The Gerber Shard is a multifunctional pocket tool (full review here) that usually sells for about $5 or $6 on Amazon. Right now it's listed for $4.33, one of the better prices Amazon has sold it for. If you are purchasing other items as well, the Shard can count toward your total to qualify for free shipping.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Gerber Shard on sale on Amazon
The Gerber Shard is a multifunctional pocket tool (full review here) that usually sells for about $5 or $6 on Amazon. Right now it's listed for $4.33, one of the better prices Amazon has sold it for. If you are purchasing other items as well, the Shard can count toward your total to qualify for free shipping.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Stanley 66-344 pocket screwdriver on sale on Amazon
Stanley's 66-344 4-in-1 pocket screwdriver, possibly the best pocket screwdriver on the market, can be purchased right now on Amazon for just $2.39 (eligible for free shipping). That's a great deal for this pen-sized screwdriver, and is about half of what it's often listed for online. The interchangeable bits are magnetic and the driver stands up well to use. (Full review here.)
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Leatherman Brewzer on sale at Amazon
The Leatherman Brewzer is a handly little pocket multi tool. It usually sells for about $9 or $10 on Amazon, but right now it's only $7.38. If you've been thinking about picking up a Brewzer, that's a really good price for it.Read a full review of the Brewzer here.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Head to Head: Leatherman Brewzer vs. Gerber Shard
The Leatherman Brewzer and Gerber Shard are cool little keychain tools. They both pack a good amount of functionality into a small, very portable frame. But which one is better?
Price
The Shard is the clear winner in this category. Currently on Amazon the Shard sells for $5.95, while the Brewzer is listed at $9.72.
Bottle Opener
Both the Brewzer and the Shard can function as bottle openers, though neither of them is as effective as a standard keychain bottle opener. I've had times using both tools where it took multiple attempts to pop a bottle cap off.
Pocket Carry
Both tools are small enough to carry in your pocket or on your keychain. The Brewzer gets the edge here, however, due to the Shard's cross driver point. That point, which can also function as a box cutter or package opener, is sharp. Sticking your hand in your pocket can often result in a poke and a few drops of blood when you're carrying the Shard on a keychain or loop.
Screwdrivers
The Brewzer has a wide, straight front edge that can very easily be used as a slotted screwdriver. The Shard, on the other hand, has a forked front edge for its pry bar, that can also double as small- and medium-sized slotted drivers. The different-sized drivers of the Shard are nice, but they have limited use because of their proximity to each other. You won't be able to use them on many recessed screws, or screws very close to a wall or other protrusion, because the driver you're not using will get in the way.
However, the Shard does also include a rudimentary cross driver on its other end. This driver can turn Phillips screws, and does a fairly good job of it. The Shard wins by a little bit in this category.
Box Cutter
As a box cutter, cardboard cutter, or package opener, both of these tools are about equal, with the Brewzer being just the tiniest bit better. The Shard's pointed cross driver makes the initial cut into cardboard much easier, but the Brewzer's slightly-hooked tip gives it better follow-through.
Pry Bar
The Brewzer's pry bar is much less pronounced than the Shard's. The Brewzer's shape and design give it a decent grip when using the pry bar, which would be useful for small things. However, the Shard's pry bar is much larger, is angled to allow for more leverage, and is also forked, so it can be used to remove nails (like the claw end of a hammer). The Shard's pry bar easily beats out the Brewzer's pry bar.
Size
The two tools are very similar in size. Amazon lists the Shard at 0.3 ounces, with dimensions of 3.1" x 1.3" x 0.6". It lists the Brewzer as 0.5 ounces, with dimensions of 2" x 1.2" x 3". However, when you hold the two tools, the Shard feels heavier. The Shard has a larger footprint than the Brewzer, being both longer and wider, as well as more three-dimensional (because of the pry bar). If you're looking for a more compact, lightweight pocket tool, the Brewzer wins that fight.
Usefulness
Both tools can be used as a bottle opener, slotted screwdriver, and pry bar. The Brewzer has a couple of cut-outs that can be used as box or open wrenches to turn small nuts or bolts. The Shard has a cross driver. Both tools offer about the same amount of functionality, with the main differences being determined by what you need them to do.
Overall
Which tool is better than the other is very subjective, and depends heavily on what your main uses will be. Overall, the edge goes to the Shard. It's significantly cheaper than the Brewzer and offers more everyday usefulness, because of the presence of a cross/Phillips driver as well as the increased leverage you can get out of its pry bar.
Price
The Shard is the clear winner in this category. Currently on Amazon the Shard sells for $5.95, while the Brewzer is listed at $9.72.
Bottle Opener
Both the Brewzer and the Shard can function as bottle openers, though neither of them is as effective as a standard keychain bottle opener. I've had times using both tools where it took multiple attempts to pop a bottle cap off.
Pocket Carry
Both tools are small enough to carry in your pocket or on your keychain. The Brewzer gets the edge here, however, due to the Shard's cross driver point. That point, which can also function as a box cutter or package opener, is sharp. Sticking your hand in your pocket can often result in a poke and a few drops of blood when you're carrying the Shard on a keychain or loop.
