Gerber Suspension Pictures...

665ae · **on:** July 30, 2007, 04:54:30 PM

I'm working on a review... but here's some pictures for you guys to enjoy until I can finish it

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2007, 05:10:05 PM

Nice pics as usual Mikey!

Any initial thoughts on it?

Def

ringzero · **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2007, 05:23:19 PM

Quote from: 665ae on July 30, 2007, 04:54:30 PM

I'm working on a review... but here's some pictures for you guys to enjoy until I can finish it

Thanks for the excellent pics, 665ae. Great job!

I use my Suspension frequently, but your pics bring out fine details I've never noticed when looking at the real thing.

.

hawkchucker · **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2007, 11:37:36 PM

I still hate the suspension and I feel they should all be removed from the face of the planet!!!! ;D

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2007, 11:39:53 PM

I have a long list of items that I feel that way about!

Def

665ae · **Reply #5 on:** July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

Quote from: Defender on July 30, 2007, 05:10:05 PM

Nice pics as usual Mikey!

Any initial thoughts on it?

Def

My initial thoughts are what's making it so hard to write a review. There's just nothing exciting about the Suspension. Simply put, it's a mediocre tool...

The spring loaded pliers are a nice function, but can get annoying during certain tasks.
The large handles are nice and give you a decent grip... but using them for anything large and the handles are extremly uncomfortable.
The knife blade is good... as well as the flat blades.
The phillips driver is junk... I can hardly get it to work at all...
The combo can / bottle opener looked promising, but I can't open a can with the can opener, no matter how hard I try.

The scissors are still not marked "Fiskars!!!!!!"

prime77 · **Reply #6 on:** July 31, 2007, 07:40:43 AM

Quote

The phillips driver is junk... I can hardly get it to work at all...

I completely agree with you there. I really wished that Gerber didn't put the same phillips driver on the Deisel a really good tool IMO, except for that skinny driver

Viper · **Reply #7 on:** August 02, 2007, 11:19:51 PM

Yeah, I was dissapointed with that on the Nautilus too! Lucky for me, whenever I carry it, I bring my MP600, they compliment eachother well!

600
------------
Pliers
Serrated blade
File
Can Opener

Nautilus
------------
One hand blade
Scissors
Flashlight (LED)

Also, my Nautilus' pouch has a hard plastic shell between the two layers of nylon on the outside. My 600 doesn't. Is the armoured pouch common? Or is it unique, put there for the flashlight?

prime77 · **Reply #8 on:** August 03, 2007, 12:16:39 AM

Quote from: hawkchucker on July 30, 2007, 11:37:36 PM

I still hate the suspension and I feel they should all be removed from the face of the planet!!!! ;D

You know hawkchucker.......If you don't like the Suspension you should check out these other tools Gerber has to offer. Just maybe you'll like them more

ringzero · **Reply #9 on:** August 03, 2007, 08:16:31 AM

Quote from: 665ae on July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

There's just nothing exciting about the Suspension. Simply put, it's a mediocre tool...

Have to respectfully disagree, 665ae. I've been using my Suspension a lot lately, and I've been liking it more and more.

Great plier ergonomics, easy one-hand-opening blades, and easy tool extraction from the handles all count for a lot with me.

Recently examined a SOG Powerlock, which obviously has better fit and finish and overall robustness than Suspension.

However, Powerlock's tools are not quickly and easily available like Suspension's. Powerlock's knife isn't instantly available for one-hand cutting tasks.

Powerlock costs TWICE as much as Suspension at my local Lowes. Can Powerlock handle twice the tasks as Suspension? Is Powerlock twice as easy to use as Suspension?

I'm sure the SOG Powerlock is a great multitool for heavy duty use. But, for many people Suspension would work as well or better than Powerlock for casual tasks around the house. Suspension is easier to use and half the price of Powerlock.

Quote from: 665ae on July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

The spring loaded pliers are a nice function, but can get annoying during certain tasks.
The large handles are nice and give you a decent grip... but using them for anything large and the handles are extremly uncomfortable.

I love Suspension's pliers. In the last few weeks I have used Suspension to replace an old electrical wall socket and to rewire an electric lawnmower, in addition to other uses.

