The Gerber Diesel Multi-Plier model name gives you a strong clue about where Gerber think this multi-tool’s main feature is at. “Multi-Plier” refers to the one-hand deployable pliers that are a bit of a trademark design for Gerber. Before we get into what the Diesel Multi-Plier has to offer, let’s take a look at the numbers.
Carry-ability
The Diesel weighs in at 8.6 ounces (240 grams) which is not particularly light but about right for a full-size multi-tool. That’s about the same as a Leatherman Wave (8.5 ounces/ 241 grams) as a way of comparison.
Closed, it’s 4.9 inches (12.2 cms) long, open it up and it’s 6.6 inches (16.5 cms). Width is about 1.6 inches (4 cms) and thickness is 0.75 inches (1.9 cms).
Gerber has given you a couple of choices when you want to carry the Diesel. Included in the package is a black nylon ballistic sheath, with a velcro strap to attach it to your belt. Don’t wear a wide belt though, anything over 1 and a half inches wide and it won’t fit. You can carry it vertically but not horizontally. It also comes with a lanyard loop that slides out if you want to use it.
Multi-Tool-Set
The pliers are the main attraction on the Diesel. The plier head comes to a point and can be thought of as a needle-nose plier that’s able to grab and hold things with the tip. Then further down the plier head it has a cut-out section to grip nuts and bolts. Finally, it has a wire cutter with non-replaceable blades.
If you need to cut something, the Diesel comes with a 2 and a half inch (6.3 cm) combo blade. The top half is a straight blade and the bottom half is serrated. There’s also a set of scissors that will handle small cutting jobs and if you need to saw something, the Diesel has that covered as well.
If you need to tighten a screw, the Diesel will handle a small, medium and large flat head screw as well as a Phillips head screw. There’s no hex driver or box wrench functions though. There is a fine and a coarse file so if you need to smooth an edge off, you’re in luck with the Diesel.
Last but definitely not least is a can opener and one of the most common tools of all, a bottle opener.
The Feature Tool – One Hand Deployable Pliers
The Gerber Diesel comes in either a stainless silver or a matte black finish. The tools with a matte black finish have is either a black Teflon or a black oxide finish. The black finish gives it a stealthy tactical tool look and you either like this finish or not. I like it. If you choose the black, as soon as it arrives, you should wipe it down thoroughly with a rag. You might even want to use some sort of detergent on your cloth to help. If you don’t you’re likely to get some black residue on your fingers the first few times you handle it. Not a big deal as it doesn’t last forever. People who have had their black Diesel for awhile and have used it a lot report that the black finish is very hardy and doesn’t show much wear. That’s good!
The main feature of the Diesel is the ability to open the pliers with one hand. With a bit of practice, you can deploy the pliers with a flick of the wrist. You do this by using one finger (or thumb if that works better for you) to depress a locking button on one side of the handle and putting another finger (or thumb) on a small resting spot on the other handle. It takes a bit of practice to put your fingers in the right places on the handles and to figure out the movement required to get the pliers to come out.
Once you get it right, the pliers will slide up from inside the handles and lock in position. It took me a little while to figure all this out. Understanding that you have to push the lock button to release the pliers is easy. The trick is to make sure your other finger is in the right spot on the other handle. If it’s not exactly on the spot you will stop the pliers from sliding up inside the handles. Result: Big Fail. Once you get the hang of it though it’s a pretty cool trick as well as being very useful when you’re holding something else in your other hand. I haven’t mastered the opposite trick of storing the pliers but I’m sure you could get it to work with a little practice.
The pliers aren’t spring loaded like some pliers are. If you think that being able to operate these easily with one hand is a main feature of the Diesel, spring loading would have been a real design bonus. The Gerber Center Drive which also has one hand deployable pliers, is spring loaded by the way.
On the plus side, the pliers seem sturdy enough although there’s a bit of wiggle even when they are locked into position. Because they need to slide easily up from inside the handles and there isn’t any bearings or anything to help, there needs to be some play which creates the slightly less than solid feeling when deployed for action.
