Coach James
Well-known member
Has anyone on the forum used Icon dead blows? If so, how were they? I know there are other brands, but I'm curious about the Icons.
Thanks
Coach
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Coach
Dead blow Hammer Question
- Thread starter Coach James
- Start date
NakeDiesel
Well-known member
Haven't used the icon ones, but used my 5lb Pittsburgh one last night to knock the clutch housing onto the transmission/axle housing of my tractor. The icon ones didn't exist when I bought mine.
If the Pittsburgh ones can handle my 6'4" 280lb self swinging full force knocking a several hundred lb cast body onto an even heavier body then I think the icon's can handle it.
If the Pittsburgh ones can handle my 6'4" 280lb self swinging full force knocking a several hundred lb cast body onto an even heavier body then I think the icon's can handle it.
Jeepster04
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2013
- Messages
- 3,094
No desire to try the trusty cooks? I've not went full crazy on them but they seem to be working great.
mreisner
Well-known member
4320?Haven't used the icon ones, but used my 5lb Pittsburgh one last night to knock the clutch housing onto the transmission/axle housing of my tractor. The icon ones didn't exist when I bought mine.
If the Pittsburgh ones can handle my 6'4" 280lb self swinging full force knocking a several hundred lb cast body onto an even heavier body then I think the icon's can handle it.
OP
Coach James
Well-known member
I have Trusty Cooks and like them. I was just curious about the Icons.
NakeDiesel
Well-known member
1963 4010
1Garageman
Well-known member
There are several people who have tested it on YouTube.
ChevyEFI
Well-known member
Get the right matching sickle and you can't go wrong.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
The big complaint about them is the warranty. With that in mind, a person planning on using them for daily work / long term, would be money ahead to buy ones with a warranty like the ICON or Snap-On.
mreisner
Well-known member
I have a 61. I didn't take mine that far down however!
Rusted Nut
Well-known member
I have a plastic face ICON, I like it!
oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
Does Icon have lifetime warranty on the plastic dead blows? I'm in the market for some, and I like the idea of US-made, Trusty Cook, but Tekton Trusty Cook rebrands are much more expensive than HF's Taiwan made Icon dead blows.
And usually I like the Tekton's warranty better, and ability to buy single individual sockets or wrenches, but in the case of a deadblow hammer, I think it's not if it will break, I think it's a matter of when the plastic will deform and burst open. In which case heading to HF immediately to get a placement to finish a job seems better than waiting a few days for Tekton to UPS you one.
Ultimately, if I buy the Tekton one and it breaks during a job, I'll probably head to HF anyway to buy one to finish the job, so might as well make that trip to HF be a cost-free warranty repair.
The other main issue with Tekton is that the warranty is contingent on two American businesses not going bankrupt. If Trusty Cook goes bankrupt, then guess what, Tekton is going to be sourcing their future batches of hammers from Taiwan because there's no more US-manufacturers of deadblow hammers. So now I overpaid relative to HF when it comes time to warranty it.
And if Tekton goes bankrupt, then Trusty Cook isn't going to warranty my Tekton branded hammer, even though they made it. And it's also possibly Tekton may just go the Craftsman route and start offshoring stuff in lieu of bankruptcy.
With HF Icon Hammers, you're getting the Taiwan one up front and paying Taiwan prices. It's possible HF goes bankrupt or switches to a worse Chinese-made hammer, but I think that's less likely than something happening to Tekton or Trusty Cook.
Then again, if everyone thought the way I do, no one would be buying Trusty Cook hammers and they'll go out of business and so much for American manufacturing. So maybe I just talked myself into the Tektons.
Or maybe I splurge for the Snap Ons. 48oz plastic deadblow: $130 for SO versus $47 for Tekton or $26 for Icon.
Yeah the SO is 2.5x as expensive as the Tekton but I think more likely to provide me with a quality US-made replacement hammer in 10 years. I guess the question is if I want to pre-buy a replacement plan up front in the form of the SO tax.
And usually I like the Tekton's warranty better, and ability to buy single individual sockets or wrenches, but in the case of a deadblow hammer, I think it's not if it will break, I think it's a matter of when the plastic will deform and burst open. In which case heading to HF immediately to get a placement to finish a job seems better than waiting a few days for Tekton to UPS you one.
Ultimately, if I buy the Tekton one and it breaks during a job, I'll probably head to HF anyway to buy one to finish the job, so might as well make that trip to HF be a cost-free warranty repair.
The other main issue with Tekton is that the warranty is contingent on two American businesses not going bankrupt. If Trusty Cook goes bankrupt, then guess what, Tekton is going to be sourcing their future batches of hammers from Taiwan because there's no more US-manufacturers of deadblow hammers. So now I overpaid relative to HF when it comes time to warranty it.
