Air hammers, do they **** or do I?

[Bmxkelowna]

It's not often when I need to pull out the air hammer for the work I do because thankfully it's not super rusty where I am but whenever I do need to use it I'm often let down.

Mine came in my box when I inherited it, and looking online it looks similar to the old husky hdt-103. No markings on it whatsoever other than the husky head logo and the red rubber handle.

It just doesn't seem to hit very hard, it doesn't have the spring on it like I see most air hammers have (what's that for?) Also am I supposed to push hard against the object I'm trying to move or put light pressure against it so the hammer bit thrashes around more? Either way I'm often turned off from using it if it's me or the old crappy hammer.

Would it be worth upgrading to something from this century or just stick to swinging a hammer and punch/chisel?

 

[B_Bimmer]

I thought they were less than impressive until I tried my brother's snap on one... not saying it has to be from them but there's a difference. I now have several of the previous generation snap on hammer and although not quite as powerful it's still pretty darn amazing.

 

[Sumboodie]

The cheap ones are worthless.

Expect to spend $150-200 for a decent one.

Astro 4890 is a great unit, though it's about $300

 

[Fedwrench]

Being an old Husky model, it might lack the balls to pound anything into submission. Have you put a few drops of air tool oil in it before using it? The spring type retainer at the end of the barrel is just an option (and I don't think a great one) for bit retention. Many people replace the spring with a pull to release type bit holder.
https://toolaid.com/product/94400

Here's an air hammer that the torque Test Channel tested that didn't **** as I recall:

Professional Long-Barrel Air Hammer

Amazing deals on this Long Barrel Impact Hammer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

As with any tool, to be good using an air hammer requires a little practice.

 

[619DioFan]

If you have the air to drive it , Big nasty from Astro pneumatic is a beast.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

The cheap ones are worthless.

Expect to spend $150-200 for a decent one.

Astro 4890 is a great unit, though it's about $300

Little rattle toys are worthless, as you said. Even my astro hammer loses sometimes. You need a quality high power unit, and the air to feed it, if you want performance. Anything you buy with a husky logo will be better swung as a hammer than connected to an air line.

 

[bcschief]

You need a long barrel air hammer. I have an older than dirt Rodac that if you slip off what you're hammering it feels like someone punched you in the palm of your hand.

 

[RedneckWelder]

Short barrel air hammers don’t have power.

you want a quality long barrel unit and a good air supply. I have an IR 118Max. For a .401 chuck air hammer it’s damn good. The bits that come with the kit are soft but easily replaced. I’ve had it loosen tight as hell hydraulic cylinder glands that wouldn’t budge with a chain wrench and a 6 foot pipe and I’ve used it to spin loose drain plugs that wouldn’t move with a 3/4” impact. The reason I didn’t go with the bigger rougher .490 air hammers is I need fine control for some of my applications and I have yet to need bigger.
L

 

[sweet victory]

If it’s a tool you rarely use, the Chief model from harbor fart would probably do well for you. @Torque Test Channel did a good video series on these, and the Chief appears to be identical to Mac’s hammer. Same part numbers, power figures, etc.

 

[javyLSU]

You said it came with your box - I would make sure it's been oiled before you think about upgrading (unless you're looking for an excuse to upgrade... Air hammers are worthless if they aren't properly oiled regularly.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

They come in different sizes/strengths depending on what your use is. I have a cheap one that works perfect for light jobs (smoothing dents, vibrating concrete forms, cleaning bricks) I have used it to set aluminum rivets and vibrate fasteners to help loosten them.
Some tasks require brute force (cutting large bolts/rivets). I have a more powerfull hammer for those.
When it comes to breaking thick concrete I rent.

Rivet hammers/tools come in different sizes as well and usually have a better trigger (finer control). Unfortunately the cost can be significantly more.

 

[Handyandy23]

The air hammer YT videos done by @Torque Test Channel are pretty enlightening, since there isn't much data out there on air hammers (or even really power numbers from manufacturers that are easy to understand).