One handed deployment in the case of the Diesel is a design decision that results in some compromises. Many multi-tools, for example, the Leatherman Surge, have outside accessible tools like a knife or scissors. That makes them effectively one-hand deployable tools. The Diesel doesn’t have any outside accessible tools in the handles so the pliers are the only one-hand opening tool. That’s because the space inside the handles is taken up with the handles of the pliers. No room for any other tools in there. It’s pretty cool to deploy the pliers like the Diesel can but if the pliers are not your most commonly used tool and a knife is, it’s not so cool anymore is it?
So that’s the pliers – or should I say “Multi-plier”. I don’t know what Gerber mean by calling them a multi-plier. It could be because the plier head has a needle-nose, a nut gripper section, and wire-cutters. But a lot of multi-tools have pliers with all these features so the Diesel’s pliers are anything special. Or it could be to draw attention to the pliers and their one hand opening party trick. I guess the product name doesn’t really matter, what matters is what it can do.
What else besides the Multi-Pliers?
The Diesel has a couple of cutting tools. The combo blade (half straight blade, half serrated blade) is a tool you’ll either think is a perfect compromise knife being able to handle job suited to straight blades as well as the jobs that need a serrated blade. Or you could like the combo blade is a “jack of all trades, master of none” and basically useless. You decide. The blade shape gives it a very pointed sharp tip which is excellent for any piercing tasks.
There’s also a 2 1/2 inch double tooth saw and the final cutting tool is a pair of scissors. Reports from long-time users are saying the scissors are still working well and sharp. Thumbs up.
All these tools are lockable which is good when you’re putting a bit of pressure on these tools. Also lockable are the remaining secondary tools – the file, can opener and bottle opener as well as the small, medium and large flat screwdrivers and the Phillips screwdriver.
Quality and Longevity
Gerber themselves say the Diesel is assembled n the US with components made in the USA and imported components. So what you can get from that statement is that some or a lot of the bits that make up the Diesel are manufactured in the US while some or a lot of the bits are manufactured outside the USA – probably somewhere in Asia. But the bits all come together into Portland Oregon and are assembled and packaged. None of that really has to do with quality or longevity. Quality and longevity are more about things like the design and engineering of the components, the materials used and quality control of the manufacturing and assembly.
Long-term Diesel users report that this multi-tools hangs together well and takes a bit of a good beating. Some report they have had their Diesel since 2008 and it’s still going strong. Others said they have returned their long-term Diesel under the lifetime warranty and had a new one returned as a replacement. They say the new one isn’t as sturdy feeling as their older Diesel. What do you do? My opinion is that this tool gets good feedback from users and if the toolset, size, looks etc suit you, then buy it. If you have a problem, use Gerber’s lifetime warranty to get it fixed. If you want help choosing the right multi-tool for you, read my article and complete the checklist.
Even though Gerber uses 100% high-grade stainless steel, that doesn’t mean it won’t rust. Stainless just means “stain less”. So look after your Diesel (and any other multi-tools in your collection) by making sure they’re clean and dry and re-oil them. Especially give them some love if you’ve got them wet or they have been in or around salt water.
Pocket It or Pawn It?
The weight of the Gerber Diesel and that it comes with a sheath means you won’t be put off carrying it with you or as part of your EDC rotation. The one-hand deployable pliers are genuinely handy and only you can decide whether not having access to the other tools unless you open the pliers is worth the plier opening trick. I always like pliers to have replaceable wire-cutter blades and the Diesel doesn’t.
There is nothing outstanding about the rest of the Diesel toolset which is neither a good or bad thing. The combo blade is personal taste and the scissors are not huge but are still very useable. The screwdrivers come in a range of sizes including a Phillips and the must-have can and bottle openers are correct and present. No interchangeable hex or box wrench drivers but multi-tool design is always a compromise right.
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Overall, a very good multi-tool from Gerber and one suited to those who often only have one hand free and use their pliers often. So……
MacGyver says Pocket It!
Check the current price of the Gerber Diesel on Amazon.
Does the Gerber Diesel look good to you? Do you own and use one. Or do you own and NOT use it? Love to hear your feedback. Leave a comment below.
Multi-tools – never leave home without one!