How are the Anti Vibe hammers?

[Hakeem]

I was looking for an all-steel ball pein hammer and was planning on grabbing an Estwing. Time tested, locally made, can’t go wrong, right?

However I noticed that the Proto Anti Vibe was available for the same price. Outwardly they both look similar. Are the Anti Vibes noticeably better than the Estwings?

 

[Etchase]

I really like the anti-vibe. Give one a try.

 

[tiredoldironworker]

Plus one on the anti-vibe. Price diff is negligible. I have both and grab the Proto every time now.

 

[AEAdam]

Try to think about whether you want to move something or shock something. A std ball peen or the anti-vibe are really both shock inducing tools. Shock jobs would include unsticking a stuck or rusted part, center punching steel, chiseling steel, cracking things loose. Moving jobs would include driving a wood chisel, driving drift pins, or bearings already shocked free, bending metal, repositioning things.

Depending on how hard you swing etc etc, a hickory handle may be better than anything else. In the old days, these were beautifully sculpted with thin necks that provided flex. Today they are all build like clubs to prevent dummies' angry warranty returns. Too bad really.

I just looked on Proto's website. I'm not sure I'd be happy with the set (8, 12, 16, 24oz), despite the low price. I just need big and small. 24 and 16 would probably suit me. I like Trusty cook but I don' have any of their new steel faced offerings. Just their old hot dipped urethane compocast models. Which are fine but the handles are rectangular and not that nice. Kinda like HF

 

[impactims]

I use Mac and Proto anti vibe exclusively. Great hammers.

Never compared them to a comparable estwing though.

 

[mikey03]

I use Mac and Proto anti vibe exclusively. Great hammers.

I think they the same hammer same factory

 

[Steve_P]

The Estwings are hard on my old elbow. If I just need to whack something a few times, no issue. If I need to go to town for minutes I feel it the next day. I picked up a few Snap On w plastic handles and love them in comparison.

 

[Kurt4440]

Most of my ball pein hammers have hardwood handles, but, sometimes you need to know the handle isn't going to break. Try a couple of steel handled hammers, they won't break the bank.
Pun intended

 

[Beerhippie]

If you're planning on driving nails all day, the Estwing is an elbow killer. Back when I hauled a hammer, most guys had one in their bucket, but used a wood-handled hammer for driving steel. The Estwings were mostly delegated to demo work, for which they're ideally suited. Good luck pulling the head off one!

 

[Callelle]

Anti-Vibes are by far and above my favorite hammers. Ballpeen deadblows haven't really grown on me enough to get one,. I've tried a few weights of Snap On's, I HATE the composite head connection, in my hands it always feels like it's gonna break off.

 

[Fedwrench]

I have a few of Proto's Anti Vibe hammers. I like them. Not made in the USA, made in Taiwan if that's an issue for you. Much cheaper than the MAC version.

 

[richfinn]

Hultafors make a nice range of dead blow Ball-Pein hammers

Ball Pein Hammer T-Block

Ergonomically designed hammer that increases precision and reduces tiredness. The head is filled with steel balls that dampen shock and reduce recoil. Counterweights in the shaft inhibit rotation.

hultafors.com

I like the Combi (hard/soft) version better as I don't really need to Pein anything

Combi Hammer T-Block

Hand tools for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and other professional users who place high demands on function, precision and ergonomics.

hultafors.com

 

[Beerhippie]

My favorite hammers just give me

 

[mikey03]

If you're planning on driving nails all day, the Estwing is an elbow killer.

does anybody drive nails all day anymore? Isn’t everything nail guns or do some trades use regular nails? And why wouldn’t they use a nail gun? Maybe you need thicker nails for framing a house and a nail gun can’t generate the power for too thick of a nail?

honestly I can’t imagine swinging anything all day, it got to reek havoc on your shoulder.

