b-mack
Active member
Been looking at these hammers for awhile now...I am a total Snap On freak but found a Vaughan that seemed super nice in the hand...Your opinions.
Dead Blow Hammers...Vaughan or Snap On?
- Thread starter b-mack
- Start date
Deskmechanic
Well-known member
Trusty-cook, you can buy them direct. Made the old snap-on, and I think they make the Vaughn.
sign-up for the Trusty-Cook mailing list to receive specials also.
http://www.trustyhammers.com/
the last email I received had a coupon code for free shipping
http://www.trustyhammers.com/
the last email I received had a coupon code for free shipping
I have a Snap-on and a Matco (Trusty-Cook). I won't buy another Snap-on.
The face of the Snap-On hammer is a much softer material than the Matco, in a short time the face is all cut up and has chunks coming off of it. Same use (and worse) with the Matco, and it is still in pretty good shape.
If you want a very soft face hammer to not mar your surface, Snap-On has it. If you want to beat the **** out of something, as in swing it like a baseball bat, and still have a hammer when you are done; Trust-Cook (Matco) is a better choice.
I can post pics Monday if you are interested.
The face of the Snap-On hammer is a much softer material than the Matco, in a short time the face is all cut up and has chunks coming off of it. Same use (and worse) with the Matco, and it is still in pretty good shape.
If you want a very soft face hammer to not mar your surface, Snap-On has it. If you want to beat the **** out of something, as in swing it like a baseball bat, and still have a hammer when you are done; Trust-Cook (Matco) is a better choice.
I can post pics Monday if you are interested.
warmpancakes
Well-known member
matco hammers are NOT life time warranty, they are 3 years
Hpozzuoli
Well-known member
I have used the Vaughan's line of regular claw hammers for years and have been happy with them. I do have a complete line up of snap on dead blows that I am very happy with. I replaced my 10 yr snap on's recently with all new ones. I even warrantied one of my dads older style dead blows that shattered into pieces a few weeks ago. I saw my snap on guy just a few minutes ago and he gave me a new style 24oz for it. I guess go with what you feel comfortable with.
LJZ
Well-known member
B:
The one and only.
http://www.lixiehammers.com/
Mines over 35 years old..
Im just North of you, take care
Luke
The one and only.
http://www.lixiehammers.com/
Mines over 35 years old..
Im just North of you, take care
Luke
RivennHewn
Well-known member
I'm partial to Nupla deadblows. I really like the "ain't gonna slip no matter what" grips.
Made in U.S.A. http://www.nuplacorp.com/aboutus.php
Made in U.S.A. http://www.nuplacorp.com/aboutus.php
Bigplum
Well-known member
Sick Puppy
Well-known member
rshadd
Well-known member
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Farmall450
Well-known member
+1 on HF; hi vis & it's a hammer that'll get the tar beat out of it, not exactly economical to buy SO
Agreed. I'm not a pro, but I've beat the **** out of my HF three pound dead blow for the past 4 years and it's still holding up quite well.
jjjrmx5
Well-known member
Trusty Cook unless you **** rolls of $20 bills, then money is no issue so Snap-On.
Only reason Snap-On aside from price is that you use them profesionally hard and everyday and quick warranty swap-out is of major importance.
For that I;d still buy Trusty Cook or Vaughn and pick up a few of the HF orange dead blows as back-ups.
Cheap, easy solution.
It's your money though.
Only reason Snap-On aside from price is that you use them profesionally hard and everyday and quick warranty swap-out is of major importance.
For that I;d still buy Trusty Cook or Vaughn and pick up a few of the HF orange dead blows as back-ups.
Cheap, easy solution.
It's your money though.
LJZ
Well-known member
Ya its a bit light on info. Has a nice old catalog look to it though...LOL
As Clint has said " nuthin like a fine pc of Hickory"
Luke
Xtremetalworks2
Well-known member
I have a stanley deadblow,which is probably 17yrs old in a sheet metal shop enviornment pretty knicked up but still in great working shape. I bought through MSC supply for 43 dollars. While HF ones are cheap guys go through probably one a yr at work. So ill stick with the stanley deadblow. For larger weldments that we have to really move material I have a 7LB Nupla with replaceable heads also bought from MSC I think it was about 50 bucks for the handle and around 45 BUCKS per head x2 HEADS So that one was around 150. Money well spent in my opinion!
I believe the TCBP32 and TCBP40 is actually a 32oz and 40oz head hammer respectively. The advertised 47oz and 50oz is probably the total weight of the hammer including the handle. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.
jjjrmx5
Well-known member
Yep.
General spec is 32 oz and 40 oz from mfgrs.
As to what to bang them on, it all depends.
Heavy machinery and armoured things need more banging. And bigger tools.
16 oz and 32 oz are my first buys.
24 oz as fill in first then 40oz "beat the s&*^ out of things" size.
Allign armoured Humvee/HMMWV doors all day and the 40oz is perfect. For doing carpet installs or bicycle work, not so much.
