Leatherman 68010101K Crunch Pocket Multi-Tool with Leather Sheath for sale

Leatherman 68010101K Crunch Pocket Multi-Tool with Leather Sheath for sale
Once i found Leatherman is really a tool with locking pliers, I needed to have one. I really made the purchase. Impressions follow:

1. Usually situations are bigger than I expect, but this was less space-consuming than I expected. Maybe it's just the truth that I've used big, bulky Vise-Grips all my life, but I actually expected this tool to be hefty. It is not bad that it is small, and the plier jaws open nice wide despite their small size, but I'm nonetheless surprised it's mostly no bigger than my Wave, even when open.

2. It's not as hard to plan use when i had expected. Yes, you need to unfold the plier jaws, and yes, you must clip the handle into place on the jaws; but, due to the fact with ANY locking plier you should stand there and adjust the force screw before the jaws clamp down with just the right level of force anyway, the extra "assembly" was required to make use of the pliers isn't significant.

3. The craftsmanship just isn't as good when i expected. Things are all plenty strong, but the fit and handle isn't up to par using the newer, "post-Wave" tools. The plier jaws aren't the same width, the folding tool lock is to push and give you a wide range of feedback, the folding tools themselves flop around a tad, the depend upon the jaws is just a little too tight, the folded-sheet-metal handle is simply a little bit too wide for your stuff it holds and thus it got crimped a trifle when the rivets were driven into place, etc. It isn't crappy by any means, nonetheless it does not have that laser-cut, precision-machined believe that my Wave has.

Three stars for doing what it says it lets you do not having any noticeable weaknesses. Should they improved the style spec so everything fits to a T, it could get four stars. Whether it were the tool of my dreams with everything I'd like and nothing I do not, it would get five.

-- UPDATE 5/15/2008 --

I've had my Crunch now for a few months, i feel compelled to bump my review up a notch. Why? Well, it may not be because I've revive appreciate the not-quite-perfect fit and handle with the tool -- that still bugs us a tiny bit. Rather, it's because over the past several months I've noted which the Crunch is THE most useful multi-tool ever created.

I took a gamble when I bought my Crunch, because I had created serious doubts precisely useful a mini-size lockjaw plier might be, no matter if coupled with a symbol choice of tools. All I could say is, "boy was I wrong". If anything, the small height and width of the lockjaws make them a lot more useful than full-size Vise-Grips, since they can be employed in so much more places than Vise-Grips can. Also, considering the fact that multi-tools are apt to have crappy leverage compared to full-size pliers, the ability to clamp the lockjaws onto something after which focus all of your attention on moving the one thing as an alternative to keeping the jaws from slipping is unspeakably convenient.

I became initially concerned with the relatively small number of fold-out tools how the Crunch has, in comparison with other multi-tools...but in truth, almost every other multi-tools just have 50 slightly-different sizes of flathead screwdrivers anyway, when all you'll ever should get is one. Well, the Crunch has three, two of which are coupled with a tin opener as well as a metal file, meaning there's really one flathead screwdriver worth mentioning. So there's no unnecessary duplicity there. Meanwhile, the knife and also the crosshead screwdriver are predictably indispensable, and the metal file is handy every now and then. So that all told, the tools how the Crunch has are more than adequate.

My complaints regarding the fit-and-finish with the Crunch still stand; Leatherman could start a better job of earning everything fit together ideal, i wish they'd make the the perfect time to do this. But having said that, the Crunch certainly is the Leatherman to buy in case you are actually going to use it for real work.