Harbor Freight Dead Blow Hammer

[stercorarius]

I've heard good things about it. Seemed nice at first. First real swing I put into it caused it to grenade. Did I hit too hard, do they always do this, or was it just a fluke?

The subsequent hits made it lose the majority of the casing.

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[jeeper46]

Sure your name isn't Thor? I have two of these, and they have been very durable, although one of them is pretty beat up.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Stanley ones will do that as well... after about twenty years on a cold day. I got a shiny new one like that from harbor fright once as well. It lasted less than one year, I went back to compocast. I am sure trusty cook makes a very nice one as well. If you actually use tools regularly you will find the cost of quality is quickly negated.

 

[zendriver]

One would think any hollow hammer made of plastic, with moving metal inside, would have limitations.

Although use is minimal, mine seems to work fine, for what I use it for, but I don't treat like my 5# sledge hammer.

What did you hit with it? just curious.

 

[mudflap]

One would think any hollow hammer made of plastic, with moving metal inside, would have limitations.

Although use is minimal, mine seems to work fine, for what I use it for, but I don't treat like my 5# sledge hammer.

What did you hit with it? just curious.

Looks more like it was run over and smashed...from the way it split..and marks on the side...?

 

[stercorarius]

One would think any hollow hammer made of plastic, with moving metal inside, would have limitations.

Although use is minimal, mine seems to work fine, for what I use it for, but I don't treat like my 5# sledge hammer.

What did you hit with it? just curious.

A stuck brake drum on a T800. I probably could have used a regular hammer but I had it sitting there from getting the Alcoa off and assumed it would be fine. I grew up doing construction and have been told to put my purse down and swing the #@$& hammer enough times that I occasionally over do it so the problem could very well be operator error. These are liquid manure trucks so things tend to seize together a lot.

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[stercorarius]

Stanley ones will do that as well... after about twenty years on a cold day. I got a shiny new one like that from harbor fright once as well. It lasted less than one year, I went back to compocast. I am sure trusty cook makes a very nice one as well. If you actually use tools regularly you will find the cost of quality is quickly negated.

Never considered the cold. I'm sure it factored in. No heat in the shop and it was somewhere around twenty degrees. I have a couple proto ones but they are smaller and are reserved for engine work not chassis work.

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[stercorarius]

Looks more like it was run over and smashed...from the way it split..and marks on the side...?

As a guy who has seen one ran over, when it happens the guts get squeezed out. It does kinda look like it though. I guess this brings up a question about proper dead blow usage. My thoughts were that it is a 4lb hammer and so I should swing it like one. Should I be more gentle with dead blows? I saw some ********* five pound dead blows the other day. Can I really lay into those. At what size can I start to get a real swing in?

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[jakemac]

Did you hit the brake drum squarely, or did it catch an edge ?
Dead lows work best when the full face of the hammer makes contact, otherwise you have more force/sq. inch in a smaller spot. This, and the temperature could have contributed to the failure. The brand/quality could have been less of a factor.

 

[mudflap]

As a guy who has seen one ran over, when it happens the guts get squeezed out. It does kinda look like it though. I guess this brings up a question about proper dead blow usage. My thoughts were that it is a 4lb hammer and so I should swing it like one. Should I be more gentle with dead blows? I saw some ********* five pound dead blows the other day. Can I really lay into those. At what size can I start to get a real swing in?

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I was just practicing to be an S-K counter guy....they are good at coming up with reasons to not honor the warranty.....Lol....

 

[CrazySanMan]

I consider them consumable because the faces tend to get chewed up, but I've never seen one split like that.

 

[mudflap]

I consider them consumable because the faces tend to get chewed up, but I've never seen one split like that.

True...but i'm sure HF will exchange it no problem..Thats kinda how i feel about Phillips tip screwdrivers too... I have spent big money on truck brand ones in the past... Theyre not broke..just normal wear.. So i just buy a bunch of the $1.99 HF ones when i go.... They are nice..fit is good..and they hold up as good as any...

 

[davethorik]

If you use a dead blow with any regularity, youll know the HF ones are ****. They crack, split, and shot tube eventually comes out even if they are used in a climate controlled environment. Ive seen a brand new one do it like OP had. seen them last a couple months too, but that's about it.

Meanwhile, my Nupla dead blow ive had almost 8 years. It has battle scars but still works.

 

[Kent_B]

I had a Blue Point that did the same thing. Common factor: cold weather. I was working on a snowblower in an unheated garage.

 

[Loscaldazar]

If you use a dead blow with any regularity, youll know the HF ones are ****. They crack, split, and shot tube eventually comes out even if they are used in a climate controlled environment. Ive seen a brand new one do it like OP had. seen them last a couple months too, but that's about it.

Meanwhile, my Nupla dead blow ive had almost 8 years. It has battle scars but still works.

