Leatherman Disappointment

[Dwayne P]

I have had my Wingman now for a good couple of years. Always serviced with AT in Cape Town. After the last service the plier jaws were replaced, this is the first time I have had an issue. Now the cutter is getting a wearing gap to the extent that it does not cut anymore.

[LandyLove]

My first few leathermans had lifetime warrantees. They always fixed and returned, the same repaired tools.

Then they changed it on "all new leathermans" to a 25-year warrantee…...

This is where the trouble started.

Now you send your lifetime warrantee tool to them for a repair – they don’t repair them, they now replace it with a new tool, but now with a 25-year warrantee!!! And the quality is not as good.

Some accountant did his calculations and said this lifetime warrantee will bite us in the future, we need to stop the lifetime warrantee.

25 years is considered a lifetime in many instances. I think they just changed the wording so everyone is on the same page.

I don't mind buying a new Leatherman every 25 years after my current one has been replaced 5 times for free.

[Damdan]

"...we need to stop the lifetime warrantee."

Same happened wrt ssteel exhaust systems that I bought many many years ago for some of my vehicles.
Lifetime guarantee (printed on the invoice) changed to 20 years.
My one vehicle received a complete ssteel system in 1986.
It is now 36 years later and its still 100%.
I think those were good investments.

[LandyLove]

"...we need to stop the lifetime warrantee."

Same happened wrt ssteel exhaust systems that I bought many many years ago for some of my vehicles.
Lifetime guarantee (printed on the invoice) changed to 20 years.
My one vehicle received a complete ssteel system in 1986.
It is now 36 years later and its still 100%.
I think those were good investments.

Who keeps a vehicle for 20 years, let alone 36 years?

[bigboy529]

25 years is considered a lifetime in many instances. I think they just changed the wording so everyone is on the same page.

I don't mind buying a new Leatherman every 25 years after my current one has been replaced 5 times for free.

25 years is even considered a lifetime in our justice system.

As far as I know every new tool you get has a 25 year warranty, the warranty is on the tool, not on the person.
So if your tool gets swopped out for a new one after say 10 years, you have a 25 year warranty again.
I doubt these things have serial numbers which they bother checking when taking a tool in for service or a warranty claim and they definately don't keep record of owners details.

I have a Wave from the lifetime warranty days as far as I know. A few years ago I loosened battery clamps on a old generator with it and despite washing it properly with Sunlight soon after, the battery acid left behind stains. At the time I thought if the stains ever get worse like the acid eating in to it or something then I'll send it in for replacement or whatever, but it never got worse.

I've also got a little Sidekick which I have to send in at some point it has a broken blade tip (not me), it was purchased in America, I have no clue if it's a lifetime or 25 year one.

[Dudleytheplumber]

Who Manages to keep a knife tool for a lifetime...they either get lost or nicked...

I wear mine o my belt everyday, but now the pouch is very worn...
Wonder if they will replace it or sell me a new one...

[Luka]

Who Manages to keep a knife tool for a lifetime...they either get lost or nicked...

I wear mine o my belt everyday, but now the pouch is very worn...
Wonder if they will replace it or sell me a new one...

Get a leather guy make you a custom one for life.

[LandyLove]

A Leatherman leather pouch lasts me about 3 years. Nylon ones only a year. The clip on the leather pouch usually breaks off.

[BushNomad]

… my Leatherman ( wave?) is about 10 yrs old, …,never needed repair or service.
My (Genuine) Swiss Army Knife (25 function ?) is about 25 years old and never needed
repair or service. ( Latter costs about 10fold today what it cost me at Tony Factor Center in Jbg !)

[Dudleytheplumber]

I managed to buy a leather pouch at Cape Union
R450 .. a bit expensive, but at least it's on my belt and not lost from the hole in the fabric pouch

[bigboy529]

I still have a brand new never used pouch for my Wave, if I use a pouch which is not very often, then I use the nylon one.
99% of the time I carry my Wave clipped on the inside of my pants pocket the same way I carry my little Leatherman folder.

[cainslie]

.

[krl747]

Who Manages to keep a knife tool for a lifetime...they either get lost or nicked...

I wear mine o my belt everyday, but now the pouch is very worn...
Wonder if they will replace it or sell me a new one...

Banana Tactical make nice Kydex ones as well

[Vormoto]

Sent 2 of my Leatherman's in to Awesome Tools in CT, let see When I get them back. (Will it be new or refurbished ....)

[Vormoto]

Approx 2 weeks Turn around Time,

Send them 2x waves`s, I got 2x Wave+`s in return.

Cost = R0

As Said Before, I have never had any issue`s with these Awesome Guys.

[Skylark]

Approx 2 weeks Turn around Time,

Send them 2x waves`s, I got 2x Wave+`s in return.

Cost = R0

As Said Before, I have never had any issue`s with these Awesome Guys.

I wonder who covers that rather significant and impressive warranty outlay, will Leatherman USA cover/reimburse the local distributor in full?

[LandyLove]

I wonder who covers that rather significant and impressive warranty outlay, will Leatherman USA cover/reimburse the local distributor in full?

I'm sure they do. Also sure that they have a facility that can refurb bits to good as new or melt and remake parts.

Just saw what a new wave costs! I guess all these claims are helping drive costs up, but it remains a good investment in the long run.

[DustGypsy]

I'm sure they do. Also sure that they have a facility that can refurb bits to good as new or melt and remake parts.

Just saw what a new wave costs! I guess all these claims are helping drive costs up, but it remains a good investment in the long run.

You can only take steel away, not add.
Tried to find a price for 420HC, closest I could get was a bulk supplier at US $2.20/kg, so no way are they recycling.

That's the other problem with Leatherman, for the whole rest of the world D2 is now the entry level steel, and except for the few S30V models they are stuck on 420HC.
Not that a Leatherman is primarily a knife, but as soon as you've tried just a mild step up to D2 I don't understand how people still get along with 420HC, 8cr13mov and the like.

I can just imagine a good quality controlled Wave with CruWear blade (and maybe tools where applicable).......jy kan my onder 'n wip vang met daai ding, name your price.....

[JoshMos]

I think having one bad example does not now make them all bad. Nothing wrong with mine (and I have the same model)

Surely you can comment like this only once the replacement is found to be of the same quality.

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Fair enough, Hedgehog... point taken! But, I must say, I feel the quality in general has been declining slightly... anyway, like I said in a previous post - I've always sung their praises, so let's see.

As an update for those interested, I have yet to receive new wire cutters as promised, this is after quite a few back and forth emails (long story) with Leatherman themselves promising to send new ones.

I was in SA in January and had my old surge (with the broken wire cutters from my new Leatherman) sent to Awesome Tools through Mia's Angling & Scuba in Woodmead. I'm still waiting, but let's see what comes of it.

[clivemd]

Who keeps a vehicle for 20 years, let alone 36 years?

I do is that a problem