The cheapie short barrel air hammers maxed out around 5,000-6,000 lbs of force, while a ~$70 Sunex long barrel hit over 17,000 lb, and the IR119Max was over 20,000 lb. Snap On and Matco were around 22,000 lb, and the HF Chief was very strong as well for the money.

Those numbers are pretty telling though, you're talking about 3-4 times the power for the long barrel hammers, and you can get a very nice one for under $100. I went from a cheapo store brand short barrel to the Sunex SX243 and it was a night and day difference, the small one is just a tickler in comparison.

The Sunex didn't hit quite as hard as some, but it had very good trigger control in the test, which can be handy. The HF Chief hit very hard but had no trigger control. TTC puts it all in a nice spreadsheet at the end of the videos so you can weigh the different factors against each other if you care more about certain things.

 

[PCustoms]

What air you running for an air compressor?

 

[emeraldcoupe]

i have the chief long barrel hammer, used it to remove the rivets from the frame of my truck. knocked the heads off and drove them out no problem. i have a 30 gal kobalt compressor.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I’ve got an old Mac that I bought about 30 years ago that works pretty damn good, I mostly use it for cutting sheet metal though.
And to answer one of your questions, you usually have to push so it has something to work against.

 

[Steve_P]

Yeah, as everyone has said there's a huge difference in power vs size/cost. Ten years ago I went from a $10 ~1988 purchased HF model to a $40? IR and there was no discernable difference in force- although the IR is a much nicer tool. Then I bought the Snap On PH3050 and OMG what a difference. This was years ago, before there were the powerful import hammers at less $.

 

[engineer2]

I bought a HF Chief long barrel to drive electrical ground rods and remove floor tile. It works pretty good.

 

[AA/FC]

i have the chief long barrel hammer, used it to remove the rivets from the frame of my truck. knocked the heads off and drove them out no problem. i have a 30 gal kobalt compressor.

If it’s a tool you rarely use, the Chief model from harbor fart would probably do well for you. @Torque Test Channel did a good video series on these, and the Chief appears to be identical to Mac’s hammer. Same part numbers, power figures, etc.

I have the HF long barrel Chief air hammer also. I was very impressed with it's power....... especially it's power vs price ratio. It's gone up in price over the last year and a half (since I purchased mine) but it's probably still a decent deal in early 2022. I think I paid $95 for mine, with a coupon. Now they're $139.99.

 

[Iridium rand]

It’s 100% the hammer at fault, the little short barrel ones hit pitifully weak and bounce all over the place, only useful when you can’t fit a big one in there. Most house brands like craftsman, kobalt, husky etc. don’t make anything more than that. Could also be old gummed up lube in there slowing down the piston but more likely just not a great model. Spray some air tool oil and work it through if you want. btw you mentioned the spring, that’s to retain the bit it’s just different style than the quick change chuck, no difference in power or anything but chucks are more convenient.

luckily you can get a really hard hitting one for cheap, IR 119max (recommend the kit it’s usually the same price sometimes cheaper somehow) is about $120-130 and has very good trigger control, the difference is absolutely night and day from a short barrel. Would recommend that unless you’re dealing with REALLY tough jobs then a .498 might be in order (if you have the air to supply it) but there are few bit types available and they’re expensive. And then there’s rivet guns which offer the best control but are identical otherwise. Very pricey to buy new but not bad on yardstore or ebay used. It’s nice to have but for average automotive/mechanical work there’s really no need for a more sensitive trigger than the 119

 

[Bmxkelowna]

Thanks for the replies so far guys lots of good information!




Here's some photos of my current air hammer and also the info on my compressor. It's a 5hp 80gal.
So from everybody suggestions it sounds like my air hammer is really old and also not the right tool for the job being a short barrel. It sounds like I should ditch this one on Facebook marketplace and invest in a newer long barrel with a nice set of bits.

 

[Steve_P]

Your compressor is more than enough. That air hammer is a toy . Sometimes that is fine, but when you want to get medieval you gotta go big

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Yeah, that air "hammer" would be best used breaking up tissue paper or noise-making at new years.

