the release mechanism. I am getting on with them better now to be fair, but I still prefer the press motion of the Leatherman tools. This is almost certainly down to familiarity, I simply don't have to think about it with a Leatherman any more, it's like second nature. I've never accidentally released the lock on any Leatherman though.

Something I just remembered also related to the phillips. The "awkward" screw earlier was quite tight to reach, so I tried with the ST-X first, and then the Core with the handles "stretched", i.e. one handle opened, the other closed. One thing I have really become accustomed to with Leatherman tools, is that they are designed to be comfortable in this position, and recognise that the back of the leading handle is a natural place to exert force and generate some decent torque. I still have the dents in my thumb from trying this with the ST! When I eventually gave up and switched to the Core, it was sheer bliss! God bless plastic inserts

As for persevering with it, I could and maybe it would grow on me a bit, but given that the phillips screwdriver is one of my most frequently used tools, I'll probably just make my life easier and use a LM

Oh a question! When looking at the outside of the handles in the closed position, there is a backspring that works on the pliers. On both sides it has a funny shaped "hole" which is too precise to be an accident. Any idea what they are for, or indeed why they are not solid?

[Benner]

Are you referring to the slot for the corkscrew?  That can be used for a lanyard ring as well.

[DaveK]

Are you referring to the slot for the corkscrew?  That can be used for a lanyard ring as well.

Maybe! In fact yes, there's a picture and everything 

RTFM Dave 

[Benner]

Are you referring to the slot for the corkscrew?  That can be used for a lanyard ring as well.

Maybe! In fact yes, there's a picture and everything 

RTFM Dave 

It's no fun reading the instructions. 

I have never used it though.

[DaveK]

Haha - I love the way that the empty slots in the bit holder that the wrench clips to is sold as a feature:

1. pliers
....
29. bit wrench
......
36. wrench for Hex 1/4"
37, space for additional bits

[Leatherman123]

Or the crimper that isn't even a crimper!

[DaveK]

Or the crimper that isn't even a crimper!

Oh yeah! What's that all about then?

[Leatherman123]

I don't know! Its under the plier head, and it does the same as the pliers would! 

[DaveK]

I don't know! Its under the plier head, and it does the same as the pliers would! 

Lol - it looks like two bits of flat metal to me. Not so much a crimper as a squisher

To be fair, it's not just Vic that do this, I'm sure one of the LM user guides lists the handles as a feature (can't remember which one now).

[Leatherman123]

Hmm, I've never seen that.. I'd like to know which one! I noticed that LM doesn't list all the tools. They list the large bit driver instead of the philips and 3/16 slotted driver..

[DaveK]

I have to sort my stuff out in the next week or so as she is moving me into a smaller office / den / playroom , so I'll see if I can spot it and let you know.

[Poncho65]

I don't know! Its under the plier head, and it does the same as the pliers would! 

Lol - it looks like two bits of flat metal to me. Not so much a crimper as a squisher

To be fair, it's not just Vic that do this, I'm sure one of the LM user guides lists the handles as a feature (can't remember which one now).

I believe that the Core lists it as a crimper as well and the Super Tool

Glad you are getting a little more use to it but I definitely know were you are coming from about the comfort of a LM  I find myself going back to the familiarity of them everytime

Nothing wrong with it though cause Mike does it with all the LM he gets and goes back to the SwissTool everytime

But as I have already said it's apples and oranges LM and Vic

[DaveK]

Right!

Two more days of decorating and assembling flat-pack furniture has given the Swisstool a really good work-out, and given me an opportunity to get to know it a little better. Right now, the ST-X is caked up with plaster dust, and the blade is covered in a sticky residue from cutting tape. So it worked hard enough.

As the phillips was not up to the jobs I needed, I had my Core with me on stand-by, as I must have tightened hundreds of phillips screws / fixings in the last couple of days and the ST-X would have gone out of the window. I won't mention the phillips again 

OK, during the course of yesterday and today, I have been putting up shelves, building bookcases, desks and moving my network (routers, WAP, cabling etc) into my new "office" as SWMBO has booted me out of my old one. I've used various flat-head drivers, blade, saw, pliers, ruler, scissors and I think that's it. The approach was, try and use the ST-X first, and only reach for the Core if it couldn't hack it.

Overall, the ST-X has performed pretty well, and I've got used to the locks a bit, and have figured out how to open the tools I need a bit less painfully. In addition to the problem I said I wouldn't mention again (and I won't, honest) there were two other occasions when I had to give up and use the Core.

1) Cutting a square hole in plasterboard with the saw. The square tip of the ST-X's saw meant that it was impossible to start the cutting, whereas the Core has a pretty sharp point that made life a lot easier (and the hole a lot neater);

2) Retrieving dropped grub screws / pulling cables with pliers. On a number of occasions I had to use the Core's needle nose pliers, where the ST-X's wouldn't fit.

I have to say that I didn't find anything that the ST-X did better than the Core, but clearly I've found a few things that the Core definitely does better than the ST-X.

I think I've given it every chance, and been fair but I'm sticking with Leatherman, one of mine may rust one day (although they haven't yet), but I'd much rather have tools that can get the job done!

I shall clean it up and re-lube it and then decide what to do with it 

[Benner]

At least you gave it a good test. 

[Poncho65]

At least you gave it a good test. 

Yep you tried it and didn't get along that's fair enough

[Neil]

Informative though all this is, what hasn't been mentioned and what I really want to know is, what evil did you do to get kicked out of the big office



Neil

[DaveK]

Informative though all this is, what hasn't been mentioned and what I really want to know is, what evil did you do to get kicked out of the big office



Neil

Nothing, it's wrong I tells ya  Nah, we need more space for the child-minding, so it's going to be a sort of playroom / cage

I'm in the new office now, and my network seems to be functioning OK, and it's nice with all new furniture, but a bit cramped. One bit of good news though, I have a length of wall big enough to hold Roadie's Leatherman timeline, and it looks great

[Roadie]

One bit of good news though, I have a length of wall big enough to hold Roadie's Leatherman timeline, and it looks great

Cracking news Gromit

[DaveK]

One bit of good news though, I have a length of wall big enough to hold Roadie's Leatherman timeline, and it looks great

Cracking news Gromit

I tried to get a pic, but it's a small room and I don't have a wide angled lens! This is the best I could do:

[Neil]

  Result 

Neil

[Roadie]

I tried to get a pic, but it's a small room and I don't have a wide angled lens! This is the best I could do:

It is a bit of a beggar to take a photo of isn't it!! What you should do is make a timeline with real tools instead of just pictures