Best Budget Multi-Tools Under $40: Two Picks That Punch Above Their Price

Introduction

Spend a little time browsing budget gear and you will find no shortage of multi-tools under $40. The problem is that most of them are filler. After looking through essentially the entire budget market, only a handful of tools genuinely earn their place, and two stand out as picks we would happily choose even with a bigger budget on the table.

Why Budget Multi-Tools Are Worth a Serious Look

The question behind this list is simple: if you had $40, should you buy a budget multi-tool now or save up for something more expensive? For a surprising number of people, the honest answer is to buy now, because the best budget options have closed the gap with the premium names in ways that are hard to ignore.

That does not mean every cheap tool is good. It means the exceptions are worth knowing about, and they cover a wider range of needs than you might expect: a full-featured everyday carry option, a lighter classic, and even a heavy-duty plier specialist. Some of these tools are good purely on value, but a couple of them would still make sense on merit alone.

Ozark Trail MultiForce: The Value Champion

The Ozark Trail MultiForce is a Walmart exclusive, and it earned the top spot here with room to spare. It takes clear inspiration from the Leatherman Wave, arriving after the relevant patents expired, and in several areas it actually improves on that template.

The blades are 420HC stainless steel, with a full straight blade, a serrated blade, a saw, a file, a flathead, and a can opener and bottle opener combination with a wire stripper. The file quality varies from unit to unit, and some owners have reported the diamond coating flaking off, so that is the one component to keep expectations in check.

Where the MultiForce genuinely pulls ahead is in the details. The outer implements sit on the opposite side from the plier head, which closes the pinch-gap you find on some butterfly-style tools when a grip slips, a real safety improvement. It also carries a non-proprietary bit driver that accepts ball-detent style bits directly, with extenders available for standard hex bits. The scissors, on the units tested, actually cut better than the far more expensive tool that inspired this design, and the included clip-on holster holds the bit extender and can be swapped on and off easily.

Factor in Walmart’s famously forgiving in-store replacement experience within the first 30 days, and the low price that means you can keep one in several toolboxes, and this is our pick.

Leatherman Sidekick: The Proven All-Rounder

The Leatherman Sidekick is the kind of tool that stays in the conversation regardless of price. Its spring-loaded pliers are widely liked, and the internal tool set covers the essentials: a Phillips driver, a flathead, a file, a serrated blade, and a combined can opener and bottle opener.

It is a good beginner’s tool in the best sense: the functions work, the build is solid, and Leatherman’s 25-year warranty sits behind it. If you lose it, the sting is far smaller than losing a premium tool, which is exactly what you want in a multi-tool you might toss into a bag or a car kit.

The Sidekick also plays nicely with a broader kit. If you want a saw, pairing it with a small Victorinox folder still keeps you under the price of a single bigger premium tool while covering more functions. For riders of a lighter daily carry, it slots in comfortably.

How to Choose Between Them

If you want the most features per dollar and do not mind a Walmart-exclusive purchase, the MultiForce is hard to beat, and its bit driver makes it more versatile than the price suggests. If you want a proven name, a lighter carry, and a long warranty behind the tool, the Sidekick is the safer bet.

It is also worth thinking about role rather than replacement. A light everyday tool and a heavy-duty plier-focused tool serve different jobs, and owning one of each is a reasonable strategy rather than a redundancy.

Conclusion

The budget multi-tool market is mostly noise, but these two tools are the signal. The Ozark Trail MultiForce wins on sheer value and clever design tweaks, while the Leatherman Sidekick offers dependable quality and warranty support at a friendlier price than Leatherman’s flagship models. Either one is a confident first multi-tool, and neither requires you to wait until you can afford something more expensive.