Same here. I bought a Leatherman knockoff once that looked pretty good and was not even that cheap. It was a huge disappointment. The jaws actually twisted as soon as I tried to cut some 16ga wire. The knife blade was way too soft to hold a decent edge. The scissors seemed ok but the spring broke very quickly and the scissor blades got out of alignment. The screwdriver attachment worked a little bit better (it had different replacement screwdriver bits), but only for really light duty work. I bought a Leatherman Wave a few weeks later and it was the best investment in "survival" gear I made in a long time.

one of the guy's that work's for me was using an off brand multi tool when it broke and left him with a bloody hand. keep to the better known brands.

Forgive my repetition for those who have heard me mention this a few times, but:
"If you can't afford the best, you can't afford to replace broken second hand gear."

I'm a big fan of getting the best tool/gear/gadget right off the bat, and getting the most use out of it for a long time. I've been a dirtbag kayaker for a while and prefer to save money for beer and gas. And not spending it on several broken tools in a year, even when (which is always) I have to scrape funds to pull it together.

That said, I'm also a fan of getting good USED stuff. Or closeouts from manufacturers that I may not know well, but they exist enough to do some research on them and find out more about their gear.

If I can't find out some info on a company, I'll pass even if it's super cheap.

Jason

I bought several vise grip brand multitools from smokeymtnknives.
Real needle nose vise grips with schrade knife, saw, screwdrivers
can opener etc for $10 each. Too heavy to carry in your pocket,
but just the thing for car, kitchen etc. I gave a batch away
when traveling overseas. Very rust proof.

While that may well be true in many areas, that isn't the case here. Leatherman and Victorinox produce all their tools in their own factories and don't sub-contract for anyone. Gerber produce their full size USA-made tools in their own factory.

I know exactly how you feel. It's hard to justify spending $20, $40, or $100 for an important piece of gear that will most likely (if you're lucky) never get used. I feel like it's a waste of money to have a good quality tool sitting in a closet. However, like everyone else mentioned, when you need to use it, that's not the time to find out that your multi-tool isn't up to the job.

What I do now, is whenever I buy some new piece of gear, I relegate my old gear to the emergency bag. That way, I know that I can count of it when the times comes, plus as an added bonus, I get to buy new toys. In your case, if you don't have an immediate need for a multitool, just keep waiting for items to go on sales, you will eventually find something that suits your purpose. For example, I found new SOG Powerlock S60 multitools, normal price $90+, for only $20. I also bought a bunch of leatherman kicks when they went on sale for $9 at Walmart, so I've been able to keep one in every car without breaking the bank. New versions of tools come out every year, and when they do, the older (but still functional) styles are usually sold off at big discount. I regularly see used name brand multitools going for $20-$25 when people get tired of them. This pretty much applies to almost everything I buy, so keep your eye open, you will eventually find what you want.

Oh yeah, regarding the knock-offs. While name brand usually is a good indicator of quality, that's not to say all no name tools are crap. A lot of them are, though, and it takes some experience to be able to tell which ones are good.

Edit: I also forgot to mention that there are other options other than multi-tools. Unless you absolutely want a multi-tool, you can always carry a separate knife, pliers and screwdrivers. You can probably get decent quality tools that individually perform much better than most multi-tools for much less money. It's not as nice and compact, or as fun to play with, but it works.

Try www.eknifeworks.com Their prices are good and sales are even better.

Dave

Just arrived: SOG Powerlock, from ebay, $37, inc. S/H. Big, heavy, but hopefully sturdy enough to get the job done.

Thanks for the info.

I might keep my eye out towards the end of the month; I'll be on a Navy base with a large exchange. Wonder what the Wave is going for there?

The pliers on the SOG Powerlock are very strong -- possibly the best ones out there. The blade and saw are a bit light, but are fine for backup use. Overall, a good choice. I've gravitated to the Leathermans mostly, but never regretted having my Powerlock on my belt.

I have a Winchester that I really like. I wouldn't bet my life on the pliers, but the knife blades, saw, etc seem to be of pretty decent quality. It also has a set of small sockets that attach to a socket wrench and the whole thing fits into a standard multitool sheath. IF the pliers were a bit stronger, I'd rate it right up there with the better name brands.