I keep a Leatherman Wave in my work bag and I like it. My wife carries a Leatherman Skeletool on her at work (she works at a horse breeding facility) and she seems to like it.
I’ve had a few over the years both leatherman and gerber thinking they looked cool and might be useful but can’t think of a time I’ve needed them. There’s always a better tool for the job when at home.
I carry a Leatherman Sidekick. In terms of quality, it's fantastic. The blade takes a great edge, holds it well. The screwdrivers are useful, as is the diamond saw, believe it or not. I've used the file in a few situations as well, and it was helpful. Mainly I use the pliers. A lot. They're awesome. They have great serrations, a nice leverage point, and the cutter/stripper is helpful.
The Gerber is easier to use, but is sadly the quality isn't there. The blade is mediocre, and the pliers don't grip as well, in my opinion.
I saw an ad for the Toler Union months ago and was very impressed. So impressed that I ordered one despite that the only way to get it is through indiegogo which means you’re gonna wait for a batch to be ready.
God dammit. I’ve just realized that I’ve been waiting since fucking February. Gotten a few updates saying supply issues because of the coronavirus situation. Something tells me I’m never gonna see this damn thing. Too bad. It looked more capable than any Leatherman/Multitool I’ve ever seen.
When I'm doing stuff around the yard I usually have my CRKT Bivy. Easy 1-handed deployment of pliers and knife. Only if I need something it doesn't have will I go to my old-school Leatherman.
I carry a Gerber Dime in my on the bike tool kits. Small, light & cheap, and hopefully good enough for an emergency, when used with care. I have used its knife and pliers at home to make sure they were serviceable. I could see a nail in a tire being bent enough that stouter pliers would be better. We'll see.
The WHOLE point of carrying multi-tool is so that you have at least something in your hand when you don't have access to your (proper) tools.
In the last 24 months, how many times have you been up on the roof top (your house, friend's, in-laws, office ...) to perform emergency repair?
How many times have crawled under the car (yours, somebody else's ..) to do emergency repair?
How many times have you helped stranded motorcyclist on the roadside?
Basically, if you are not MacGyver type, carrying multi-tool doesn't really make any sense.
Everyone has different priority requirement, and preference.
For some, pliers are the most important.
(So, for those people, Gerber's one hand opening MTs are great.
For others, not so much.
For example, MP600.
Yes, you can quickly deploy pliers by just a flick of the wrist.
But, to deploy everything else is SO SLOW and need two hands.
Plus, tools quality is ... below average.
How about Gerber CenterDrive ?
knife blade, pliers, screwdriver, you can deploy with one hand.
On the paper, this tools looks good.
However, when you actually use it ... (especially vehicle and appliance emergency repair)
Gerber CenterDrive's screwdriver, which in one of their biggest selling point (they say it has longer reach, and the shank is centered so that it feels like a regular screw driver) isn't that great, at all.
It looks like long reach, but it's not. It won't clear obstacles you'd encounter while you are performing emergency repair.
It is also just as awkward as any other multi-tools.
It's too heavy,and don't offer any kind of specialty.
I usually carry Leatherman MUT or Charge TTi, sometimes Skeltool CX.
I keep extra "long shank" screwdriver bit for MUT in my wallet.
Micra (disinfected) is always kept in my improvised boo-boo kit.
It has some "very useful in (mild case of ) emergency situation" that you wouldn't find on other multi-tools, such as, bronze scraper (replaceable), takedown punch (replaceable), hummer, V-cutter, etc.
I carry a skeletool CX and it's pretty dope for its size and cost. If I feel like I need something more I have a SOG that has a gear leverage system for the pliers so you can get wicked torque bro
I like the Gerber Multi 600 because it has carbide cutters for cutting safety wire. I carry safety wire on the bike for fixing a multitude of things.
I did a lot of research before buying my Gerber and lot of the reviewers talked about ease of use and speed of deployment and to tell you the truth, none of that made any difference to me. I'm not going to whip out my tool and flip it open like a butterfly knife. If I can tighten the errant loose screw or pull out the nail in my tire or open my can of Dinty Moore beef stew, I'm happy. I carry real tools to do the real work.
I must not be that controlling, I started with Leatherman and pack one but keep a Gerber in the lower stitch pocket. I’ve not been desperate to use one but it is my carry knife. I also like to pass them on every few years by it leaving at a campsite!:rolleyes
