@@Genesis992 It solves the biggest issue with the scissors, a lack of precision. They work so much better for many applications after thinning them out. The mod is definitely worth doing.
I love my ARC. Used it a ton at work. And it saved me many trips back to the shop. I did mod my tool to remove the saw. I replaced it with a t-shank adaptor to hold metal jigsaw blades. Much more useful and I can put a wood blade in if needed. It was a bit thicker so I deleted the can opener cause personally I hate can openers on a multitool. And I found a local guy to laser engrave it to make it much more personal! It was also just a fun tool to play with when bored lol. I liked the design of the P2/P4 but hated the tool set. I love the ARC kept the design but fixed the horrible tool set! Still trying to find a good tool to replace out the awl and micro bit driver. I lost a micro bit at one point after using the tool as a hammer lol. Also I used a really nice leather sheath to hold the tool and bit set. That one it comes with is junk for actual work.
I also have a P4 and added a T-Shank adapter. It did require the removal of one of the skinny drivers. I'll have to make a few mods videos for other multitools. Of all of them the modified ARC is my favorite.
I still have a Surge and carry it when needed. I usually know the days work ahead of time and carry what is appropriate. But for normal EDC it is a bit much.
Great modification Sir! You need to sharpen the inside of the can opener too with a rounded file, so that you can use it as a box opener. I am using the Wave Gen1 since 1999, after I lost my Swiss Champ. Eyeing to get the Arc too. Surge is to heavy for me. Have it in the EDC toolpouch for traveling.
The Wave is another great tool. Either one will get the job done. The ARC is more convenient and with a few mods is hard to beat. I'll take another look at the can opener like you suggested. Thanks for the idea!
@@wupaaa I take it you mean what flashlight. Most of the time I carry an Emisar. A D3AA when I go light, but most often a D4V2 dual channel light with 2X W1 Spots and 2X LH351D Floods. Your looking at 4000 plus lumens!
The P4 is also a great multitool. I have a P4 and 2 P2's. All of them have been modified and improved. I will make a video on those tools and the mods. There are a couple mods still planned.
The issue with the Arc is that they flex way too much, then you have to spend way too much money and be careful not to do heavy work cause they are like a princess and may bend horrible. I’m not a fan of those magnet system. Also, the saw, I think can only saw in one direction.
I have been carrying either a P2 or P4 for the past several years. They have proven to be as strong as the Wave. I believe the flex is more from running the plier pivots a little loose to get a smooth butterfly action rather then any serious flex. They have stood up and I have confidence in the tool.
To me, the flat bits are the Achilles heel of leatherman. For one, they’re junk, practically disposable bits, that are ludicrously overpriced. Give me a full size bit driver. The thing I do love about the arc is, for me, there’s no need to modify, it’s my preferred tool set. I mod my waves to have the exact same tools, only better scissors from a Victorinox. My wave is my go to, cause I don’t particularly care for the extra length of the arc. I do love the arc tho, and am a leatherman die hard, just don’t like the shitty flat bits.
I have found the Leatherman flat bits to be ok. They are not the greatest, but not junk either. Being flat makes them easier to carry when needed. One of these days I may do a new heat treat on a flat bit and run it harder than Leatherman does. I make custom knives so the heat treat is no problem. I have done some mods to a few other tools. My P2 has a 4mm bit driver in it and my P4 has a 1/4" bit driver. This allows me to use Wiha bits in both tools which is a big upgrade.
Arc is the worst multitool I've ever used by far. I've had two. The first one (original), I made the mistake of buying. The second is an Arc Obsidian that was gifted to me. Both have insane frame flex, both suffered wire cutter failure on wire that even Gerber's carbide cutters go through easily, both have bottle openers that won't hold onto a bottle cap at all, and both have horrible blades that won't hold an edge worth a damn and take forever to sharpen because the burr just keeps switching sides during sharpening. The Obsidian adds a scissor that won't even cut thread and wire strippers that won't dig into the wire's insulation (I'm guessing the coating is dulling these two implements). I ended up selling the original Arc. I can't sell the Obsidian because it was a gift and according to Maxlvledc, if Leatherman catches you selling limited edition stuff, they'll shut down your Leatherman Insider account and delete your account on their site
@dualsportoutdoors That is not the experience most people have. I have had a lot of multitools over the years and the ARC and the P4/P2 are hands down the best I have carried after a few mods. If more strength is needed a Surge is the way to go.