 

[Beerhippie]

does anybody drive nails all day anymore? Isn’t everything nail guns or do some trades use regular nails? And why wouldn’t they use a nail gun? Maybe you need thicker nails for framing a house and a nail gun can’t generate the power for too thick of a nail?

honestly I can’t imagine swinging anything all day, it got to reek havoc on your shoulder.

How would I know? I've been out of the business for over twenty years, and even then the crews I worked with were some of the last hold-outs using hammers.

Of course, the nail-gun guys still had to carry a hammer to finish every other nail as it didn't go flush. It also didn't pull the two pieces together, but who cares? A dozen or two shiners per siding panel? Who cares? It's FAST!

Amazingly, swinging a 28 oz hammer on a 26" long axe handle all day did little damage to shoulders or elbows... as long as it wasn't a steel-shafted, fully-forged Estwing.

We called it "work". Very few felt the need to hit the gym afterwards.

BTW: I have a small collection of Estwing tools. They're well made tools that have their place. 26" Camp Axe might be my favorite.

 

[mikey03]

Amazingly, swinging a 28 oz hammer on a 26" long axe handle all day did little damage to shoulders or elbows... as long as it wasn't a steel-shafted, fully-forged Estwing.

We called it "work". Very few felt the need to hit the gym afterwards.

I met a few tradees over the years who by the time they hit 50 couldn’t lift there arm above their shoulder to brush there teeth anymore there shoulders were so jacked up from whatever repetitive work they did over the years so that’s why I’m trying to do things smarter when I can.

 

[Beerhippie]

I met a few tradees over the years who by the time they hit 50 couldn’t lift there arm above their shoulder to brush there teeth anymore there shoulders were so jacked up from whatever repetitive work they did over the years so that’s why I’m trying to do things smarter when I can.

There were a lot of other abusive things that hurt the body. Steer a 4 cu ft wheelbarrow full of wet concrete over a two-by four laid on mud while walking in said mud? Carry six twelve-foot two-by-sixes over your shoulder across the same terrain? Sheets of 5/8" drywall?

Not to mention the just plain dangerous bits--like jobsite ladders and walking plates.

Yeah, I never said it didn't ****. Get a smart person job.

 

[tiredoldironworker]

I was a concrete form carpenter in a former life. Double headed 16's all day long. Nobody had invented a nailer that would shoot doubleheads back then. 22 or 28 Estwings were the hammer of choice.

 

[AEAdam]

does anybody drive nails all day anymore? Isn’t everything nail guns or do some trades use regular nails? And why wouldn’t they use a nail gun? Maybe you need thicker nails for framing a house and a nail gun can’t generate the power for too thick of a nail?

honestly I can’t imagine swinging anything all day, it got to reek havoc on your shoulder.

I think the quick answer is no. Or at least, not like they used to.

Hammers are still requirements. But the technology in modern hammers is pretty amazing. Game changing.

Pro carpenters like my older brother swung their hammers all day doing framing. My brother also used a hand saw because some sites didn’t have electricity or good electricity or were so wet extension cords were unsafe. Or they’d use their few electrical cords to run more important tools.

Roofing and framing nailers are now required to be cost competitive.

There are also safety implications. I personally can use a framing nailer in places and positions where I wouldn’t be comfortable swinging a hammer. In the past, carpenters would stand atop 2x4 walls, nailing top plates between their legs, 20-30’ above the ground. If I saw that today, I’d stop the crew. You could do that work from a ladder now. I don’t find it easy to shoot nails with a framing nailer. For me its not like YouTube where I’m nailing as fast as I can walk or….but I can reach up over my head and shoot a nail down into a top plate vertically no problem. I couldn’t do that by hand.

 

[AEAdam]

I met a few tradees over the years who by the time they hit 50 couldn’t lift there arm above their shoulder to brush there teeth anymore there shoulders were so jacked up from whatever repetitive work they did over the years so that’s why I’m trying to do things smarter when I can.