And if Tekton goes bankrupt, then Trusty Cook isn't going to warranty my Tekton branded hammer, even though they made it. And it's also possibly Tekton may just go the Craftsman route and start offshoring stuff in lieu of bankruptcy.
With HF Icon Hammers, you're getting the Taiwan one up front and paying Taiwan prices. It's possible HF goes bankrupt or switches to a worse Chinese-made hammer, but I think that's less likely than something happening to Tekton or Trusty Cook.
Then again, if everyone thought the way I do, no one would be buying Trusty Cook hammers and they'll go out of business and so much for American manufacturing. So maybe I just talked myself into the Tektons.
Or maybe I splurge for the Snap Ons. 48oz plastic deadblow: $130 for SO versus $47 for Tekton or $26 for Icon.
Yeah the SO is 2.5x as expensive as the Tekton but I think more likely to provide me with a quality US-made replacement hammer in 10 years. I guess the question is if I want to pre-buy a replacement plan up front in the form of the SO tax.
I'll be back later, I think my head just exploded....
It's time to fill the indoor misters w/JD and reevaluate my day.....
tez929rr
Well-known member
We have had a Pittsburg have one mounted on our fire engine for over 20 years (to knock a big fitting loose). No issues, and it’s been used a lot.
I'm sure they're fine. At the prices they're currently selling for, I'd want a strong coupon for them.
For the (relatively) small premium at the time, I went with Trusty Cook, and I love them. The "Stubby's Cousin" hammer that I think was designed based on feedback here on GJ is my favorite hammer - soft face on one side, metal striking face on the other side.
(it's not looking this pretty any more...
)TBH, I've beat the everliving daylights out of the orange Pittsburgh hammer I have, and it's shrugging it off. It looks like ****, but does deadblow hammer things.
I bought one of the Icon soft face hammers for vinyl plank flooring this winter. It's holding up ok. I am tearing the face corners a little when I catch the edges of the flooring tool.
Lot of tapping very little pounding.
I don't love it's handle feel. Some hammers just feel wrong to me and this is one of them.
Lot of tapping very little pounding.
I don't love it's handle feel. Some hammers just feel wrong to me and this is one of them.
I am a connosieur of hammers! I only played with the ICONs in the store so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. The plastic outer cover is a harder material than Snap On or Trusty cook. The black over mold is for looks only. Its not soft like Snap On. And the grip is pretty round (tho TC is as well). Snap On has the best grip out there.
I found the grip size to be too small for me. When I grip a hammer and make a fist (which isn't how I use a hammer) I don't want my fingers to dig into my palm. With my HF hammers, I wrapped a couple of them with tennis racquet grip tape. They have dreadfuly, thin, square handles. That could be a solution for folks with bigger hands.
The head shape is just okay. I've sorta fallen in love with the slimline style heads and recommend them. They are more mass for their face diameter. They also lack that barrel shape to the head that prevents me from sliding them along a surface. I don't have the Snap On versions of those yet. I started with the venerable Stanley Compocast and when that broke, I switchd to the Trusty Cook S3. If you are wanting the deadblow ball peens, all makers seems to have a pointier ball end, which I find acceptable but different from classic steel ball peen hammers. ICON is the same. The faces seemed ok to me in the store. A skilled autobody person may have a different opinion.
As we all know, HF is moving away from the cheapest possible junk tools. The ICON hammers don't seem to be particularly price competitive . There are lots of other deadblows out there. I think its tough to beat blemished Trusty Cooks. Last one I bought was $19 I think.
I found the grip size to be too small for me. When I grip a hammer and make a fist (which isn't how I use a hammer) I don't want my fingers to dig into my palm. With my HF hammers, I wrapped a couple of them with tennis racquet grip tape. They have dreadfuly, thin, square handles. That could be a solution for folks with bigger hands.
The head shape is just okay. I've sorta fallen in love with the slimline style heads and recommend them. They are more mass for their face diameter. They also lack that barrel shape to the head that prevents me from sliding them along a surface. I don't have the Snap On versions of those yet. I started with the venerable Stanley Compocast and when that broke, I switchd to the Trusty Cook S3. If you are wanting the deadblow ball peens, all makers seems to have a pointier ball end, which I find acceptable but different from classic steel ball peen hammers. ICON is the same. The faces seemed ok to me in the store. A skilled autobody person may have a different opinion.
As we all know, HF is moving away from the cheapest possible junk tools. The ICON hammers don't seem to be particularly price competitive . There are lots of other deadblows out there. I think its tough to beat blemished Trusty Cooks. Last one I bought was $19 I think.
I bought the 3 piece set of orange HF dead blows 3 months ago when I had to replace the axle seals on my Kubota. I only used the largest and the axles fought me going back on so I had to beat the living **** out of it. It worked fine. I know, that's one project, not a great sample size. I figure if those hammers break I'll upgrade then.