@LastChanceKnives I have a couple P4s. Love that tool I alternate between my modded P4 and my Charge + . The P4 has half the flex of the Arc and has never failed me in any way. I actually plan to have custom blades made for my P4. I also own a couple of Surges. One I keep on the bike, one I keep in the car. Plus I have a Signal that is always in my backpack. I've owned nearly every Leatherman, Victorinox, SOG, and Gerber multitool ever made. The Arc is the only Leatherman I've ever had issues with, I've never had a Victorinox fail, all my Gerbers except the Diesel, MP600, and Center-Drive were unimpressive, and I've never found a SOG that I liked. I hate that I feel I can't trust the Arc though because the toolset would make it a perfect belt companion whether I'm on a ride, hiking, hunting, or fishing. I'll continue to use it for a while and see if maybe I can build up some trust in it but for now, I trust it about as much as an Ozark Trail
@dualsportoutdoors I have made custom O1 and A2 blades for about a dozen Signals. I may give the P4 a shot. The grinding on the P4 is going to be a little tricky. The other thing I was thinking about is to do my own heat treat on the factory Magnacut blade and run it really hard.
@LastChanceKnives the Arc's Magnacut is bat💩 soft. Like 59 HRC. Magnacut needs to be at 63+ to be useful. My Charge's blade holds an edge far longer than my Arcs' blades. Do you have IG? If you succeed in a high HRC Magnacut blade for a P4, I'd be very much interested
long term review 6 months. i have a Gerber 400 multi-tool i use it every day on my farm for the last 26 years. has been shit on it by pigs, trampled by horses, run over by tractors, lost in the mud for weeks, luckely got it back. send in to have some tools replace and a broken plierhead, all 0 kost great warranty by Gerber, and still using the same Gerber 400 today. 26 years hard use and showing no sign of giving up. that my friend is a long term review.... ps and a fair one.
I had a Gerber back in the 90's. It may have been a 400 I don't remember if they made several similar models or not. It had the same slide out plyers. I carried the thing for about a week and then gave it away. It was junk! The main problem was that when using the plyers the sides of the tool came to close together and were a painful pinch point. The onboard tools were mostly short and didn't feel all that sturdy. A much better tool back then was the Victorinox Swiss Tool. That was a quality tool. 6 months of use in the trades is plenty to get to know a tool. Especially since I carried it's predecessors the P4 and P2 for several years prior to the ARC, which is nothing more than an upgraded P4.
@@LastChanceKnives that is your point of view, but there is no! arguing with 26 years hard labour. and that for the fraction of the price of any Letherman.........
Another example I will give you is that I have had the original Leatherman PST since the mid 80's. It has been carried, used, and abused daily on a farm for 20 years (about 1985-2005) and still functions. The tools on it all show considerable wear, The knife and screwdrivers have all been reground several times, but the tool still functions properly. That said even though it is "proven" there is no way that I would even think about carrying it today or any of the new Leathermans with similar construction . Tools have advanced quite a bit since then. Same with the Gerber 400, a Wave or Surge would be a better option today. After the PST a Victorinox Swiss Tool then the lighter Spirit X were the next tools that I carried and for quite a few years.
26 years is certainly dedication to a tool. Most of my hand tools are all old tools I got from my grandpa. Kinda hard to beat a vintage high quality tool. And the best part, with the plastics aging and breaking down they smell awful. lmao makes sure no one else will ever steal my pukey tools! But I do like my modern multitools. Good advancements in the steels and operation that I like more.
@@braixeninfection6312 With so many neat tools out on the market there is no way that I could stick with a multitool that long today. Way back there were not many choices so the same one was carried for a long time. Now for hand tools I do have all the tools that I bought as a teenager and quite a few from my grandfather. The tools were all quality US made and have stood the test of time. They will probably get passed down to my son some day.
Excellent work!
Thanks! I like the tool a lot more with the mods. It solves a few problem areas that it was lacking in.
I found one during one of my bike rides..its somewhere,not sure..i have another that i use all the time..good tools.
This and a flashlight are the two most useful items that I carry!
Thanks for this excellent long-term review and I love all the clever mods you made to it. Well done! 😁👌Take care my friend and Cheers!
Well as you know by now I can't ever leave things alone! 🤣
It was great to hear your thoughts on this one! Cheers, buddy!
@@davidkurle5418 Thanks! There are many good multitools on the market, but the ARC is the best of the best for my use.
I really like the scissor modification!
