LEATHERMAN Free P4 Multitool With Magnetic Locking

I have collected and used a lot of Leatherman Tools over the last 10 years or so, and the Free P4 easily holds its own–and in my experience surpasses–Leatherman’s golden standard; the Wave.

The ability to open everything one-handed on this tool is not just a gimmick. You can tell there was a lot of engineering and effort put into the design of this tool. From the use of magnets to keep the implements closed, to the contouring of the “nubs” at the base of the tools that you “roll” your thumb over to deploy them. This is not one-hand opening that requires your tool to be worn in, some clever trick/manipulation of the tool, or dexterous hands; it is intuitive and easy to use, which means it is actually useful and saves a lot of time, especially when you find your other hand being occupied during a task!

With respect to the toolset, I think it is just about perfect. I know some people would prefer that this had Leatherman’s flat-bit driver, but the P4 includes a dedicated Philips head driver, as well as multiple flatheads. Personally, I prefer the dedicated drivers because they are significantly more robust and offer more reach than the flat-bits. I also think this fits the “spirit” of the tool, wherein every implement is just one hand away. At the point you are carrying a spare bit kit and having to swap them out, the tool has become two-handed, and Leatherman already has plenty of other “two-handed” tools to choose from.

All in all, the Free P4 is an excellent tool for a wide-variety of tasks, and well worth the money. For an EDC it carries surprisingly well with the pocket-clip (which is very nice) despite being a full-size multitool. Furthermore, I have no doubts of its durability (perhaps only surpassed by the Super Tool and Surge) even in a hard-use environment. Unless one-hand opening is of zero interest to you, you can’t go wrong with the P4!

I’ll be upfront and say this purchase was highly influenced by “Made in the USA”. This criteria being limited to select products. I was so impressed with the price and features of the T4, I decided to treat myself to the P4.

I’ll start with my first impressions, which wasn’t very good. I was shipped an open box special. This surprised me since I ordered a NEW product and paid list price. I’m not sure if that’s a Leatherman quality issue or a failure on the retailer. Either way, I was not shipped a product that I could feasibly gift to my son. That was disappointing.

Aside from the freshly used product I was shipped, everything seemed to be in working order. I’ve seen so many knockoff multitools. So many to choose from. I had no idea where to start. I’m glad I choose a standard trusted brand. As a Test Engineer, I have little time to eff around buying inferior products. I’m impressed with the solid tool performance of the P4. 5 star rating for the solid multitool that it is.

However…

I did watch many reviews on multitools. I’ve never owned one before. This one being my first, I tried to do research. I agree with most of the positives. The mag lock is a great feature. I can understand the downside of metal shavings being an issue, but given the trade-off and the fact this tool is going to get dirty regardless, I’ll take the mags.

The styling is…okay. I favor rustic over gentleman appeal. That said, the scales are okay. Consistent with the Free product line. I commend Leatherman for a product series branding done so well. I do wish there were other options on the scales. Plain, solid and simple would be my choice. I like my tools looking like tools. That to me is a work art. I’ve seen mod kits for the scales. A shame I’d have drop another $35+ just to make my multitool look plain. I’m an anti-flashy customer. Still, the consistent brand and heavy duty pocket clip…it’s growing on me. I’m becoming a fan.

Bang for the buck, the T4 sets a baseline that’s hard to beat. I took a chance splurging for a P4 to use as my EDC at work. The quality says it’s probably worth it, but still felt like a big jump in price to pay. For me. I think bang for the buck varies on the individual. T4 is great! P4 is okay.

Now for the bad. There were some negatives in the reviews. I agree with some. In particular the toolset. Everyone criticizes the awe. I agree. It’s design is dumb. Having the option for a mini flathead is great. Having it stuck on the end of a sharp edged tool is just dumb. If an awe was needed, I’ll want a sharp tip to use it. In my mind, the awe is a failed tool. The ruler is too short to be of any use to anyone. The place for any “ruler” would be on the body of the tool itself. Put ruler markings on the scale! THAT would have been an obvious choice. Nobody wants to deploy a tool to take a quick measurement. It has a slightly wider flathead/scraper which seems redundant with the box opener tool on the other side. What’s the point of that tool? The wire stripper should be on the scissors or the pliers. If using a stripper, you usually do that in combination with cutting wire. So put it on the same tool. Very dumb to switch deploying different tools when doing a related job. I’ll address some of the complaints with the cutters on the piers. This is where the folks doing the reviews are dumb. The cutters are designed for performing two types of cuts. It’s not a stripper! Although arguably that would have been a better choice. It would have been smart to include two sets of blades with the multitool. Those who want two types of wire cutters on a single blade, and those who would want a cutter paired with a wire stripper. They make the blades swappable. A shame it’s not a feature left for the customer to choose. So I agree with the bad reviews on the wire cutters. They’re not the best. But I disagree on why they’re bad. Leatherman has a great design, but they defeatured that good design when they sold the tool. I’ll call that a marketing failure.

Thank you Leatherman for such a great multitool. I’m happy with my purchase. I wish mine wasn’t shipped as an open box (possibly refurbished?). Overall I’m happy. I’m hoping to purchase the K4 next.

This leather is has features and is designed to be easier to use and have the ability to use on handed, which was nice about some of the Gerber models. This is the best Leatherman yet. Many tools, more comfortable and usable grip. Strong needle nose design, it is more rigid. This is a great tool. It also would make a great gift for the guy that is hard to buy for.