
There are, however, some qualities that we look for in deciding which of these tools are best. Others will achieve optimum practicality with just a bottle opener and a small knife. Those who want the most function possible should opt for a full-size tool.

Today, there are so many types of multi-tools available that you can easily find an option with a toolset to serve the needs and tasks that you encounter most often. The answer to this question is entirely subjective. Instead, they tend to serve as keychains with some additional functionality supplied by a bottle opener. These tools are highly minimal and aren’t designed to replace anything else you might carry. Our third category is keychain multi-tools. These tools are diminutive enough to go unnoticed in the fifth pocket of your jeans. The highly specialized tools have typically been stripped away to leave only small versions of the essentials.
#Leatherman multi tool portable#
The second, mini multi-tools, refers to pared-down and more portable versions. This is a toolbox-worthy tool that often comes with a leather holster that can attach to a belt. These are full-featured tools designed for any task. The first, full-size multi-tools, is like the example above. In this guide, we’ve broken the category down into three groupings. Practically speaking, any tool with multiple functions is a multi-tool. That image is the classic multi-tool, but the category has grown to be more general and all-encompassing. (It may even have the name Leatherman etched into its side, but that brand is by no means the only multi-tool maker to hold in high regard.)
#Leatherman multi tool drivers#
The Best Pocket Knives of 2022 Types of Multi-ToolsĪ multi-tool is a multi-tool… right? A picture drawn in the mind’s eye likely renders a chrome-silver gadget with twin handles that fold open to reveal pliers, plus a variety of cutters, drivers and openers that fold out of either side. and you’ll be sure that the occasional unanticipated job never goes without a response. Stash one in a kitchen drawer, glovebox, bugout bag, etc. They're typically very everyday carry friendly - at most, requiring a pocket in your backpack, cross-body bag or duffel of choice - they're a good deal more portable and they can even serve you during international travel (so long as you get one without a knife blade). Multi-tools are (or should be treated as) augments or on-the-go alternatives ideal for making quick fixes in a pinch when a toolbox would be otherwise impractical. But a multi-tool shouldn’t replace the toolbox it should complement it. In the multi-tool, an entire collection of useful devices is shrunk into a go-everywhere sidekick. The DIY spirit exists even in those of us who aren’t inclined to solve every problem on our own, and one thing we and the all-doers can agree on is the practicality of the multi-tool. As more specialized chores reveal themselves, the toolbox becomes overstuffed, expanding into a shed or even a garage. If there’s the slightest chance that a task will arise, a toolbox is supplied with the appropriate implement to restore working order.

At the core of every DIYer is a psychological inclination toward over-preparedness.
