Individual tools as good as their standalone counterpart?

[Rathbone]

Owning a multitool is often a compromise. Moderately priced standalone tools are often superior to their MT counterpart. Obviously this sacrifice is made in the name of size/adaptability but I wondered what individual tools on MTs are equal or superior to the standalone?

I'll vote for the package cutter on the much maligned Dime. To me it works perfectly and needs no improvement.

[Noa Isumi]

I would say the pliers on the SwissTech micro...
Now hear me out... the swiveling handles suck, but the pliers and cutter work far above what one expects for their size. I have cut barb wire with those tiny cutters using pinch and twist technique. The stubby handles let you 'palm' the tool to reach places you can barely fit your hand.
Now they are not going to replace normal pliers on my bench, but there are just some times that tiny tool is the only choice.

Also note this applies to the parkerized or blasted Micro, Micro+, and MicroEs models only. The polishing for all the other ones rounds all surfaces makeing the tool too slippy to use.

[Don Pablo]

Victorinox bottle opener!

[fullbreakfast]

Victorinox bottle opener!

Also the Vic scissors hold their own against any standalone scissors of similar size.

[ReamerPunch]

Leatherman can opener. The locking one that you find in larger models.
No learning curve, perfect results every time. I can open a can blindfolded with that one.

[ReamerPunch]

Victorinox Toothpick.

[ReamerPunch]

Roxon KS S501 scissors.

[Sos24]

The Spirit cutter/scraper is an awesome tool.  It opens boxes, cuts cord and zip ties, opens plastic clam shell packaging, and scrapes stickers better than any stand-alone tool I have ever used.

[Vidar]

For gripping and holding quite a few multitools have pliers equal to similar sized standalone combination pliers. The story is different for cutting though.

It makes sense as many multitools are designed around the pliers. And of course standalone combination pliers are already full of compromises. Compared to specialized single task pliers they both struggle.

[Rapidray]

Roxon KS S501 scissors.
(Image removed from quote.)

Ok...now that is an interesting setup!  How long are the blades on the scissors? Other tools? 

[ReamerPunch]

Ok...now that is an interesting setup!  How long are the blades on the scissors? Other tools? 

Cutting edge: 1.73" (44mm)

Also a nice blade.

Full review:
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,80714.0.html

[cody6268]

My Klein Tools Electrician Hybrid has drivers that bite better than much any bit or screwdriver I own. For electrical work, I'd say its pliers are as good as any linesman's plier.  Cutters are awesome for copper wire. While I am sure it would cut steel wire equally as well, I don't want to damage the cutters. They're quite sharp.

The SAK can opener. I cannot use a crank or electric can opener. I get them jammed up, or can't get them on the can. Whip out any SAK (combo tool or Vic opener, just not the standard Wenger can opener--it gets stuck due to the serrations) and I can have any can open in a jiffy. I'm sure I could get a can open with the antiquated designs such as the sickle found on old Scout knives, or the dagger-type found on old British Army knives.

[Rapidray]

Cutting edge: 1.73" (44mm)

Also a nice blade.

Full review:
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,80714.0.html

Thanks for the information! Your review on the link is excellent! I have been looking at the Leatherman Raptors but you got me interested in these now. The tanto blade is nice also. 

[gerleatherberman]

The Crunch locking pliers beat any mini blunt nose vise-grip style tools I've ever used.

[ThundahBeagle]

" but there are just some times that tiny tool is the only choice"

Hi Noa. Of course I respect you opinion,  as I do all of our friends here. However I respectfully disagree, in that they do make plyers of various sizes, including tiny ones. And I believe a tiny stand alone, quality plyers is going to do you better in those instances.

Thinking of my Leathermans and Gerberber, there just isnt any single tool on them that isnt outdone by a stand alone by Klein, Crescent, Channel Lock, old Craftsman, what have you.