You might want to get a back up. At some point they all give up the ghost.We have had a Pittsburg have one mounted on our fire engine for over 20 years (to knock a big fitting loose). No issues, and it’s been used a lot.
nadogail
Well-known member
I use my shot filled plastic hammers when I dont want to leave any evidence of my beating on something.
tez929rr
Well-known member
Got lots of tools we can pound things with on board. This is just convenient placement.
OP
Coach James
Well-known member
Thanks for all the replies. I appreciate it.
Coach
Coach
OP
Coach James
Well-known member
What model Kubota do you have?
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Don't get curious.
oldschoolcraft
Well-known member
I'm curious about both Icon and Trusty Cook. Some might say I'm Bi Curious
If you are ”beating the living **** out of it”, you probably needed to move up to a steel faced dead blow. What you are describing SOUNDS LIKE, you were trying to overcome static friction between the seal and the axle. You needed force for that. You can swing harder and get more force, or you can swing a harder hammer and get that exact same amount of force or more. Deadblows limit the force felt by the struck object.
No criticism, but I get the sense folks here may not understand how hammers work. Maybe there’s a belief that such a simple tool needs no instructions or training. And that’s fine up to the point at which guys are actually breaking their hammers. No one should ever break a hammer. For those of us who’ve done that, that wasn’t a fun day for us. I broke my favorite 24oz Stanley Compocast after I lost my temper last year, driving a header into position. I bent the head on the handle. I needed to stop, cool off, and get a bigger hammer.
Wrote this for someone else, but maybe worth repeating here:
- we use our deadblows to MOVE things.
- we use solid steel hammers to SHOCK things.
- steel faced deadblows are compromises between the soft faced, and solid steel hammers. You get more force than a soft face, but often not so much that you’ll damage what you are hitting.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I'm curious about both Icon and Trusty Cook. Some might say I'm Bi Curious
I like the idea of the steel shot inside the hammer head being able to flow freely from side to side instead of there being a post in the way.
I set up this video to start at 2:30 to show the point I'm trying to make :
neophyte
Well-known member
Having the steel shot “flowing freely” is likely a better idea, as is the idea of having the hammer connection “wrap around” the shot barrel of the hammer head.
That said, the rod thru tube connection used on Trusty Cook deadblows seems like a sturdier connection.
The amount of shot the hammers are filled with seems like it may negate how much of an issue the central rod is to effectiveness.
The ”free flowing” shot of the Snap On hammers is a better design that helps the hammer not damage what you are hitting. It functions as a dead blow better because it extends the time the shot is moving, thus reducing the contact force. You can feel this just by shaking the hammer. The design is more expensive to produce, which partialy impacts the retail price we pay.
Manufacturers can compensate by adding more or less shot, which effects the weight of the hammer head. I think I read Snap On treats their shot to keep it from clumping, which also helps the performance of the hammer.
While free flowing, anti clumping shot makes a better dead blow hammer, it also reduces its effectiveness in delivering shock needed to crack free rusted ****.
If your work involves beating rusted brake rotors off hubs, or separating exhaust couplings, you might be better off with a cheaper dead blow or just a plain ole ball peen hammer.
Dakotadadv8
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 30, 2021
- Messages
- 1,482
The 48 oz dead blow and the 32 oz dead blow ball peen are nice hammers.
Sorry for the delay, I have an older L4310, built like a tank!
I am always open to learn and I'll be the first to say I don't always know the best tool for the job or use it. In this case the 4wd drive gears are out in the axle by each wheel. The bottom part of the case is heavy, like 50#, and it has a rather fine/precise opening on the bottom into which an insert/plug goes. That case has to get pushed up onto the male receiving end. I was very concerned about any denting on that cap opening, but it is the only place to strike it. I was also concerned about destroying the new seal with shock. Net net I bought the deadblow specifically for this job (Joe weekender here). I was in fact overcoming static friction, but it was a lot of static that was consisten over 1/2" of travel...1/128th of an inch at a time... Do you think a steel face would have been better?
Here's a schmatic is anyone is interested.
Kubota L4310DT/GST/HST (4wd, Rops) Parts Diagrams
Kubota Parts Catalog Lookup. Buy Kubota Parts Online & Save!
www.messicks.com
OP
Coach James
Well-known member
I like those. Has a "tank " look to it.
I have not used Icon brand but I am doing some metal fabrication and auto work in my spare time and looking to purchase some dead blow hammers myself. What are the most common sizes of dead blow hammers everyone has? Any other advice what it comes to dead blows?
I haven't used the Icons myself. You'll hear a lot of recommendations for Trusty Cook deadblows and those they make for others. You'll also hear good things about Snap-On.
My two most used are my TC 26 ounce dead blow mallet and my 26 ounce dead blow ball peen. I have larger, but they rarely get used