The wall outlet had been poorly installed and replacement required lots of pliering. Suspension's pliers were used to repeatedly grab hold and then forcefully crack off pieces of wood paneling to enlarge the hole for the new outlet. Worked great.

My five-year-old Black and Decker lawnmover caught fire while I was mowing last week. The motor had been surging for about half-an-hour and I thought I smelled something burning. Suddenly clouds of black smoke came boiling up out of the plastic housing containing the lever-activated dead-man switch and power connection for the electrical cord.

I had to go in the house to get a nutdriver with the proper Torx bit, but other than that the Suspension easily handled the repair. The end plug on the extension cord had melted and fused into the plasic housing. One of the copper connector blades that mates with the extension cord was burned and partially melted.

Repair required removal of the power connectors and modification of the plasic housing. Cutting, stripping, and splicing. Connector blades pried loose and the plasic housing was completely modified to allow direct splicing of the extension cord to the wiring inside the housing.

All of that was accomplished using the Suspension's excellent pliers and knife blades. By the time I had finished the job, I was more impressed than ever with the Suspension. A very versatile tool.

Quote from: 665ae on July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

The knife blade is good... as well as the flat blades.
The phillips driver is junk... I can hardly get it to work at all...

Here I agree. Gerber made a mistake using this flattened Phillips driver. This is Supension's weakest point.

Actually, it works OK on small to medium Phillips - better than I thought it would. Larger Phillips - forget it.

This issue could be ameliorated by getting the bit adapter kit which includes several real Phillips bits, and which is used by slipping it onto that flat Phillips driver.

Can't believe Gerber chose to use that same flat Phillips driver on the bigger, beefier Diesel!

Quote from: 665ae on July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

The combo can / bottle opener looked promising, but I can't open a can with the can opener, no matter how hard I try.

The scissors are still not marked "Fiskars!!!!!!"

The can/bottle opener is not the best design, but I was able to use it to open a can. The length of the implement makes it awkward, but I rarely use a multi to open cans. I do prefer the Victorinox-style opener over all the other styles I've tried.

The scissors work great given their small size. I've used them to open a plastic clamshell pack and cut cardboard packaging and paper. They work fine if you make short cuts and don't get in a hurry.

.

665ae · **Reply #10 on:** August 04, 2007, 07:01:41 AM

Quote from: ringzero on August 03, 2007, 08:16:31 AM

Have to respectfully disagree, 665ae. I've been using my Suspension a lot lately, and I've been liking it more and more.

Great plier ergonomics, easy one-hand-opening blades, and easy tool extraction from the handles all count for a lot with me.

Recently examined a SOG Powerlock, which obviously has better fit and finish and overall robustness than Suspension.

However, Powerlock's tools are not quickly and easily available like Suspension's. Powerlock's knife isn't instantly available for one-hand cutting tasks.

Powerlock costs TWICE as much as Suspension at my local Lowes. Can Powerlock handle twice the tasks as Suspension? Is Powerlock twice as easy to use as Suspension?

I'm sure the SOG Powerlock is a great multitool for heavy duty use. But, for many people Suspension would work as well or better than Powerlock for casual tasks around the house. Suspension is easier to use and half the price of Powerlock.

I don't agree on the plier ergonomics. I think it has more to do with the size of your hand than anything with the design. I think the Suspension would feel better to people with larger hands. The one thing I do like is the rubber sections on the ends of the handles that add to comfort when using the pliers.

For the record... I'm not a big fan of the PowerLock either.

Quote

I love Suspension's pliers. In the last few weeks I have used Suspension to replace an old electrical wall socket and to rewire an electric lawnmower, in addition to other uses.

The wall outlet had been poorly installed and replacement required lots of pliering. Suspension's pliers were used to repeatedly grab hold and then forcefully crack off pieces of wood paneling to enlarge the hole for the new outlet. Worked great.

My five-year-old Black and Decker lawnmover caught fire while I was mowing last week. The motor had been surging for about half-an-hour and I thought I smelled something burning. Suddenly clouds of black smoke came boiling up out of the plastic housing containing the lever-activated dead-man switch and power connection for the electrical cord.

I had to go in the house to get a nutdriver with the proper Torx bit, but other than that the Suspension easily handled the repair. The end plug on the extension cord had melted and fused into the plasic housing. One of the copper connector blades that mates with the extension cord was burned and partially melted.

