Review: Leatherman MUT

[Quiet-Matt]

Nice review! I'm a big fan of the MUT. I took these pictures and wrote this review about 5 months ago and it gets a lot of use on a daily basis. She's showing a little more wear than in these pictures, but still just as solid and sound as tha day I got it. The bronze scraper has seen some pretty good use and is starting to show some wear, but it is a consumable and replaceable part. The saw blade on mine has litteraly been a life saver. During the tornadoes a few months ago I used it manny times to free cables, clear routes and even free myself when I was pinned in my bucket truck (I'm a lineman). That little saw is very aggressive and works very well! The tool has some scratch marks on the pivot bolts now, they are apparently stainless as they won't take blueing at all. The knife blade takes a edge really well, but looses it pretty quick too. I use my Lansky sharpener to put a 20deg edge on it and touch it up in just a few minutes, pretty small price to pay for a good edge and I'm prretty rough on it. Rust hasn't been a problem at all. I sweat on it, rain, and has even bee used in salt water (just rinsed with clean water when I was done). I feel naked when I don't have this thing with me now.
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Leatherman MUT...
I have used one daily for the last 3 months. The first one lasted 24hrs untill I managed to break the punch off at the threads. Leatherman replaced it - no questions asked. They only wanted the tool back, let me keep the pouch and bits, and sent me a whole new set with the replacement tool. Nice people to deal with too. So, customer service... two thumbs up. Apparently the threads that broke had a flaw because the new one has held up with no problems.

Review of the tool... Its a big, heavy som'bitch. I carry it by the pocket clip in my front pocket every day and the weight isn't really noticable and its not uncomfortable. I only use the pouch on my molly gear.

The blade is good steel, sharpens really well, but comes with about a 20 degree edge from the factory that dulls pretty easy. I'll probably change it to more of a utility egde next time I mount it up in the sharpener.

The jaws are great, they have a pretty good needle nose tip and a durable and aggressive area past that. The cutting jaws are replaceable, but after cutting plenty of #6 copper ground wire and the occasional drawn steel wire over the last few months, I havn't really noticed much wear.

The side of the jaws are threaded for a cleaning rod and is accessable when the tool is folded as well. I havn't used this feature.

The saw blade is really aggressive and works pretty well for a 3" saw.

The pocket clip is strong and stiff to the point that it's sometimes difficult to clip it on with one hand. The bottle opener works well.

Here's the bit slot. It's spring loaded and holds any of Leatherman's flat bits.

This little push button detent is my only real gripe about the tool. It toggles back and forth to allow you to slide the bits out, and has a center position that secures the bits on both sides of the tool. I occasionally find that it has pushed to one side or the other throughout my day and left the bit open to fall out. So far I havn't lost one yet.

The channel on each side of the tool will hold one long bit or as I have here, 2 of the smaller ones.

There's even a spot on the back for another.

The punch works well for takedown pins, trigger pins, and works on Glocks too. If you un-screw it you can use the tool to tap the pins out. The male threads are on the tool end and will accept cleaning rod attachments.

The bronze scraper is replacable and is shaped for cleaning the BCG of an AR-15. I used the one on the first tool I had and it seemed to work pretty well. I hav't used this one yet.

The end of the tool has a lock that holds the two halves together for pocket carry. I use this all the time and it's easy to open one handed. It's a nice little feature. There's also a strap cutter on there. I use it fairly often at work cutting zip-ties and it does a descent job. Its guarded by the bit if you keep one in there, so if you want to use it alot without having to open the tool you have to remove the bit, but you can keep it in the extra bit slot on the back of the handle. The bottom of the tool serves two purposes. One is as a hammer, and it serves this task really well, although a small hammer. Second is what Leatherman calls the bolt override tool. The Idea is to use this tip as a hook to snag the front of the bolt carrier through the ejection port and jerk it back to dislodge the BCG from the problem inducing brass. I've tested this out while practicing malfunction drills, and it does work. I prefer to use the tip for pulling staples.

The pouch is made in China, but is still pretty good quality.

There's a slot in the back to hold the included wrench.

It holds the tool snug, but it's still easy to remove. It also doubles as a mag pouch.

The wrench works well on scope mounts and fits Larue cam lever adjustment nuts.