Why I bought a used multi-tool instead of a new one
One of the things about living the Multi-Tool Life is that when I’m browsing around the interwebs, I’m often on the search for what multi-tool looks interesting and could make a good ‘essential’ addition to my multi-tool collection. And I don’t know about you, but I like a bargain and if a multi-tool has been released some time ago, there’s a chance you can find it at a good price on the used market.
So that’s what I was doing. I hadn’t paid much attention to SOG’s PowerDuo multi-tool before until I found one for sale on an online second-hand market. This is not a story about the second-hand multi-tool marketplace – although I do talk about good places to buy a used multi-tool later on – so I’m not going to say where I got it from. This is really about what I learned buying a used multi-tool.
I liked the look of the full-sized knife on the SOG PowerDuo with its generous thumb hole which looked like it would make it easy for one-handed deployment. Besides multi-tools, I don’t mind a good carry knife or two and the thumb hole reminded me of the one all Spyderco knives have. I also liked the stealthy black finish and the ‘3D’ Phillips head screwdriver. It would be my first SOG with their patented ‘Compound Leverage’ geared pliers. I understood the mechanics of a leveraged plier head but wanted to try it for myself to see if it’s as good as SOG says it is or is it just a gimmick.
The price looked cheap so…..I pays me hard-earned and waits by the mailbox for it to arrive. And it did. And these are the tips and tricks it taught me.
The 6 tips and tricks I learned from getting ripped off!
1. Get Enough Photos to Check the Full Condition of the Multi-Tool
The online advertisement for my purchase had a few photos which all looked OK. They showed a couple of scratches to the black oxide of the blade on one side which just looked like light use wear and tear and that was about it. When I received it, I realized the advert didn’t have any photos of the other side of the blade and the other side of the blade had a large scratch and there was a scratch on the plier head as well.
If the item is new in the package or new, unused, you’re not going to look too hard but if it’s used that’s a different story. But even I’m not going to buy a used multi-tool without looking at a few photos of the item for sale.
Multi-tools are tools that are designed to be used to get stuff done and if they are used, they are going to show it. You would expect to see some wear and tear cosmetically to the surfaces and possibly to one or more of the working parts of the multi-tool. So make sure you get enough good quality photos of all parts of the multi-tool to see what condition it’s in.
2. Ask Enough Questions to Check the Full Condition of the Multi-Tool
I read the description to know that it was used. Apparently, it had only light use and was in perfect working condition. Well, it wasn’t. When I got it, there were more scratches on the black oxide finish than the photos showed which if that was the only problem, I could probably live with it. But there was some damage to one of the compound mechanisms for the pliers. It looked like the PowerDuo had been dropped on its end onto something hard like concrete. That had put a small dent in one of the ratchets that make the compound pliers work.
What that meant that when you were squeezing the plier handles to grip something, it wasn’t a smooth action where the rotation ran past the dented pivot point. Again, not a deal breaker but something I didn’t expect and I wouldn’t have taken the risk of buying it if I knew beforehand. The final issue with the PowerDuo that wasn’t mentioned and I didn’t ask about was whether the locking tabs worked fully – did they lock into place easily and release easily? They went into their locked position easily but were really tough to unlock. The sliding thumb tab on the handle was really stiff to slide. Sometimes almost impossible. I wanted to use one of my other multi-tools to get the tab to move!
If the description in the advert doesn’t fully state that every function and tool is in perfect working condition, ask the seller for more details. In fact, it’s a good idea to ask a question to see what sort of response you get. That can tell you what sort of seller you’ll be buying from.
3. Find out the price of other used multi-tools of the same model
When I saw the price of the used SOG PowerDuo I thought it was very cheap. In fact, I thought it was too cheap for a full-sized multi-tool. That tricked me into not looking around the worldwide for the prices of other used PowerDuos. After I received it and actually did some research on the prices on the secondhand market, I found that the one I bought wasn’t that cheap. It was a reasonable price for one in perfect condition but because my one had a few issues it was more expensive than it should have been.
Make sure you don’t accept the first price you see without doing some other research. Have a look at other second-hand marketplaces to see what the going rate is for the multi-tool you’re after. If it’s a rare version or special in some way, you might have to pay more than you expect but then it’s up to you to decide how much you really want that specific model.
4. Find out the best price of the new unused version of the multi-tool you’re interested in
After it was too late, I did more price research and found the difference in the price I paid for the used model was only about 20% less than the best price I could find for it new. If I’d looked at the full price of the PowerDuo on the SOG website, the difference in price between new and used would have made some sense to buy used. Looking a bit further showed the ‘street’ new price was much lower. If I’d done my homework, I would have paid the extra 2o% to get a new unused model instead. The difference just wasn’t enough for me to take the risk on a used model from a private seller versus new from a reputable seller with a warranty and return policy – which brings me to my next tip.
