What's the worst?

[Sam Lim]

I would say the worst for me is the SOG Reactor.. Blade feels like its going to snap on first use.. Pliers points in the weirdest angle.. The material used feels more plastic than my son's toys... 

I actually really like the Reactor.  Yeah, there are a few quality issues, but I like that it is compact and reasonably useful. 

Def

Isn't the PowerPint about the same size? But with more tools.
That could also be a race. New Suspension vs PowerPint. Or PowerPint vs Truss, if the prices are closer.

I am really looking forward to the release of the powerpint. It looks really compact with tools that are useful to me. I really wanted something smallish like the juice series for edc but with somewhat more useful tools.

Grant?  btw how's the de-assisting of the reactor getting along?

[Grant Lamontagne]

There is a serious road block to that.

I forgot where I put the Reactor.   

It will turn up sooner or later, although it does seem to be more a case of later rather than sooner.

Def

[ReamerPunch]

The Gerber Center-Drive.

It's a shame Leatherman did not take advantage of Gerber's trash talking.
Leatherman could just compare the Center-Drive to the Surge. The Surge is the competition, not whichever tool suits Gerber's weak arguments.

-Wire cutters: Cut a nail with the Center-Drive. Cut a screw. Cut coat hanger wire. Oh, you broke the wire-cutters? Sorry.


At least they're rotatable, so you can break all three sides.


On the Surge, you have 154CM wire-cutters, and stranded wire-cutters at the base of the plier head. I bet they'll last longer than the brittle carbide cutters of the Center-Drive.
"It was not designed for that." What does this mean? Was it designed to be weak? Gerber advertised it, quite aggressively mind you, as a heavy duty tool. My Surge can cut nails. My Rebar can cut nails and it's almost half the size of this. Hell, the Wave can cut nails. Not massive ones, but it can. Anything that could potentially ding your wire-cutters on the Wave, will definitely crack your Center-Drive wire-cutters. They are brittle, and any full-sized Leatherman wire-cutter set-up, be it replaceable or not, will outlast the Center-Drive's.



-Pliers: Not quite needlenose, for precision, nor blunt for endurance. Not a bad design, although it won't win any beauty contests. Worryingly, I have never seen this amount of flex in any multi-tool, not even among the dozen or so off-brand multi-tools I own.


-Main blade: Same cutting edge length on both. Not 30% longer than the competition after all. Even the SuperTool 300 has the same length blade.


-Serrated blade: One-handed, longer, and sharpened on the Surge. On the Center-Drive it takes multiple steps to deploy, it is shorter, and faces inwards, and comes unsharpened. Not a single review I saw had a properly sharpened serrated blade. No wonder it was not compared to the competition.



-Scissors: Big strong scissors on the Surge, and outside-accessible.


No scissors on the Center-Drive. That's odd. Fiskars owns Gerber. Why not toss the serrated blade and put scissors in its place? You've got a big blade that's one-handed anyway.


-Saw: No saw on the Center-Drive. No saw on the Surge, if you have the file in there, but you can put other t-shank saws in there, woodsaws, metal saws, different lengths.
Gerber has a RemGrit saw holder on some of their multi-tools. That would have been a nice addition to the Center-Drive. It would really suit it, as a high-end Gerber multi-tool. It also accepts other blades so you could carry the one you needed.



-Pry-bar: The Center-Drive has an angled nail-puller. The Surge has a large flathead. It is interesting to note that Leatherman calls this tool a large screwdriver. Many people will mention that you can also pry with it. And many people do. So why does Leatherman not call it a prying tool as well as a screwdriver? Notice that there is no feature on it to warrant the pry-bar moniker. No nail-pulling notch, no angle to it, no edge bevel, no L cross-section, all features present on the Center-Drive's implement.

The reason is that pry-bars on multi-tools never stack up to the real thing, like a multi-tool blade does with a folding knife, or a multi-tool screwdriver does with a dedicated screwdriver. A pry-bar is a wonderful thing, and the hundreds of chipped flatheads, broken blade tips, and halved files on multi-tools illustrate the point quite convincingly. Of course, an appropriately sized flathead could be used to pry, as long as the task is within reason.
The geometry of a multi-tool pry-bar is wrong. For screwdrivers, chisels, and awls, and blades sometimes, the force is applied to the tip, along the axis of the implement. For woodsaws, metal saws, can/bottle openers, and blades, you apply force against the edge, opposite of the pivoting orientation. No problem there. For a pry-bar, the force is applied to the sides, perpendicularly to how the implement pivots. This puts a tremendous amount of force to the weak-point, the holed section of the implement that the screw goes through.

