seber
Well-known member
My two pound dead blow soft hammer just exploded. That one was a Stanly but in the past I've had it happen to Mac and several other brands. Are there any out there that do not suddenly come apart in time?
Dead blow that doesn't blow
- Thread starter seber
- Start date
nicks78camaro
Well-known member
Trusty Cook. No dead blows last forever but they're the best, and USA made.
My harbor freight one has lasted a long time, and I wack some hard stuff.
Jeepster04
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2013
- Messages
- 3,097
This.. Bought almost every dead blow they make, really like them.
Nthill93
Well-known member
Same here
JohnKal
Well-known member
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I was surfing Amazon one day and came across a Wilton 3lb dead blow for $26 so I bought it. I haven't had it long enough to put it through all the tests, but it's the most impressive dead blow I've ever seen and that includes Trusty Cook, which is very impressive in it's own right. Here's the 2lb from Zoro, I'm sure you could find bettter deals elsewhere..
www.zoro.com
Wilton 2 Lb, 14" BASH Dead Blow Hammer 55214 | Zoro
Order Wilton 2 Lb, 14" BASH Dead Blow Hammer, 55214 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
www.zoro.com
dnschmidt
Well-known member
All of the urethane ones will eventually fail as that's the nature of the chemistry. Normally they will indicate this by turning color and as Bill Burr says: "turning ashey." Trusty Cook are the best I've used but nothing lasts forever.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Nupla
Shootinok
Well-known member
X3
Trusty-Cook Polyurethane Dead Blow Hammers
We invented the polyurethane dead blow hammer, and we still hot-cast each by hand like we did over 30 years ago. Try our dead blow hammers for maximum striking force.
trustycook.com
sparky 1971
Well-known member
I was surfing Amazon one day and came across a Wilton 3lb dead blow for $26 so I bought it. I haven't had it long enough to put it through all the tests, but it's the most impressive dead blow I've ever seen and that includes Trusty Cook, which is very impressive in it's own right. Here's the 2lb from Zoro, I'm sure you could find bettter deals elsewhere..
Wilton 2 Lb, 14" BASH Dead Blow Hammer 55214 | Zoro
Order Wilton 2 Lb, 14" BASH Dead Blow Hammer, 55214 at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.
Yes they did. There was something weird when I bought mine. It wasn't going to ship for a month or so, but I didn't care. I wasn't looking for a new hammer when I found it anyway. Ever other BASH had the pricing more inline with what's out there today. Like I stated, I was just surfing around and stumbled upon the deal, so I jumped at it. I figured the worst case scenario was I wasted $26, but it turned out to be one of my better purchases. The BASH lives up to it's name. Bad *** Sledge Hammer.
I think they went up in price
EDIT: I just looked at the order. $24.83, ordered Aug. 21 and delivered Sept. 8th, a week or so before it was supposed to ship.
EDIT#2: I was in the shop and took a look at my hammer. I'm guessing mine was a factory second. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it, but the lettering on the handle is black, not green like the picture shows. I really don't care, and, knowing what I do now, wouldn't have a problem paying full price for it. There is no way I would have paid $62 for it without having at least put my hands on it in the store though.
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I have a Lixie that is hard plastic on one side and softer plastic on the other, very high quality hammer.
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
Trusty Cook through Tekton for the warranty.
dutchgray
Well-known member
PB swiss with the washers in not shot.
MarineScott
Well-known member
I bought my Trusty Cook hammers from my Cornwell tools dealer, and was somewhat disappointed with the vibration in the handles.
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Trusty Cook and Snap-on. Or any company that has hammers made by Trusty Cook. Trusty Cook no longer makes them for Snap-on but both have a great warranty so if they do come apart just tell them you need another one. For me personally the first time it showed a crack I’d be replacing it.
four.cycle
Well-known member
Trusty-Cook puts only a two-year warranty on the product because the plastic that the hammer body is made from will break down unless it's stored in a vacuum in the dark.
Any Trusty-Cook made hammer being sold by another vendor with an extended warranty is simply the vendor offering a longer warranty period (generally at a higher cost to the end user.)
And Trusty-Cook didn't really "originate" the polyurethane hammer. It was invented by their "predecessor" company, "Softuff", which was manufactured by Compo-Cast of Indianapolis. Compo-Cast was acquired by Stanley in 1982.