It is pretty easy to do. I used a small belt sander. You just need to have a steady hand!
@@LastChanceKnivesI may have to give it a try on one of my Arcs. That is just a fantastic idea in my opinion
@@Genesis992 It solves the biggest issue with the scissors, a lack of precision. They work so much better for many applications after thinning them out. The mod is definitely worth doing.
I love my ARC. Used it a ton at work. And it saved me many trips back to the shop. I did mod my tool to remove the saw. I replaced it with a t-shank adaptor to hold metal jigsaw blades. Much more useful and I can put a wood blade in if needed. It was a bit thicker so I deleted the can opener cause personally I hate can openers on a multitool. And I found a local guy to laser engrave it to make it much more personal! It was also just a fun tool to play with when bored lol. I liked the design of the P2/P4 but hated the tool set. I love the ARC kept the design but fixed the horrible tool set! Still trying to find a good tool to replace out the awl and micro bit driver. I lost a micro bit at one point after using the tool as a hammer lol.
Also I used a really nice leather sheath to hold the tool and bit set. That one it comes with is junk for actual work.
I also have a P4 and added a T-Shank adapter. It did require the removal of one of the skinny drivers. I'll have to make a few mods videos for other multitools. Of all of them the modified ARC is my favorite.
I agree the surge is heavy for edc or someone who walks a lot for work.
I still have a Surge and carry it when needed. I usually know the days work ahead of time and carry what is appropriate. But for normal EDC it is a bit much.
Great modification Sir! You need to sharpen the inside of the can opener too with a rounded file, so that you can use it as a box opener.
I am using the Wave Gen1 since 1999, after I lost my Swiss Champ. Eyeing to get the Arc too. Surge is to heavy for me. Have it in the EDC toolpouch for traveling.
The Wave is another great tool. Either one will get the job done. The ARC is more convenient and with a few mods is hard to beat. I'll take another look at the can opener like you suggested. Thanks for the idea!
Add the Felix Imler mod on the can opener and you will have a hook cutter and parcel opener
I looked into it and it looks like a sweet mod. I am going to do the mod to a can opener and test it out. Thanks for the suggestion!
👍 Leatherman's rule
Yep they do. If my edc gear had to be reduced down to 2 items they would be Leatherman and a flashlight!
What is it?
@@wupaaa I take it you mean what flashlight. Most of the time I carry an Emisar. A D3AA when I go light, but most often a D4V2 dual channel light with 2X W1 Spots and 2X LH351D Floods. Your looking at 4000 plus lumens!
I like the tools set on the p4 better and it’s a cheaper. You could buy a magnate for now for cheap.
The P4 is also a great multitool. I have a P4 and 2 P2's. All of them have been modified and improved. I will make a video on those tools and the mods. There are a couple mods still planned.
The issue with the Arc is that they flex way too much, then you have to spend way too much money and be careful not to do heavy work cause they are like a princess and may bend horrible. I’m not a fan of those magnet system. Also, the saw, I think can only saw in one direction.
I have been carrying either a P2 or P4 for the past several years. They have proven to be as strong as the Wave. I believe the flex is more from running the plier pivots a little loose to get a smooth butterfly action rather then any serious flex. They have stood up and I have confidence in the tool.
To me, the flat bits are the Achilles heel of leatherman. For one, they’re junk, practically disposable bits, that are ludicrously overpriced. Give me a full size bit driver. The thing I do love about the arc is, for me, there’s no need to modify, it’s my preferred tool set. I mod my waves to have the exact same tools, only better scissors from a Victorinox. My wave is my go to, cause I don’t particularly care for the extra length of the arc. I do love the arc tho, and am a leatherman die hard, just don’t like the shitty flat bits.
I have found the Leatherman flat bits to be ok. They are not the greatest, but not junk either. Being flat makes them easier to carry when needed. One of these days I may do a new heat treat on a flat bit and run it harder than Leatherman does. I make custom knives so the heat treat is no problem. I have done some mods to a few other tools. My P2 has a 4mm bit driver in it and my P4 has a 1/4" bit driver. This allows me to use Wiha bits in both tools which is a big upgrade.
