Gerber: Lighting the way.

[Spoonrobot]

As far as I know Gerber is the only major tool company to have produced and currently producing multi-tools with effective integral lighting. There are a smattering of off-brand tools with foldout lights but their quality is subpar and not worth mentioning in real world applications.

My first lighted multi-tool was the Gerber Multi-lite and after playing around with it for a few days I was unconvinced about how effective the LED was. I put it back in the box and stuck it in my drawer for few months before pulling it out and trying it again. So far second impressions have been more favorable of the tool and I have used the light feature quite a bit. It is seriously underpowered by even todays keychain standards, it offers just enough light to find something and screw it. 





The Multi-lite has some issues, to have the light on one needs to push on the button constantly. There is no switch to just switch it on, a major failing in the light department.

It is simple to mod the LED to a brighter Nichia model but the difference in output is neglible and you really only gain in color. I'm pretty certain the bottleneck in the batteries.



I do feel that for most of us enthusiasts lights and tools are redundant. Most of us carry a light always anyway, to put an effective LED into a multi it seems that you usually lose a lot of the utility (the Gerber Tread only has tools in one handle because of the LED in the other).

So it seems like you just end up with a half light and half tool, a good compromise of just too redundant?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like the idea of tools with lights, but I wish they'd come as a combo with a fancy sheath that holds both!

While they do solve the problem of holding the light and doing the job at the same time, built in lights are generally too close to the "action" to be effective for anything other than the job they are doing.  For example, if you are holding one thing together while trying to tighten a screw then you can just see the screw, not the part you are holding together.  And, if you are trying to use pliers or a wrench then you just get dizzy!

All in all, I think manufacturers, especially a company like Gerber that already has a successful line of flashlights should stick to selling them as packages rather than trying to build one into the tool.  Unless you want to use it as a flashlight and a tool separately then it just doesn't work very well.

Def

[NeitherExtreme]

Cool tool. I like the nichia mod (I like the color much better). I don't think I've seen this tool before, any pics of it opened?

[Spoonrobot]

[NeitherExtreme]

Cool, thanks for the pics!!  Looks like different kinda tool, have you used it at all? And what's in that little space in the flashlight side? I see tweezers..

[Spoonrobot]

Let's see here: Tweezers, a toothpick and a small flathead screwdriver. As a whole these tools aren't really that good. The tweezers are a little thick and don't align that well at the tips, the flathead works pretty good but the toothpick is too flimsy. I guess you could upgrade the little storage area with other stuff though.

I've used it a couple times, mainly to test the light and the ergonomics since the implements are standard Gerber fare from the MP series. It works well, the tool is a little boxy in the pocket but does provide another multi-tool option other than SAKs.

I did fnd it interesting that they included a metal saw as the stock saw blade.

*The tool has been discontinued for some time, I got mine NIB on eBay for @25$ though.

[NeitherExtreme]

Thanks again. It kind of looks like it could be used as a mini backup survival kit: a good slection of bare-bones tools, locking blade, a light, and a spot to keep a few important things like matches, tweezers, or whatever. Cool outside-the-tool-box MT there. It would be neat if they'd bring that back with a few improvements, like a better LED, maybe nicer ergos, etc...

[hawkchucker]

I think that is a neat little piece of kit. I feel that this kind of tool is fun to play with I can understand why it did not sell. However I do swear by thier Gerber Recon light. I have carried that bugger now for 8 monthes daily and have not ever replaced the battery.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Gerber does have some good lights... I am still drooling over the Infinity, and I'll probably grab it this week when the wife isn't looking!

Anyone know who makes the lights for Gerber?

Def

[I'm Still Bison]

Just in case you're collecting,and want to go nuts trying to find it,there was also a version of the Multi-light that had a corkscrew in place of another tool.

[Viper]

Here's mine!! I took a bunch of pics for a review, but haven't gotten around to it yet, if I write one, can I post it?


Fake edit: I can't find my connecting cord for my camera, so I'll post the actual pictures as soon as I can, right now, here's just some google pictures-

[665ae]

I've been eyeing one of those Nautilus' for a while now.  I'm curious to hear what you think of it.

[Viper]

Alrighty, I got it over with-
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,2058.0.html

[damota]

Gerber does have some good lights... I am still drooling over the Infinity, and I'll probably grab it this week when the wife isn't looking!

Anyone know who makes the lights for Gerber?

Def

They (I suppose Fiskars?) bought out CMG who made the infinity first. The design was improved (put an extra spring in to stop the battery rattling). They seem to have got the brightness level/battery duration just about right for a small personal torch. If you do get one use a Lithium battery in it, seems to last forever.

Dave

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I remember being very tempted by one years ago, but like and idiot I did'nt get one

I'd does look like a better set up than the lighting on some sak's though

[I'm Still Bison]

FWIW, when the Nautilus came out,the AARP magazine gave it a thumbs up.

[trickknife]

I've been eyeing one of those Nautilus' for a while now.  I'm curious to hear what you think of it.

I tried it out once, but didn't buy it.  The flashlight flip out was okay but too gadgety.  The lock didn't work very well either.  It was very plasticky feeling.  Didn't inspire much confidence.  I heard that they had lots of issues with it.

[MacTech]

If you want to make the LED a tad more floody and good for close-up work, remove the LED and scuff up the dome with steel wool or a green Scotchbrite pad, it'll get rid of the ringiness in the yellow LED, but you lose throw, it dramatically smooths out the beam

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

If you want to make the LED a tad more floody and good for close-up work, remove the LED and scuff up the dome with steel wool or a green Scotchbrite pad, it'll get rid of the ringiness in the yellow LED, but you lose throw, it dramatically smooths out the beam

Thanks for the tip mate it does seem a bit extreme though, does it significantly decrease throw?

[MacTech]

It depends on how much you scuff it up, go slowly and constantly check your progress, you can't un-scuff it

I have an "Aviatrix" LED upgrade ring for my SureFire A2 Aviator, low red and high white LED, in stock config, the red LED is rather bright, ringy and throwy, so I scuffed it up to smooth the beam and dropped it's throw by about 50%, which is what I wanted anyway

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It depends on how much you scuff it up, go slowly and constantly check your progress, you can't un-scuff it

I have an "Aviatrix" LED upgrade ring for my SureFire A2 Aviator, low red and high white LED, in stock config, the red LED is rather bright, ringy and throwy, so I scuffed it up to smooth the beam and dropped it's throw by about 50%, which is what I wanted anyway

hmm, I might give that a go on one on my led lites

cheers

[Spoonrobot]

In my flashlight life I am generally of the type that wants maximum brightness and throw. Damn the perfectness of the beam if it means sacrifice of one of those two qualities!