That’s the thing about multitools — there’s no better way to test their do-anything ethos than to put them to work. And once you’ve broken down an electrical box or assembled a household of furniture with a Wave+, you get to know the tool inside and out. Buyers Guide: How to Choose a Multitool Specialized Tools Classic of Creativity: The Original Swiss Army Knife is a timeless classic, known for creativity, functionality, and quality. Compact, agile, and adventure-ready, it has been an icon since 1897. This one should be a no-brainer. Do you spend a lot of time prying and pinching? Get the tool with the best pair of pliers. Are you more focused on snipping and cutting? Leatherman offers several models with replaceable wire cutters and multiple blades.

I'm also a big fan all of the knives in my "medium" category quite a bit. Which one works for you is really a matter of what features you want and if an additional feature is worth the, typically minor, increase in weight. These are 3 of my favorites. A second larger run of silver Alox scaled Ramblers with the standard red Victorinox shield was completed for SB in 2011. Several other runs have followed Naturally, when it comes to which SAK to buy, there are fundamental choices to be made about what size of SAK you want as well as what functionality. Obviously, that can be personal preference. So, while I'm not going to list the features of each type of SAK, I'll talk about why I like particular knives (or don't) comparing their feature based on my preferences. I think I'm probably fairly "typical", but if you have different preferences your opinions won't necessarily match mine, of course. Small quantities of Sunset Orange Ramblers were produced in August 2012 for SB. This shade of orange has not been used before. Several other models were produced at the same time with this new color

Currently popular on idealo

But don’t gloss over that 3D Phillips head. You might be surprised at what a difference it makes on tiny screws. In fact, for all the knives and multitools I test on a regular basis, the Rambler may be my most-used combination of scissors and blade. I think in price-sensitive markets, the high price and low availability will be the deciding factor for many. For the addition of just one new tool, this price hike is quite significant. If you don’t find the extra tool that useful, The cost-benefit just isn’t there.

This is directly related to the weight consideration. When shopping for a multitool, your objective should be to get the best components possible within your given budget. This is one of the places where Leatherman shines. In spite of its extra tools, the Rambler does have some glaring disadvantages over the Classic SD, something that will definitely bother a lot of people. Is this a deal-breaker for you? decide for yourself. The Price and Availability Tweezers is also good to have, and of course the knife blade (which is small but sharp and works very well).Leatherman Wave+ reigns supreme as our favorite multitool; (photo/Josh Wussow) Why You Should Trust Us The nail file is a nice touch, and I also find that good to use as letter opener instead of using the sharp blade for that. The bottle opener isn't the best, but it does the job, and it's understandable that it's hard to make a better bottle opener on such a small tool. This is a vital consideration for anyone putting their multitool to its intended purpose. If you’re going to be cutting, prying, driving, and pinching with it long enough, even the best-made product can wear out. That’s where guarantees like Leatherman’s 25-year warranty come into play.

There is no point in comparing the individual tools side-by-side as all the tools in both the MiniChamp and the Micra are very small and one will not have any significant advantage over the other. And while the aforementioned big three brands have a lot of quality products, there are a few stinkers even in their lineups. To help you sort the garbage from the gold, we’ve assembled a list of multitools, balancing quality, versatility, tool count, and price pointThe combination of tools is just great with the scissors, philips screwdriver and the flathead screwdriver. And for the most part, the Signal lives up to its billing as “a perfect fit for every adventure.” Leatherman’s signature combination of pliers, various edges, and easy-access tools make this not just a good camping multitool, but a solid everyday companion. It’s got that wonderful bit-swapping magic, along with replaceable wire cutters and a legitimately wonderful small saw. This is another excellent option in the "medium" size SAKs. It has a lot of the elements I really like about the Champ Plus: the eyeglass screwdrivers, the pen, the pin, the magnifying glass, but is not as bulky. Two key things missing from Champion Plus are fish scaler / ruler (which I don't care much about) and the wood saw (which actually I do like as I said earlier). While I like this one A LOT whether or not I use it compared to the Army Fieldmaster depends on if I'm in a wood saw mood or a magnifying glass, eyeglass screwdriver, pen, pin mood. It's also slightly bulkier than the Fieldmaster. I use this one most of the time when I'm not using my champ plus because I typically use things like the magnifying glass and pen more than the wood saw. Also, the screwdriver isn't the "T" screwdriver, which is a bit easier. I also like having an eyeglass screwdriver with me. So, if I had to recommend one SAK to someone, it is probably this one. This full-size, budget-friendly offering from Leatherman serves as a one-two punch. And at just over half the cost of our top offering, its cash-to-capability ratio is actually arguably higher.

Like all small tools, the MiniChamp also has its shortcomings. However, I will mention just a few that bother me sometimes.This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. To return faulty items see our Returning Faulty Items policy. Given that, I can't really give this version a fair review. If you want to get it scissors on a plane, it sounds like it works. I just haven't had the energy to test that theory when push came to shove. This is one I probably carry more than I should. I like it more than the Champ version (not listed in my review) because it doesn't have the pliers which add significant size and I personally find not very useful. The pliers are too small to get good torque. If I want pliers I end up pulling out a "real" set.