A Dinosaur?
Leatherman’s Super Tool 300 has been around for years. I mean years and years. There are devoted owners out there who have had their Super Tool for more than 20 years and carry and use them every day. They rave about it as a tough useful no frills multi-tool. Are they just out of touch with newer multi-tool models and what a modern multi-tool can offer? Does it need to be put out to pasture or is the Super Tool 300 an oldie but still a goodie?
Carry-ability
You would want to know you’re going to find a frequent use for the 300. It will take some dedication to carry this around with you. That’s because it’s no lightweight at 9.6 oz (272 grams). It’s not the heaviest model on the market or even the heaviest in Leatherman’s range – that would be the porker, the Surge at 12.5 oz (335 gms). Still, it’s no featherweight.
Being so heavy is probably the reason why it doesn’t have a pocket clip, or the option to add
a pocket clip. If you did clip it to your pocket, your trouser belt would have to be too tight to make sure you don’t expose yourself!
Leatherman makes up for no pocket clip by including a sheath with the Super Tool 300. For the stainless steel version, you can get either a ballistic nylon sheath with 3 pockets to carry bits and accessories. This sheath can be attached horizontally or vertically. Usefully, it will carry the Super Tool with the pliers open so if you’re in the middle of a job and want to holster it, you don’t have to fold it back up. You also have the option with the stainless steel version to get a leather box sheath with a snap closure. The downside with the leather sheath is that it doesn’t have the pockets where you can store a few extra bits.
Given it’s such a heavy-duty use multi-tool you might want to consider the leather sheath though. Up to you, depends how you think you’ll use it. There are a couple of reports that the nylon sheath can let go at the seams and that could mean you just plain lose it or it falls off your hip onto a passerby 40 floors below.
The black oxide version comes with an equally stealthy black molle sheath. Ideal for those tactical operations where you have to get in and out without being noticed. Like the times you sneak to the fridge to get another beer without turning the lights on.
Multi-tool Set
19. That’s the number of functions in this old school multi-tool. The first thing you notice about the Super Tool 300 is there are no outside accessible tools. To access all of the 19 functions, you need to butterfly the handles to reveal the pliers. The pliers are Leatherman’s sturdiest set in their range and like most multi-tool pliers, serve a number of purposes.
In this case, the plier head incorporates a standard tip and flat section with a cutout to grip nuts and bolts. Then there’s the various wire cutting features on the plier head. To deal with hard wire and “normal” wire, Leatherman has included replaceable blade cutters. Added to that are the stranded wire cutters, electrical crimpers, and wire strippers. I don’t think Leatherman have missed a trick here with the full range of possible plier functions covered.
The next main tools after the pliers are the knife blades. There are two full-size knife blades, a straight blade, and a serrated blade. Both of them made of 420HC steel. This steel is commonly used in Leatherman’s blade steel and sits in a quality class I call “Good”. The replaceable wire cutter blades included in the plier head are even higher quality 154CM steel which rates as “Very Good” on my scale. If you’re interested in the types of knife steel and their quality used in multi-tools, check out my article here. The final full-sized cutting implement is a single row saw.
There’s a full complement of flat head screwdriver sizes here. Included are a separate small, medium and large while the Phillips screwdriver has to make do with just one size. No self-respecting full-size multi-tool would be seen out in public without a can opener and a bottle opener. The Super Tool 300 isn’t embarrassed and sports both tools. An awl with a thread loop is correct and present also.
Rounding off the toolset load is a double sided file, one side for metal, the other for wood filing. Finally, if you need to measure anything up to an impressive 9 inches long (22 cms), the Super Tool 300 has you covered with a ruler.
Use-ability
The use-ability of any multi-tool is a combination of many factors. Obviously, it’s about whether the included tools can actually be used to do the job they are supposed to but there’s more to it than that.
The weight of the multi-tool affects the number of practical options you have to carry it around with you. At 9.6 oz (272 gm), the Super Tool 300, is no lightweight. But the weight has a purpose. It’s there because of its sturdy build designed to handle heavy-duty tasks. It’s not heavy because it hasn’t been designed well.
Long-term users talk about the toughness of the Super Tool 300. That it will tackle any job you throw at it. It’s an everyday carry and daily use for heavy machinery mechanics, farmers, electricians and home remodelers. And they rave about it being an indispensable tool they can rely on.
They also talk about the rightness of the toolset. Check out the toolset list, you won’t see any tweezers or toothpick here. If you need tweezers, grab your pliers. Need a toothpick? Try the awl or the small screwdriver. This is a workman’s tool not a manicure set!
The previous version of the Super Tool 300 had thin edges to the handles so if you were putting some serious pressure into the pliers, you needed workman’s hands otherwise you’d find the handles uncomfortable in your palm.
The current version has rolled handles edges which make them much easier in the hand. No plastic on these handles either. Plastic handles on a multi-tool, or plastic anything really, are a big thumbs down from me. Leatherman says the Super Tool 300 can be used with gloves. It doesn’t mean you have to use gloves, what they mean is that you can use it with gloves because the handles are big enough for gloved hands.
