I have been a tolls guy ever since I was a kid. I have had many tools with me and I have a sweet spot for a multitool. Having a multitool makes me feel like a boss. Some who can do a lot of things and is always ready. Initially, I had a good Victorinox multitool but being an outdoor guy, I wanted more. I wanted pliers which Victorinox only provided in the higher end models and that too a small one. So now, I went searching and I knew leatherman makes the ones I want but they have a hefty price tag. But the cheaper ones too could do the job. It was just that I couldn’t find it in India. I asked leatherman to send me across and the shipping+ customs made it too damn expensive. Soi got my hopes low and thanks to google for storing my every action and seeing that I was searching for multitools, It started giving me ads related to multitool. And it was there when I first saw the Stanley multitool. It has 0 reviews and seemed like it was just launched in the store. It was selling for 669Rs which I felt reasonable. So without any second thoughts, I bought it. Now I knew about Stanley and knew it made quality products but I really didn’t had high expectations for a such priced tool. So I have been using the tool from March, it has been around 9 months and have used the tool extensively. So today I will give you my review of this Multi-Tool. So let’s get started.
List of useful tools
Now Stanley claims it has 12 tools. I would name the tools which I have used in the past 9 months the most.
- Pliers
- Knife
- Saw
- Philips head screwdriver
- Normal (-) screwdriver
- Bottle opener
- Can Opener
- File
Build Quality
Now, let’s us come to the build quality of the products. The quality seems fine for most use. The specific tools have a great quality, things like the knife, saw are hard and would not break unintentionally. I have even used the knife to dig some soil, a and it is still going well. The hinges/joints by which the tolls are connected to the main body is somewhat bad. THere are washers between the tools and after some use, the washers tend to bend which can cause some little movement/ rattle of the tools. For me, it has happened to the saw. Well, it has a small saw and if you are not an expert in cutting woods from the small saw, then you can expect the bending of washers. I have also used the knife quite a lot and there is no major bending of washers for the knife side. Well, it may be that the bending could be caused by mishandling. Still, even with the little rattle, It is 100% useable and in no way disturbs while cutting wood. Overall, THe quality is fine, I would give it a 7/10. You can drop it from 1m, 10 meters, or even 30 meters. It would not fall apart. It is built well.
Knife
The knife is of good quality but out of the box, It is not that sharp. If you would be using this knife while camping, then I would suggest you sharpen it. Out of the box, it is fine for small things like cutting the tape or cutting small fruits etc. You can not cut meat from it. You would have to sharpen it.
Pliers
The pliers work fine and the user gets a pretty good grip as well. The pliers don’t get a spring action which is not a deal breaker for me but keep it noted. The pliers overall work fine and do the work well. It also has a wire cutter but that is the worst case, you can’t have it as your primary wire cutter. It is small and can hardly cut and rubber of the wires.
Saw
The saw works fine and has lasted for a while. Eventually, with use, the blade of the saw will get damage and after that time, it would be very difficult to cut the wood. I would suggest you carry a different saw and use this one as a last resort when you have no choice. It works well but it is small and it is not something which can cut anything you want.
Rusting
I have used the multitool near water, have dropped in water, in the ocean and till now, there has been no rusting on it. THey have maybe galvanized it or what, but rest assured, It won’t get Rusted.
Final verdict
So, should you buy it? Absolutely. This is a tool which every man needs and should have it around them all times. It can get you out of some tough situations. So should it be your only go to tool for all your needs? Uhmm, No. You should have separate pliers, screwdrivers, saw in your toolbox. This should be used as an emergency choice when you don’t have your toolbox and still want to get the work done. DO NOT buy it as a replacement for a toolbox.