Ultimate Multi Tool Gsm
Vikki Nagindas
If you are seeking a larger multi-tool, yet one that is extremely easy to use, we recommend the Leatherman Free P2. The Free P2, released in 2019, is an entirely new design for Leatherman. With its handles closed, all of the tools can be accessed with a single hand, a unique feature in the world of multi-tools. You can even deploy the pliers one-handed, with just a flip of the wrist. After we tested the Free P2 for several weeks, other full-size multi-tools, such as the classic Leatherman Wave+, started to feel clunky and laborious to open. The Free P2 is over 2 ounces heavier than the Skeletool CX, but it has a slender, streamlined design and comes with a pocket clip. Although it has more weight to it, we never found it unwieldy or awkward to carry.
This guide also benefits from the input of Harry Sawyers, Wirecutter senior editor and the author of our previous guide to multi-tools. Sawyers is a long-time multi-tool user who got acquainted with these products as a backpacker and an Eagle Scout. And he has maintained his expertise as a journalist with more than a decade of experience covering tools.
We researched close to 120 multi-tools, and we chose over 25 to test. We chose a variety of models from the three major manufacturers of pliers and knife-based multi-tools; Leatherman, SOG, and Gerber Gear. In addition, we looked at other well-reviewed models from Victorinox, DeWalt, and Ganzo. We also tested a fairly generic multi-tool in the under-$20 range to see what it offered (spoiler alert: not much). Two of the models we looked at are smaller, keychain-sized multi-tools.
We focused on the nuances of quality. Out of the box, we gave each multi-tool a thorough once over. How easy is the tool to fold and unfold? Are the various tools accessible and how fiddly is it to deploy them? Are the plier handles comfortable? In most cases, the blades and accessories lock in the open position, so we investigated the convenience and strength of the locks. One of the most important tells was the evenness of the resistance when unfolding the pliers. Our experience is that a sloppy, loose hinge out of the box is only going to get worse over time.
A carabiner and a pocket clip provide multiple options for carrying the Skeletool CX. The carabiner can be clipped to a belt loop or attached to a backpack (or hung from a nail in your workshop). The pocket clip has a nice spring to it and always worked as expected. We were satisfied with the pocket clip for daily carry. But during projects, especially those on ladders, it was convenient to clip the carabiner to a belt loop instead of putting the CX back in a pocket or setting it down.
The Free P2 has a very nice tool selection. Although we prefer the stripped-down nature of the Skeletool, the Free P2 does add scissors and a package opener, which we found routinely useful day to day. It also includes a can opener, an awl, a file, a little scraper, and a couple of smaller flathead screwdrivers (we needed these much less often, but from time to time, like on a camping trip, some of them did come in handy).
Those extra tools add weight, but during our testing, the Free P2 never felt unwieldy or overly bulky. It weighs 7.6 ounces, over 2 ounces more than the Skeletool (but still less than many other full-size multi-tools). It has a nice balance, and the slightly beveled handles add to the overall sleek feel.
The Free T4 has a nice, solid feel to it, and the tools open and close easily. We like the one-handed access a lot, and, as with the Free P2, once we got used to it, the process was automatic. This alone sets it above the competition. The Free T4 is a little thicker than we were expecting (about inch without the pocket clip and close to an inch with it).
The Leatherman Bond is a fairly minimalist multi-tool that is typically sold for around $50, making it an entry-level Leatherman tool. It looks nice, if a bit generic, and it is also covered by the 25-year warranty.
The Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X has a sleek aesthetic and a nice tool selection. But the tools deploy with small fingernail notches, which can be tricky to maneuver. Overall, this is an excellent tool, but the blade cannot be deployed with one hand, a feature of both the Skeletool and the Free P2 that we found essential.
The Gerber Gear Suspension NXT has a nice collection of tools, but it feels bulky in the hand. The same can be said about the Gerber Gear Truss. Both are sold for roughly half the price of the Skeletool CX. Since this is such a long-term purchase, our preference is with those models with more-refined tools.
The Leatherman Squirt PS4 is a popular keychain model and competitor to the Gerber Dime. The Squirt has really nice scissors but no clamshell opener, which we thought was a useful addition to the Dime. Oddly, the keychain ring is right where the knife folds into the body, and we often closed the knife onto the ring. It usually costs about twice as much as the Dime, which was just as functional.