Screwdrivers
The Brewzer has a wide, straight front edge that can very easily be used as a slotted screwdriver. The Shard, on the other hand, has a forked front edge for its pry bar, that can also double as small- and medium-sized slotted drivers. The different-sized drivers of the Shard are nice, but they have limited use because of their proximity to each other. You won't be able to use them on many recessed screws, or screws very close to a wall or other protrusion, because the driver you're not using will get in the way.However, the Shard does also include a rudimentary cross driver on its other end. This driver can turn Phillips screws, and does a fairly good job of it. The Shard wins by a little bit in this category.
Box Cutter
As a box cutter, cardboard cutter, or package opener, both of these tools are about equal, with the Brewzer being just the tiniest bit better. The Shard's pointed cross driver makes the initial cut into cardboard much easier, but the Brewzer's slightly-hooked tip gives it better follow-through.Pry Bar
The Brewzer's pry bar is much less pronounced than the Shard's. The Brewzer's shape and design give it a decent grip when using the pry bar, which would be useful for small things. However, the Shard's pry bar is much larger, is angled to allow for more leverage, and is also forked, so it can be used to remove nails (like the claw end of a hammer). The Shard's pry bar easily beats out the Brewzer's pry bar.
Size
The two tools are very similar in size. Amazon lists the Shard at 0.3 ounces, with dimensions of 3.1" x 1.3" x 0.6". It lists the Brewzer as 0.5 ounces, with dimensions of 2" x 1.2" x 3". However, when you hold the two tools, the Shard feels heavier. The Shard has a larger footprint than the Brewzer, being both longer and wider, as well as more three-dimensional (because of the pry bar). If you're looking for a more compact, lightweight pocket tool, the Brewzer wins that fight.
Usefulness
Both tools can be used as a bottle opener, slotted screwdriver, and pry bar. The Brewzer has a couple of cut-outs that can be used as box or open wrenches to turn small nuts or bolts. The Shard has a cross driver. Both tools offer about the same amount of functionality, with the main differences being determined by what you need them to do.
Overall
Which tool is better than the other is very subjective, and depends heavily on what your main uses will be. Overall, the edge goes to the Shard. It's significantly cheaper than the Brewzer and offers more everyday usefulness, because of the presence of a cross/Phillips driver as well as the increased leverage you can get out of its pry bar.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Gerber Shard multi tool for under $3!
If you've been thinking about picking up a Gerber Shard keychain multi tool, now is definitely the time to do it. This pry bar/cross driver/bottle opener/slotted driver/box cutter all in one usually sells on Amazon for about $6 or so... right now it's listed at $0.33 plus $1.99 shipping, for a total of $2.32 (plus any applicable tax). There is no way this price will be good long-term, so if you're considering purchasing a Shard -- either for yourself or as a gift -- you'll probably never find a better price on it. (Full review of the Shard can be found here.)
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Keychain Multi Tool Deals on Amazon
Here are two small multi tools that have dropped in price on Amazon lately:
The Leatherman Brewzer typically sells for about $10 on Amazon. It's a pretty good little keychain tool. Right now it's offered at $7.78, so if you've had this one on your wish list, now is a great time to buy it. That's the lowest price I've seen it for on Amazon. (You can read my review of the Brewzer here.)
The Nite Ize DoohicKey is a similar tool to the Brewzer, but it also functions as a carabineer. It's being listed right now for $3.98, when it typically sells for $5 or $6 (or more).
The Leatherman Brewzer typically sells for about $10 on Amazon. It's a pretty good little keychain tool. Right now it's offered at $7.78, so if you've had this one on your wish list, now is a great time to buy it. That's the lowest price I've seen it for on Amazon. (You can read my review of the Brewzer here.)
The Nite Ize DoohicKey is a similar tool to the Brewzer, but it also functions as a carabineer. It's being listed right now for $3.98, when it typically sells for $5 or $6 (or more).
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Tool Review: Wiha 34154 5.5mm Magnetic Nut Driver
Key Features:+ Strong magnet
+ Contoured handle with good grip
If you're a Ricoh or Xerox technician, chances are good that you'll need a 5.5mm nut driver at some point. The Wiha 34154 magnetic nut driver is a good one, and I highly recommend it -- especially if you're getting reimbursed for it so the cost doesn't come out of your pocket.
The 34154 is a longer driver, 360mm from the tip to the end of the handle. It's great for reaching into tight places, and it's not overly heavy. The handle is a soft plastic/rubber combination that provides good grip as well as good leverage.
The magnet in the nut driver is very strong. It easily attracts 5.5mm screws, but you have to be careful when you put it down because the magnet will also easily pick up staples and other small metal objects, including developer particles.
I've had the same Wiha 5.5mm nut driver for almost 10 years now, and the only thing that's changed is that the handle looks slightly dirtier. It still functions just as well, the magnet still works great (with the occasional quick dip in a magnetizer) and the handle still provides just as much grip.
The 34154 nut driver is the only 5.5mm nut driver I use, and if I needed to get a new one, I would buy the same model. It is very reliable and dependable, which is what you need for a nut driver that gets used on a daily basis. This nut driver can be purchased for $21.98 from Wiha, or $22.72 from Amazon.
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