Multi-tool Buyer’s Guide
All the full-size tools in the 30-drawer tool chest sitting in your garage won’t do a thing for you if you can’t carry it with you. How many times have you needed a tool for quick task but don’t have it on you? Perhaps you could’ve used a screwdriver to tighten down a screw or a pair of scissors to snip off a random loose thread. Life is unpredictable; you never know what tool you’ll need throughout your day. If we could only carry around out tool chests with us everywhere we went. Thanks to multi-tools, in a manner of speaking, we could.
Those who live the EDC lifestyle understand that limited carrying capacity requires us to make choices. The type of tools that one chooses to carry on them are dependent on a variety of factors including one’s line of work, lifestyle and environment, just to name a few.
The multi-tool genre as we now know it traces its beginnings back to an inventor named Timothy S. Leatherman. His name should sound familiar to anyone who has looked for a multi-tool before. Over three decades ago, Leatherman added pliers to a Swiss Army knife and gave birth to the multi-tool revolution that we are now beneficiaries of. Modern multi-tools have come a long way since then with many innovations that make them more useful than ever before. Join us as we look at some of the latest multi-tools along with some proven favorites. Maybe you can’t bring your garage with you everywhere you go, but at least you can have a tool chest in your pocket. EDC
1.Gerber Truss
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair, DIY
Number of Tools
17
Closed Length
4.35 in.
Weight
8.4 oz.
Details
Aiming to slim down the size of the multi-tool yet retain all of its effectiveness, Gerber presents to you their newest offering, The Truss. This multi-tool is equipped with 17 tools built to handle any and all tasks thrown at it, whether it’s at the job site or around the house in a slimmed-down package. The optimized tool pack retains only the most-used tools and features all outboard tools, all locking tools, and spring-loaded pliers. Key features include a wire stripper, medium flathead driver, awl, file, and ruler.
2.Leatherman Rebar
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair, DIY
Number of Tools
17
Closed Length
4 in.
Weight
6.7 oz.
Details
The Rebar features the iconic lines of Leatherman’s famous PST multi-tool and includes all-locking tools for safety as well as a robust all-stainless steel construction. Its pliers have been designed for strength and feature replaceable wire/hard-wire cutters, a first for a compact 4-inch-long tool from Leatherman. With plenty of features to get tough jobs done, yet in a portable, smaller, slimmer size, the Rebar is ready to tackle any job you task it to do no matter where you go.
3.CRKT Technician
Suited For
Automotive, Maintenance, DIY
Number of Tools
9
Closed Length
4.45 in.
Weight
11.8 oz.
Details
Designed specifically with mechanics and automotive enthusiasts in mind, designer Glenn Klecker set out to create a utility-packed automotive technician specialized multi-tool. Other than the standard tools you mind in most multi-tools, the Technician also includes a telescoping magnetic pick-up device, needle-nose pliers that are backed up by grippers, wire cutters, and a wire stripper, a standard feeler gauge and a gasket scraper. A standard quarter-inch bit driver is also built-in. If you work on cars and trucks, this is a multi-tool worth considering.
4.Boker Plus Tech Tool City 5
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair, Rescue
Number of Tools
12
Closed Length
4.5 in.
Weight
5.6 in.
Details
The Tech Tool City 5 features a hollow ground stainless steel blade made of Swedish Sandvik 12C27 steel that has a rated Rockwell hardness of 58-60 HRC. The multi-tools also includes a glass-breaker, screwdriver with bottle opener and wire stripper, small serrated blade with screwdriver tip, scissors, foldable lanyard hole, punch/awl, pliers, Phillips screwdriver, pocket clip. The tool’s construction is based on solid steel liners with two contoured black G10 handle scales.
5.Gerber Center-Drive Plus
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair, DIY
Number of Tools
14
Closed Length
6.6 in.
Weight
9.5 oz.
Details
If you’re looking for a multi-tool that simulates full-sized tool capabilities, the Center-Drive Plus might be what you’re looking for. Gerber designed this multi-tool to have a center-axis driver that opens to align like a real screwdriver. Its center axis helps yield maximum torque and rotation. The knife blade is easily accessed on its outboard and sliding plier jaws open with the slide of a thumb. The Center-Drive’s full-size tools give the user a distinct advantage with repair and maintenance jobs.
gerbergear.com
6.Leatherman FREE T4
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair, DIY
Number of Tools
12
Closed Length
3.6 in.