Arc is the worst multitool I've ever used by far. I've had two. The first one (original), I made the mistake of buying. The second is an Arc Obsidian that was gifted to me. Both have insane frame flex, both suffered wire cutter failure on wire that even Gerber's carbide cutters go through easily, both have bottle openers that won't hold onto a bottle cap at all, and both have horrible blades that won't hold an edge worth a damn and take forever to sharpen because the burr just keeps switching sides during sharpening. The Obsidian adds a scissor that won't even cut thread and wire strippers that won't dig into the wire's insulation (I'm guessing the coating is dulling these two implements). I ended up selling the original Arc. I can't sell the Obsidian because it was a gift and according to Maxlvledc, if Leatherman catches you selling limited edition stuff, they'll shut down your Leatherman Insider account and delete your account on their site
@dualsportoutdoors That is not the experience most people have. I have had a lot of multitools over the years and the ARC and the P4/P2 are hands down the best I have carried after a few mods. If more strength is needed a Surge is the way to go.
@LastChanceKnives I have a couple P4s. Love that tool I alternate between my modded P4 and my Charge + . The P4 has half the flex of the Arc and has never failed me in any way. I actually plan to have custom blades made for my P4. I also own a couple of Surges. One I keep on the bike, one I keep in the car. Plus I have a Signal that is always in my backpack. I've owned nearly every Leatherman, Victorinox, SOG, and Gerber multitool ever made. The Arc is the only Leatherman I've ever had issues with, I've never had a Victorinox fail, all my Gerbers except the Diesel, MP600, and Center-Drive were unimpressive, and I've never found a SOG that I liked. I hate that I feel I can't trust the Arc though because the toolset would make it a perfect belt companion whether I'm on a ride, hiking, hunting, or fishing. I'll continue to use it for a while and see if maybe I can build up some trust in it but for now, I trust it about as much as an Ozark Trail
@dualsportoutdoors I have made custom O1 and A2 blades for about a dozen Signals. I may give the P4 a shot. The grinding on the P4 is going to be a little tricky. The other thing I was thinking about is to do my own heat treat on the factory Magnacut blade and run it really hard.
@LastChanceKnives the Arc's Magnacut is bat💩 soft. Like 59 HRC. Magnacut needs to be at 63+ to be useful. My Charge's blade holds an edge far longer than my Arcs' blades. Do you have IG? If you succeed in a high HRC Magnacut blade for a P4, I'd be very much interested
long term review 6 months.
i have a Gerber 400 multi-tool i use it every day on my farm for the last 26 years.
has been shit on it by pigs, trampled by horses, run over by tractors, lost in the mud for weeks, luckely got it back.
send in to have some tools replace and a broken plierhead, all 0 kost great warranty by Gerber, and still using the same Gerber 400 today.
26 years hard use and showing no sign of giving up.
that my friend is a long term review....
ps and a fair one.
I had a Gerber back in the 90's. It may have been a 400 I don't remember if they made several similar models or not. It had the same slide out plyers. I carried the thing for about a week and then gave it away. It was junk! The main problem was that when using the plyers the sides of the tool came to close together and were a painful pinch point. The onboard tools were mostly short and didn't feel all that sturdy. A much better tool back then was the Victorinox Swiss Tool. That was a quality tool. 6 months of use in the trades is plenty to get to know a tool. Especially since I carried it's predecessors the P4 and P2 for several years prior to the ARC, which is nothing more than an upgraded P4.
@@LastChanceKnives that is your point of view, but there is no! arguing with 26 years hard labour. and that for the fraction of the price of any Letherman.........
Another example I will give you is that I have had the original Leatherman PST since the mid 80's. It has been carried, used, and abused daily on a farm for 20 years (about 1985-2005) and still functions. The tools on it all show considerable wear, The knife and screwdrivers have all been reground several times, but the tool still functions properly. That said even though it is "proven" there is no way that I would even think about carrying it today or any of the new Leathermans with similar construction . Tools have advanced quite a bit since then. Same with the Gerber 400, a Wave or Surge would be a better option today. After the PST a Victorinox Swiss Tool then the lighter Spirit X were the next tools that I carried and for quite a few years.
26 years is certainly dedication to a tool. Most of my hand tools are all old tools I got from my grandpa. Kinda hard to beat a vintage high quality tool. And the best part, with the plastics aging and breaking down they smell awful. lmao makes sure no one else will ever steal my pukey tools! But I do like my modern multitools. Good advancements in the steels and operation that I like more.
@@braixeninfection6312 With so many neat tools out on the market there is no way that I could stick with a multitool that long today. Way back there were not many choices so the same one was carried for a long time. Now for hand tools I do have all the tools that I bought as a teenager and quite a few from my grandfather. The tools were all quality US made and have stood the test of time. They will probably get passed down to my son some day.