Repair required removal of the power connectors and modification of the plasic housing. Cutting, stripping, and splicing. Connector blades pried loose and the plasic housing was completely modified to allow direct splicing of the extension cord to the wiring inside the housing.

All of that was accomplished using the Suspension's excellent pliers and knife blades. By the time I had finished the job, I was more impressed than ever with the Suspension. A very versatile tool.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that people have different tastes. I'm glad to hear that the Suspension works well for you, and that you like it

Quote

The can/bottle opener is not the best design, but I was able to use it to open a can. The length of the implement makes it awkward, but I rarely use a multi to open cans. I do prefer the Victorinox-style opener over all the other styles I've tried.

The scissors work great given their small size. I've used them to open a plastic clamshell pack and cut cardboard packaging and paper. They work fine if you make short cuts and don't get in a hurry.

I use the can opener on multitools quite a bit. (I eat a lot of chunk chicken

) When I tried using the opener on the Suspension, I ended up with a very jagged edge and a deformed rim, which after 1/2 way around the can made it very hard to continue.

My problem with the scissors has nothing to do with how they function. They work fine. It just bugs me that they advertise them as "Fiskars" brand scissors, but the name isn't printed on them.

ringzero · **Reply #11 on:** August 04, 2007, 11:52:44 AM

Quote from: 665ae on August 04, 2007, 07:01:41 AM

I don't agree on the plier ergonomics. I think it has more to do with the size of your hand than anything with the design. I think the Suspension would feel better to people with larger hands. The one thing I do like is the rubber sections on the ends of the handles that add to comfort when using the pliers.

The Suspension pliers feel good in my hand and don't hurt when squeezing down hard, but I do have fairly large hands.

There was speculation on this in another thread, and you may be right about the ergonomics not working as well for those with smaller hands.

However, I did happen to talk to a woman customer at Lowes who was carrying a Suspension on her belt. She was fairly small in stature and I didn't notice that she had large hands. She recommended the Suspension as a good buy, and said she carried it on her belt and used it a lot when working around her house and yard.

Quote from: 665ae on August 04, 2007, 07:01:41 AM

For the record... I'm not a big fan of the PowerLock either.

Well, I'm not a big fan either given that I don't own one.

I've noticed Powerlock seems to have a certain fan base on MTO, and most consider them well put together and rugged.

I chose Powerlock for comparison because it was the only other 'big brand' multitool my local Lowes had for sale, and it happened to cost twice what the Suspension costs.

Quote from: 665ae on August 04, 2007, 07:01:41 AM

I'm a firm believer in the idea that people have different tastes. I'm glad to hear that the Suspension works well for you, and that you like it

Well, I'm glad too since I paid 30 bucks for it. ;>

Of course: there's no accounting for taste - different strokes for different folks - to each his own - etc.

I'd recommend Suspension to those who want a decent user multitool, but don't want to spend a lot.

Quote from: 665ae on August 04, 2007, 07:01:41 AM

I use the can opener on multitools quite a bit. (I eat a lot of chunk chicken ) When I tried using the opener on the Suspension, I ended up with a very jagged edge and a deformed rim, which after 1/2 way around the can made it very hard to continue.

Yeah, the Suspension's can opener leaves a lot to be desired - I'd rate it as functional, but just barely.

If you plan to use your multitool to open lots of cans, then Suspension wouldn't be the best choice. I use a P-38 most of the time outdoors, and at home I use a dedicated can opener.

I'd like to replace my Suspension's can opener, lanyard ring, and wood saw - none of which I will ever use - with a bigger Phillips and a metal file.

.

AJ · **Reply #12 on:** August 04, 2007, 03:33:59 PM

Very nice photos..

damota · **Reply #13 on:** August 05, 2007, 02:23:16 AM

Quote from: 665ae on July 31, 2007, 07:30:25 AM

The scissors are still not marked "Fiskars!!!!!!"

As Fiskars owns Gerber just be thankful they still use the Gerber name

Dave

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #14 on:** August 05, 2007, 02:47:10 AM

It seems to me that there's some serious support for both sides of this argument. You dirty buggers are going to make me get one and choose, aren't you?

Def