I'm a big fan of multi tools, as anyone who reads my reviews can probably guess. I've had my eye on the Sheffield 12913 Hammer 14-in-1 Multi Tool for a while now, because of its unique take on the multi tool concept. Local Home Depot stores recently dropped the price to around $7, but they never had the tool in stock. On Amazon it always hovered around $10, and last week when I saw that it had dropped to under $8, I decided it was time to give it a try.
I got the package a few days later and tore it open. Let me just say, I have never been so disappointed with a tool so quickly. There is a lot of potential packed into this hammer mult tool, and most of that potential evaporates as soon as you take it out of the package.
The 12913 multi tool is supposed to be a smallish hammer that also functions as pliers, and has several fold-out tools. The tools that fold out from the handle include a 1/8" slotted screwdriver, a #2 Phillips driver, a 2" mini saw that also functions as a 1/4" slotted driver and a file, a 2-1/2" knife blade, and a can opener that has wire stripper grooves cut into it. The hammer itself has both the standard hammer head and the nail claw, and the pliers claim to be standard pliers, linesman pliers, and wire cutters. It also comes with a decent carrying pouch with horizontal and vertical belt loops.
All in all, that sounds like a pretty useful tool for under ten bucks. Until you pull open the pliers' handle and realize that the pliers only open 1/4". If you're doing precision work, a quarter of an inch may be enough, but if you're doing precision work, an 11-ounce hammer tool is probably not the best pair of pliers for the job. By pulling the handles apart manually, I could stretch the pliers to open a little over 1/3", which is still far too small to be useful.
The can opener and saw blade are extremely difficult to swing out. For the saw blade, you have to pull the knife out first to get a good grip on it, and for the can opener is difficult to remove at best, even after pulling out both the knife and saw. The small slotted driver is next to impossible to remove, without prying it open with a screwdriver or knife. The Phillips driver can be swung open by hand, but it's not easy. Even after soaking all of the joints in oil, they still are difficult to move.
So that's everything that's wrong with this tool. I definitely would not recommend buying it. But there are some positives to it, too.
The hammer works well -- it's heavy and strong. The Phillips driver does not give you a lot of length, but it also works well and seems sturdy so far. The saw is not the sharpest you'll ever see, but it's sharp enough to easily cut through thick cardboard. The knife is sharp and is actually a decent pocket knife blade. I haven't used the file for anything yet but when you touch it, it feels like it was machined well and would be useful.
The pouch it comes with is nice to have, but the hammer sticks out on one side or another -- either the hammer head or the nail claw, which could be bad if you're wearing it on your belt. The brown design on the hammer's handle looks dated (at least to me) but Sheffield also makes the same tool available with a black handle, item# 12912. The packaging says that the hammer also comes with a "key ring" -- the metal ring on the bottom that holds the pliers handle in -- but who would want an 11-ounce hammer hanging off their key chain is beyond me.
All in all I give this multi tool 1.5 out of 5 stars, and I wouldn't recommend it. As a small hammer with a knife blade and some tools that are barely usable, it's not worth more than a couple bucks. Amazon.com currently lists it for $7.35, eligible for free shipping.
I got the package a few days later and tore it open. Let me just say, I have never been so disappointed with a tool so quickly. There is a lot of potential packed into this hammer mult tool, and most of that potential evaporates as soon as you take it out of the package.
The 12913 multi tool is supposed to be a smallish hammer that also functions as pliers, and has several fold-out tools. The tools that fold out from the handle include a 1/8" slotted screwdriver, a #2 Phillips driver, a 2" mini saw that also functions as a 1/4" slotted driver and a file, a 2-1/2" knife blade, and a can opener that has wire stripper grooves cut into it. The hammer itself has both the standard hammer head and the nail claw, and the pliers claim to be standard pliers, linesman pliers, and wire cutters. It also comes with a decent carrying pouch with horizontal and vertical belt loops.
All in all, that sounds like a pretty useful tool for under ten bucks. Until you pull open the pliers' handle and realize that the pliers only open 1/4". If you're doing precision work, a quarter of an inch may be enough, but if you're doing precision work, an 11-ounce hammer tool is probably not the best pair of pliers for the job. By pulling the handles apart manually, I could stretch the pliers to open a little over 1/3", which is still far too small to be useful.
The can opener and saw blade are extremely difficult to swing out. For the saw blade, you have to pull the knife out first to get a good grip on it, and for the can opener is difficult to remove at best, even after pulling out both the knife and saw. The small slotted driver is next to impossible to remove, without prying it open with a screwdriver or knife. The Phillips driver can be swung open by hand, but it's not easy. Even after soaking all of the joints in oil, they still are difficult to move.
So that's everything that's wrong with this tool. I definitely would not recommend buying it. But there are some positives to it, too.
The hammer works well -- it's heavy and strong. The Phillips driver does not give you a lot of length, but it also works well and seems sturdy so far. The saw is not the sharpest you'll ever see, but it's sharp enough to easily cut through thick cardboard. The knife is sharp and is actually a decent pocket knife blade. I haven't used the file for anything yet but when you touch it, it feels like it was machined well and would be useful.
The pouch it comes with is nice to have, but the hammer sticks out on one side or another -- either the hammer head or the nail claw, which could be bad if you're wearing it on your belt. The brown design on the hammer's handle looks dated (at least to me) but Sheffield also makes the same tool available with a black handle, item# 12912. The packaging says that the hammer also comes with a "key ring" -- the metal ring on the bottom that holds the pliers handle in -- but who would want an 11-ounce hammer hanging off their key chain is beyond me.
All in all I give this multi tool 1.5 out of 5 stars, and I wouldn't recommend it. As a small hammer with a knife blade and some tools that are barely usable, it's not worth more than a couple bucks. Amazon.com currently lists it for $7.35, eligible for free shipping.
There is a huge selection of multi tools on the market today. They can range in price from Shop Basics or Olympia multi tools that are often sold for $5 or $10, to Gerber, SOG, or Leatherman multi tools that can cost $100 — or more. Sheffield makes several different multi tools, most of which fall on the lower end of the price spectrum. Some of these tools are a great value at their price, while others may or may not be worth it, depending on what you are looking for. The