Best Deadblow Ball Peens?

Hultafors make some all steel dead blow ball pein that are rather good IMO, but I only have one of them.

I've got a few Trusty Cook and Stanley mallets but no hammers (now you did it.. got to head to the hardware store....). Trusty Cook is an Indianapolis company, so I'm a huge fan. I've never damaged a hammer, let along a mallet..so I'm a little curious why warranty would matter. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of a strong warranty as well, but not if abuse is involved. I have broken a few manual log splitter / sledge hammer / pick axe handles in my time due to inaccurate placement of the head vs the handle...so I understand how issues happen..but those were due to my own inability or poor practice.

I suspect TC would stand behind their product if informed and there was indeed a flaw in the material or workmanship / quality.. I've hit them up with a question via their webpage, and will post the answer if appropriate. Also note....from the webpage:

Initially, Trusty-Cook, Inc., invented and developed the original line of polyurethane Dead Blow Hammers. Over the years, we expanded our hammer model line-up to include Dead Blow Sledgehammers, Ball Pein Hammers, Bossing Mallets and Slimline Dead Blow Hammers. Due to our commitment to quality and manufacturing efficiency, our innovation has been put to work developing private branding relationships with companies such as Estwing Tools, Armstrong Tools, Cornwell Tools, Matco Tools, Snap-On Tools and SK Tools. In addition, we continue to deliver our Dead Blow Hammers to the industrial and retail market under the Trusty-Cook and Trusty Hammers brands.

http://www.trustycook.com/

Good thread!!

Dennis

Umm cause hammers do break dude. Handles, heads, etc. some just shatter if used below a certain temp. You use these enough years for a living this stuff fails. That's why people in the know recommend the snap on over the TC cause there is an actual lifetime warranty. Even a crappy HF hammer will last though the TC warranty period.

the only dead blow I've ever had that shattered is my SO soft face.

Speaking of that. what's the easiest way for a Canadian with no tool truck access get his replaced by warranty? it's like 2 years old

this one but orange:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=643858&group_ID=675291

MattPersman said:

Umm cause hammers do break dude. Handles, heads, etc. some just shatter if used below a certain temp. You use these enough years for a living this stuff fails. That's why people in the know recommend the snap on over the TC cause there is an actual lifetime warranty. Even a crappy HF hammer will last though the TC warranty period.

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I appreciate that.. I've just not had that experience personally. You're correct in your presumption that I have not used my personal hammers/mallets (or the balance of my tools) for enough years for a living to wear them out or experience a broad spectrum of severe environments that resulted in hammer / mallet failures. I have had some tools fail and I take them back as always if they are warranted; mostly my Craftsman tools. I don't do that if I break them when using them beyond their designed / intended operating condition, duty cycle, etc. E.g. my examples above (I've replaced enough hands on my splitting maul to attest to this). Could I use a fiber glass handled one? Be more careful? Buy a log splitter machine? Sure.. but I haven't.. Call me thick headed (or cheap maybe) on this one..and I'd call that a BINGO.

Now, I have been responsible for tool purchases and their integration into a production process for a large for profit assembly operation in my professional career, and know quite a bit about and have had to deal with tool wear and failures.. Sockets in particular as one might imagine on an assembly line. Its always a value vs. function vs. profitability discussion. How many cycles before its worn out, what sort of protection do I have if the tool does not survive as promised (i.e. warranty), what happens to my product if the tool fails, what happens to the safety of the operator if the tool fails, and so on.... are always considered when making tool purchase decisions smartly..

We did use Stanley dead blow mallets quite a bit in our assembly operations. For example, we used one for "dialing in" the concentricity of the flywheel housing to the crankshaft before drilling/doweling and torqueing it down. However, we never saw any fail / shatter or other wise become defective except for the situation I am about to describe...

We did experience these dead blow mallets wearing / chipping out (i.e. the plastic wore thru or chipped through to the base hammer / material), and we simply replaced them if so. This didn't happen frequently, and even when it did we didn't have a slick way to get them back for replacement under warranty if applicable. Eventually, we did decide proactively to replace them before they were worn / chipped out, just to be sure the pellets didn't escape the mallet itself and get into our product. Also worth noting was the fact that the tools were used in a semi environmentally controlled facility inside (never below freezing), so failure events related to specific cold conditions that challenge the design of the tool were typically not a problem.