Yes. And the flip side is also true. Driving a desk all day isn’t a recipe for a long life. My Amish friends don’t have the medical care I get, but they tend to live longer and stay healthier, with lower rates of heart disease and cancers. Our bodies were designed to work and bleed and fight off infections and heal.

As you probably know, I drive a desk 4 days/week and carry lumber, dig ditches and climb scaffolding the other 3. I’m not the picture of health I once was, but I’m okay and better off than many my age.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have an Estwing weld chipping hammer. For that purpose it's great. For anything else the solid Estwing's are like asking for future Tommy John surgery. The Anti-Vibes might be the best ball peen hammers available in steel. Personally, since I sold them and no longer do, the hickory handled TOPTUL are superb. Properly made hickory ball peens can't be beat. If the Taiwanese import hickory from America half way around the world and use it for most of their hammers and then successfully sell them to the rest of the world they probably have a good reason for doing that.

 

[T45]

$15 bucks you can get 12oz Vaugn hickory at ACE. For small utility jobs I like the 8-12 oz ball piens in wood handle. They are light in the bag, and on the wallet, and don't really see enough abuse to worry about it.

For heavier weights/heavier duty, you might have different considerations. The dead-blow ball piens also don't put that much shock back into your arm. But different strokes for different folks.

Theres definitly applications where you want a traditional type ball-pien, and again if that's the case (ie you want some rebound). my vote is wood handle.

However, when that opytion isn't appropriate...I'd go anti-vibe before estwing for sure on 1-2lb ball pien that will see heavy duty beating, where you want the all-steel, lower volume form factor and what not.

 

[mikey03]

Honestly I guess I never liked wood handled hammers because I always seen my uncles that are old and got splintered ends and the head is falling off

fibberglass handles or all metal seem more durable but I get the argument if you going to swing it 12 hours a day the shock absorption of the wood makes sense

 

[Beerhippie]

Honestly I guess I never liked wood handled hammers because I always seen my uncles that are old and got splintered ends and the head is falling off

fibberglass handles or all metal seem more durable but I get the argument if you going to swing it 12 hours a day the shock absorption of the wood makes sense

These are my Harts, used daily for about twenty years:



No splintered ends, no loose heads. Hitting the nail with the face of the hammer is the preferred way.

Need to pull some nails? Grab the Estwing. For occasional pulling, use the wood handle hammer sideways--extra leverage and won't loosen the head.

 

[tarbellb]

When foreign hammers claim
"made with American Hickory"

I always ask myself
option a- do they import American Hickory (even the cheap crappy hammers that claim it?)

option b- do they grow and harvest American Hickory trees in that country?

 

[Beerhippie]

When foreign hammers claim
"made with American Hickory"

I always ask myself
option a- do they import American Hickory (even the cheap crappy hammers that claim it?)

option b- do they grow and harvest American Hickory trees in that country?

III) Import the heads and then put them on American handles.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

"made with American Hickory"

I'd expect "USA", like on PB Swiss, means grown in the USA.

USA isn't a variant of a Hickory tree, but American is, and I guess it can be grown in other places.

 

[Hakeem]

Great input from all. I don’t use a 16oz ball pein to whack on stuff, it’s mostly for driving chisels, punches, and other light persuading. So im not TOO concerned about vibration from an all-steel estwing bothering my elbow. Or put it this way - the vibration dampening effect of the Anti Vibe hammers isn’t a big selling point for me at this size.

For the same price as an Estwing or Proto Anti Vibe, I can get one of the new Tekton ball peins. The screw/wedge design of the wooden handle intrigues me and the lifetime warranty on handles is compelling. I’ll think it over for a few more days but I think that’s the direction I may go…

 

[AEAdam]

Great input from all. I don’t use a 16oz ball pein to whack on stuff, it’s mostly for driving chisels, punches, and other light persuading. So im not TOO concerned about vibration from an all-steel estwing bothering my elbow. Or put it this way - the vibration dampening effect of the Anti Vibe hammers isn’t a big selling point for me at this size.

