If you’re a Multi-Tool MacGyver, I would guess you probably don’t mind a bit of DIY. Because of what a multi-tool is all about, means they are a great piece of equipment to have along on any do-it-yourself project you’re tackling. Just about any decent multi-tool will have something that could help but some multi-tools are much better suited to DIY than others because of the type and size of tools they include.
I own a lot of multi-tools from the 4 big manufacturers – Leatherman, Gerber, SOG, and Victorinox – and I don’t mind taking on a DIY project or two. So I have a lot of multi-tools to choose from when I’m getting ready to start my next project and the multi-tool I almost always find myself putting on my belt is the Gerber Center-Drive.
The Gerber Center-Drive doesn’t have a huge tool count like some other full-sized multi-tools but what it does have is a set of tools that are well designed and a size bigger than most other multi-tools. Because of that, you’ll find the Center-Drive very useful when you’re in the middle of a DIY job. There are no fiddly tools that are hard to get open on the Center-Drive.
The way I use the Center-Drive is to attach the sheath to my belt and carry it in there. If you want to carry it on your body, unless you’re OK with it loose in your pocket or tool bag, the sheath is the only carry option because it doesn’t have a pocket clip.
If I’m a DIY job that’s a reasonable size, I’m not going to be able to get the whole job done with just the Center-Drive – it’s not THAT good! So I’m going to have some specialized tools with me, probably even some power tools. Where the Center-Drive pays its way is when I just need to grab a tool to do a quick job in the middle of the bigger job. Your other hand is full or your tool bag is on the other side of the room so you grab the Center-Drive from the sheath to tighten a screw, cut a wire, grip a bolt, that sort of thing.
One Hand Opening Pliers
Here’s where the toolset on the Center-Drive really shines. The pliers are one hand opening. To get to the pliers on most multi-tools you have to unfold the handles. The Gerber’s pliers slide out from inside the handles. Depress a button on one handle and slide forward and the pliers slide out and lock into position. They’re springloaded too which a lot of pliers aren’t – including quite probably the ones in your tool shed.
The pliers are what I would call halfway between needle nose and normal nose pliers with a bolt gripper section. They also have my preferred type of wire cutters – replaceable. Almost a must have for my multi-tools. The great thing about Gerber’s cutters is that they are triangular and you can flip them around if you blunt or damage one of the sides. You get 3 sides to use before you need to replace them.
Long Arm Bit Driver
The tool that gives the Center-Drive its name is the bit driver. It’s accessible from the outside and is one hand deployable. Unlike any other bit driver built into a multi-tool, this one is on an extension arm that swings out and locks into position. And it’s curved so that the bit tip is in the center line of the tool as you hold it. Makes it comfortable to put pressure through it. It holds commonly sized 1/4 in bits and the driver is magnetized so the bit doesn’t drop down the drain just when you didn’t want it to! The CenterDrive can carry two bits – one in the driver and one in a holder on the inside of one of the handles. Comes standard with a Phillips head bit and a medium sized flathead bit. You can buy an optional bit kit from Gerber to carry in your sheath or just carry your 2 favorite bits.
Straight Edge Knife
The last outside accessible and one hand deployable tool is the knife. Gerber say this is an extra large blade but it isn’t any longer than a full-sized blade from the other big makers. Still, it’s a good blade that locks into position and like the bit driver, is released by pressing a liner lock style release.
To get to the tools inside the handles, you have to slide out the pliers. That’s the downside of this one-handed opening plier design. The other downside of the design is that the pliers seem to take up most of the room on the inside of one of the handles that would normally be used for storing a lot of different tools. The CenterDrive has been able to fit in 5 tools though – the extra bit storage holder I mentioned earlier, a two-sided file, a combination pry bar with nail lifter and bottle opener, a serrated knife and an awl. Of these tools, the ones I find most useful for my DIY jobs are the pry bar and my favorite underrated tool – the awl. That’s it for the tools – unless you count the ruler markings……which I don’t.
Why the Gerber CenterDrive stands out as a tool for us DIYers is because the main tools that it has are all well designed, and that’s partly just because they’re bigger or easier to get to than other multi-tools. I’ve got multi-tools with more secondary tools but the ones the CenterDrive has a good for the sorts of DIY jobs I do.
This is an easy recommendation from me. MacGyver says “Buy It!”
You can buy the CenterDrive in a package with a nylon sheath and a bit set or just the sheath. Check out the current price on Amazon.