Granted, some tools have addressed this issue. You can make the implement thick, like the overbuilt bottle-opener of the Victorinox Spirit. Still, while the thickness of the part helps, the broadness is also limited by design. A pivoting pry-bar will always be weak at the pivot point. An easier solution would be a separate tool, like the removable one-piece pry-bar of the Emerson Multitasker. Both decent solutions to the problem. Ideally, one could carry an inexpensive, dedicated pry-bar. It will cost little, and you can promptly replace if it fails, thus eliminating the frustration of having to send the entire multi-tool back to the manufacturer for warranty, provided they agree to replace a broken blade/flathead you broke by prying with it in the first place.
Looking at the Center-Drive and Surge offerings, I doubt you can do something with one that you could not do with the other. The Center-Drive's implement is short, arguably soft for the job, and the angle is not obtuse enough to provide leverage much greater than the Surge. For easy tasks both are equal. For demanding tasks, both implements are inherently weak and uncomfortable.


-Reamer: On the Surge, yes. That's a properly shaped reamer. The Center-Drive has a wide pointy thing.

-File: No metal-saw teeth on the Center-Drive, and it takes more steps to open it. The Surge file is diamond-coated, and removable. Not only can you use it to sharpen your Surge's blade, you can replace it with another one, or a nice Bosch saw.

-Locking tab is plastic on the Center-Drive. No plastic on the Surge.

-Bit-driver: Center-Drive has longer reach, and takes standard bits. I will agree on an advantage for Gerber here, but a marginal one.
Before Gerber made such a big deal out of it, it was never an issue to have a multi-tool screwdriver inline with the center axis of the tool. All other Gerber multi-tools have off-center screwdrivers. The awkwardness of off-center screwdrivers came from the bulkiness of the multi-tool they are attached to, not the screwdrivers themselves. And the Center-Drive is bulky. Butterfly multi-tools offer more positions by design. You can open one handle of the Surge for reach, or have it in a pistol grip configuration, which is what many people do. Also, the bit holder is only good if you carry bits. If we are talking sets and sheath-carry, then you have many more bits with the Surge bit kit, plus a woodsaw. You could also have the bit extender with the Surge and carry standard 1/4" bits, but let's give this round to the Center-Drive.

-Weight: 9.5oz for the Center-Drive, 12.5oz for the Surge. Three ounces more, for a big pair of scissors, longer one-handed serrated blade, longer reamer, two fixed flatheads, and metal locks. Quite a lot of additional weight, for quite a few features. It is interesting to note that the Surge is more compact, and there is a pocket clip you can add to it. Some users carry it like that. I have yet to see someone carry the Center-Drive in a pocket, despite it being lighter.


Conclusion
Gerber fixed the match to make the Center-Drive appear better than it is, cherry-picking functions and the tools they were compared to. That seems desperate to me. Gerber did not have to resort to such embarrassing promotional tactics. They are a big player in the multi-tool world. Their tools have been around for many years, and have lots of dedicated users. They had so little confidence in their new design proving itself, they abandoned real arguments in favour of juvenile insults towards their competitor. I guess it worked, seeing how many people have bought one and posted on YouTube about it. Did the Leatherman Surge users stop carrying their Surge? No. Why would they? Publicity was nice, but if you can see past the hype and the questionable glowing reviews, there is more to it. The Center-Drive is certainly nice, and a step in the right direction, but not without its flaws and limitations. A lot of people who bought the Center-Drive have returned it, either because of glaring quality control issues, bulkiness, or failure to perform to their standards.

The critical reviews could provide enough information on what works and what does not on the Center-Drive. Gerber may take the negative points people have raised, and turn the Center-Drive into a real winner. Scissors, woodsaw, RemGrit/jigsaw saw holder, proper reamer, double-sided bits, upgraded wire-cutters or their standard MP600 plierhead, higher end blade steel, all-metal locking tab. Maybe also have the bit set on the side of the sheath, so it protrudes less.

Until then, it is what it is. Gerber's flagship model. Praised by users. True innovation.
A Gerber multi-tool, with one-handed pliers that are not the strongest in their range. A bit driver that sits center-axis to a massive awkward handle. A main blade that is the exact same length of its competitors. And wire-cutters that are arguably the worst in the industry.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Some good points there, that, even though I really like the Center-Drive I can't argue with.

