Hi-Lift HA-500 Handle-All Multi-Purpose Tool

This kit is great! The bag fits neatly in the back of my truck and keeps the center of gravity low instead of full size tools mounted up on my roof rack. The set is high quality and has served me well on several off road trips over the last year and a half. I take the tools apart and stow them properly in the bag after each use.The tool heads are solid, literally, and full size. They store in a compact bag with room for spare items. The telescoping handle can be shortened for use in tight situations where you can't use a full length handle. You are far more likely to break a wooden handle rendering your tool useless. I have found a few axe and shovel heads with broken wood handles during my desert travels....I have relied on this set for chopping wood, pounding stakes, road building and several difficult recovery situations out in the middle of nowhere. During regular use the pins stay in place. I placed extra cotter pins in my kit just in case I lose one of the spirals. Two is One and One is None -always be prepared.Update 2/18/2014: I just returned from another long weekend desert trip where the this kit was put to use. Chopped wood with the axe, pounded a couple stakes with the sledge and used the shovel for cat holes. I bought this set three years ago and it was worth every penny. I never camp or 4x4 without this set in my truck.

I purchased this kit for something to leave in my Jeep when we go off-roading. Last week, while off-roading, we had to descend a shelf road in the Rocky Mountains. The road was covered with ice.Despite having excellent tires and experience driving on ice, traction was difficult. I assembled the shovel and used it to place gravel on the road. I ended up covering about 150 yards with gravel shoveled from compact gravel. The shovel did not break, it did not bend; it simply worked.I now consider this to be an essential part of my off-road kit.

High quality materials. Definitely heavy duty (emphasis on "heavy"). Full confidence these tools will perform when I need them. The bag is nice, too - reinforced, pockets on the outside, and super roomy with plenty of space to drop other tools.Two minor gripes. 1/ They should add a rubber grip to the end of the handle (the bare metal tubed with blunt edges is both uncomfortable and slippery). 2/ The pins that hold the components together require you to remove a ring, slip in the pins, then add a ring back. I realize this is for safety, but there has to be a better/easier way to secure the pins than making me thread two key rings four times whenever I want to deploy a tool.Would I buy it again or would I opt for dedicated tools that are lighter weight and easier to use? Tough to say because the tools are high quality and the compactness is very convenient, but for the premium price, you can come away with nice, individual tools that are much more user friendly, though not nearly as compact.

I bought this set based on recommendations from a book, online forums, and reviews here. It looked very promising at first because it is very compact, and you get four full sized tools with a bag for a decent price.However, I was quite disappointed during a recent offroading trip. After using the shovel, I decided to keep it assembled in my rather full trunk in case I needed it again down the road. As I was driving, a bump caused the shovel to jump and make an alarming sound (like glass bottles being smashed with a shovel). I examined it, and at first it looked like everything was OK. Later in the evening, when setting up camp, I checked out the shovel and was shocked to find that the little metal loop (spiral) thingie which keeps the metal pin from pulling out (the pin that keeps the tool from detaching from the handle) was completely missing. It was getting dark. I found it eventually in my trunk. However, I can't imagine what would have happened if I had been using this tool at night in the field and it broke on me. It is even scarier to imagine the axe detaching from the handle during heavy use, which I am now very sure is quite possible.There are two pins for attaching the tool of choice to the handle and the two parts of the handle to each other. If one of these pins is lost, or the flimsy loop thing keeping the pin from pulling out is lost, you are screwed. It is probably a good idea to find bolts with the same diameter as the pin, and keep them as a backup for when the inevitable loss happens.In a nutshell, this set of tools is too flimsy to withstand frequent or heavy use. The tools are OK for occasional and careful use, preferably during daylight. I wish I had bought dedicated and sturdier tools. For the price, I bet you can find a nice shovel, sledge hammer, etc with proper wooden handles second hand and they will serve you better. The only good thing going for this set of tools is the compact size when folded.I gave it 3 stars because it is decent overall and not useless for my occasional needs, but please be careful if you will rely on this in difficult situations.Not recommended.

I have used this kit on several off road trips now. I agree with other reviewers that the spiral keepers are pretty flimsy, But the reason they are so is so they can be easy and quick to put in and take out. I replaced mine with plain keychain type loops which are a little more difficult to swap in and out, but are more secure. The tools included have proven to be very tough and useful. The axe has chopped well and is still sharp, the shovel works , the sledge hammer is quite useable and the pick does what it's supposed to. This tool set goes in the truck for every trip , We would not be out without it.

this is some heavy duty sheeet!! I was amazed at how effing gnarly heavy duty it is, but being its hi lift. I shoulda known. 5 stars and its compact when you dont need it. update: I used this tool yesterday to dig my jeep out of a 3ft. deep hole of ice/snow/mud and then used the axe attach to cut down some trees(dead) to make a bridge to cross the hole, the only complaint is def wear gloves, the pins will get ya. but its solid and it works. 6 stars