Got my first Gerber Diesel... and I'm disappointed.

[ChopperCharles]

I bought a used one on eBay for a good price, thinking that if it's totally clapped out, at least I have some parts I can swap into my much-loved MP600 (specifically the saw and scissors).

I got the thing and... and... the jaws are loose. Like, 3mm play side-to side loose. I took it apart and there's no way to easily tighten it. There's not a pivot screw, and unlike some other plier designs, I can't use an arbor press to push the pivot in a little more to tighten it up. Best I can likely do is whack it with a hammer, which so far has worked exactly zero times for me with pivots of this type.

So, I guess it's a parts tool. That sucks, I really like the feel otherwise.

Charles.

[Juan el Boricua]

Or...have you thought about emailing Gerber explaining the issue and see if can be covered by the warranty? Just an idea, 'cause I think it's a good tool, and then be carried with the mp!!! Oohh, by the way CC, is your mp blunt or needle nosed?; if it is a BN it'll be a perfect combo!

[AimlessWanderer]

I bought a used one on eBay for a good price, thinking that if it's totally clapped out, at least I have some parts I can swap into my much-loved MP600 (specifically the saw and scissors).

I got the thing and... and... the jaws are loose. Like, 3mm play side-to side loose. I took it apart and there's no way to easily tighten it. There's not a pivot screw, and unlike some other plier designs, I can't use an arbor press to push the pivot in a little more to tighten it up. Best I can likely do is whack it with a hammer, which so far has worked exactly zero times for me with pivots of this type.

So, I guess it's a parts tool. That sucks, I really like the feel otherwise.

Charles.

So is it "The Gerber Diesel" that you are disappointed with, or just that particular used one, that you bought cheap?

Or...have you thought about emailing Gerber explaining the issue and see if can be covered by the warranty? Just an idea, 'cause I think it's a good tool, and then be carried with the mp!!! Oohh, by the way CC, is your mp blunt or needle nosed?; if it is a BN it'll be a perfect combo!

People buying used tools, then sending them off to be repaired at the manufacturer's cost (under warranty) really galls me. If you want new condition, don't buy used, and if you do choose to buy used, don't expect someone else to make it like new for free.

[ChopperCharles]

I bought several used mp600s that have been heavily abused, and none of them had a problem with the plier jaw pivot. Some so abused they were barely held together, and yet after cleaning them up and replacing some broken parts and dressing the cutters, they were all usable. The diesel just does not have the same build quality in the jaws.

Don’t worry about me sending a used broken tool off to be repaired. I’d never do that. Instead I saw it as a boon, as now I can mod my mp600 with scissors and saw from the diesel!!

Charles.

[AimlessWanderer]

I bought several used mp600s that have been heavily abused, and none of them had a problem with the plier jaw pivot. Some so abused they were barely held together, and yet after cleaning them up and replacing some broken parts and dressing the cutters, they were all usable. The diesel just does not have the same build quality in the jaws.

Don’t worry about me sending a used broken tool off to be repaired. I’d never do that. Instead I saw it as a boon, as now I can mod my mp600 with scissors and saw from the diesel!!

Charles.

 

I think the Diesel and Strata are the only two tools to harvest saws from for the MP600, unless you count the diminutive one from the Suspension. The pliers on mine have held up well so far, but they haven't had as much hard use as some other tools. I do like the scissors on them too.

[Juan el Boricua]

I bought a used one on eBay for a good price, thinking that if it's totally clapped out, at least I have some parts I can swap into my much-loved MP600 (specifically the saw and scissors).

I got the thing and... and... the jaws are loose. Like, 3mm play side-to side loose. I took it apart and there's no way to easily tighten it. There's not a pivot screw, and unlike some other plier designs, I can't use an arbor press to push the pivot in a little more to tighten it up. Best I can likely do is whack it with a hammer, which so far has worked exactly zero times for me with pivots of this type.

So, I guess it's a parts tool. That sucks, I really like the feel otherwise.

Charles.

So is it "The Gerber Diesel" that you are disappointed with, or just that particular used one, that you bought cheap?

Or...have you thought about emailing Gerber explaining the issue and see if can be covered by the warranty? Just an idea, 'cause I think it's a good tool, and then be carried with the mp!!! Oohh, by the way CC, is your mp blunt or needle nosed?; if it is a BN it'll be a perfect combo!

People buying used tools, then sending them off to be repaired at the manufacturer's cost (under warranty) really galls me. If you want new condition, don't buy used, and if you do choose to buy used, don't expect someone else to make it like new for free.

50ft, I never hoped to do harm in any way, as I'm also against what I call "consumers' exploiters", those that go "buy" a tool (or anything for that matter), use it, and then "return" them. I specifically stated that CC should write and explain first. THEN, at their discretion, send it in. It is my understanding that  CC plans to keep it.  It IS  A PRODUCT warranty, and NOT specifically to the original owner; same as cars.

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[Sam Lim]

I bought a used one on eBay for a good price, thinking that if it's totally clapped out, at least I have some parts I can swap into my much-loved MP600 (specifically the saw and scissors).

I got the thing and... and... the jaws are loose. Like, 3mm play side-to side loose. I took it apart and there's no way to easily tighten it. There's not a pivot screw, and unlike some other plier designs, I can't use an arbor press to push the pivot in a little more to tighten it up. Best I can likely do is whack it with a hammer, which so far has worked exactly zero times for me with pivots of this type.

So, I guess it's a parts tool. That sucks, I really like the feel otherwise.

Charles.

I peened the hell out if mine and they work beautifully. Looks is another thing but most of the time they are hidden so I am fine with it. Snips soft stranded. My philosophy is you probably can't further break anything that's already broken. But from my little experience, gerber pliers pivots are extremely tough. It takes quite some force to scar them.

On a side note, it depends on why u want the pivot to be tighter. I encountered a few diesel with manufacturing defects. The cutters do not meet. There's a little gap inbetween and those are new ones. If yours are the same, I will not bother cos no matter how tight u get them to be, they will not cut Electrical wires..

[ChopperCharles]

I tried peening mine, and they're a little better, but still not suitable for cutting any kind of electrical wire. There is still too big of a gap. I used a punch and a 4 pound sledge, hitting with all my might, and afraid I was going to miss and turn the hard bits in my hand into soft bits... and only got them slightly better. Soooo, everything came apart. I modded the saw, scissors, bottle opener, and large flat driver to fit into my MP600, which had a broken, shortened, and re-ground bottle opener driver and a broken-off large flat driver.

Note that the Diesel bottle opener is shorter than the MP600 opener. If you have elongated your channel so the pliers sit more inside the handle when closed, the bottle opener driver is the limiting factor as to how far the pliers sit inside the handles. The shorter driver gives you a few more millimeters to slide the jaws in.

The scissors are a bit tricky to get in, you have to be very careful with filing the spring, as it over-filing the lock surface will cause the scissors to not open fully.

The Diesel scissors are nice and big, but they cannot cut paracord easily, even after I peened the pivot a bit. (they were a little loose).

I have a little space left, and would like to modify some sort of hacksaw blade to fit next to the wood saw. None of the hacksaw blades I have are wide enough to grind to fit, however. Is there something people are using for this mod?

Charles.

[mtoolman]

I have a Diesel, and its scissors are not working well.  It is similar shape as from other MP600 and 400 scissors, only difference is shape is a bit longer looking.

It cuts thin papers OK. But if it is a little thick paper or para chords, then it cannot cut.

I was trying to sharpen and adjust the scissors, but it is not making much progress.