Which Leatherman Multi-Tool Should You Get? Skeletool CX, Rev, Wingman or Wave Plus

Most everyday multi-tool jobs are small: cutting a zip tie or a string, opening a box, tightening a loose screw, gripping a nut. Pliers, a knife and a screwdriver cover most of them. Extra tools add weight and width, and a tool that's too heavy ends up in a drawer instead of your pocket.

So start from what you'd use in a normal month. If it's pliers and a blade, a small tool is enough; if you also cut packaging, tape or thread, scissors and a package opener earn their place; if you build or repair outdoors, a saw and files start to matter.

Tool counts and weights are Leatherman's own figures.

Both have 14 tools, a locking 420HC knife, a package opener, a wire stripper, a file, three screwdrivers and a pocket clip. The difference is in the cutting tools. The Wingman has spring-action pliers, wire cutters and scissors; the Rev has no scissors and its pliers aren't spring-loaded, but it adds hard-wire cutters. The Rev is lighter (5.9 oz against 7 oz) and costs less on Leatherman's site.

Pick the Wingman if you cut tape, string or packaging often and want the scissors and springs. Pick the Rev if you'd rather cut hard wire, keep the weight down or spend less.

On the Wingman, the pliers, wire cutters and scissors are spring-loaded, so they open by themselves after each squeeze. Leatherman pitches this as reducing hand fatigue, and it makes the most difference when you cut many things in a row, like trimming cable ties or cutting tape and cord.

If you mostly grab a screw or bend a wire now and then, it matters less, and a non-spring tool like the Skeletool CX is fine.

The Skeletool CX has a bit driver: it takes interchangeable bits, and it stores one extra bit in the handle. That handles more screw types if you carry the bits you need. The Wingman has three fixed screwdrivers instead (Phillips, medium and small flat), which are always there but can't be swapped.

If you work on electronics, bikes or furniture with unusual screw heads, a bit driver is the better system; for general household screws, fixed drivers are simpler.

A multi-tool is a compromise: its pliers are smaller than real pliers and its screwdrivers are shorter than a real screwdriver. For regular workshop or trade jobs, dedicated tools do better.

Where a multi-tool wins is being there when you need it: in a pocket, a glovebox, a backpack or a kitchen drawer. If you already carry a small knife and only need pliers occasionally, a compact pair of real pliers in the toolbox may serve you better.

• Skeletool CX: everyday carry, hiking and biking, when weight matters most.
• Wingman or Rev: a first multi-tool for home, car or office odds and ends.
• Wave Plus: outdoor work, building and repairs where a saw and files are useful.
• Skip a multi-tool: if you already own good pliers and a knife and never carry tools with you.