I wouldn't say they are ****. They should last at least a year if not two or three. No, not as long lasting as Nupla or Trusty Cook, but for a lifetime warranty for that price, hard to beat. Every dead blow fails after enough use, and these aren't something I want to spend a lot on to only replace a few years down the road.

 

[davethorik]

I wouldn't say they are ****. They should last at least a year if not two or three. No, not as long lasting as Nupla or Trusty Cook, but for a lifetime warranty for that price, hard to beat. Every dead blow fails after enough use, and these aren't something I want to spend a lot on to only replace a few years down the road.

If you're just using it occasionally yes, they should last. If I was a pro, I'd pay for a better name.

My experience is based on working in a machine shop. We used dead blows to ensure parts were sitting flat in vises once clamped. Sometimes there are sharp edges, which doesn't help lifespan, and may occasionally come into contact with the coolant, which probably is not good for the plastic. HF orange hammers just do not hold up to this. I also had an old Mac orange deadblow my dad had given me, that shattered as well. The Nupla ended that problem for me, but it's also a different design, with a fiberglass handle. The trusty cook dead blows do look nice, though.

 

[AA/FC]

Yes, I've had this same thing happen to my HF dead blow on a cold day. Just take it back to the nearest HF and they will give you a new one for free. Simple.

 

[02camaro86]

ive broken 2 in a year, infact just warranted one today. they both split the same way yours did i think they are just junk. i wasnt abusing them

 

[lbhsbz]

I still have the HF deadblow I bought 17 years ago...used in a professional environment for about 5 yeas and in my home shop ever since. The faces are about shot, but it's still intact. I'd say a fluke or bad batch. Go get another one.

 

[jerseykat1]

Harbor freight has these dead blow hammers made with 2 different materials but the same exact sku. i guess one supplier makes them cheaper than the other..

I have had the one you show in the picture do the exact same thing. I have also had one that lasted years.

The way to tell which one to get is the finish of the hammer. DO NOT BUY it if it is has a high gloss. You want the one with a dull finish, it will last the longest.

The first DeadBlow that i purchased form HF lasted a few years before it started to slowly get a hole in the middle (never failed like the shown picture) so i replaced it with the one you have in the picture and it lasted just a few weeks. So i exchanged it and ended up with a dull finish version and that one is holding up nicely.

typical HF..

 

[kctyphoon]

Lifetime warranty.. walk in, and they'll say, "OK, no problem - go get another one". Tell me how that's not worth the money.....

 

[dogdog]

I've heard good things about it. Seemed nice at first. First real swing I put into it caused it to grenade. Did I hit too hard, do they always do this, or was it just a fluke?

The subsequent hits made it lose the majority of the casing.

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Not sure about the usage of that hammer... but the plastic discoloration on it sure seems different from normal use.

 

[kctyphoon]

Not sure how you "misuse" a hammer...

 

[stercorarius]

Lifetime warranty.. walk in, and they'll say, "OK, no problem - go get another one". Tell me how that's not worth the money.....

Over one hour drive to the nearest HF. Only go once every year or less. I used to go when school got me out of work, but ever since I graduated HS the number of days off I've had is in the negatives. This job I was using the hammer on was started at nine in morning after a two hour company meeting and an hour on another project. I was the only guy on it as the shop mechanic (I'm a field guy) had the day off. They had to have the truck back on a tanker first thing in the morning and I didn't drive it out of the shop and out for a test drive to the nearest truck stop until about one in the morning. So moral of the story is I don't have time to warranty HF stuff. I just want it to work when I do. Getting hosed in the middle of a job in the middle of the night in the middle of winter isn't worth the money. I make minimum wage with no OT so I have to be very selective with my tool purchases. I can't just call up the snappy dealer and open an account. I have a $700 a month tool budget and right now that money is exclusively being used to repurchase the 12k in tools I had stolen Thanksgiving weekend. So yeah next February when I'm caught back up with spending half a years pay on tools I need that I've already bought then maybe we'll have more similar definitions about what's worth the money. Oh boy that was quite the rant. Sorry about that. Really don't mean to come across as antagonistic. I'm not irritated by you, just the cluster#### that is my life right now.

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[Cope]

I had a Blue Point that did the same thing. Common factor: cold weather. I was working on a snowblower in an unheated garage.

I've had several Blue Point and a Snap-on that just fell apart in the drawer. Snap-on warrantied all of them.

 

[Skin]

Sometimes when you buy junk you get junk. No defending it although I see people trying. I'd throw it in the trash, not worth the gas to get another "free" $8 crappy hammer.

 

[rockinacummins]

That's what happens to my first deadblow (kobalt)

I threw it away and got one of these harbor freights. It has held up extremely well through much abuse. And for the cost, if it grenades anytime soon, I'll just go pick up a coulple more.

