Leatherman 830040 New Wave Multi-Tool with Nylon Sheath
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Leatherman 830040 New Wave Multi-Tool with Nylon Sheath
Customer Review: Great tool
Summary: 5 Stars
Leatherman makes great products. This is my second purchase for a Leatherman. I also purchased the extra bit kit that makes it even more functional. I often use my Leatherman instead of pulling out my full tool kit.Customer Review: Great tool that never leaves my side.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've carried this on my belt for five years now, and it's been fantastic. I skipped the nylon sheath and went for the leather one, which looks a little worse for the wear (It's been repaired by a cobbler, I broke the belt loop off), but has really held up well. The minor gripes I have with it are the micro screwdriver is a bit weak (broke off while I was using it to set DIP switches), but that's not really what it's designed for. As long as there's not too much sideways pressure you're probably fine. Also, the pliers are getting a bit chewed up from stubborn bolts, but that's to be expected. Also, when using the pliers, make sure all the knife blades are seated properly, if one is lifted out slightly you'll know all about it, and have a nice blood blister to show for it. But other than those pretty minor things, this tool has given me years of service, and it's still useful to me every day. If I lost it, I'd go get another same day, no question.Customer Review: Great tool, innovative, but not absolutely perfect.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great tool by Leatherman. I have a buddy with the original Wave tool (which is the reason I purchased this one) and it does seem a bit better. The biggest improvement over the original wave is all-locking tools. Other notable improvements include a larger knife, a diamond file and it seems a bit more sturdy. This is a very rugged tool. Removable bits are a great idea, too. The scissors are different on the New Wave, they seem easier to use then the scissors on my friends Wave, but they are a bit smaller. My buddy has had his original Wave for over 5 years so that may be why his scissors don't seem quite as good. Of coarse not having to open the tool to pull out the knives is great, which the original wave does as well. I also like how easily and smoothly the tools fold out. I really like how the belt-clip and lanyard loop snap into this tool, very innovative.
There are a few minor complaints that I have, nothing major, but they hinder a perfect score. First, I got the black tactical Wave and right out of the manufacturers box they already looked lightly used (a little scratched, not bad though). I have heard this complaint before. This isn't that big of a deal though, it's only cosmetic and I'm sure it will look a lot more used in the years to come. My biggest complaint is the tiny screwdriver on mine is hard to switch. There is a tiny reversable screwdriver with a flat-head on one side and a phillips on the other. Flipping it over to the flat-head on mine is very hard to do. The removable bits are very nice, but they don't lock into place real tight... it seems that they might fall out but they haven't yet so this isn't a big issue right now.
Other then the nit-picky complaints above this tool is near perfect and worth the money. If you are looking for a high quality multi-tool then you might look into this one. I would actually give this tool a 4.5/5 (but you can't do that on Amazon)
Customer Review: Great tool, room for improvement.
Summary: 5 Stars
I work for a police department as an Animal Services Officer/Cruelty Investigator and have field tested the original Leatherman Wave for five years. I absolutely love it and I can't fathom how I could have ever gotten by without it. I recently (excitedly) purchased the New Wave and I am both pleased and disappointed. The bronze bushings are a great new feature and they really do make a difference along with the larger thumb holes in ease/smoothness of opening. The interchangeable screwdriver bits are a big improvement and the addition of the Eyeglass Phillips/flathead screwdriver will be very useful. I have to use the nylon sheath on my duty belt because the loop on the leather one won't fit over it. Otherwise, I would definitely use the leather sheath because it looks and functions much better (the Velcro on the nylon sheath does not stick very well).
The NW design is definitely stronger/more solid except for the wimpy new scissors that they used. The old scissors would cut through tough plastic packaging, leather and just about anything you could throw at them (I used them to cut around the plastic packaging of the New Wave). As an experiment I tried to use the new scissors on the same packaging and while they would cut it, it was a chore. They will cut through leather (the leather on the old Wave Sheath) but not nearly as easily as the Original Wave does. Also, when you open up the scissors on the NW you have to be careful not to cut yourself because they put the movable arm in right next to the blade, so when you go to push it down you could get cut if you are not paying attention.
The fact that ALL OF THE BLADES LOCK is a wonderful and long awaited improvement. The new screwdrivers are very cool, useful and easy to open. They are reportedly using a better grade of steel now which is a plus because I did have a screwdriver break in the Original Wave (replaced with no problem). Overall the NW is a superior product except for the scissor issue (I guess they have to have something to improve on the new, New Wave). With all of this said I am sending it back to the store and I am getting a Leatherman Ti or XTi. The Ti has all the same blades and slightly different and better looking designs and it has 154 CM steel which is three times more durable than the stainless steel. Throw in a detachable lanyard and pocket clip and you have a winner. The difference between the Ti and the XTi is that the XTi has a cutting hook built into the serrated blade and does not have scissors in lieu of another screwdriver bit slot. If they would include the scissor from the Original Wave made of 154 CM steel and the Cutting Hook on the Ti I would be in heaven. It would be the perfect tool. Until then my Original Wave will stay in my car and the Ti or the XTi will be on my belt at work.
Customer Review: Great tool, some minor quibbles
Summary: 4 Stars
Updated: Added notes
This is my second Leatherman Wave and I am quite pleased with it.
I am a multi-tool fan and have several dozen Leatherman, Gerber, Victorinox and Wenger tools (plus a good assortment of other less popular ones). There is a reason that the Leatherman Wave is one of the most popular tools. The workmanship (i.e., fit/finish/machining) of the Wave is excellent. Materials are of great quality. Tool choice and design shows that Leatherman has been doing this a long time, though there is room for improvement.
Though it's in a different price range, the tool it seems most comparable to is the Gerber Suspension multi-pliers. The sizes are nearly identical though the Leatherman Wave packs more tools into the same space. The Wave tools are also larger. For example, the blade is almost an inch longer on the Wave.
Like almost all the Leatherman tools that I own, the machining and fit is excellent. Initially there is considerable resistance when opening the Wave, but after a few weeks of use (or a good hour of dedicated time opening and closing each time) the metal seems to wear just enough that opening becomes easy without becoming loose.
Update: After several weeks of use it has indeed become much easier to open but still doesn't feel loose.
The materials on the Wave are excellent. Though I haven't used it with a great amount of force, the pliers are sturdy and the blade, saw, screwdriver and scissors did not deform or break when doing some basic household maintenance. Lesser tools have failed me in similar work. My original Wave had some cosmetic rusting which I removed with a rotary tool and a polishing compound. The steel on this Wave looks slightly different so we'll see in a few months how it holds up to the Florida humidity.
My biggest issue with the Wave is the pliers, most importantly, the lack of a sprint assist makes it difficult for the tasks I need. For example, quite often I find myself pulling large staples and smaller nails from the fencing and woodwork around the outside of my house. These are there for various reasons, including Christmas decorations, telephone and television cabling, etc.. Of all the tools, I use the pliers most for this. The sprint assist on the Gerber Suspension makes this task very easy, not to mention similar work with smaller items. The Wave, though probably sturdier than the Suspension, is difficult to use in these situations. Alas, though the other tools are extremely good quality, I don't use them nearly as much as the pliers. For this reason the Suspension is what I carry around the house.
Finally, pricing for the Wave is not bad. Shop around as there is as much as a $50 difference when I bought mine.
Update: This identical tool is also sold with a Monarch 300 flashlight for the same price. I purchased the combo for $1 more than the Wave alone.