Customer Reviews

Gerber 22-01506 Clutch Mini Pliers Keychain Tool, Special Ops Gray

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I like the way the Clutch looks -- the dark finish, and the holes that give it a techno flair. However, be forewarned that the edges of the darker finish wear to reveal the steel underneath, so it won't look new for long. I personally don't think it's too big to use on a keychain, although it is bigger than some such tools.

Open it, and you have a decent pair of pliers, spring-loaded to open when you are not actively closing them. Mind you, this is a mini-tool, so the jaws are small; at the point most likely to break (where the circular arc cuts deepest), the cross-section of each jaw is 1/8 by 1/8 inch. I'm sure if you get carried away, bearing down hard and twisting, you can break this thing, but it is enough to be useful in many situations. There is a small wire-cutter in the pliers, but no stripper.

There is a decent assortment of other useful tools:

- a 1 3/4 inch flat blade

- a small nail file

- a large flat screwdriver

- a small flat screwdriver

- a thin Philips screwdriver -- by that I mean that it is not the width of a real Philips screwdriver, but rather just a flat piece of metal that ends in a sort of V so you can use it with a Philips screw

- a tiny set of tweezers

I find some of these a little hard to get out, even after applying some WD-40.

This is an appropriate buy if you are looking for a small tool that gives you a functional set of pliers.

--- An update ---

This didn't last all that long; eventually one of the handles gave way and now swings freely so you can't use the pliers. My son carried the thing in his pocket for the better part of a year before it gave out, and he's pretty active; perhaps it was corroded by sweat. In any case, I'd like to take off a star (4=>3) for lack of durability but apparently I can't do that!

I bought the Clutch to replace my Leatherman Squirt that was taken from me at the airport. I saw and felt the Clutch in a store and thought it would be much stronger than my Squirt was. I am very disappointed in the quality of the tool, though. I have already sent mine back once for a broken pliers (under warranty), and now my replacement doesn't hold the knife blade in place if I try to cut anything. The "strength" and heft of the tool is all smoke and mirrors - it's actually a very weak tool. I keep it in my pocket everyday, but rarely use it for anything but a knife. I'm very disappointed overall and will move back to Leatherman next time. The Lifetime Warranty is nice, but at the price to ship it back to them I can just buy a different tool that won't cause problems.

I have had several different mini-tools from Gerber over the last several years, and this one for two months. The Clutch is clearly the best.

Pro's: The pliers are for real and don't torque off when you bear down. That was a problem for the Squirt. The other tools (knife, srew driver) are well placed and easy to deploy.

Con's: This is minor, but the keychain idea isn't probably a good one. The weight of this tool will cause it to constantly rap the steering column.

I am very pleased with the purchase and feel it was well worth the money.

I've had this for just 31 days when I used the blade to crack chips off a block of chocolate (note chips, I was not intending to slice through the block). I was pointing the blade tip down so that I wouldn't apply too much stress on the blade but the blade slipped outwards anyway. The small strip of metal, that kept the blade snugly in place, bent outwards. Now the blade is loose and doesn't click in place.

My > 10-yr old Swiss Army pocket knife is a lot sturdier than the Gerber Clutch mini tool.

I'm unimpressed with the strength and quality. The lockout on the pliers broke the first time I needed to apply some moderate grip strength. Now I can fail the pliers by squeezing my finger. The bottle opener is poor. I often ended up using the pliers to open bottles. After 4 weeks, its in the trash.

Length:: 1:16 Mins

The Mini-Clutch is a very useful tool to keep in your pocket while doing odd jobs. It is small and relatively light (Although I would NOT want it on my keychain) and can be very useful for odd jobs. Small jobs like putting up Christmas lights to hanging a bird feeder - you will find that the Mini-Clutch will come in handy.

Things that I like -

- Seems to be high quality - I have used it for over a year.

- Pliers are a little on the small side, but they are still useful - especially for cutting wire

- The blade is a little soft, but it is relatively sharp and it has lived up to my expectations.

Final tally - While the Mini-Clutch is not as useful as a full sized Leatherman - but it is significantly small and less expensive.

5 Stars.

I think this is a great little tool very useful for those small jobs that pop up throughout the day. Easy to carry and deploy tools. The nail nicks actually work well for a change. It even looks cool. The knife comes nicely sharpened and I like that tension can be adjusted by the torque fasteners on the handles.

Common sense dictates that this tool is not for large jobs... it is designed to be small and lightweight and should be used accordingly. For this reason I give it 5 stars. Oh yeah, the blade and file are marked to alleviate guessing... this is smart! Good job on this one Gerber!

Overall, I'm disappointed in this tool, especially given the comparable tools from Leatherman.

At first glance, it looks like a clever improvement over other multi-tools I have: the blade and drivers fold out directly without having to open the whole thing up. Holding it in your hand, it feels heavy and from that you'd assume it's solidly built.

However, the tool is a cheaply-made toy. The "fit and finish" is sloppy. The paint that looks sharp in the package chips and scratches very quickly. The pliers have a hard time bending a paper clip. One of the screwdriver blades on mine is so stiff that I can't open it with my bare hands (I have reasonably strong hands). The screws that pin it together are crooked.

Clearly someone was trying to take cost out of the tool, and they removed the quality, too.

I won't have this thing around long enough for it to blow out as it has for other reviewers. It's such a hunk of junk that I'm giving up on it.

I buy a lot of these "does-it-all" pocket tools. From Leatherman to Swiss Army to Swiss Tech - they are in my tool box, glove compartment, desk drawer, camera bag or pocket (whew!). This one is the newest and one of the coolest around. The feel is very solid. The pliers are wonderful with a strong spring, thin-nose, and grippy surfaces. The nail file is big, rough-edged with a well-shaped nail cleaner. The screwdrivers are good too with well made small and large blades. The tweezer is small and doesn't come off so I don't love it. However, that's my only minor complaint. The small pen knife blade is good too, although mine had a rather dull edge that needed a touch up before I could use it to cut out a newspaper article. The red color is cool. The finish has the right texture for a sure grip. The built in tiny "key ring" will allow you to attach it to your keys, lap-top bag or briefcase. I love Gerber products and quality products like this are the reason why I do.

It's designed well. And very useful in this size.

But the black coating of the handle is not quite solid.

Will see the metal dots after the black coating has been scratched.