You need a real tool, that will still **** with any air supply you can find.

 

[lilscorpion]

as others have said, get a good long barrel and you'll like using them. I can strip factory suspension brackets off of diffs and frames faster than most people I know by cutting into the factory weld (but not into the frame) and then I can peel it off with an air hammer resulting in very little clean up. Do that on 2 brackets and the air hammer pays for itself. Do a whole vehicle and you're rich.

 

[bwringer]

All the above said, there are times you don't need the planet destroyer thunder gun.

For those times, I have a mid-level Ingersoll-Rand that is great when I don't need to split the earth's crust.

 

[lilscorpion]

All the above said, there are times you don't need the planet destroyer thunder gun.

For those times, I have a mid-level Ingersoll-Rand that is great when I don't need to split the earth's crust.

I should have mentioned that too. There are activities like driving out grumpy pins or bucking off a mounting plate that the medium duty hammer does even better at (more control)

 

[scooby074]

Huge difference in the power of hammers! I have a old Campbell Hawsfield I started with years ago, then I got a Snapon 3050. To say night and day would be an understatement.

You dont need the $600 snapon. If you can get the Harbour Freight that TTC tested it will make a big difference.

 

[mopar4u]

I have 1 snapon tool in my entire tool collection, ph3050 air hammer. I bought it used on ebay and glad i did. I moved mostly from air to battery but it definitely has its place and purpose for me, works awesome on the removal of stubborn ball joints.

 

[bsaint]

When I was like 16 or 17, after I had done a ball point job I saw I could get the pickle fork set with the hair hammer attachment. I picked it up. Had another ball joint job come by and I went and got a Harbor Freight short air hammer. This was 2001ish so there was no Chief or Earthquake anything. It had zero balls. I returned it. I thought biggest waste ever. Few years later I had to do the lower ball joint on a 94 accord. You have to drive it out with an air hammer. I went to Napa and bought their best air hammer which is relabeled from IR 119MAx. Wow was I a believer. Smooth as butter. Over the years I've bought tons of 401 bits for different jobs. It's now 20 years old. It almost died because I didn't keep it lubed enough at first. Definitely lube those up. It's a steel slug in a steel barrel. Just bought a 498 for the heavier duty jobs.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Coworker is changing the ball joints, original ball joints, in his fathers early 2000s Dakota today. He has the a C-frame press on it, with a IR2135? gun going wide open, and a torch on the control arm to help the ball joint get moving. Big Nasty had it out in about 10 seconds after all that, he never got it to budge. I didn't reheat the arm either, it was done glowing before I walked to my tool box.

I have a CP714 for a light touch, it's good for most "precision" air hammering I do.

All the above said, there are times you don't need the planet destroyer thunder gun.

For those times, I have a mid-level Ingersoll-Rand that is great when I don't need to split the earth's crust.

I need an air hammer that can reverse the direction of earths roation on its axis. I need to launch ball joints into high earth orbit after they whack off the concrete. I need an air hammer, whose very existance, let alone use on a vehicle, is considered a war crime.

 

[Kenskip1]

Like a few others have stated, I own the HF "Chief". It may not be the "Big Nasty" however if you don't hold onto it the shock will give you a hit. For the cost this can't be beat. No pun intended.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Long barrel or bust.

I've an IR 118MAX.... bought right before it was superseded by the 119MAX .... and I like it quite a lot. It seems to lay down a lot of angry without chattering your teeth.

-Ryan

 

[bsaint]

Coworker is changing the ball joints, original ball joints, in his fathers early 2000s Dakota today. He has the a C-frame press on it, with a IR2135? gun going wide open, and a torch on the control arm to help the ball joint get moving. Big Nasty had it out in about 10 seconds after all that, he never got it to budge. I didn't reheat the arm either, it was done glowing before I walked to my tool box.

I have a CP714 for a light touch, it's good for most "precision" air hammering I do.





