This is one of Gerber’s 2 recently released multi-tools – the Truss. It’s marketed as a full-size but compact and lightweight professional-grade multi-tool.
At a first look, Gerber has got a lot of things right with this new tool but I think they’ve missed the mark in a couple of critical areas.
Gerber seems to have a thing for bridge terminology for this multi-tool product line. The Truss (a post, rafter or strut that supports a bridge or roof) is an evolution of the Suspension multi-tool (like a suspension bridge, think the Golden Gate Bridge). Apparently, the Truss “bridges the gap between problem and solution”. Clever huh? Well, let’s see how clever it really is!
Carry-ability
The Truss is a full-sized multi-tool with a closed length of 4.35 inches (11 cms). As a size comparison, the Leatherman Wave+ is shorter at 4 inches (10 cms). The weight comparison is very similar, the Truss is 8.4 ounces (238 grams) the Wave+ is 8.5 ounces (241 grams). I use the Wave+ as a comparison as it’s my top recommendation for the Best Multi-Purpose on my Recommended Multi-Tool page. These numbers back up Gerber’s claim for the Truss that it’s full size but lightweight because it’s longer than the Wave+ but the same weight.
Whether a multi-tool comes with a pocket clip or not can be a deal breaker for some of us Multi-Tool MacGyvers so it’s an important consideration. The Truss doesn’t have one but does at least come with a sheath as standard. The sheath is apparently slimline and MOLLE compatible and can be carried vertically or horizontally.
Multi-Tool-Set
There are 17 functions on the Gerber Truss. Let’s look at the main tools first.
The pliers are the needle nose variety with an inner flat section that acts like standard pliers then a bolt/nut gripper section. Add wire cutters and a wire stripper to the plier functions. That’s fairly standard fare for multi-tool plier functions. Some multi-tools will add electrical wire crimpers as well but not a major omission for most people.
There are 2 separate knives here. A straight edge and a serrated edge. Also included are a couple of other cutting tools. There are a full-length saw and a small pair of scissors. You could count the awl as a cutting tool too as it has a pointy tip and one sharpened edge.
The secondary tools are dominated by the screwdrivers. You’re well looked after if you’re going to tackle a flathead screw – choose from a small, medium or large flathead screwdriver. One size fits all when it comes to Phillips head screws with one screwdriver. Open a can with the can opener or open a bottle with the bottle opener. Shave wood and metal down smooth with the multi-sided file.
That’s it for the toolset.
Use-ability
One of the design features I think improves the use-ability of a multi-tool is being able to easily deploy at least a few of the tools without too much trouble. Usually, that means there should be a few tools that are outside accessible – you can get to them without opening up the pliers. The Truss scores well on this count with almost all the tools accessible from the outside. The only tool functions that aren’t are the plier functions.
Thumbs up for Gerber design then. It’s not all good news though because you can’t one-hand open any of the tools. There’s no thumb hole for the knives for example and that’s disappointing. Maybe it doesn’t matter so much to you but I typically want to be able to pick up my multi-tool in one hand and flip open a knife.
I like that the Truss has both a separate straight edge blade and a serrated blade. It’s good to have both rather than a combo half/half blade and both are 2.25 inches long (5.7 cms). That’s OK but for a full-size multi-tool isn’t very long. Gerber’s own Center Drive has a 3 inch (7.5 cm) blade as a comparison.
The other trick I think Gerber has missed on the Truss is that it doesn’t have replaceable wire cutters. If you’ve read any of my other reviews you’ll know that I prefer replaceable wire cutters because if you damage a non-replaceable wire cutter blade, that function is ruined forever while the rest of multi-tool continues to work perfectly.
Gerber has replaceable wire cutters on other models like their highly acclaimed Center-Drive (reviewed here). And Leatherman has just recently upgraded their most popular model, the Wave, to the Wave+ and included replaceable wire cutters. The Truss is supposed to be a “professional grade” multi-tool so not having replaceable wire cutters is an oversight in my opinion.
I like that the Truss has both a separate straight edge blade and a serrated blade. It’s good to have both rather than a combo half/half blade and both are 2.25 inches long (5.7 cms). That’s OK but for a full-size multi-tool isn’t very long. Gerber’s own Center Drive has a 3 inch (7.5 cm) blade as a comparison.
The other tool I like to have on my multi-tools is a pair of scissors which the Truss has. The mouth of them isn’t very large but you should still be able to snip your way through some smaller stuff.
You could think that 3 sizes of flathead screwdriver heads are overkill but as you would know, flathead screw slots are sensitive to being damaged if you put pressure through the wrong sized screwdriver. Phillips head screwdrivers aren’t uncommon in the least but Gerber has done well to include a “3D” head. This means it’s a typical fully contoured head like a dedicated Philips screwdriver rather than a flattened head like you see a lot with multi-tools. A 3D head takes up more space but gives more confidence in use.
Increasingly, I find that I need hex, Torx or Posi drive bits for the MacGyver jobs I’m doing. But the Truss doesn’t have a hex bit driver. Again, this is personal preference and your needs could be different.
There are a few other features of the Truss that make this a really useful multi-tool.
For instance, all the tools lock into their extended position. They’re released by sliding tabs on both sides of the handles. I’ve used this type of tab before and it works well enough but it depends on how stiff the tabs are to move and release. I’ve had a Gerber that didn’t unlock well but that might not be representative of the Truss’s tab mechanisms. Small tabs like this aren’t the best if you’re wearing work gloves either but you can get a finger or thumb to them easily so that’s a bonus.
The pliers on the Truss are spring-loaded which isn’t that common for pliers from the 4 big manufacturers. My Gerber Center Drive pliers are also spring-loaded so I have some experience using spring-loaded and non-spring-loaded pliers. Being spring-loaded makes them easier to use one-handed. Again, it’s personal preference but I can take or leave this feature. If I think about my workshop pliers, they aren’t spring-loaded and I don’t have any trouble using them.
Conclusion
I’ll have to reserve full judgment on the Gerber Truss until I get my hands on one. So I can’t recommend to either Pocket It or Pawn It. But for now, it doesn’t make it as one of my top rated multi-tools. If you want to see what I rank as the best in their category, have a look at my Recommended Multi-Tools page.
On this first look, I think Gerber has done a pretty good job of this multi-tool. It’s a good size and a manageable weight for a full-sized multi-tool.
Some of the standout tools and features are its double knives, pliers that are spring-loaded, all outside accessible tools and ‘proper’ Phillips head screwdriver. I would have liked to see at least an option for a pocket clip, a hex driver, and replaceable wire cutter blades.
Check out the current price on Amazon.
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