Leatherman Multi Tools

One of my favorite things is the multi-tool.  I love tools and the outdoors, and being able to carry several tools in a single tool is a great concept.  My first multi-tool was from Gerber and I got it almost 8 years ago I think.  Probably my most used multi-tool is the Radio Shack Leatherman on my keychain.  It has a real wire stripper built into the pliers section in addition to cutters and needle nose style pliers, so as an electronics engineer that comes in handy in the lab all the time.  I like the Gerber multi-tool that I have had all these years, and still use it.  It has a different mechanism than the Leatherman style.  Instead of folding over itself the plier head slides up and down.  Sometimes it sticks a little which is annoying, but overall I actually like the sliding mechanism a lot.  I now have quite a large collection of multi-tools and keep one located in most places I go.  I really like the Leatherman brand a lot because the tools are very high quality and well designed.  There are other good tools out there, such as Gerber, but there are also a lot of very low quality knock offs.  Even the low quality knock offs can be helpful in a pinch and they're much cheaper.  The main purpose of this post is to give me reference of where all my multi-tools are when I'm looking for a specific one.  For those wondering how I could need a reference for where all my multi-tools are located, well I have a weakness for these things and my collection keeps growing.  So here they are:

• Radio Shack Leatherman (Not sure if this is still made but I think it is the same as the Squirt E4)
  • Description: real wire stripper, wire cutter, needle nose pliers, knife, small screwdrivers, etc.
  • Location: My key chain
• Croft and Barrow Adjustable Wrench (from Kohl's)
  • Description: Head is an adjustable wrench and contains knife and other typical multi-tool accessories
  • Location: Desk drawer at work
• Gerber Multi-Tool with Pliers
  • Description:  Pliers with sliding style opening, knife, and other typical multi-tool accessories
  • Location: Garage Tool Box
• Leatherman Vista Bypass Pruners
  • Description: Instead of pliers it has bypass pruners for gardening along with a knife, and other typical multi-tool accessories.  What a great concept for a multi-tool and I use this all the time when I'm working in the yard.  I bought this one the first time I saw it at Scheels!
  • Location: Garage Tool Box
• Generic orange multi-tool
  • Description: Not sure who made this but I bought it at Sears for less than $10.  It is not very high quality, but it works.  Is folding style with pliers, cutter, knife and other typical multi-tool accessories.
  • Location: Camping backpack
• Leatherman Crunch
  • Description: Another great combination of very useful tool into a multi tool.  This is a folding locking pliers (vise grips), with cutters, knife, and other typical multi-tool accessories.  This is another great concept for a multi-tool, and I bought this one the first time I saw it at Scheels also!
  • Location: Basement workshop
• Protocol Mini with Flashlight
  • Description:  I guess the brand name is Protocol and it is small multi-tool with a pliers, cutter, and knife, but instead of some other typical accessories it has a fold out LED flashlight.  A flashlight is a very handy thing to have with you, and if I had room on my key chain for a second multi-tool this would probably be the one I would choose, even over the more expensive brand name ones
  • Location: Garage Tool Box
• Leatherman Original
  • Description: This isn't made in exactly this form anymore, now that Leatherman has fancy names for all their tools.  This was the original Leatherman with a pliers, cutter, knife, and other typical multi-tool accessories.
  • Location: Minivan glove box
• Leatherman Surge
  • Description: This is a very large multi-tool.  It is basically a full size pliers, with cutter, knife, and other typical multi-tool accessories.  It comes with a bit driver for the screwdriver a couple of different sized bits.  This is the nicest screwdriver I've seen on a multi-tool.  Generally, I only use the screwdriver in a pinch, and just get by with the functional but not great screwdrivers on a multi-tool, but this one actually could be useful as a stand alone screwdriver.  The bits are not standard size though, so other bits you might have will not be compatible.  This is also my first multi-tool that comes with a diamond file, which is a very useful thing to have for filing and sharpening.
  • Location: Car glove box
• Leatherman Skeletool CX
  • Description: Very light weight multi tool with knife, pliers, cutter, and screw driver with removable bits.
  • Location: Camping backpack
• Generic small with Flash Light
  • Description: This is another generic tool with a pliers, cutter, and knife, but instead of some other typical multi-tool accessories, it has an LED flash light built in, similar to the Protocol one that I have.
  • Location: My coat pocket

• Leatherman Charge ALX
  •  Description: Full size multi-tool, similar in many ways to the Surge, although not quite as big. It does have a diamond file, a couple of knives, and a couple of bit drivers.  It comes with a nice set of bits for the bit drivers.  In general since this is a little smaller than the Surge it is more portable with similar capabilities, but the pliers are a little less heavy duty.
  • Location: My nightstand
    

I recently saw on the Leatherman web site a new multi-tool called the Skeletool CX .  This is on my wish list to use for camping.

I have some ideas for new multi-tools that I plan to submit to Leatherman or Gerber.  The first is an improvement to the Squirt E4.  This tool is perfect for an electronics engineer, but one addition I would make is that of a USB memory stick.  I actually do have Swiss Army pocket knife that has a fold out USB flash disk.  But I don't have room on my keychain for two multi-tools, so I can't carry it with me all the time.  It would sure come in handy to have that USB disk with me all the time.

The second is for a multi-tool based on one of the most useful electricians tools, the linesman pliers.  If I could only own one tool, it probably wouldn't be a multi-tool but would be a linesman pliers.  These pliers are so strong, and have such a strong cutter that you can do a lot with them.  They also have such a large metal head that you can even use it as a hammer in a pinch.  A multi-tool based on a linesman pliers would easily be a must have in every tool box!  Here are the accessories I would choose for this tool:  utility knife, regular knife, bit driver, and diamond file.

Update history:
5/21/2008 -  Updated to add Leatherman Skeletool CX to my list of multi tools.
11/22/2008 - Updated to add Leatherman Charge ALX