However, I would like to point out one thing- the Surge is the only large multitool from Leatherman that has scissors.  None of the SuperTools, the MUT, the Core, the OHT or the Signal have scissors.  It is apparently a "thing" that "people don't want scissors on big tools."  Condemning the Center-Drive for not having scissors is like condemning it for not having a whistle since the Signal has one, or be compatible with the Otis cleaning kit because the MUT is.

Def

[ReamerPunch]

Some good points there, that, even though I really like the Center-Drive I can't argue with.

However, I would like to point out one thing- the Surge is the only large multitool from Leatherman that has scissors.  None of the SuperTools, the MUT, the Core, the OHT or the Signal have scissors.  It is apparently a "thing" that "people don't want scissors on big tools."  Condemning the Center-Drive for not having scissors is like condemning it for not having a whistle since the Signal has one, or be compatible with the Otis cleaning kit because the MUT is.

Def

I was comparing the features of the CD and Surge. In fairness to the Surge, I mentioned its scissors, and their absence on the CD.
I am not condemning the CD for not having scissors. It was just an observation. On the contrary. I am one of the very few members here that dislikes the Surge scissors. I'd rather have the Wave's set-up.

[temo]

I have to agree with ReamerPunch. LM has best brand that you can actually do things with multitools. Like wire cutters are ment to cut things. Things that are harder that you could cut with scissors or with knife. Else those are just cosmetic list features.

Again I still like CD as well though don't have one. But see it has some good points. But as heavy tool should be able to do more then example with light skeletool. And even vic pocket knive pliers can be used quite heavily even those are small ones.

Sent from my VIE-L09 using Tapatalk

[ezdog]

Its funny really that while I too can not argue with much of Reamer's feelings about the Centerdrive I still find it my new go-to EDC MT since getting it several months ago now.

I decided to give it a really long good shakeout trial before deciding how I felt about it especially compared to my long time EDC Spirit-X which I was positive I could not live without but......

I agree that the only useful tools to me on the Centerdrive are the Driver itself and the Pliers.
The rest is just crap in my way really.
The design and form factor are not anywhere as elegant or streamlined as any other tool that I have tried to EDC and I never use the knives as I always carry knives too.

But the thing that I now have realized is that for my use the MT is all about the Pliers and Driver anyway.
I wish there were a set of more tiny precision drivers like the tiny one on the Swiss but this is not a deal breaker for me.
The lack of a saw is the only thing I really miss in the end.

I wish it were less crude for sure and more compact and stored more bits and really just wish the Pliers and Driver were on the Vic but designed as they would be on there too but alas a guy can dream.

I also love and carried the Pinchy for years before there was a lot of choice in the MT world and should not be all that surprised I guess?

I have never bonded with any Leatherman though and I seem to break the ones that I have liked.

SO again for my use the one handed Pliers and Driver are the only thing I like about the Centerdrive but I REALLY LIKE THEM A LOT TOO!

I even have my Vic and CD setup in identical Skinth so I can easily go back and forth and I am not sure I have really wanted too since carrying the CD!
I just returned from a 2 Week Work Road Trip and only took the Gerber and I think I got more done with it than I ever have the Spirit and this is not something I am happy about in spirit either but it is what it is and of course YMMV too!

[ReamerPunch]

wire cutters are meant to cut things. Things that are harder that you could cut with scissors or with knife.

That's an excellent point. I am quite positive that even the scissors on the Surge can outperform the CD's wire-cutters.

[cody6268]

I feel Gerber's comparison to the Wave is quite unfair as I view the Wave as a "full size" tool, yet the Center Drive is in the "heavy duty" or "industrial" category, which is mostly what I buy because farm work is rough on regular MTs.  If they want a proper contest, use the Surge. I'd say why they didn't was because the Surge was superior.  Kutmaster had a centered driver on the MultiMaster just a couple years after the PST came out--and Gerber wouldn't produce their first MT until nearly 10 years later.

One thing I cut a lot of is fencing wire, in fact, I probably need to cut fencing wire more than I need to cut any electrical wire (I usually just cut scrap to test cutters). Heck, MTs have been sold with "can cut barbed wire" as a feature since the Barnett Plier Knife of the 1890s.  Gerber sold the MP600 Trailrider equestrian MT with that same tagline in the 1990s.   To me, if it can't cut that, it isn't heavy duty. I've cut fencing wire with my favorite HD MTs, the Schrade USA ST-1 "Tough Tool" and the Surge regularly.   Linesman's pliers are often sold with the ability to cut sizeable piano wire, screws, and nails. Until an MT is sold with the ability to cut the same stuff without damaging the cutters or the entire plier head, it isn't better than anything else on the market.