Kobalt by Lowe’s Multitool Review
Nov 20 2008
Reason for purchase:
On the ever-present lookout for “the” tool that is perfect for all applications we once and a while comes up with issues that are unseen and another tool is necessary. It was about 2 years ago that I lent a brand new Surge to a co-worker that returned it in the most abusive manner by skidding it across the shop floor a total of about 50 feet. Then the search came to be to find the ultimate loaner tool and beater.

Fast-forward 1 year and while walking through Lowe’s I decided to look into the tool area to get a new SOG. Sitting on the shelf there was the Kobalt Multi tool. At a cost of about 15$ I decided that this would be a cool tool just to keep in the car for a beater, but found the thing to be a really useful implement.

This tool is a Bear and Son Cutlery Bear Jaws Electrician that has been rebranded by Crescent to a Toolzall Electrician Pro.

This is a 4 inch tool with a wire stipping head. The tools in it are as follow it has a serrated/plain blade combo, 2 straight screwdrivers, a phillips head screwdriver, a file, a saw, a can/bottle opener, a ruler and a lanyard ring (if you count that?) and all the tools lock and are outside opening which is a very good thing. The handles are also very comfortable to use when using the wire stripping head. Good solid tool with solid design.

Anybody heard of this thing? I never knew it existed until I saw a display of them at the hardware store yesterday. A quick review of the Swiss-Tech website reveals there is an "Ultra" model and a "9-in-1" model. Hmmph, news to me.

I used to carry a well known name brand multi-tool until I found a couple superior options ( based on 40+ years as a fire fighter, police officer and bomb disposal ( EOD ) technician ). I have owned most every multi tool out there and abused them all ( that's why the good ones have a lifetime warranty ) . The two best suited for emergency service in my opinion are the SOG Powerlock S60 Made in the USA and the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife SwissTool RS made in Switzerland, both with lifetime warranties.

Sooner or later all good things must come to an end and us old guys get put out to pasture to allow the young blood(s) in an organization rise to the top. Semi retired now I find my self more in the teaching mode of the nuts + bolts of how things work rather than being on the front lines leading the charge. Consequently with more free time to work around the house, truck and and other boy "toys" I took a serious look at the two multitools I had carried over the years and evaluated them against getting something more fitting for my current needs, something that would be used everyday, lighter weight and not have all the life saving tools featured on my previous EDC ( Every Day Carry ) multitools I had been carrying on the job. It should be noted there is a SOG S60 in the console of my Avalanche and a "RS" in my wife’s Honda Pilot glove-box just in case !

I have a few tools kicking around that I got intending to write reviews on, but for some reason never make it into the spot light. One of those tools is the SeberTech M3 that I purchased from EDCDepot over a year ago.