Is The Leatherman ARC Trash or The Holy Grail?

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Ive had a Wave+ for a few years and decided to upgrade to the Arc. So far ive seen a huge benefit to the Arc when trying to use the outside accessable scissors and one handed deployment of the bit driver and prybar. Not having to open the pliers to get to those extra tools saves a bunch of time and fiddling. Essentially a Wave+ with an improved user interface, I have been very happy so far with the purchase.

The Arc is basically the Wave+ on steroids. Being able to access all the tools one handed is a game changer. My Surge will still be my edc for work but after work its gonna be the Arc.

ABOUT THE CUTTERS.. I have some updates after I broke mine on camera. Leatherman reached out to me regarding these cutters. They will be sending me a new set (no need to send back tool). They mentioned they found a batch with bad heat treatment that is not up to spec. So on one hand, it's good to see Leatherman is on it. On the other hand I still don't understand the design change that causes the gap. I've heard from many others that this gap will also create incomplete cuts in things like wire ties etc. Will do a follow up at some point. It's really good to see yours hold up! Cheers, Dominic

The biggest problem I can see for me it the magnetic operation of the tool. I’m a millwright and welder/fabricator. If I put the arc on my work bench the internal magnets will get completely covered in metal grindings/filings the second I put it down. Also all my pants and coat pockets become imbedded with small metal filings. It’s not noticeable until u put something magnetic in your pocket (think AirPod case) and everything becomes covered in filings that are hard to clean off

with the 30% off on leatherman website paid 160 ( like 175 to my door) and for that USA made magnacut even forgetting about the rest of the tools seems like a pretty good deal

Wire test was perfect valdation of the tool, thanks Aaron. That's exactly how I want an edc hand tool to perform: just strong enough to handle my full strength, but not much more to be overly heavy or bulky.

Swiss tool or Swiss tool spirit MXBS . Both I would suggest first .

On a side note about the price, if you are a veteran, check out the military discount at Leatherman. I actually bought the Arc for $160. I couldn't pass that up. Best military discount I've ever gotten i think. BTW, I love the Arc, and would have bought it at regular price eventually.

They look great, but that price...

I think this makes the Wave look like a really good value. $50.00 plus tax on fleabay for a new one in the clam shell pkg

I’ve had a Wave for over 10 years… And I bought the Arc a week ago, the Arc is honestly an amazing tool … Magnacut, and just the easy access and dexterity on it makes it the best multi tool I’ve ever owned..

I had a response from leatherman about cutters they said there engineering team immediately tested there current inventory to diagnose the cause. Through there tests, they found that some lots of replaceable wire cutters did not meet expectations. Said they will send me replacements.

Good review Aaron 👍 I agree if someone else can justify laying down the money and the Arc fits what they need then yes it's worth it to them. As a lifelong mechanic I've spent tons of money on tools and have no problem buying a more expensive tool if..it helps me be more productive. But like you the Arc to me isn't going to help me be more productive than my tried and true Surge I've EDC'd for years. If I was going to swap to another multitool I would probably choose Gerber's Dual Force because as a mechanic by trade that pliers head on the Dual Force fits so many things I work on day to day. But hey if the Arc does it for you then it's worth it. Thanks for sharing!

$100 more than the p2 honestly isn’t that bad for extra tools plus a coated Magnacut blade. If my P2 ever fails me I would gladly pay $230 for a good multitool.

Loved the comparison to knives made with similar materials. Great new view on the Arc I havent seen before.

G'day Aaron, as an ex-sparkie, I've cut more "wire jerkers" aka coathangers, than I care to remember. Even a mid range pair of Linesman's Pliers will do that, and without deformation of the blade, or side to side flex. I do think multitools are interesting, so I'll still watch...... but you can get a lot of "proper" tools for far less dough. If i did have a need/want, I reckon, like many, the Wave + is the sweet spot for capability vs price. Cheers Duke

I’m going to wait to get an arc. The supertool 300 has everything I need on a daily basis and I feel incomplete without it.

Nice honest review. People are kinda funny sometimes. They have no problem paying 160-180$ for a bugout made of plastic with a s30v blade but are also complaining about the Arc at 230$😅. I’m a knife enthusiast and for me,personally, 230$ for a tool i really enjoy everyday with a Magnacut blade is a decent price. If i had to only keep one LM it would be my surge tho. But i’m really enjoying my Arc. Time will tell if it’ll keep its place tho! Thanks for the video man!

I prefer my Surge because you can interchange the file with other tools. And in a pinch you could actually sharpen the blades due to this.