Bigger is better when bigger is needed. When it is not, then not so much.
hammersmadeinusa
Well-known member
Hello All - Jeff, VP Sales at Trusty Cook (Trustyhammers.com), and new to Garage Journal and glad to be here to clear up some confusion about the Dead Blow Hammer Market...... Trusty Cook of course offers all full line of DEADBLOW Soft Face, Sledge, Ball Peen and Metal Shaping Bossing Hammers (new to market and only deadblow bossing mallet in Industry) that can be purchased at Trustyhammers.com. We are very proud to still be manufacturing ALL our hammers 100% in the USA at our Indianapolis, IN plant! We also are PROUD to private label a full line of Dead Blow Hammers for several BIG NAMES in the Hand Tool Arena - Armstrong Tools (Red Color), Cornwell Tools (Red Color), MATCO TOOLS (Only the Green Ones - the red and clack ones are imports and not made by Trusty Cook), SK Tools (Red), Estwing Mfg. (The Red CCD Models/CCD45 is in Home Depot and all the Grey Ones with blue rubber grips), and finally Snap-On Tools - We only make the Sledge Hammer Models branded as Blue-Point for them, their soft face and ball peens are an injected molded hammer they went to years ago. I have also seen some confusion on hammer weights, particularly the Ball peens, the Part Number for our brand ends with the HEAD WEIGHT (not total weight) - example TCBP16 (head weight is 16 oz and total weight is 26 oz.) We did this years ago to comply to GSA (Military/Gov't) Contract Standards/Specs. Confusing I know, but the weights are accurate on our brand. We do offer a 2 year warranty against manufacturer defects (on our brand only - private label brands control warranties on their products even if made by TC). Warranty outside 2 years is discretionary on a case by case basis, but we are pretty good guys who always like to hear from our customers with any feedback or stories about our Deadblows! We recently won top dog ranking in Truckin Magazines Tool Test on Dead Blow Ball Peens...check out the January Issue for details...and please take a look at our full line at Trustyhammers.com or any of our Private Label Customers!!! Thanks again for the welcome to Garage Journal!
paranoid56
Well-known member
glad to see you here Jeff, how about some paragraphs?
do you sell the green ones yourselfs? or do i have to go though Matco?
do you sell the green ones yourselfs? or do i have to go though Matco?
jdcompman
Well-known member
glad to see you here Jeff, how about some paragraphs?
do you sell the green ones yourselfs? or do i have to go though Matco?
I would like to know this as well!
Deskmechanic
Well-known member
Yeah if you could do a GJ discount I would be down for a Mechanics' 3-pack!
Regardless of maker, I'm a fan of the slim line head style. Smaller diameter face, more knuckle room and still plenty of umph. I have Stanley compocast. They look cheap. I cleaned mine up with a fine file and now it looks like a decent tool.
Wish I had an 8 or 12 oz brass or bronze faced dead blow like a ball peen or maybe double headed. Don't care for lixie. Maybe trusty cook will make some for machinists like me
Wish I had an 8 or 12 oz brass or bronze faced dead blow like a ball peen or maybe double headed. Don't care for lixie. Maybe trusty cook will make some for machinists like me
nicksnothereman
Well-known member
Not really a major tool honestly...good to have but you could always just get a good low weight drilling hammer and wrap the striking surface if you need it in a similar capacity or use a heavy mallet if they exist...not sure that they do). They're good for re-setting parts though not a replacement for good judgment and a mallet (if necessary, usually it's not).
Ignoring what I just said...I think the snap ons have a warranty and the vaughan might not (or might be mail in). If the price difference is less than the potential shipping then might as well go with the snap on. No way I'd pay 50 bucks for a f-ing deadblow hammer though. Lots of good options across the board for those; my cap would be 20-25 for an american made, 15 for a chinese or other.
Of the store brands vaughan and estwing are excellent brands and make durable stuff. Did you see what I just did?
MattPersman
Well-known member
2 year warranty not good IMO yes it's made in USA in Indy but still 2 years? There is no moving parts, claimed "quality is second to none", not warrantied for wear and tear, do not use below 38 degrees? It's colder than that in Indy right now.
No thanks...snap on made for me, yes more money, yes made in USA but if I **** it outside on a car below 38 degrees well they will give me a new one no questions asked.
It's not my company but I think you need to review your warranty policy
No thanks...snap on made for me, yes more money, yes made in USA but if I **** it outside on a car below 38 degrees well they will give me a new one no questions asked.
It's not my company but I think you need to review your warranty policy
Coach James
Well-known member
Where is the sign up link? I looked all over their website and couldn't find it.
Coach
rshadd
Well-known member
Try their product support site: http://www.trustycook.com
http://www.trustyhammers.com/ is their online e-store site.
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lol. Wow, that is a bad website.
If Nupla is OK, there's probably still some on the Gedore outlet site. Dunno how the prices work out when you bake in shipping.
shamrock12
Well-known member
Damn you b*st*rds ... now I just *NEED* to order some of those Trusty Hammers
I've never own a dead blow hammer of any kind before but have used them a few times in the past. I see the ball pein, soft face hammer and slimline soft face hammer are available in several head weight. Which models (size wise) are popular in the toolboxes? I might want to get a couple for each of those category.
I've never own a dead blow hammer of any kind before but have used them a few times in the past. I see the ball pein, soft face hammer and slimline soft face hammer are available in several head weight. Which models (size wise) are popular in the toolboxes? I might want to get a couple for each of those category.
Coach James
Well-known member
zakmartin
Well-known member
Jeff @ Trusty Cook: I have the 32 oz Armstrong version of your dead blow hammer. I like everything about it except the lack of padding on the handle. I ended up buying the other sizes from Snap-On since they have the softer rubber grip. Any chance you might sell a rubber grip for your hammers that you could roll on like a condom (for lack of a better example)? Your hammers are great when I'm wearing padded gloves, but when I'm just wearing Nitrile gloves and I'm swinging away, my hand ends up absorbing a lot of impact.
cagullett1
Well-known member
Anyone have a coupon code for free shipping at Trusty Cook? I would love to get a couple hammers, but shipping kills the good deal.