 

[decableguy2000]

Done that to my HF dead blow as well. It was below freezing out if I remember right. Was able to swap it out no problem at my local HF.

 

[mbshop]

I had a mac one fof 15 years with no problems. That was long ago. I suspect that the plastic now is not what it was, specially if it involves china. I have plastic stuff that I bought 20 years ago made in the usa that is still pliable. China stuff cracks within a year or so. So buy the hf stuff knowing it won't last long. Not sure of so and mac quality any longer.

 

[Skin]

China actually has a pretty advanced plastics industry. A lot of their equipment was purchased from the US. Like anywhere though there will be a disconnect between good quality plastics from China in a GOOD product and the plastics used to make the housing of an $8 hammer sold at HF. And that's $8 end user cost which they make money on after paying materials, manufacturing, shipping....

 

[itsvegas]

i have a handful of these and ive cracked a few but at the price i cant complain! and im close enough to harbor freight to swap it put when im around!

 

[L.Cheapo]

Lifetime warranty.. walk in, and they'll say, "OK, no problem - go get another one". Tell me how that's not worth the money.....

What's your time worth?

 

[toymn6366]

If you're just using it occasionally yes, they should last. If I was a pro, I'd pay for a better name.

My experience is based on working in a machine shop. We used dead blows to ensure parts were sitting flat in vises once clamped. Sometimes there are sharp edges, which doesn't help lifespan, and may occasionally come into contact with the coolant, which probably is not good for the plastic. HF orange hammers just do not hold up to this. I also had an old Mac orange deadblow my dad had given me, that shattered as well. The Nupla ended that problem for me, but it's also a different design, with a fiberglass handle. The trusty cook dead blows do look nice, though.

name brand doesn't mean it will last we us HF 4lbs to beat on grain trailers while unloading, we bust them about once a month I just take them back to HF and trade them.
I bought one off of Matco truck and one off of snap on truck thinking they might last longer to do a test they didn't last any longer and was a real pain in the *** to trade afterwards. the Matco guy traded it didn't want to, Snap On guy traded didn't want to but said he wouldn't trade another busted one and these are guys that come to my truck shop every week.

 

[jeeper46]

I had a US-made Compothane hammer crack like that just laying in my toolbox once-I suspect contact with some chemical weakened it-who knows? My HF ones hanging on the wall are just fine.

 

[wendlwacker]

Never considered the cold. I'm sure it factored in. No heat in the shop and it was somewhere around twenty degrees. I have a couple proto ones but they are smaller and are reserved for engine work not chassis work.

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I have one at work split like that. ***** at work took it in the holding freezer for 20 minutes at 5 degrees and then tried to beat on something..... his response was your hammer broke... no **** Sherlock

 

[fastbike02]

My time is quite valuable to me due to the amount of work (50-80hr week)vs free time I have! that being said I keep a box for broken hf/sears and when it gets full or I make a trip I'll take it with me. never had a problem exchanging tools at hf, most times they tell me just go find what I want to replace and bring it all to the counter.

 

[md21722]

The problem with Chinese plastic is that they "turn the dial" when the inspectors leave to increase production and the plastic doesn't form correctly unless there is an inspector standing there looking or there are controls on the line to shut the line down when it overspeeds. For the price you can have a few backups and still be ahead. If you want real quality, get it off a truck. Snap On makes their own & Trusty Cook makes them for the others.... The Trusty Cook ones may be more durable.

 

[jrockford]

What's your time worth?

Exactly. Also, what if it was to break during a project? The last thing I would want to **** with during a project is a hammer warranty replacement.

 

[gungatim]

China actually has a pretty advanced plastics industry. A lot of their equipment was purchased from the US. Like anywhere though there will be a disconnect between good quality plastics from China in a GOOD product and the plastics used to make the housing of an $8 hammer sold at HF. And that's $8 end user cost which they make money on after paying materials, manufacturing, shipping....

yes to the first part, but not sure the 2nd part is true. it is VERY difficult to import machines into china, and they have to have a significant % of service life left. you have to jump through a lot of hoops. the gov makes it very expensive as they don't want used equipment dumped on them, they want you to buy new equipment made over there when you setup any manufacturing line...BTDT.

back on topic, I've had the HF deadblow for a few years and it is like new, it is the duller finished one. I beat on stuff with it often and it has held up better than my regular rubber mallets. also have the black one which is about 6 yrs. old and it has held up well too. I'm guessing there is a bad batch out there maybe. perhaps the supplier had too much regrind mixed in with the regular resin...

 

[tdellenburg]

. the Matco guy traded it didn't want to, Snap On guy traded didn't want to but said he wouldn't trade another busted one and these are guys that come to my truck shop every week.

May be better stated "these are guys that CAME to my shop every week."

They can deny my warranty once before I find a new tool dealer...period. They HAVE to have our money, we don't have to have their tools.