Obviously I still have my Rebar or Surge on my belt or in the car any time I am working on the car or house etc. Because the versatility in such a small and accessible package is unsurpassed by any of those other stand alone tools I have named. So many of the tools in my metal Craftsman toolbox are replaced by that Leatherman, it's just a Godsend

[Aloha]

As the title is asking " as good " I can agree with whats been said so far.  I would include the blade on my Charge TTi.  Its AS GOOD as any stand alone knife.  The diamond file also comes to mind for me.  While a dedicated tool will in many cases outperform a MT I'd say a MT individual implement in some situation are "as good".  My 2c. 

[Vidar]

What the multitools really excel at is the ability to being around when you happen to need a tool. At that they totally outperform a collection of dedicated tools. (Well, that goes for the multitools that actually work. Tools you carry around and don't actually work when you need them are the worst.)

[ironraven]

Knife blades. Victorinox might not use a super steel, but their 84, 91 and 111mm blades are as good or better than almost every dedicated, non-locking folder I own. Might not always have the edge retention, but when it doesn't, it beats the other steels in ease of sharpening and the quality of the edge.

[cody6268]

Saws. Decent folding saws are hard to come by in big box stores (the only cheap one I will say that I like is the Coghlan's Pocket Sierra), and for the US cost of a Silky Pocket Boy, about $10-15 more can have a Trekker or GAK. The 111mm saw will cut most any wood (and occasionally plastic) that I need to cut--I've cut up to 2" if not 3" with it; anything bigger diameter is easier to cut with a chainsaw. But my Silky is a red model, which is best for green wood. Greenwood will quickly clog SAK teeth; which makes it a good partner to the SAK for small cutting.

[Aloha]

  As good was a terrific way to title the thread.  There are some compromises however when stated "as good" MTs sure hold their weight for most uses. 

[ThundahBeagle]

Again I respectfully disagree, even with "as good."

Try to cut a two by four with a Swiss Army Knife saw and get back to me. Meanwhile I'll get my old Disston hand rip saw and we will see which gets through it faster. The same goes for a 3 inch diameter branch at camp...use your Leatherman Rebar or Vic Trekker saw while I use my Fiskars bow saw. Or even the Opinel folding saw. 

Seriously, which wood will be cut through first and easiest?

I think as multi tool enthusiasts, we tend to overlook the limitations that come along with multitools and bolster in our minds the fact that they are so versatile and handy. While that's true, it may cloud our vision of what a true tool can do vs a multi tool.

Of course carrying around 6 different screwdrivers, a linesmans plyers with wire cutters, a bow saw, a needle nose plyers, a measuring tape, a Swing-Away can opener, a full size bartender's mounted bottle opener, a Buck knife, a bread knife, another small knife, a smurf file, and a magnifying glass - all at once in a utility belt - would be ridiculous for those of us not working on a construction site at that very moment. So the versatility in a small carrying package of a Leatherman Rebar and a Vic Explorer, both at the same time, STILL is much smaller and lighter and convenient than carrying all that metal around on a tool belt all day.

But it does not mean the tools on the Rebar and Explorer would do the job anywhere near as well, it just means we are willing to use this collection of "lesser,  mini-tools" because it is more convenient to have them all in our pocket for the "just in case."

[Aloha]

Ok ok,  your examples are on point.  I was looking at it from the perspective of everyday hand tools and MTs.  There is no doubt I've had some situations where I've had to go get a dedicated tool when my MT was not up to the task or it was easier to use a dedicated tool.  I carry a MT so I don't have to go to my vehicle to get dedicated tools.  When I moved I carried my MT and it was as good as a dedicated screw driver, knife, scissor, and file.  It really was an efficient way to remedy a situation at that moment. 

I'd imagine for those who work with dedicated tools as part of their profession a dedicated tool is always going to be their go to, rightly so.  I do have to mention my Wave performed wonderfully albeit it not on a 2x4 when I was at the box store and bought some wood materials.  I also helped my client with their wine fridge when the door handle needed adjusting.  The LM bit kit and IIRC Wave performed as good as any dedicated tool. 

