For the prices asked for that Ganzo, you might as well get something like a Leatherman Fuse (link) or a Gerber Suspension (link). Or you could wait for the new Leatherman Wingman and Sidekick, which should show up on the market at about $25 and $35 US, maybe even less.
I am a fan of budget gear (knives, lights, etc) but I'll be honest - in my years and years of using MTs (and I used to own a painting business among other things) I've not yet seen a Chinese brand that can compete with Leatherman, Sog or Vic the way that the Chinese knife and light makers can. This may change in the future, but that's the reality now. Used Leatherman multitools show up super-cheap on eBay all the time.
So you have first hand experience with Ganzo's and disliked them? They OEM the MTs for Harley and Jeep, how bad can they be. It is easy for US citizens to point out cheap prices on Ebay.com.... Ebay.de whole different story, as I explained here. I am not the biggest fan of buying used tools, even if some MT manufacturer offer good warranty conditions.
The fact that someone slaps the name of a well-known car company on the multitool doesn't make it any good. Ganzo makes tools with the following brands on it:
Jeep
Harley-Davidson
Stanley
Coleman
Heckler and Koch
Winchester
Carolina Knife and Tool
Black and Decker
Snap-On
...and about three hundred million different store brands. Still doesn't make it any good.
In fact, I'd go so far to say that any crappy, low cost multitool I find on a store shelf around here has probably been made by Ganzo. They're pieces of crap, and utterly unworth the money even on sale.
I don't like sounding like a brand snob, but this is one case where buying a known quantity is definitely the way to go.
I just gotta love the Leatherman. The real thing. I just recently broke the blade of my 7 years old Wave. I was mistreating it so badly, gave excess torque to it. Week ago I sent it to local Leatherman importer and asked them to fix it and bill me accordingly. Yesterday it came back. No charge, they did it as a warranty job. Even changed couple of other blades that were worn. Just superb customer service. The kind I'm willing to pay some money for. I know I could get like 8 chinese copies for the price of one original Wave, but... I don't know. Guess I like my lights chinese and my multotools american/european.
I would like to buy the Leatherman Mut, but in addition to the now-like-new-Wave I also have Charge TTi which I got as present from wife a year ago so I can't really justify that purchase. Even to myself. As the regular price for it is around 240 euros.
I don’t have a multitool but I do have a leatherman knife. I had to send the knife in once for repair after it was about three years old. I sent it on a wed and on Saturday I had a brand new knife that was way better than the older model I sent in for repair. I have no idea how that fast turn around could even happen. They didn’t even send a note with the new knife, like it was normal to get a new knife for an old worn out one. If warranty is of any concern at all I would think about leatherman. Not the true budget option though.
Leatherman's warranty service is well known as one of the best in the industry. This kind of story really isn't out of the norm for them.
You can find used Leatherman's all over the place - I picked up a broken PST (the original Leatherman Pocket Survival Tool) circa 1990 with a broken file for $20. Sent it in to Leatherman and they sent me a new Leatherman Blast in return.
old thread but the links for the LM Wave knock off is still working. MAMMUT multi-tool multitool multi tool mamut.
the Ganzo's are also sold in ALDI or LIDL, 1x per year. good stuff, i got one and will gift it away.
i keep my Vinox Spirit on my PC desk .. it looks (and feels) like an "instrument" (medical instrument, clinical tool) or even a piece of jewelry for your glass cabinet or jewelry box. Definitely collectible and used&unscratched Spirits sell on ebay for 50-60€.
The suggested 11.80US$ shipped for the Wave clone is a great price .. you hardly get a 1xAAA flashlight for this money! Other prices for this knockoff have been quoted (£2.49, $8.00)..
How is your Mammut holding up? i might buy one for the fun of it .. because it seems good value. maybe better than a typical Ganzo.
the leatherman wingman is an excellent value, a lot cheaper than other leatherman models, but intentionally crippled a bit. outside accessible blade and scissors
I can't recommend the Mammut tool any more... it broke on a friend at the pivot screw for no apparent reason. Even the latest Aldi MT has better built quality. The Ganzo 301 has held up nicely so far, but it isn't the most compact. It seems like you have to spend around $30-40 to get a half decent MT with locking tools, which is important to me.
i take your word then, thanks and will pass on Mammut's no prob :)
i thought i could use it as beater since i my Victorinox MT is for fiddling only. daily dusting it off and polishing it with a glasses cleaning cloth lol.
