I buy a lot of crap. A lot of the crap I buy is overly hyped. The item might be good, but it just couldn't possibly live up to expectations. The vast majority of stuff I buy falls in this category. Especially the stuff reviewed here on the Hide.
Well it is time for me to curse the Leatherman MUT with a positive review. LoneWolfUSMC did a great, comprehensive review of this multitool on his website here: 8541 Tactical - Leatherman MUT Review
All I will do is add some anecdotes to show how cool this tool is. Let me start by saying that I have owned a Leatherman or two in the past and they have mostly stayed at home. In my opinion, they have tried to do too much and manage to do nothing well.
First anecdote: I own a Seekonk Torque Wrench with appropriate bits. I also own a Wheeler Fat Wrench.
Both of these are honking large and sometimes I forget to pack them or just decide not to. I went to the ranch to go shooting and I noticed that accuracy had fallen off. 9 times out of 10, it is the rings loosening up. My torque wrenches are in San Antonio. I am in Victoria, 2 hours away. The MUT bailed me out. I had the Torx bits (got to buy these separately or buy a package that comes with them) and quickly found that sure enough, a couple of the screws on a ring had backed out. Sure, my torque wasn't exactly right, but I was able to fix it to my satisfaction without having to go home. It earned its keep right there within a week of purchase.
And how about this... I was out trying to dig a small hole and ended up deciding that the carbon scraper would be a great implement for that. Bad idea. I twisted the carbon scraper off. It is now 6 inches in the ground somewhere in a back pasture. The single greatest feature of this tool is the fact that you can replace tools individually. For $5.95, I am back in business with a new carbon scraper attachment.
Obviously, it is great to have a set of pliers at my disposal. These work great for removing fishing hooks and for stripping wires. Pretty much, it is a tool belt in one tool. And did I mention that I have hated past renditions of the Leatherman?
The knife tool on this thing is very handy. Opens easily with one hand and locks into place. That is a big deal given the fact that the handle is a bit awkward. Old school versions that I used to own would close on my hand pretty easily just because of the awkward grip to the point that I wouldn't use the knife anymore. So basically, the old Leathermans were a folding set of pliers where the Leatherman MUT is a folding set of awesomeness.
Also pretty cool is the Molle carrying case it comes in. It is set up to adapt to a 1" or 2" belt as well. Tyr tactical makes a case for it that works a bit better. I had a difficult time getting the scope wrench to fit into the factory case. The Tyr tactical case works just a smidgen better and makes it a bit more compact. You can find it here:
http://www.tyrtactical.com/products/details/breaching-and-ordnance/leatherman-mut-tool-pouch/
As I often note when I write reviews, I am not a "tactical" user. I hunt and shoot. If you are in my category, which I know a lot of you are, this ugly looking tool is worth the spare change. If you shoot a scoped rifle, it is a must have. And reading John's review, if you are in the military or LEO, it is pretty handy, too. It is ugly, so if you are into Airsoft, you might want to hold out for a SOG Recon Bowie 2.0. Otherwise, if you are male and not of the metrosexual variety, buy this. Or steal it, I don't care. Just don't steal mine.
Well it is time for me to curse the Leatherman MUT with a positive review. LoneWolfUSMC did a great, comprehensive review of this multitool on his website here: 8541 Tactical - Leatherman MUT Review
All I will do is add some anecdotes to show how cool this tool is. Let me start by saying that I have owned a Leatherman or two in the past and they have mostly stayed at home. In my opinion, they have tried to do too much and manage to do nothing well.
First anecdote: I own a Seekonk Torque Wrench with appropriate bits. I also own a Wheeler Fat Wrench.
Both of these are honking large and sometimes I forget to pack them or just decide not to. I went to the ranch to go shooting and I noticed that accuracy had fallen off. 9 times out of 10, it is the rings loosening up. My torque wrenches are in San Antonio. I am in Victoria, 2 hours away. The MUT bailed me out. I had the Torx bits (got to buy these separately or buy a package that comes with them) and quickly found that sure enough, a couple of the screws on a ring had backed out. Sure, my torque wasn't exactly right, but I was able to fix it to my satisfaction without having to go home. It earned its keep right there within a week of purchase.
And how about this... I was out trying to dig a small hole and ended up deciding that the carbon scraper would be a great implement for that. Bad idea. I twisted the carbon scraper off. It is now 6 inches in the ground somewhere in a back pasture. The single greatest feature of this tool is the fact that you can replace tools individually. For $5.95, I am back in business with a new carbon scraper attachment.
Obviously, it is great to have a set of pliers at my disposal. These work great for removing fishing hooks and for stripping wires. Pretty much, it is a tool belt in one tool. And did I mention that I have hated past renditions of the Leatherman?
The knife tool on this thing is very handy. Opens easily with one hand and locks into place. That is a big deal given the fact that the handle is a bit awkward. Old school versions that I used to own would close on my hand pretty easily just because of the awkward grip to the point that I wouldn't use the knife anymore. So basically, the old Leathermans were a folding set of pliers where the Leatherman MUT is a folding set of awesomeness.
Also pretty cool is the Molle carrying case it comes in. It is set up to adapt to a 1" or 2" belt as well. Tyr tactical makes a case for it that works a bit better. I had a difficult time getting the scope wrench to fit into the factory case. The Tyr tactical case works just a smidgen better and makes it a bit more compact. You can find it here:
http://www.tyrtactical.com/products/details/breaching-and-ordnance/leatherman-mut-tool-pouch/
As I often note when I write reviews, I am not a "tactical" user. I hunt and shoot. If you are in my category, which I know a lot of you are, this ugly looking tool is worth the spare change. If you shoot a scoped rifle, it is a must have. And reading John's review, if you are in the military or LEO, it is pretty handy, too. It is ugly, so if you are into Airsoft, you might want to hold out for a SOG Recon Bowie 2.0. Otherwise, if you are male and not of the metrosexual variety, buy this. Or steal it, I don't care. Just don't steal mine.