While my examples can be classified as "just in case" moments I could have very well went to get a dedicated tool.  The reason I chose not to is because I knew my MT would be as good. 

A dedicated tool and well made dedicated tool that is purpose driven will always be the best choice and I wont aruge that.       

 

[Don Pablo]

There isn't a purpose made bottle open that is better than the Vic Opener .
(Except maybe in ease of deployment. You don't have to unfold a fixed dedicated bottle opener)

[Douglas]

Again I respectfully disagree, even with "as good."

Try to cut a two by four with a Swiss Army Knife saw and get back to me. Meanwhile I'll get my old Disston hand rip saw and we will see which gets through it faster. The same goes for a 3 inch diameter branch at camp...use your Leatherman Rebar or Vic Trekker saw while I use my Fiskars bow saw. Or even the Opinel folding saw. 

Seriously, which wood will be cut through first and easiest?

I think as multi tool enthusiasts, we tend to overlook the limitations that come along with multitools and bolster in our minds the fact that they are so versatile and handy. While that's true, it may cloud our vision of what a true tool can do vs a multi tool.

Of course carrying around 6 different screwdrivers, a linesmans plyers with wire cutters, a bow saw, a needle nose plyers, a measuring tape, a Swing-Away can opener, a full size bartender's mounted bottle opener, a Buck knife, a bread knife, another small knife, a smurf file, and a magnifying glass - all at once in a utility belt - would be ridiculous for those of us not working on a construction site at that very moment. So the versatility in a small carrying package of a Leatherman Rebar and a Vic Explorer, both at the same time, STILL is much smaller and lighter and convenient than carrying all that metal around on a tool belt all day.

But it does not mean the tools on the Rebar and Explorer would do the job anywhere near as well, it just means we are willing to use this collection of "lesser,  mini-tools" because it is more convenient to have them all in our pocket for the "just in case."

Using the saw and a 2x4 to make your point is a very poor choice with me.  I have on many occasions needed to crosscut a 2x4 on the job and sent my helper to the truck the get my 18 volt cordless sawzall only for him to return and find I had finished using only my swisstool,  spirit, wave, champ.... I've done this with almost every helper I've ever had.  For me The Multitool in hand IS ALWAYS BETTER than the dedicated tool somewhere else, often times better even than when the dedicated tool is close by.

Respectfully though if both are side by side a reasonable quality dedicated tool should outperform the multitool.  It's like you suggested though, who is going to have all that dedicated STUFF on their person all the time?

[Rathbone]

Partly the reason I started the thread was that I use dedicated individual tools on a daily basis some cheap, some high end. I recently saw three contractors trying to undo a screw in an air conditioning system. I think the MT was a Wave and I was amazed the amount of force that was being put on it. The tip never cammed out but eventually the owner stopped the attempts saying it was starting to distort the handles. Eventually a dedicated screwdriver was found and finally the screw yielded  but it still wasn't easy.

This is not a criticism of the Leatherman. The levels of abuse it stood up to looked beyond whatever it was designed to take and I was mightily impressed. What I think may have been the difference was the ergonomics of the screwdriver handle vs the Leatherman.

[ThundahBeagle]

Using the saw and a 2x4 to make your point is a very poor choice with me...

Respectfully though if both are side by side a reasonable quality dedicated tool should outperform the multitool.  It's like you suggested though, who is going to have all that dedicated STUFF on their person all the time?

I think we are looking at this from two different doors leading to the same room. I might be reading it wrong but the question in the title is whether there are any individual multitool tools that are better than their stand alone dedicated tools. Not considering whether you have one on-hand versus the other. If they are both sitting on your sawhorse at the time you need to cut a 2x4, which saw works better? I believe this IS a good comparison because both saws are made to cut wood.