When the non-comp clause in the contract with Stanley expired, the former owner of Compo-Cast, Mr. William H. Cook, partnered with Mr. Joel Trusty to form the Trusty-Cook company.
But back to the OP's question:
Buy a new hammer. If it's a plastic-bodied dead-blow, it's not going to last forever.
Any Trusty-Cook made hammer being sold by another vendor with an extended warranty is simply the vendor offering a longer warranty period (generally at a higher cost to the end user.)
And Trusty-Cook didn't really "originate" the polyurethane hammer. It was invented by their "predecessor" company, "Softuff", which was manufactured by Compo-Cast of Indianapolis. Compo-Cast was acquired by Stanley in 1982.
When the non-comp clause in the contract with Stanley expired, the former owner of Compo-Cast, Mr. William H. Cook, partnered with Mr. Joel Trusty to form the Trusty-Cook company.
But back to the OP's question:
Buy a new hammer. If it's a plastic-bodied dead-blow, it's not going to last forever.
Tinner
Well-known member
Trusty Cook are cast urethane and come with a laughable 2 year warranty. Quality is no better than lots of Taiwan brands sold for less money. Tekton rebrands TC hammers and offers lifetime warranty, which ain't a bad deal.
Smap-on are injection molded and of course, lifetime warranty.
They all fall apart eventually.
Smap-on are injection molded and of course, lifetime warranty.
They all fall apart eventually.
I have found with dead blows how you use it makes more difference than the brand. I have guys who will take one people say is tough and break it very quickly and and others who will take one that people say is junk and make it last a long time. I see one on rough steel that looks like it is heated. Time to talk to someone. I learned the hard way.
From the US tape website. The guys who follow these have what we consider a tool that will break last the longest for them.
It’s a useful tool in that it prevents damage to soft surfaces, while reducing the amount of rebound and improving the striking force of the hammer. They’re great tools for tapping joints together, or knocking them apart.
The head of these hammers is typically hollow and partially filled with steel shot, lead shot or sand to distribute the energy of the strike over a longer stretch of time.
And while these may not be precision tools, there is a precise way to use a dead blow hammer. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re wielding this tool safely and wisely.
And the surface that you’ll be striking might be made of a material that can break upon impact and send debris flying. Therefore, it’s important to wear eye protection with this kind of hammer, and to avoid using it to hammer nails, strike chisels or hit other sharp objects.
If you need to use the hammer for more difficult tasks, make sure it’s made with a secondary coating that guards the hammer from damage.
Like any tool, a dead blow hammer will treat you well if you treat it well.
From the US tape website. The guys who follow these have what we consider a tool that will break last the longest for them.
How To Properly Use A Dead Blow Hammer
A dead blow hammer is a mallet-like tool used to absorb tremors that occur when the hammer strikes.It’s a useful tool in that it prevents damage to soft surfaces, while reducing the amount of rebound and improving the striking force of the hammer. They’re great tools for tapping joints together, or knocking them apart.
The head of these hammers is typically hollow and partially filled with steel shot, lead shot or sand to distribute the energy of the strike over a longer stretch of time.
And while these may not be precision tools, there is a precise way to use a dead blow hammer. Here are a few tips to make sure you’re wielding this tool safely and wisely.
1. WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES
As we said above, dead blow hammers contain a lot of loose particles which help stop the vibrations formed when the hammer strikes.And the surface that you’ll be striking might be made of a material that can break upon impact and send debris flying. Therefore, it’s important to wear eye protection with this kind of hammer, and to avoid using it to hammer nails, strike chisels or hit other sharp objects.
2. DON’T USE EXCESS FORCE
Dead blow hammers can be made from several varied materials, including polyurethane and aluminum, which can break when hitting a solid surface using a lot of force. Even if the hammer doesn’t break, repeated excessive force will shorten the tool’s life cycle.3. SHORT, SMALL JOBS
Another way to make sure you’re using dead blow hammers properly: make sure you only use them on small, short jobs. This kind of hammer isn’t meant for jobs that require a lot of force, such as hammering through walls.If you need to use the hammer for more difficult tasks, make sure it’s made with a secondary coating that guards the hammer from damage.
4. STORAGE
Keep your hammer safe by storing it in a secure space, somewhere where you can protect it against damage from dropping or having other tools stacked on top of it.Like any tool, a dead blow hammer will treat you well if you treat it well.
