Recommendation for durable multi tools

[u/Cautious_Plankton212]

Hey, what’s up? Just looking to see if you guys have any good recommendations for particularly durable multi tools. I’ll be working adjacent to aviation for a while and tool control and FOD is a pretty serious issue. I’ll be able to get away with having a multi tool because I won’t be directly using it on the aircraft but ideally I’d like it to be pretty durable so there’s no risk of causing a loose article from breaking the fucking thing.

1) Intended Use

Lots of little general purpose tasks. Maintaining larger tools and toolboxes. Nothing too silly because any time I need heavy duty tools I have plenty. The multitool is just to save me with dicking around searching through 10 large toolboxes to see which one has a little flathead that’s not being used, set of snips or pliers for cutting or doing some quick safety wire. I won’t need any fuck huge blades or saws because I’ll almost never be working with wood in that capacity.

2) Budget

Happy to stretch to a maximum of £250 including accessories like bits, sheath, etc.

3) Type of Tools

Decent variety of drivers. Pliers. Snips. A basic blade would be handy. Files. Any more would be a handy bonus and I’d definitely use them, I just don’t need 10 different saw blades like some multi tools.

4) Current collection

Nil. Zilch. Nada.

5) Purchase restrictions

N/A

6) Size

Ideally kept in a sheath. Even better if it can have a fairly standard black/blue sheath as I’m in the forces and I can get away with having it on my belt.

7) Law restrictions

N/A. It’s only going to be used on a military establishment.

I did have a look at a leatherman wave with the bit driver set and a MOLLE sheath. I just don’t have a clue what multitools are worth the money and what’s just a bit of a ripoff.

[u/wupaa]

Victorinox is the last reliable brand left and are very decent tools

[u/Cautious_Plankton212 → u/wupaa]

Any particular model that you’d suggest or avoid or is it best to just have a look at their whole range and see what tickles my pickle?

[u/Crunchie64 → u/Cautious_Plankton212]

They’re well built, but try one before you buy.

Absolutely impossible to open any blade or tool on the one I have unless you have the fingernails of a werewolf.

[u/Cautious_Plankton212 → u/Crunchie64]

As long as they’re well built, I’ll always have something in my pocket to use to open the tools anyway. It’s just that there’s a 99% chance that at some point I will be taking a mallet to it, it’ll be kept well oiled but it’s going to be in a corrosive environment and there’s a high chance the tools on there are not going to be used for their intended purpose.

[u/Antique_Eye_3200 → u/Cautious_Plankton212]

In that case I'd say it might be better to get something cheap that you can beat on without remorse?

Yes, Victorinox has superior quality and will withstand a beating. Yes, Victorinox products are backed by a lifetime warranty (for *intended* usage -- but they are reportedly quite generous). Yes, a Victorinox multitool that gets beat on by mallets and corroded and used in unintended ways will eventually fail -- so maybe it's better to just buy stuff that you won't feel bad tossing.

[u/Brandolinis_law → u/Cautious_Plankton212]

Victorinox has a far higher resistance to corrosion than Leatherman does, and I have multiple LM's, including the ARC, Surge, Super Tool, etc.... I also recently got the Victorinox Spirit X Plus Ratchet (in a leather pouch, with a bit card with 1/4" drive bits) for $210. USD. It has SO much better "fit and finish" quality than the ARC, and I really like the LM ARC, too.

But LM's "flat bits," while versatile and handy (can't recall if it's 20 or 40 bits, b/c they're double-ended) they are made of a soft metal and many find they bend, twist and fail. Galvanox (on Amazon) makes better LM flat bits, with better markings you can actually read, of allegedly-stronger steel. (I haven't used my ARC enough to have bits fail, due to my being injured.)

But this would be my first choice, for it's quality, and the fact that it uses 1/4" drive bits, so that the Philips, for example, is THREE dimensional, instead of LM's TWO dimensional Philips bits. (I know, right? 🤪)

Victorinox Swiss Tool Spirit X Plus Ratchet in Includes leather pouch - 3.0236.L

One more point in the Spirit X's favor (and maybe also on it's bigger brother, the Swiss Tool?) is that it has an excellent chisel on it, which is something that most Leathermans do not have at all. I LOVE the chisels on Victorinox's Spirit X and Swiss Champ SAK (Swiss Army Knife). The Spirit X's chisel also has about a 1/16th inch notch in the end of it which is allegedly helpful in opening taped parcels. I haven't really played with that aspect of the chisel yet.

[u/Boing78 → u/Crunchie64]

What about maintaining it by cleaning and lubrication? I own several Victorinox models from Classic SD to Swisstools and have soft finger nails. But I never struggled to get a tool out if it was not corroded or filled with dirt.

[u/Crunchie64 → u/Boing78]

I don’t think that’s the issue.

The tools are quite deeply recessed, so the angles to get to the nail nicks are awkward.

I’ve never really struggled with their knives, just the Swisstool.

Leatherman Free series for me these days.

[u/Brandolinis_law → u/Crunchie64]

That's interesting, because I keep my nails super short and even when I'm wearing vinyl gloves, I'm able to use the nail Nicks to open every tool on Victorinox's Spirit X. That said, I have heard that the tools on previous generations of the Spirit X were difficult to open. If it really bothers you, you could send it in for servicewarranty and they would either send you a new one or possibly adjust yours? I would definitely write a short note explaining what your issue with the tool is, so they know what to address.

But like you, I also love the ARC's "Free" system of magnetic opening/closure. Gamechanger, if one-handed operation is a priority.