Sure, you finished the task with a less able but more convenient toolset in the time it took your assistant to hoof it back to your truck and fetch (hopefully) what you were asking for. Yes, the tool in hand is better than the tool not in hand. And I do this all the time. Standing over a Jeep or Chevy engine with a an upper radiator hose to contend with and I can either stop what I'm doing and go find my flathead screw driver to tighten the worm gear or find my blunt nose Linesmans plyers to squeeze open the clamp...or...or I have my Leatherman Rebar on my belt and i dont want to have to put the one rag i have in the radiator hose because i need it to check the oil with it later, so i grab my Rebar and "make due" with a tool that may operate at 50% to 80% capacity, speed and ease of the real deal, but I dont have to wait.

But is it ever better in a side by side comparison? Doubtful

[ThundahBeagle]

Partly the reason I started the thread was that I use dedicated individual tools on a daily basis some cheap, some high end. I recently saw three contractors trying to undo a screw in an air conditioning system. I think the MT was a Wave and I was amazed the amount of force that was being put on it. The tip never cammed out but eventually the owner stopped the attempts saying it was starting to distort the handles. Eventually a dedicated screwdriver was found and finally the screw yielded  but it still wasn't easy.

This is not a criticism of the Leatherman. The levels of abuse it stood up to looked beyond whatever it was designed to take and I was mightily impressed. What I think may have been the difference was the ergonomics of the screwdriver handle vs the Leatherman.

Hi Rathbone

I agree with you here. If I have the right tool I use it. If not, I try my Leatherman Rebar or Surge or whatever. If that fails, I go get the right tool.

Just last night I removed a home screen door closing piston from the door frame. I have a number of Craftsman or Stanley screwdrivers that would have worked. But i was moving a couch, and the screwdrivers were in the metal toolbox that was bottom of the three i have stacked on top of one another. I didnt want to be bothered to go get the right one. Let me tell you, there two or three inch screws were TOUGH to back out of the solid doorframe with a Leatherman Rebar and it hurt my hand. And it flexed the Rebar tool a little because these screws were very tight.

I did it. It took longer and hurt my hand more. But I didnt have to go to the other side of the house and move two heavy tool boxes to get what I was after, and I didnt have to break my stride.

But my palm and wrist with I had gone to the took box, I'll tell you that.

[ReamerPunch]

Of course there is compromise when using a multi-tool. Leverage, reach, ergonomics, robustness, everything is limited. That's the main argument. Use the right tool for the job.

But then again, is carrying a 15" Silky not a compromise? Or is it normal to carry a dedicated can opener in your pocket? I do not think so.

However, there is another argument, that I do not see people mention often. "The right tool for the job" is not always necessary. Tons of every day tasks require nothing more than a multi-tool.
I do not need a dedicated pair of scissors to cut the label off a new shirt. The right tool for that job was a few millimeters of sharpened edge.
I do not need a 10" Silky to shorten a Bic. On the contrary. It is much easier and safer to do that with a multi-tool saw.
I do not need a 30$ Wiha to tighten the handle of my door. I don't even need a full-sized multi-tool if my keychain prybar fits the screw.

Of course, I am talking about little things.
I had to remove a bracket off a bed and had the Surge with me. The bit driver flexed while the screw did not budge. I had to go and get a full size allen key and even then, it took a lot of force to loosen that screw.

Still, for the everyday stuff I encounter, multi-tools and SAKs are perfect, most of the time.

[ironraven]

Hmm.... I think we're having a saw-man argument. Comparing a 3-4" saw to a 10+ one is not a fair one. Just like comparing a manual tool to a powered equivalent is.

I think that vs most other dedicated wood saws that small, yes, the Vic and LM are amazing, but by it's very nature a saw that small is heavily compromised.

[theonew]

Check this out at the 29 minute mark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et-JvYrQ84o&feature=youtu.be&t=1779