For the same price as an Estwing or Proto Anti Vibe, I can get one of the new Tekton ball peins. The screw/wedge design of the wooden handle intrigues me and the lifetime warranty on handles is compelling. I’ll think it over for a few more days but I think that’s the direction I may go…

I like the looks of the Tekton dead blow ball peen. I guess they are Trusty Cook’s hammers. The round handles are nice. Not trying to spend your money Phil but a 16oz steel hammer and a 26oz dead blow make sense to me. Or maybe you already have dead blows

 

[Hakeem]

I like the looks of the Tekton dead blow ball peen. I guess they are Trusty Cook’s hammers. The round handles are nice. Not trying to spend your money Phil but a 16oz steel hammer and a 26oz dead blow make sense to me. Or maybe you already have dead blows

Not the dead blow but these newlyoffered conventional ball peins:

16 oz. Ball Peen Hammer | TEKTON

The 16 oz. ball peen hammer has a flat round face that spreads force evenly and a ball peen that concentrates force at a small point of impact. HMA51116.

www.tekton.com

They are a rebrand of some German manufacturer, the name escapes me right now. The way the handle is retained seems very smart. I do have a dead blow but seldom use it.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I have a Proto and the craftsman copy of them and I can't say they're bad, but I haven't put a ton of use into them yet either. Honestly I really like the flat spot on the head to set it down on the ground with as much as anything else.

 

[T45]

They are a rebrand of some German manufacturer, the name escapes me right now. The way the handle is retained seems very smart. I do have a dead blow but seldom use it.

Habero w/rotband plus. Might want to consider the engineer's hammer, since that seems to be the specialty of Habero and the EU hammer makers like Picard and all that. Cross-pein vs Ball pein style

"Habero Rotband Pus". Need informations.

Hello, i'm planning to buy a new hammer, the habero "Rotband Plus". The Gedore/klann website list different types of this hammer (600E, 600H and 600iH). Does someone know what are the main differences ? Regards.

www.garagejournal.com

Standard ball-pein hammer, AFAIK that's an American hammer design, so I would go USA designs.

 

[KnurledNut]

I have the Mac Anti-vibe and Estwing. They are both great hammers.
The Mac is head heavy which can be beneficial for beating things into submission. I consider it more heavy duty.
I find the Estwing is better balanced and gives more control when striking punches and chisels. Suited for precision.
A Taiwan manufacturer called Lucky Tools makes a good steel handle ball peen. Mine is branded Genius but them make them for others like Grainger's Westward and MSC's Paramount.
Also consider Vaughan. https://www.amazon.com/Solid-Steel-Ball-Hammer-Handle/dp/B002073U26?tag=atomicindus08-20
The wood shock block works to dissipate vibration.

If I wanted to get a ball pein hammer that my coworkers would look for an opportunity to steal, I would hold out for an old-stock stacked leather handle Estwing.

 

[Dave455]

I have an Estwing. This one.

I bought it because I wanted something rugged for mobile use. I find that wooden handles tend to get damaged easily unless you transport them very carefully.

I like the Estwing a lot. It hasn’t picked up any damage, the handle is as durable as hoped, and comfortable in use.

If there are any downsides, the head is a slightly odd shape - very slim. It feels o.k. though, and it’s very ”controllable”.

A friend has the Proto Anti Vibe. Nice tool. The balance is slightly different (slightly more weight forward - though I have not been able to compare hammers of the same weight) and I think I might slightly prefer it.

Do I prefer it enough to pay any sort of premium? Probably not. Note however, that the Estwing is made in the U.S. but I don’t believe the Proto is.

 

[mikey03]

Note however, that the Estwing is made in the U.S. but I don’t believe the Proto is.