The costs to replace them proactively was inconsequential compared to the failures that could occur on our product if we didn't do that. We did at the time do the normal cost / benefit analysis and considered returning them under warranty or purchasing a "better tool" with a better warranty, but the costs simply didn't dictate taking that route. Once we implemented the preventive control plan, we had no real tangible failures (visible wear/chip through to the underlying structure/pellets) per se, and did not expect Stanley to replace them in this condition. I believe I still have one of these around somewhere, so I'll dig it out and take a picture to share. My memory is weak on this, but I believe that these mallets were made by someone other than Stanley...as I recall speaking to someone in either design or manufacturing to understand the material of the pellets in an effort to assess risk of this potential failure mode on our product.

So..having said all that, I stand corrected that hammers / mallets do fail and hence require the purchaser to consider what warranty coverage. they want to purchase. I did find that Trusty Cook has a warranty:

(http://www.trustyhammers.com/warranty_s/1836.htm; with conditions: Trusty Hammers warrants all its hammers against failure in normal use (manufacturing defects) for a 2 year period. We do not warrant our tools against misuse, abuse or WEARING OUT. All warranty claims are subject to product review by Trusty Hammers. Warning: striking a cold hammer (below 38 degrees) may/will cause a cracking failure.).

I previously ready on this thread (or thought I read, as I was on the thread early this am) they had no warranty.. They do have one, maybe not as good as SO or others, and potentially better than others (HF's version has a warranty?)..

So it seems like that's the trick here. Spend more on a SO and get the warranty if the cost of replacement and/or frequency of failure dictate, spend less on the HF version if the inverse.. or select from a myriad of alternatives spanning this range...all based on the balance of failure risk and warranty or replacement coverage and the net effect on profitability..

Sorry for being so verbose.. Hope the detail and stories help everyone involved.

Here are the picts of the Stanley.. taken from the line about 14 years ago.. and kept at my house (initially because the business leader "wanted it in safe keeping until the risk to the product 'died down'"). ..

This mallet, although not broken through to the underlying hammer structure, was deemed unacceptable "wear" and netted a preventive maintenance requirement to replace with new after so many units of production passed the station...

Still in use today in my hobby shop....

Dennis Leigh Henry said:

Here are the picts of the Stanley.. taken from the line about 14 years ago.. and kept at my house (initially because the business leader "wanted it in safe keeping until the risk to the product 'died down'"). ..

This mallet, although not broken through to the underlying hammer structure, was deemed unacceptable "wear" and netted a preventive maintenance requirement to replace with new after so many units of production passed the station...

Still in use today in my hobby shop....

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That is not what this thread is about its a regular dead blow

If you guys could only own one dead blow ball peen, which weight would you go with?

40 oz

probably 32oz for me....but I work on small and big stuff, so I got them all. Right tool for the right job.

32oz



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rocco said:

the only dead blow I've ever had that shattered is my SO soft face.

Speaking of that. what's the easiest way for a Canadian with no tool truck access get his replaced by warranty? it's like 2 years old

this one but orange:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=643858&group_ID=675291

Click to expand...

Scroll down, there is a CA customer service number. Call them and they will send out a new one.

http://buy1.snapon.com/snapon-store/customer.asp

900 grams

Probably a 32oz or a 40oz. Depending on the shop i was in at the time. This shop i work at probably a 32oz. I do mostly auto and light truck work now. Not a whole lot of heavy truck anymore.

Tronyadorable said:

900 grams

Click to expand...

Had to get all fancy on us!


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I got the matco because he had a 48 snap on didnt. One day I'll by the 40 to add to my snap on 16

WhiffySpark said:

I got the matco because he had a 48 snap on didnt. One day I'll by the 40 to add to my snap on 16

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Do u use ur 16 a lot? The 16 is on my list to get next


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Does anyone know how the Wilton hammers stack up?

90zcar said:

Do u use ur 16 a lot? The 16 is on my list to get next


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I use it a lot for chisels and punches. Delicate stuff. Never used it as a sledge hammer

WhiffySpark said:

I use it a lot for chisels and punches. Delicate stuff. Never used it as a sledge hammer

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Awesome! That's exactly what I was thinking why I need it. There's times I need to use a punch or chisel when I don't wanna wail on it with my monster 32oz. Or times when I wanna tap a bolt thru a hole.
I have a little wood handle 8oz craftsman but I feel I need just a little more "***" than that one


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90zcar said:

Awesome! That's exactly what I was thinking why I need it. There's times I need to use a punch or chisel when I don't wanna wail on it with my monster 32oz. Or times when I wanna tap a bolt thru a hole.
I have a little wood handle 8oz craftsman but I feel I need just a little more "***" than that one


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Click to expand...