5. Check whether you can return the multi-tool if it doesn’t match the seller’s description
Because the model I received wasn’t fully described in the seller’s advert and the condition of it was worse than I was lead to believe by the advert, I contacted the seller about returning it. He wasn’t happy about it but did agree to return my money once I returned it. I had to pay for the postage which I accepted as my “stupidity tax” for buying it in the first place. It might not always be that way though.
Some sellers don’t accept returns and you might have a hard time getting your money back. You probably have some protections under the consumer laws or if you paid by Paypal or your credit card but you really want to try to avoid having to go down that route. If you decide after paying for it that you think you’ve paid too much or just change your mind about wanting to buy it, you’re most likely out of luck to return it. If I had followed the first 4 tips and tricks I would have been unlikely to end up wanting to return it anyway.
6. Make sure it’s actually a good multi-tool for you
This is obvious and its embarrassing that I actually learned this one after buying the PowerDuo. I didn’t do any research to decide whether the PowerDuo was even the right multi-tool for me. I got my head turned by the thumb hole deployable knife and a couple of other features I liked the look of and didn’t look too much further. I should have done some searching to see what other people were saying about this model. If I had, there’s a good chance I would not have bought the Powerduo.
So before you decide to purchase a multi-tool, have a look for reviews from reputable sites, channels, and customer reviews. If you decide it is a model for you, then go back and follow tips 1 to 5 before handing over any hard earned.
Postscript
After I had returned the used SOG PowerDuo and got my money back, I found a good price on a new unused one – purchased it and it arrived. I was looking forward to getting one in perfect condition but unfortunately, I had the same problem with the sliding lock release tab on the new one. The same problem the used one had. Maybe that wasn’t one of the problems the used one had and it’s just a poor design or manufacture issue for SOG.
Because it was new and it was faulty, I returned it and got another one. The release tab was a little better but still wasn’t great. I could release it with a thumb and more pressure than it should need. If I had followed my own Tip #6 and read some reviews, I would have learned the release tab is a common problem on the SOG PowerDuo. Now I’m stuck with a multi-tool which I don’t use because it just isn’t great. SOG makes some really good multi-tools but this isn’t one of them. Thankfully they don’t sell it anymore.
Why would you buy a used multi-tool?
This is a question I asked myself after my bad experience of buying a second-hand multi-tool. The truth is though that I didn’t follow the 6 tips and tricks above and if I did I could have avoided a lot of hassle. So I’m not totally put off buying a used multi-tool in the future, I’ll just be better prepared before I buy.
These are my situations where I would consider buying second-hand.
- If the multi-tool wasn’t going to be my main everyday carry. For example, I intended to put it in the glovebox as a backup multi-tool and I don’t mind that it already has some wear and tear.
- If the model I wanted was no longer available to buy new and I could buy it at a reasonable price used. This would apply particularly if you wanted to buy a ‘historic’ model like an original Leatherman PST.
- If I was buying it for parts to repair or modify one of my current multi-tools. Used multi-tools can be a good source of parts for say replacing your plier head because you’ve damaged your non-replaceable wire cutters. Or you want to swap out the standard saw with a file from another model. Strip a used multi-tool and grab the parts you want.
Where to buy used multi-tools
Of course, there are a number of places you can buy used multi-tools but my favorite place to look is on multi-tool forums. What you get when buying from a multi-tool enthusiast forum is some comfort you are buying from someone known by other Multi-Tool MacGyvers.
You can usually get an idea of the reputation of the users and if the seller wants to keep their reputation on the forum, they know they need to act responsibly. The group I’m a member of is all about buying and selling the big 4 multi-tools brands and is a closed group so you have to ask to join. The group is called Multi-Tools – Leatherman – Gerber – SAK – SOG – Other
Another obvious place to look for used multi-tools is eBay. There are a lot of used multi-tools here and you can probably find what you want. eBay is built on sellers and buyers having good ratings but use the common precautions when buying on eBay.
I’m sure you know other places to buy multi-tools like Craigslist and others places as well. Just use my 6 tips and tricks to avoid being ripped off like I was.
If you want some ideas about what multi-tools are worth buying used or new, you can check out the multi-tools I rate as the best in their class on the Recommended Multi-Tools page.
Multi-tools – Don’t Leave Home Without One!
What sort of experience have you had buying a used multi-tool? Was it better than mine or maybe it was even worse? I’d love to hear your story in the comments below.