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Item 794056
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REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
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REVIEWS
Reviewed by 11 customers
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
I use this tool personally and for Search and Rescue, and in my experience I have found that it is an OK tool.
The carabiner spring wears out very quickly, allowing it to swing freely away from the body of the tool. It works well enough as a bottle opener, though the tool is a bit heavy and bulky to clip it anywhere having it flop around as you walk. The pocket clip is another area of contention as the bend at the end of it is quite shallow, combined with the thicker body than your average clip in pocket knife, it is fairly difficult to slide out of your pocket quickly. Both the phillips and the flathead screwdrivers have a very shallow reach, which, combined with the thick body, really limits what you can use them for though the locking feature is quite nice.
The two remaining functions of the tool are the partially serrated blade which can be opened with one hand easily and the pliers. The blade is quite nice, it is fairly thick and I have used it for prying with no effect and the scalloped serrations hold an edge well. Note that the blade is quite short at about 2.5". Finally when fully opened the needle nosed pliers are fairly comfortable to grip, though the overall small size of the device makes them a little awkward to hold. The wire cutters work as expected and so far, the tool has held up well.
The tool makes an attempt to combine a good mid-sized partially serrated folder, a swiss army knife and a classic leatherman style multi-tool into one, taking only the "crucial" elements from each. Unfortunately, of the primary 4 tools, 2 are almost useless.
While it still has some value and I carry it around on occasion as I like the small size and the pliers aspect, I've found I have to also carry a swiss army knife as this tool does not have robust enough general features for an everyday carry.
Pros
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Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
I really like this tool for the price. I tend to lose multi-tools with some frequency. They seem to always get left behing and I find them a year later. There are better tools on the market, but to be honest, for what you pay this one is really good!
Pros
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Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
For the price this is a pretty decent tool. Although, the tool is fairly hard to clean. I, unfortuntately, got a little sand into the tool and have found it near impossible to get fully functioning again. On the other hand, for the price you could do a lot worse.
Pros
Cons
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Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
Great for the basic tools you need for daily carry around the home or office. I've put this thing through some abuse (working on scientific equipment in salt water) and it's held up well. Blade comes very sharp, and stays that way with a little whetstone work. The only times this thing has come up short are working on really tiny screws (so no eyeglass repair) or on cutting zip ties (still worked, but not as well as cutting pliers). Just bought 2 more as gifts. And with this price, you can afford to drop it over the side of a boat.
Pros
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Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
I got this as a stocking stuffer last Christmas. The blade is great for cutting plants, rope, or whittling. The carabiner is great for opening beverages, but don't clip onto a raft unless you can remember to take it with you. The mini phillips head helped me put together a childs table and chair set, and the flat head is good for battery removal.
Pros
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Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
it is a well made, simple little tool. the fact that it does not have a lot of useless things on it is good. the knife & screw driver blades lock, which is a good thing. the only blade left, the bottle opener/carabiner does not lock (no big deal). if i were to lose it. i would buy another one.
Pros
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Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
When I saw this, I thought "cool". A multi-tool with a belt clip. I don't like using pouches so I put a bulky multi-tool in my pocket and have a knife clipped to my pants. This product will will negate the need to bring both tools and frees up pocket space.
The belt clip bent several times over the course of just a few days, then the belt clipped snapped in 2. if I can't clip it, I might as well bring a more complete tool.
I read the packaging and it says "made in China". I don't mind it being made there if the quality can be assured. But I've had pocket knives that are China made that have lasted for years. This product actually has the Gerber name on it and it didn't even last a week.
Pros
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Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
I like this tool, it is something I carry everywhere. The first one I bought has some issues; the implements did not seem to snap into place when closed. There was always a little wiggle room. The point at which I decided to return it for another was when the pocket clip fell off after I had repeatedly tightened the screws to the point they had stripped out. The second one I got after returning the first ([...]) was a lot better. None of the implements seem to be loose except for the clip/bottle opener, which after reading other posts seems to be par. Over all I do not regret buying this tool, I don't think you can get a better product for the price.
Pros
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Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
This is a great little multi-tool. The construction is very solid and the tools open and close very easily. A few people have given this multi-tool a low rating because it lacks more tools. In my opinion these people don't get the concept of tools being made for certain applications. If they want one with more tools then they should have purchased one of those. Since I needed a multi-tool that was compact and had a knife and pliers/wire cutters it serves my needs perfectly. If you only need a multi-tool that has a few key tools and rock solid construction then this is the one for you.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool:
I use this every single day. I have cut rope, bashed it against rocks and steel, picked out cactus, dropped it in the sand and stepped on it, opened beer bottles, fixed systems with the screwdriver and hung upside down with it in my pocket. I work on a SAR team in the desert and am always loaning it out for a quick use. Others who use it compliment me on what a sweet little thing it is. True, it isn't going to be the 100 tool Swiss Army knife, but why do you need that much? I have had it for almost two years and it is still sharp. We compare our multi-tools with each other and other teams, and I can honestly say I wouldn't change it for anything.
The only problems I have ever had with it is the bottle opener will slip on the lid if you are not careful, and it doesn't have a can opener. It gets dirty easy (as I said, I've squished it in the sand) but you just take a q-tip and clean it out before spraying a little WD-40. As the name states, it has everything crucial on it you could need.
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