I need an air hammer that can reverse the direction of earths roation on its axis. I need to launch ball joints into high earth orbit after they whack off the concrete. I need an air hammer, whose very existance, let alone use on a vehicle, is considered a war crime.

Something with a little Russian on it.

 

[RedneckWelder]

I need an air hammer that can reverse the direction of earths roation on its axis. I need to launch ball joints into high earth orbit after they whack off the concrete. I need an air hammer, whose very existance, let alone use on a vehicle, is considered a war crime.

I gotcha covered big daddy

 

[scooby074]

I gotcha covered big daddy

Maximum Ugga-Duggas. Only uses 45CFM

 

[Handyandy23]

Not to keep beating a dead horse, but that TTC video I referenced before tested both maximum hammering force, and how low it will go (trigger finesse). Interesting results there too. Some brands have great control and will go very low, others have zero control.

From what I remember, the HF Chief hit really hard but the trigger was all or nothing. Snap On hit really hard, would also go really soft, but hit the wallet really hard. The Sunex had very good control, but it's max force was a little below the top units.

Just something to think about, if you get one with decent trigger control then it might be able to do just about everything for you. I usually only bust mine out when I need to whack something good though.

 

[Sneezer]

Not to keep beating a dead horse, but that TTC video I referenced before tested both maximum hammering force, and how low it will go (trigger finesse). Interesting results there too. Some brands have great control and will go very low, others have zero control.

From what I remember, the HF Chief hit really hard but the trigger was all or nothing. Snap On hit really hard, would also go really soft, but hit the wallet really hard. The Sunex had very good control, but it's max force was a little below the top units.

Just something to think about, if you get one with decent trigger control then it might be able to do just about everything for you. I usually only bust mine out when I need to whack something good though.

I recall the same. I really wanted to get the Chief, but the overall lack of trigger control killed it for me. I think the one it was a copy of (MAC or Matco?) had a different trigger assembly and had better control over the Chief. The 119MAX is the one I am planning to get - solid performance although it won't get as low as the Sunex for light trigger use but I think I can live with it. I have a medium duty Craftsman that does OK, better than my crappy freebie that came with the typical air tool multi kit 20 years ago, but I can tell I need the bigger thumpin' that a long throw hammer brings to the game.

 

[montanafordman]

Do yourself a favor and get "BIG NASTY" aka the Astro 4980 and give it the beans! Mine will do some damage if you're not careful. I couldn't have separated 22 years of rust taking apart torsion bars and control arms on my truck without my hard hitting air hammer. If you're not careful it will do some damage!

 

[Jlarson]

I'd be lost without my air hammers lol. I just got another IR 119max, new truck hammer. I buy the IR edge hammers and we run needle guns on them too for prep/welding, I'm down for one of those a year usually.

The air hammer is the last stop before the demo hammer, hollow rams, or torch/lance come out lol

 

[bwringer]

On that HF air hammer, I thankfully haven't needed it yet so I don't have one. But if I get to the point where my medium-duty IR won't do what I need, I won't really care one whit about how finely I can throttle it.

I'll crawl out, shake the rust off my clothes, angrily head to Harbor Freight, and return with nothing but destruction on my mind.

In other words, unless for some weird reason you're only allowed to own one air hammer, fine control is not really a relevant characteristic in my mind for a beast-mode air hammer.

If I'm pulling out the big slugger, I ain't in the mood for tickles and love taps. I'll use the smaller air hammer if that's what I need.

 

[aheroicdose]

On that HF air hammer, I thankfully haven't needed it yet so I don't have one. But if I get to the point where my medium-duty IR won't do what I need, I won't really care one whit about how finely I can throttle it.

I'll crawl out, shake the rust off my clothes, angrily head to Harbor Freight, and return with nothing but destruction on my mind.

In other words, unless for some weird reason you're only allowed to own one air hammer, fine control is not really a relevant characteristic in my mind for a beast-mode air hammer.

If I'm pulling out the big slugger, I ain't in the mood for tickles and love taps. I'll use the smaller air hammer if that's what I need.

/thread