Mac and proto are the same and made in Taiwan

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

Great input from all. I don’t use a 16oz ball pein to whack on stuff, it’s mostly for driving chisels, punches, and other light persuading. So im not TOO concerned about vibration from an all-steel estwing bothering my elbow. Or put it this way - the vibration dampening effect of the Anti Vibe hammers isn’t a big selling point for me at this size.

For the same price as an Estwing or Proto Anti Vibe, I can get one of the new Tekton ball peins. The screw/wedge design of the wooden handle intrigues me and the lifetime warranty on handles is compelling. I’ll think it over for a few more days but I think that’s the direction I may go…

You should really consider a drilling hammer for punches and stuff. I have an Estwing at work and it’s fantastic for that stuff. They have 2, 3, and 4lb variants.

 

[RTM]

You should really consider a drilling hammer for punches and stuff.

OMG, I discovered drilling hammers in 1992 when I demoed a tile floor. The same weight sledge was just too long and cumbersome for striking chisels. The previous tile was put down quite well, so just random beating and power scrapers were just mocked. (Before I owned a roto hammer, could not afford to rent for a few hours use each day). I wandered Sears and Ace picking up and swinging hammers towards chisels, finally bought a Craftsman. Think I have two more picked up cheap at garage sale prices. Small enough my girls could use them for tent pegs and garden stakes.

Now I use those for anytime I really want to move a chisel or punch, mostly masonry stuff. My metal working is much too small for that much force.

 

[Hakeem]

Habero w/rotband plus. Might want to consider the engineer's hammer, since that seems to be the specialty of Habero and the EU hammer makers like Picard and all that. Cross-pein vs Ball pein style

"Habero Rotband Pus". Need informations.

Hello, i'm planning to buy a new hammer, the habero "Rotband Plus". The Gedore/klann website list different types of this hammer (600E, 600H and 600iH). Does someone know what are the main differences ? Regards.

www.garagejournal.com

Standard ball-pein hammer, AFAIK that's an American hammer design, so I would go USA designs.

You make a fair point but two things have me leaning towards Tekton on this:

1) warranty, especially for the handles
2) the wedge screw design

Vaughan and Estwing are both local to me though, which weighs heavily in my decision making.

You should really consider a drilling hammer for punches and stuff. I have an Estwing at work and it’s fantastic for that stuff. They have 2, 3, and 4lb variants.

I’m glad you bring this up .. I’ve always wanted one ever since I’ve handled them at Menards, they seem so comfortable, but I never pulled the trigger because I was always like “wtf are these used for?” They seemed too heavy for lighter hammer work but are too short handled to really wallop something with. I could see how they would be good for striking chisels and punches, though. The short handle provides control and the extra weight makes up for the loss in leverage.

I may just get a 2 or 3lb drilling hammer and see how that works for the things I use my 16oz ball pein for.

 

[Steve_P]

You make a fair point but two things have me leaning towards Tekton on this:

1) warranty, especially for the handles
2) the wedge screw design

Vaughan and Estwing are both local to me though, which weighs heavily in my decision making.



I’m glad you bring this up .. I’ve always wanted one ever since I’ve handled them at Menards, they seem so comfortable, but I never pulled the trigger because I was always like “wtf are these used for?” They seemed too heavy for lighter hammer work but are too short handled to really wallop something with. I could see how they would be good for striking chisels and punches, though. The short handle provides control and the extra weight makes up for the loss in leverage.

I may just get a 2 or 3lb drilling hammer and see how that works for the things I use my 16oz ball pein for.

For your stated uses of punches and chisels, I never use a 2-3lb drilling hammer; it's a ball pein that's 24 oz or less. Yes, I do have 2-3 lb drilling style hammers, but those are weapons of mass destruction and not for driving out pins

 

[Callelle]

For your stated uses of punches and chisels, I never use a 2-3lb drilling hammer; it's a ball pein that's 24 oz or less. Yes, I do have 2-3 lb drilling style hammers, but those are weapons of mass destruction and not for driving out pins

Maybe if you don't live in the salt belt.