Gerber has made a name and built a reputation making dependable gear for professionals. There is no doubt in the Gerber name, but I will admit I was a little thrown off when they first launched their new multi-tool, the Gerber Center-Drive. Mainly, I felt like they were targeting a handyman more than say law enforcement, firefighting or military personnel but I was proven wrong.
Gerber built the Center-Drive multi-tool to fill a gap in the multi-tool market and they knocked it out of the park. The entire multi-tool is built around a full-size driver on the center axis with a standard bit, something that no other multi-tool on the market has. This handy because it allows you to have torque when you need it as you use the driver. But you do get a full 16 components on that, including:
- Needle-nose Pliers
- Magnetic ¼” Bit Driver
- Serrated Blade
- Awl
- Wire Strippers
- Ruler (stamped into handle)
- Flathead Bit
- Dual-Mount Sheath
- Regular Pliers
- Fine Edge Blade
- Cats Paw Pry Bar
- Rotatable Carbide Wire Cutters
- File
- Phillips Bit
- Bottle Opener
- Operational Standard Bit Set
The tool itself is 9.5” x 2.2” x 1” and is a full-sized multi-tool. This isn’t a compact multi-tool, so don’t expect it to fit in your pocket. This is a heavy-duty multi-tool that is designed to get jobs, not tasks done. Which is exactly what made me fall in love with this tool the more I used it. I am a big fan of multi-tools and carry one on me pretty much all the time, I also use one in the field on a regular basis, but I’ve never really thought of using one as my main tool. That has changed with the Gerber Center-Drive, which will adapt to whatever you need it to do.
Take for example the Center-Drive bit, not happy with the ones you get? Well this will accept all drill bits. It will also take a hex adapter to go to ¼” drive sockets. Don’t worry, they didn’t sacrifice the entire concept of a multi-tool to give you a fancy driver. The pliers, which are typically one of the most important features of a multi-tool, are a dream. They are sprung pliers so it allows manipulation very easily.
The main knife is a full-sized blade which is sometimes missed on multi-tools. This gives you more flexibility in what you can do with it and gets rid of the whole small tiny knife blade that companies sometimes toss onto multi-tools. The blade has excellent resistance to movement which keeps it closed but also prevents the knife from being opened easily. This isn’t so much of a knock against the Center-Drive, as I wouldn’t expect to use this as a self-defense knife. With that said, the serrated knife blade that is included leaves a bit to be desired. It came dull out of the box, and when I went to sharpen it I realized the blade lacked a cutting edge, making it difficult to sharpen.
In conclusion, I am impressed with the Gerber Center-Drive multi-tool. It’s not cheap, averaging $135-$150 purchase price, but it’s also a full multi-tool. The driver is awesome and the spring-loaded pliers are the best I’ve used on a multi-tool. This thing will easily take care of any job you need it to and you shouldn’t worry about it being simply a “backup” tool. The serrated blade might be lack luster, but everything else on this thing is perfection.
Score: 9.5/10
Ben