I have had my SOG Power Lock for over 4 years and even though it shows a lot of wear on it, it still performs flawlessly. Don't hesitate to buy this tool as it is a great investment. I even lost a blade cover it effects nothing regarding the tool.
I've owned this tool for about 3 years and it's a replacemeant for the orignal powerlock I owned before it. The tool is amazing, I carry it and use it every day and have found many uses that aren't mentioned. It acts as a 55 gallon barrel wrench by sticking the pliers against the cap and opening them up to give you the leverage needed, the pliers also open up just wide enough to grasp a female garden hose fitting. I have used the pliers to bypass blown mini and ato fuses by sticking them in the socket to test circuitry or jump leads for quick component tests. The guards on the sides of the gears makes it possible to use the screwdrivers without gloves and they're a great improvement over the original version. I really like that you can buy the tools that come in the other models and build your multi-tool to fit your individual needs and if one of them breaks you don't have to send the whole tool back to them while they fix it.
Just received the power assist today. Great improvements from the original design. However, the handguards tend to pop off while utilizing tools within. Suggest using the rivets from the v cutter. Or flip handles from exterior access to interior and eliminate hand guards all together. If you get the oxide finish your hands will be black for the first couple of days. Either way great tool!!!