The MUT multitool features 16 different tools: needle nose pliers, regular pliers, premium replaceable wire cutters, premium replaceable hard-wire cutters, stranded-wire cutters, electrical crimper, 420HC combo knife, saw, replaceable cutting hook, hammer, bolt override tool, replaceable bronze carbon scraper, #8-32 cleaning rod/brush adapter, replaceable firearm disassembly punch, carabiner/bottle opener, and a large bit driver, and it weighs in at 11.2 ounces. In keeping with the rest of the tools on the Center Drive Gerber decided to go big with the knife blade. Made of 420HC stainless steel, the main blade on the Center Drive is a 3.25 in long straight blade that opens externally. This is a serious blade. It comes sharp from the factory and is large enough to replace your current folding knife without issue. As far as decoration goes, this is a nice looking tool. Gerber does a good job making their MT’s look a little more exciting than some competitor’s. I love a Leatherman SuperTool 300 but even I’ll admit it’s a drastically bland looking thing, and the fractal triangle pattern on the handle here is very neat, along with “GERBER- made is USA” etched on both sides of the handles. The Gerber Center-Drive takes the one handed opening concept and adds a unique twist to it: a screwdriver that’s aligned with the center axis of the tool when opened, making it more of a primary tool than a secondary implement like the screwdriver is on a lot of multitools. There’s a lot of clever engineering in the Center-Drive Plus that works really well – and there’s also a lot of half-developed ideas and some quality problems. It’s a mixed bag, but it’s an interesting tool. Primary Implements: Blade, Pliers, Bit Driver

Let’s dig in a little deeper to see how the Center Drive lives up to the hype. Gerber Center Drive Tools The Leatherman Wave Plus and Gerber Center-Drive are two popular multi-tools. But what are the differences and similarities? What are the advantages of both tools? And why would you choose one over the other? We will explain. Gerber Center-Drive vs Leatherman Wave Plus As the name might already suggest the special Center-Drive screwdriver is the highlight of the Gerber multi-tool. Until the Center-Drive was introduced using a bit holder was always a little awkward. The holder is namely not located in the middle of the axis of the tool, like with the Wave. Gerber came up with a solution: a long bit holder with a kink in it to make sure it will sit exactly on the axis of the multi-tool. As such tightening screws is a lot easier. The bit holder is also long and narrow to make sure you can also reach hard-to-reach places. This bit holder is made from standard 6 mm bits as you might have seen before on regular screwdrivers. All in all the Center Drive was a tool built for a specific audience that definitely meets the needs of that audience. Most of the features on it provide daily value and time savings for contractors and others in the building trades.Another good design decision by Gerber was to spring load the pliers. It’s especially useful in a tool that markets itself as being one-handed deployable. Let’s face it though, most multi-tool pliers aren’t spring-loaded and are perfectly usable. In fact, most full-sized pliers aren’t spring loaded either. Still, works well for this multi-tool. There was a lot of fanfare on the release of Gerber’s Center Drive multi-tool. Gerber themselves made a big deal about it being a revolutionary new type of multi-tool with one-handed opening and it’s long-handled hex bit driver. And so did the multi-tool enthusiast’s community who were keen to see whether Gerber could move the multi-tool design and functional game along. Could they build a great multi-tool that would convert some of us Multi-Tool MacGyvers away from our favorite Leatherman’s and Victorinox’s and some SOG fans as well? After 6 years of real-world experience (and a bunch of used test wood for screwing in screws) I put together a list ofwhat I feel are the 7best multitools for everyday carry. These products take into account build quality, price, form factor, reliability but most importantly, my personal opinions and experience with each of them. Out of all of the multitools on this list, none of them come close to this one in terms of getting the feel of having actual tools in your hands. The fact that the knife blade and bit driver are so long and sturdy makes this feel amazing when you go to use it. The build quality of the rest of the product is no slouch either.

The Gerber Center Drive is a made in the USA multi tool built with a purpose. Unlike most of its competitors that advertise their ability to do just about anything, the Center Drive is focused on building tasks. It’s a heavy duty tool, coming in at 4.7 in long closed and weighing a hefty 9.6 oz. This isn’t a generalist tool that you’d bring with you on a camping trip. Arguably the most important piece of the Center Drive, the outside access bit driver on this tool is much longer and larger than on similar multi tools. It extends fully 3.2 in from the body of the Center Drive and has a curving shape to it that allows the bit to sit right on the axis of the tools body. The rest of the tools on the Center Drive are all contained in the interior of the handles. The bottle opener, pry bar, and nail puller are all made up of a single piece. The bottle opener works well in that it opens bottles. For its intended audience the Center Drive beats out the Wave+. It simply provides more specialized value than the Wave+ would for builders.

Performance Comparison

The Pliers on the Center Drive use a unique design that combines the snub nose of regular pliers with the accessibility of needlenose pliers. Gerber claims this gives you the gripping strength of full size pliers with the ability to get into nooks and crannies. As far as we can tell these work pretty well. The shape seemed like more of a novelty at first but it does allow you to really grip down and apply torque. Gerber built the Center Drive for construction workers and contractors. It was made to be beefier and more building oriented than most other multi tools on the market. Overall, we think they did a really good job with this one. The big feature, the centerline extended bit driver, works well. It’s a definite improvement on the smaller bit drivers found on most other multi tools. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a long bit driver. Being long means you won’t be able to get it into small spaces. But my experience is that there are more occasions when a short bit driver fails you than does a long one so this is probably a good feature. Some multi-tools come with a short driver and the option of attaching an extension. Seems like the best of both worlds but you have to carry the extension with you. When you compare what Gerber is doing with the tools included in the Center-Drive, you begin to wonder how you ever used anything else. Replacement Parts– Gerber offers a 25 year warranty on all their multi tools. This covers any defects in materials or manufacturing but doesn’t cover damage from use. It’s a good warranty overall and Gerber stands by it.

It’s a hefty, hard use tool that can stand up to heavy duty demands. If you’re someone who frequently needs a toolbox on your belt the Center Drive should get some serious consideration. But, it’s kind of heavy so that may not be the ideal tool for everyone – so let’s dive into the specific reasons you’d buy one multitool over the other and figure out which is the best multitool for EDC.

Center-Drive screwdriver vs Leatherman bits

Gerber has focussed the design of the Center Drive as a working man (or woman’s) tool. And I think they’ve done a reasonable job at designing a tool that will make it a good work tool. But like just about all design – even good design – the end product is a compromise. The compromises are all based on those fancy one-handed opening pliers. Most multi-tools are designed to use the real estate on the inside of the arms for the secondary tools. Things like scissors, different sizes of screwdrivers, can opener, chisel etc. Victorinox SwissTool XS vs Gerber Center Drive