We dismissed a large number of tools prior to testing. Many of them had blades on the inside of the pliers. These models included the Leatherman Rebar, Leatherman Supertool, Gerber Gear MP600, Gerber Gear Diesel, and SOG PowerLock.
Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement. He spent 10 years in high-end construction as a carpenter, foreman, and supervisor. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. He also raises sheep and has a dairy cow that he milks every morning.
The Switch Tool has evolved. This new, compact and super-functional tool kit includes all the essentials you'll find on the Switch including T25 and T30 Torx bits, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, and 6mm Allen bits and a flathead screwdriver. The Big Switch also features an 8mm hex tool and a chain breaker. The chain breaker handle includes size 0, 1 and 2 spoke wrenches, a disc pad spreader and a Presta valve core tool. Individual T or L handle tools let you access tight places and give you more leverage on bolts and screws. Go ahead, fix everything.
Super light weight storage for essential tools, hidden away in your steerer tube.
Installation is quick and easy with no tapping of your steerer required.
Note:
- Stash RCX fits forks with or without the open end at the bottom of steerer tube.
- The inner diameter of the fork steerer needs be round shape and measured between 23.5mm to 27mm.
Warning:
-May not work with Rockshox Forks and Fox E-MTB Forks steerer due to the steerer internal tapered construction. Please contact fork manufacturer to check compatibility before purchase.
Every FLEX 24V tool is built around an intelligent Sensor-Free brushless motor. By moving the sensors away from the motor, creates an extremely efficient and durable motor design. These motors are optimized to deliver more power.
Stacked, loaded and ready to go. This six piece combo kit combines the powerful cutting capabilities of the FLEX 7-1/4" Circular Saw and Reciprocating Saw with the torqued-out 1/2" 2-Speed Hammer Drill and 1/4" Hex Impact Driver.
The Bird of Paradise Pottery Multi-Tool is an all-in-one pottery multi-tool that has been cultivated specifically to both simplify and enhance the work of ceramic artists. Its slim and stylish design includes all of the following:
This can only be described as a Swiss Army knife for Ceramics. This tools all my clay tools in one. I was cutting tiles and for the first time my cuts were clean and vertical. I'm getting another one because I am notorious for misplacing my tools when i am working in the studio.
The Wolf Tooth Axle Handle Multi-Tool is a minimalist, lightweight option to cover 10 essential tool functions. It is stored at the end of a Wolf Tooth rear 12mm or front 15mm axle during rides as a multi-tool that is easy to access for quick adjustments and trailside fixes.
An O-ring on the inside of the axle locks the Axle Handle Multi-Tool in place so it is secure while riding. Wolf Tooth front 15mm axles machined after March 2023 have this O-ring included, while Wolf Tooth rear axles require a threaded nut to be added to the end of the axle. This nut is shown in the product photo above and included in the package when purchasing the multi-tool. On one side of the handle is a 5mm hex end stepped to 6mm closer to the handle that fits into the end of an axle. The other side of the handle has a 4mm opening for double-sided hex bits that nest on the inside of the handle via magnet. It was designed for Wolf Tooth axles, though is compatible on other axles that have a threaded end.
Four hex bits are included with the Axle Handle Multi-Tool. Two bits can then be selected to be stored in the back of the tool based on the functions that you use the most. Each bit has two functions. So if you find yourself frequently reaching for the 4mm hex on a multi-tool in your frame bag, the Axle Handle Multi-Tool makes it quickly available and always within reach, without needing to unpack your tool wrap on the trail.
It seems the only way to assign PETG to the box and TPU to the gasket is to use the filament presets on the "Plater" screen (#4 PETG, #5 TPU) and use the multi-color tool to "paint" the box with one color and "paint" the gasket with another. Then export to gcode and get to the XL printer and select for print. Then remap "tool 1" to "head 4" with PETG loaded and remap "tool 2" to "head 5" with the TPU.
PS I noticed the "paint tool" in PrusaSlicer only offers 2 heads to assign. I have the XL 5 tool printer associated with the PrusaSlicer session and can see the 5 heads in all the other settings screens. Can you actually color an object with 5 different colors under PrusaSlicer 2.7.1?
the mouse has two buttons I usually set the right button, to the main model colour, and the left button for the detail filament. i paint the sections of detail with the left button, and erase errors with the right button, working in sections, changing the left button filament as required
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