Weight
4.3 in.
Details
As a part of Leatherman’s newest line of tools, the FREE T4 is designed and built for general purpose duty in a compact package. Complete with all the standard tools you’d find in most multi-tools, the T4 also includes scissors, tweezers, and a heavy-duty file. It also comes with a pocket clip attached for easy access.
7.5.11 TKO Ratchet Kit
Suited For
Maintenance, Repair
Number of Tools
9
Closed Length
4.25 in.
Weight
3.74 in.
Details
This is clearly not your traditional multi-tool. We included it in this guide precisely because of that fact. A useful multi-tool is one that works for your required purposes. It doesn’t matter if its loaded with a ton of tools, if it’s missing the one that you need the most, you might as well not have it. The TOK handles many ratcheting duties that you’d find in firearm, knife, and multi-tool maintenance. It includes a compact bidirectional magnetic ratchet, magnetic bit holder, six hex bits, pistol punch, pry tool, and bottle opener.
8.Keyport AnyWhere Tools
Suited For
Tech, Maintenance
Number of Tools
varies
Closed Length
2.87 in.
Weight
1.52 in. as configured
Details
Another nontraditional multi-tool, the Keyport Anywhere Tool is a modular fingernail clipper-size tool that can be configured by way of modules and inserts to fit your needs to a tee. The one shown here is made up of a Keyport MOCA 10-in-1 multi-tool and Pocket Flare modules. Stack up to three modules to create your perfect pocket-size tool. The MOCA Multi-Tool is made of stainless steel and includes a bottle opener, screwdriver, cord cutter, box opener, scoring tool, hex bit driver, 1/4-inch wrench, 5/16-inch wrench, 3/8-inch wrench, and 2-inch ruler. The Pocket Flare can light up as both a 24-lumen lamp or 27-lumen front beam flashlight. Other inserts include USB flash drive, pen, charging cable, and more.
Multiple Tools
When looking for a multi-tool to add to your EDC, pay close attention to the unit’s primary tools, secondary features as well as intended purpose. While most multi-tools are designed to fulfill a variety of roles, some are made for distinct purposes and include specific tools for specialized jobs. There are muti-tools that are focused on jobs for electricians, bicyclists, firearms and even dealing with explosives. Let’s look at some of the primary tools that are common sights on multi-tools.
Pliers
You can thank the plier as the reason that the modern multi-tool exists. Mr. Leatherman saw a need for a portable tool that included pliers, and this idea gave birth to the genre. Pliers themselves are great all-around tools that allow the user to grip, bend, and compress. There are blunt and needle-nose models and even ones that can strip wire. Choose one that fits your needs best.
Knife
You may carry a dedicated knife on you already, but having a cutting blade in your multi-tool is also a good idea. When selecting a tool, be aware of the length of the blade and what kind of edge it has. Plain and serrated edges are both useful in their own ways. Plain edges are sharper but can dull easier than serrated blades. Serrated blades are great for textured materials such as rope or leather but do not usually leave a clean cut.
Screwdriver
Flathead screwdrivers can be found on just about all multi-tools. They can drive not only flathead screws, but also Phillips-head screws if the size happens to be right. We do prefer actual Phillips-head screwdrivers on the multi-tools that we carry, however. Using the right tool for the right job makes things faster and easier, all without risk of stripping a screw head.
Saw
A saw, especially one small enough to fit in a multi-tool, may seem like an unusual choice to become one of the mainstays found in multi-tools, but they are commonly included for a reason. You may not think you need it, but when you do, you’ll be glad you have it. Saws are great for gathering firewood, and for cutting through thick rope and webbing.
Accessory Tools
As mentioned earlier, many multi-tools have unique tools that aren’t found on all tools. We especially like spring-loaded scissors, rulers, and hex-bit sockets. Looking beyond the standard tool complement for these special accessory tools can often point you in the right direction for just which multi-tool you’ll find the most use out of. EDC