But if you’re as tough as one user, who needs gloves anyway. He says the Super Tool 300 is “made for a working man’s hands, not video gamer’s hands”. Not being a video gamer myself, I’m not sure what their hands are typically like but I assume they aren’t hardened like a working man. A bit of a sexist comment maybe but I see where he was going with it.
They reckon they have designed it so you can access the tools with gloves on. Good luck with that. Maybe you can get to the knives because there are reasonably sized cutouts in the handles but you will probably struggle to get to other tools if you’re wearing a decent pair of work gloves.
Speaking of accessibility to tools, the Super Tool 300 has no outside accessible tools. This means that when it’s closed, the handles cover the tools – which stops the tools from falling open and deploying accidentally – and helps them stay away from dirt and grime.
What it also means though is that you have to open the handles to get to any of the tools. You pretty much have to do this to get to the pliers on any other multi-tool anyway. But I prefer generally to be able to get to a few common tools, without having to open up the multi-tool. So this design isn’t my favorite but because it’s a heavy duty go anywhere work tool, maybe this design makes sense.
Also, if you get the nylon sheath, you can carry it in the sheath open. Means that once you’re on the job, you can open it up and leave it open until you finish.
The pliers on the Super Tool 300 are the beefiest of all Leatherman models. Beefy plier heads are strong but the downside is they are usually bulky which can limit the gaps they can get in to. To reduce this problem, Leatherman has tapered the shoulders of the plier head so it’s not as wide, doesn’t lose any of its strength but can still get into tighter spaces. They aren’t needle nose pliers though so don’t expect too much from them.
Another excellent use-ability feature of these pliers are the removable wire cutter blades. A good upgrade by Leatherman for the current model and essential really. Especially in a tool like this that’s probably going to be put to the test on all sorts of wire – some people use it for cutting barb wire which isn’t bad! If you don’t have replaceable cutter blades, just one defeat by some tough wire would ruin your wire cutters for good.
A few users have complained about the Super Tool 300 is too stiff to open and close. My experience of all the Leatherman models I have is they are always stiff to open when you first start using them. They all free up over time with use. Remember that you will be opening this a lot because there aren’t any tools you can access without opening it up.
What doesn’t seem to loosen up is closing one of the arms. One arm is usually easy enough and the other one takes a fair bit of force. Just makes it more awkward to close than I think it should be. I don’t know why Leatherman does this. I can’t figure out a design reason for it. If you know, let me know in the comments below.
The tools in the handles are what Leatherman call ‘clumped’. That means that when you use your nail to pry one of the tools out, all the tools come out together in one clump. Then you slide the ones you don’t want back into the handle and fully extend the tool you want into the locked position. Clumping is a design choice to save space inside the handles. Some people like this feature, others don’t. Me, I would prefer a multi-tool that you can individually access each tool. Victorinox is very good at this with the SwissTool. It’s not a big enough issue to stop me from buying a particular multi-tool if all the other features suited my needs.
Finally on the use-ability front, a small issue. The Super Tool 300 comes in a black oxide finish and the black can come off it onto your hands (or your gloves if you’re one of those glove wearing types). It’s not that it comes off altogether and you can see the stainless steel underneath, it’s just that it can make a mess. This issue isn’t uncommon for black oxide coated multi-tools. Give it a good clean with something non-abrasive when you first get it and then a couple more times after the first few uses and that should stop it. Not a big issue for me and a small price to pay to ensure I stay ‘covert’ on my night ops!
Pocket It or Pawn It?
Everybody loves the Super Tool 300 for its quality feel and its durability. It’s heavy but heavy for a reason so it can be forgiven. It’s a working tool, designed to be an essential tool that can be relied on when you’re in the middle of your farm, up on the scaffolding or crawling in your crawl space. It’s not going to impress your mates when you whip it out at the cookout but it will impress you when you have to rely on it to get a job done.
The tool-set covers all the common essential tools. And those tools are all a decent size to make them easy to use. Sometimes you’ll see a multi-tool with a lot of tools packed into a small space but the tools are each so small they are fiddly and hard to use. Not so here with the Super Tool 300.
But to me, it’s not perfect but that could be because it’s not the right multi-tool for what I need. By the way, if you’re interested in the 11 important things I use to choose the right multi-tool for me, I wrote about it here.
I like a multi-tool that has outside accessible tools. I at least want to be able to get to a knife without opening up the pliers. I don’t work with my hands every day so I don’t need a working man’s multi-tool so much. I have a Leatherman Surge which will handle the heavy duty tasks and comes with a good set of scissors – which I like.
That’s it. This one’s an easy decision. If you’re looking for solid durable heavy duty hard working multi-tool with a fan base of thousands, the Leatherman Super Tool 300 could be the right one for you. Check the current price on Amazon. MacGyver says POCKET IT!
This isn’t my favorite heavy duty multi-tool though, that’s the Leatherman Surge. I rate it the best heavy duty on my Recommended Multi-Tools page.
Do you own and regularly use a Super Tool 300? What’s your experience? Are you think about buying one? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Multi-tools – don’t leave home without one!