Model Recommendations for 2026 (Excluding Asian-Based Models)

This Reddit post from r/LocalLLaMA seeks recommendations for large language models (LLMs) suitable for agentic tasks with reliable tool calling capabilities, specifically excluding models from Asian-based companies and frontier/hosted models. The user outlines their constraints due to organizational policies and shares their experience with various models like Llama3.1 8B, Mistral variants, and GPT-OSS. They highlight GPT-OSS's superior tool-calling performance and Llama3.1 8B's surprising text output quality. The post's value lies in its real-world constraints and practical experiences, offering insights into model selection beyond raw performance metrics. It reflects the growing need for customizable and compliant LLMs in specific organizational contexts. The user's anecdotal evidence, while subjective, provides valuable qualitative feedback on model usability.

• •Organizational policies can significantly restrict LLM choices.
• •GPT-OSS demonstrates strong tool-calling capabilities.
• •Llama3.1 8B offers surprisingly good text output for its size.