Are there any sure winners in quality/price in Chinese multi-tools, something like the Leatherman? Or is the quality usually not there compared to something like SRM knives?
Ive read this Marmut brand one probably is one of the best at only 10.80, but any others?
Ive read that the black Gerber clone with the explosive charge tool is only so-so quality so I dont think I want to try out that one.
Some of the Ganzo ones Ive seen are $30, but they look so cheap with that little spring between the pliers. Maybe closer to $20 would be a better deal, otherwise Id just get something real from the US.
The Mammut is good - when I asked the same question, the general response was to get a used brand-name one. Which is fine, but outside the US they tend to be a very long way from cheap. Even used.
I've bought two Mammuts, one I gave to my father, the other for myself.
+1 on the Mammut, but please don't expect a Leatherman or Victorinox quality level. The quality difference in multi-tools is bigger than... let's say knives (SRM, Enlan) . But so far the Mammut has held up nicely. Had to adjust the screws a few times, as they tend to loosen over time.
Tekut is pretty good, Ganzo is... decent but not spectacular. I'm a big fan of quality budget stuff but I'll be honest in saying that I've not yet seen any budget Chinese MTs that have the same quality as the folding knives currently available. If you can wait a few months Leatherman's bringing out some low-cost multitools to compete in that market space. They have MSRPs starting at $29.95US so they should hit the market for $20-25. They're not out until September unfortunately.
Or you could get a used Leatherman PST/PSTII or Gerber MP400 off of eBay for ~$20-25
I dont think I will take a chance and order anything then, but will wait to see what the new Leatherman is like so thanks for the heads up.
Basically I have the original Leatherman, I bought it around 1990 or so? In that era when they first came out, and it was like $80 even then, and they didnt have many features at the time...so I just wanted to get another cheap one.
I can see how they would be more complex to make compared to a $5 SRM 710 or something like that.
Perhaps you multi-tool guys can show me the way. I have a few of these, given to me as gifts - Chinese, look decent, but nothing high-end like a Leatherman. Anyway, I have some stashed in my car, kitchen drawer, work bench etc. and I don't think I've ever used one for any real purpose whatsoever - casual or emergency. It seems I'm always able to find a better tool for the job.
Am I missing out because I never carry one? The closest thing to a multi-tool I've ever gotten much use from is a Swiss Army knife, perhaps because I often carried it. Not sure that I could commit to carrying a full-featured multi-tool since I like light weight - which is why I often carry a SRM 763.
There are two pieces of advice I could give you on the subject. They are:
1. Figure out what you actually need and use.
Do you need pliers that you deploy with one hand? Do you need a good quality, large locking blade? Do you need a lot of different screwdriver sizes? Do you need scissors?
About 10 years ago I was running a painting business and after about a month of work, I realized that I needed a multitool that could perform a few different functions. I needed moderate sized pliers to pull out nails, staples and wall anchors, I needed a few screwdrivers for fixing equipment, and I needed a good file that I could sharpen chisels and scrapers with. So I looked around and settled on a Leatherman Kf4 because it fit all my needs.
These days, I don't paint any more but I do a lot of photography. I need a very small pair of pliers to deal with split rings and screw attachments for flashes and flash brackets, and screwdrivers to deal with mounting and unmounting quick connect plates for tripods. I carry a Leatherman PS4 keychain multitool, and it does everything I need.
2. Figure out what you're willing to carry.
A large sized, heavy duty multitool like a Leatherman Supertool, Sog Powerlock or Victorinox SwissTool X are really cool and will do a ton of things... but they're just stupidly heavy. The SuperTool, for example, is 270 grams, not including a sheath (which can be another 75-80 grams alone). Are you going to carry that with you everywhere?
If you're working on a farm and need the heavy duty implements to say... cut rubber hosing, or you're working in a machine shop and you need heavy duty pliers, sure. But if you're wearing a suit every day, forget it. You'll look like a lunatic hauling it around in a belt case. If I'm working in the garden or helping my Dad around his house I'll drag out the full size multitool, but otherwise I'll make due with the little multitool on my keychain.
jekostas, good points. Back in the day, my Wenger with corkscrew and bottle opener got a lot of use. Plus the awl could be deployed as a fairly effective fistload for defense purposes. Toothpick and scissors also saw occassional use. Nowadays, I mostly just cut stuff. If I work on my car, well, out comes the tool box. If I go shooting, something I haven't done very much lately, unfortunately, hex wrenches and screwdrivers can come in handy to tighten screws or tweak things such as sight adjustments.
I am engaged in a process of establishing some low-key farming operations on our property - chickens, garden etc. Perhaps some good old-fashioned farm work could use some multi-tool abilities. Carrying one largish tool can be better than running back and forth for different ones.
Ganzo's and Tekrut's are often OEM rebranded so you might find one for cheap locally if you look carefully. Others have seen them for <$20 at walmart and whatnot.
The reason I posted this actually is because I saw a nice tool at Walmat branded as Stanley (which is a pretty big company known in the US) and it had a nice looking tool and tape measure in a blister pack for 19.99.
So it got me thinking Id like to get one, but not the Walmart/Stanley one since if Walmart can sell it with a tape measure and retail packaging and still make money maybe I can look around and see what else there is.
It's a Ganzo. I've seen 'em before. If you're looking for a re-branded Tekut, check the sporting goods section and look for the "Coast Portland" brand MTs and knives. Should be able to pick one up for the same price and the quality is better.
I know what you're thinking, but probably not. Walmart/Stanley can afford the ultra low margins and massive quantities to bring down cost. Plus they ship these 10k at a time in shipping container instead of individually by air. A tape measure can literally cost <$1-2 to make in china depending on quality.
Youre probably right, makes sense...before I buy pretty much anything I always like to check online to research. Even for little things like this, its good to see whats up.
I've had very bad luck with chinese multitools, and modern mexican leatherman tools. The chinese tools seem to break instantly, assuming they even function well enough for you to attempt to use them, which they usually don't. Same for the new leathermans, which have a fit-and-finish just as bad. The last actual Leatherman I bought was such utter crap I gave it away, as it wasn't worth owning. For the chinese ones and the new leathermans, they have joints that are overly stiff or overly loose, locks that don't, poorly shaped/designed implements, pliers that crack the first time you get a good grip on something (or, for the gerber clone, the first time you do anything at all with them), dull knives that won't sharpen, etc, etc, etc....
I got a SOG Powerlock, and love it. It's heavy, but it lives in my pants pocket anyway, and even with the stainless Trustfire F25 (also quite heavy), my cell, etc in the same pocket, it's still not bad at all. I got it off ebay for about the same price as a new chinese one, and think it was a far better choice.