16oz is my most used hammer, I just picked up a snap on dead blow version from the classifieds. I'm excited to use it

Well I got the 16oz today finally. Man this little guy feels great in my hands. Probably be my go to hammer unless I need to really wale on something then I'll grab my 32oz




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I use the 24oz the most... primary because it's the only one I got.

90zcar said:

Well I got the 16oz today finally. Man this little guy feels great in my hands. Probably be my go to hammer unless I need to really wale on something then I'll grab my 32oz




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Click to expand...

Glad to see you like it. I may be picking up a 40 today. I snapped the head on my 48 and he's on vacation until next week.

That hammers made me so much money

Sounds just like all my non dead blow ball peens, I'll want to get one of every major size category size...eventually. I'll probably start out small with the 16 oz..

This has been a tremendously informative thread for someone in the market to purchase a dead blow ball peen.

Dennis

I recently won a new 32oz Snap-On deadblow ball peen on E-Bay. I got it shipped for about the same price as a new 32oz Armstrong so I'm anxious to get it. I wouldn't even have bid if it wasn't for this thread. GJ definately is not good for my wallet!

Kind of bringing up an old thread but I used my buddies mac dead blow today and the top of the hammer had a flat spot that is good for using the end in tging areas. Kinda liked it


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I went up to Trusty Cook in Indy and picked up these bad boys..

TC BP 16 (26 oz.)
TC BP 40 (50 oz.)

I'm guessing the 16 and 40 are the "regular" comparable hammer weights..

Good Stuff and made in USA/Indy.. Also got a magnet and a cool little keychain light..

Dennis

I have Snap-On brass hammer, some dead blow hammers, and blue-point ball pein hammers.

http://www.mactools.com/en-us/Pages/Search.aspx?k=Compo-Cast Hammers#d=g

However, the MAC Compo-Cast hammers (to me) the dead blows and the ball pein to brass the HANDLE material does not shred/chip up like the Snap-on ones do. I bought a MAC CH24DFS and really liked it better. The compound of the MAC's seem to absorb abuse from impacts better not as hard in compound.

Be worth giving them a try, had some Snap-On mallet hammers basically crumble apart and the brass hammer ones as well. Like the plastic material dry rotted. They were replaced but the new material seems more brittle feeling than the MAC ones.

When hands are oily/dirty the Compo-Cast seem to grip better as well over the other ones (at least to me).

I think it was the old style snap on ones that they had trouble with the handles. Back then they were made for snap on from someone else. Now snap on actually produces them and there are no current known issues with the recent production ones


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90zcar said:

I think it was the old style snap on ones that they had trouble with the handles. Back then they were made for snap on from someone else. Now snap on actually produces them and there are no current known issues with the recent production ones


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Click to expand...

THANKS for the info, all of mine were 15+ years or older. That is why I seen the MAC Compo-Cast hammer versions. After using the MAC ones the handles seem to be more pliable.

Have a new Snap-On one that was replaced, but the MAC ones seem to give better grip. Either way both GREAT quality hammers.

Do you think there would be a problem with warranting a SO hammer if your not in a garage. I used to have some but sold them a long time ago, they were awesome for rusted or stuck brake drums. I want to buy some but the only reason I'm hesitant is because I don't work in a garage anymore.

90zcar said:

I think it was the old style snap on ones that they had trouble with the handles. Back then they were made for snap on from someone else. Now snap on actually produces them and there are no current known issues with the recent production ones


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Click to expand...

I believe the old SO deadblows were Trusty Cooks, which is why I am hesitant to buy from them, seems like they break down if stored in a non climate controlled area.

JDon99 said:

I believe the old SO deadblows were Trusty Cooks, which is why I am hesitant to buy from them, seems like they break down if stored in a non climate controlled area.

Click to expand...

I think that was the 'old' ones like the ones I had were like 15+ years old models. I would suspect most are not in service and/or been replaced.

The new ones from what I understand are not affected like that.

Check out the MAC Compo-Cast line as well (USA made).

http://www.mactools.com/en-us/Pages/Search.aspx?k=Compo-Cast Hammers#d=g

I have been buying the MAC ones, just like the handle better (personal preference).

In the last month I bought a snap on 32 oz and a Mac 16 oz. The snap on has a much better handle and feel. I actually sanded the Mac down it had sharp edges all over. And the snapon has the soft rubber insert handle.,..much better