Why this Hoosier converted to Leatherman MT.....

[jdailey4206966]

It all started in my senior year in high school in 2000. I was in building trades class (building a house) and we had every tool there we needed, but it was inconvenient to have to walk across the lot to the trailer to get a screwdriver or something like that. I had noticed alot of the guys carrying Leatherman PSTs, and thought they were cool. I went to my local walmart and picked up my own pair for $30 Everything went fine for the first 2 weeks, than it happened! I was cutting something, and the knife came back and cut my finger severely resulting in stitches. This happened at home, not school thank goodness, or I would have gotten in trouble for carrying this tool in school, knowing it had a knife in it.

After that, I sold the Leatherman and bought a Schrade USA Tough Tool, which I still have, and used it the rest of the year. I never really had any need for it after school, so I put it in an old metal box I have. After I moved here to TN, I had a job I needed some MTs. I spotted the Gerber Compact 400, which was compact, and had the tools for the job! I put it on my belt, and used it every day for a month!!!
Unfortunatly for me, the company downsized, and I got laid off, so once again, I had no need for them. I bought them in 2003, and they sat in a drawer until April of this year. This is where the real nature of the Compact 400 came out. First, the knife broke on a piece of rope, than the flat screwdrivers bent, and the philips bit snapped off barely using any force!! I contacted gerber and they said that I should have sent it in on the first report of a tool breaking, but now it was too late, and they couldn't do anything! So much for a lifetime warranty!!!

 With my job now, I carried them for small things. Once day holding a nut down, SNAP! The jaw broke!!! Calling Gerber again, they said they couldn't do anything, and I was pissed!!!
On the way home, I chucked them off a bridge into the lake as I drove over it!! Now that piece of crap is lying under 30 feet of water where it can rust in pieces forever!!

I went to the local Home Depot to get some new ones. I had eyed the Wave and Charge TTi, but both were too pricey for me at the time. I saw the Fuse there too, and it had the same tools as the 400. I bought it, and immediatly noticed one thing with these Leathermans my PST didn't have and that was a locking mechanism!! Big plus for me. After taking them out of the package, I loved the solid feel of them, and the easy access to the tools, and how big the knife was!!! The Fuse served me well for 3 weeks, before I decided to upgrade to the Wave. My supervisor at the time had one, and strongly recommended them. The Wave has fit the bill for me!! Everything with it is everything that the Gerber brand is not too me. Quality built, durable, dependable Leatherman is A+, and manufactured in the USA, while most of Gerbers new stuff is chinese made crap.

Never again will I spend money on a piece of junk Gerber!!

[Tarrodemierda]

i hear you,especially the last line.

if theyre all like suspension,ill never get one.

that thick multi with just a few,really stubby tools and flimsy jaws.


threw it away(to my 13 yr cousin ).

[Leatherman123]

I enjoyed the story, Thanks! Oh, and your Home Depot sells Fuse's and TTi's?

[jdailey4206966]

I enjoyed the story, Thanks! Oh, and your Home Depot sells Fuse's and TTi's?

Yes they do, They had the Fuse, Charge TTi, Wave, Core, one of the Juice models, and some of the knives. Quite a good selection. I was an idiot, because they had the Charge TTi on sale for $85 for one day only, and they only had 2 left!!!!!!!! I was a dumb a** and didn't get it!!! Those things are well over $100!

[max6166]

It's one thing to make lousy tools, but to renege on a lifetime warranty because the tool had failed too many times? You expect that kind of response from a shady auto mechanic. No class...

[Pacu]

I like my Gerbers. Mine are old so i guess they were built better back then.

Sorry but i had to defend an old friends honor. My Gerber got me through many scouting adventures.

[jdailey4206966]

It's one thing to make lousy tools, but to renege on a lifetime warranty because the tool had failed too many times? You expect that kind of response from a shady auto mechanic. No class...

They said when the first tool broke, i should have sent it in than, than again when the second broke and so on. ok, so thats at least 5 broken tools, that would have costs me almost $50 in shipping fees alone, and the tool didn't even cost that much.

[Poncho65]

It's one thing to make lousy tools, but to renege on a lifetime warranty because the tool had failed too many times? You expect that kind of response from a shady auto mechanic. No class...

They said when the first tool broke, i should have sent it in than, than again when the second broke and so on. ok, so thats at least 5 broken tools, that would have costs me almost $50 in shipping fees alone, and the tool didn't even cost that much.

I hear ya I would be very mad as well,  like it's your fault they made a lousy MT I never really cared for Gerbers myself but there seem to be a few ppl here that have good luck with them  Glad you got the Wave though LM make a fine MT IMHO, someday I may branch out and get a Swisstool or something well built like that but until then I am a LM man

[Benner]

I like my Gerbers. Mine are old so i guess they were built better back then.

Sorry but i had to defend an old friends honor. My Gerber got me through many scouting adventures.

Good man. 

TBH, I have only heard great things about Gerber's customer service.  They go way beyond the course of duty IMO to keep the customer satisfied and there are a few guys here who have had a great response from them.

Perhaps the CS wasn't as good back then.

[Tarrodemierda]

i hear you,especially the last line.

if theyre all like suspension,ill never get one.

that thick multi with just a few,really stubby tools and flimsy jaws.


threw it away(to my 13 yr cousin ).

edit:

Dang!


the gerber i got from Benner,the MPT,is way better than suspensions i barked above .its like from another maker.
i remember the early gerber multis were better all the way.imo.

[Pacu]

back in the 80s-90s gerber knives were a source of pride among us scouts. I had the gerber Gator and it was a damn fine knive,and the LMF got me through combat control survival training.

[Smitty44]

 I was an idiot, because they had the Charge TTi on sale for $85 for one day only, and they only had 2 left!!!!!!!! I was a dumb a** and didn't get it!!! Those things are well over $100!
[/quote]Yes I will agree with the above statement,you should have bought both,sold one for $115,then it would have just cost you $55.

[jdailey4206966]

Not all hope is lost though!!! I know a guy who works there now, so now if they get those on sale like that again, I told him to hold on too 2 for me. One for me, and one to sell.

[jdailey4206966]

That was back a few months ago, and the story may be different now if I called. Maybe I should have kept them, sent them in for repair (if they ultimately decide to fix them) and sold them immediatly upon return.