The pliers of the ALDI (Ganzo) are great but the retractable tools look cheap. I have yet to see the quality of a "real" i.e. unrebranded Ganzo.
Have had: Leatherman, Gerber, SOG, Schrade, Buck and a few other I can not remember.
For me old man with a grey beard the multi-tools do not get my little jobs done. Skilled mechanics can use multi-tools but I am unskilled and they just do not cut it for me sorry.
The end; I have none. I do have a 4-way screwdriver and electricians needle nose side cutter, wire stripper, plyers type those two real tools will fix most thing for me plus a big Red Tool box full of tools that make my 1st. Wife smile when I fix her stuff.
Just saying the first wife hellps put the screw driver blade in the slots or X then I can turn the screwdriver. I have low vission butt I can still see. My wife yells at me all the time she says I can not hear. She also tells me my walker is always in her way.
The Ganzos have not 1 quality level but many... The G301 is a lot better than the Aldi MT (with 2CR markings so probably also produced by Ganzo). But even the G301 doesn't come close to the fullsize VICs and LMs, but it's good enough. At first I really liked the Mammut for its tool arrangement and the very usable pliers, but later I found that the adjustable pivot screws are very hard to find a suitable pressure level with... some tools were too loose and some too stiff. When the pivot screw broke on my friends Mammut I took a closer look at the now disassembled MT and came to the conclusion that these are not made for heavy duty use... the risk of hurting yourself is just too high. I agree with tadpole that MTs can never be a substitute for a real toolbox... but they are a good backup when size and weight are an issue. I take the G301 with me on my 2 wheel trips (with and without motor).
in any case it is a good advantage that it is possible to disassemble the handles, put everything back together, and readjust the pivot screws. so you're saying that finding the perfect pressure for adjusting the screws were a true challenge? Do your retractable tools on the Ganzo and on the Mammut clump together when you pull out a single tool? On some Leathermen the tools do clump, yikes for the EUR-price paid!
At least with the LMs and Vics you can give it back if you don't like it and get a no hassle refund. In my book the the fullsize Swisstool CS plus is still the champ of MTs, all aspects considered besides the price level. That L-shaped bitholder is just a monster, if you apply some serious torque.
I got the mammut today, rebranded as Truper, or, from now on, starship truper multitool… I knew it wasn’t the next big thing when i ordered, so not really dissapointed. Frame is ok, pliers too, tools not too bad, and the steel, well, this things are not supposed to chop trees. For ocasional use, 11 USD shipped, it’s worth getting it. I like Wave’s design with the blades accesible from the outside, no need to open the pliers.For pulling cables, cutting some wire from time to time, few screws, and stuff like that, I wouldn’t spend the 70/100+ bucks Leatherman cost here in Europe (it’s much different in the States). Pivots and spacers seem to be easy to replace. I have a Winchester MT (Ganzo OEM) and the quality is very good, the only thing it lacks is scissors, but i never needed them before, so not a big deal. I know LM have life warranty, but with their price i can get 5 Ganzos and, frankly, who breaks the MT’s so often? and, anyway, warranty doesn’t cover loses (not the first MT i lost so far). Some people complaint too about the adjustment on their LM’s, Gerber (Ganzos, btw), SOG and so on.
As Vectrex, with the motorbike or with the bike, the Ganzo’s always with me.
hello, so you're saying that you ordered and got exactly this one? (Truper? .. got any photo or pic? Did the Truper shoot the Mammut? What happened? haha)
I know the Winchester MT (Ganzo OEM, see ALDI/LIDL), very nice pliers, file, and saw.
How does the Mammut compare with the Winchester? Is any of the two the clear winner? I gifted away the Ganzo OEM because my Vinox Spirit is supposed to stay a shelf queen lol .. so i would want a beater. I think that Vectrex liked his Ganzo better than his Mammut!