Farmall450
Well-known member
I've had good luck with these and HF.
I have a few TC, the grip size is too small IMO; a large Stanley (by TC?) and the grip size is good; a few Nuplas (like above) with brass and steel faces (good); and some of these Wihas which have replaceable faces and the shot is contained in the metal portion. If I had to pick one to use with plastic faces, the Wihas are my favorite, feel great in the hand.
edit- from fourcycle's post above, I guess the Stanley I have is by Compo Cast and not TC. Because of the grip being larger, I prefer it to TC.
edit 2: ten? years ago I bought a couple of the PB Swiss ones and returned them. I ordered a few replacement faces at the same time, and there was no retention method- are they just glued in? The face had a straight shank on it. The Wiha faces have a groove that engages in the hammer's body.
Wiha 80290 Medium Hard Dead Blow Hammer Set, 3-Piece - - Amazon.com
Wiha 80290 Medium Hard Dead Blow Hammer Set, 3-Piece - - Amazon.com
www.amazon.com
edit- from fourcycle's post above, I guess the Stanley I have is by Compo Cast and not TC. Because of the grip being larger, I prefer it to TC.
edit 2: ten? years ago I bought a couple of the PB Swiss ones and returned them. I ordered a few replacement faces at the same time, and there was no retention method- are they just glued in? The face had a straight shank on it. The Wiha faces have a groove that engages in the hammer's body.
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gatewaysysop
Well-known member
I amazed that they don't get more coverage here, but Impact Poly Hammers are second to none.
I posted about mine ages ago, in the larger thread devoted to these hammers, which is here. I have used the hell out of them since then, and I have zero regrets. They still look like brand new and have never left me wanting. I would buy them again at twice the price.
Here's a website I found for them, presumably fairly dated, but has some neat background. There's also this one, which seems newer. Both have contact info for Troy. I think you can work with him directly if you're not able to find a Canadian distributor that will ship to the states.
I'm pretty sure several members picked up some of these hammers in years past, maybe some of them will chime in with their experience and how they've held up?
I posted about mine ages ago, in the larger thread devoted to these hammers, which is here. I have used the hell out of them since then, and I have zero regrets. They still look like brand new and have never left me wanting. I would buy them again at twice the price.
Here's a website I found for them, presumably fairly dated, but has some neat background. There's also this one, which seems newer. Both have contact info for Troy. I think you can work with him directly if you're not able to find a Canadian distributor that will ship to the states.
I'm pretty sure several members picked up some of these hammers in years past, maybe some of them will chime in with their experience and how they've held up?
four.cycle
Well-known member
Steve_P said:
That's not exactly accurate. Compo-Cast, which was a division of C.E.S. Inc. (Custom Electronic Services), was sold in its entirety to Stanley in 1982.
It's reasonable to assume that along with the blueprints, Stanley got all the tooling and manufacturing equipment. (Other than brand name, by all appearances it most likely looked like the "Softuff" models.)
Trusty-Cook came along years later.
Trusty-Cook is the OEM supplier to several different companies, but I do not believe Stanley is (or was) one of them.
(Sorry, the guy talked so fast on the phone I had a difficult time taking notes.)
BarrelRoll
Well-known member
I have a Wilton deadblow at work, I want to say it's a 3 pounder. It's held up fine though I don't use it much. I have seen people destroy the faces on the Wiltons to the point they have no rubber left on the face. I'm going to give a snapon a try the next time I go to buy one.
Ton ton
Well-known member
Seber, do you care to explain how you use your dead blow hammer? Just curious.
Coach James
Well-known member
I have both T.C. and Harbor Freight models. Both have done fine for me. The 2lb HF one survived a relative using it to drive rebar in the ground. I pulled into the yard, saw what he was doing, took it away from him, told him to never touch my tools again unless I said he could then fought the urge to crack his skull with it.
Had a brand new hf dead blow couple years ago. One of those orange ones. Fell completely apart in less than a week using it delivering co2. Didn’t ask much of it but it failed spectacularly.
Current one is a Stanley 57-533. It’s been bulletproof now for several years.
nadogail
Well-known member
I have two Harbor Freight Dead Blow Hammers, one has both a plastic and a brass face. Like me they are getting long of tooth but they keep on working when i want to persuade something to move.
B_Bimmer
Well-known member
I ruined several harbor fright ones and got a orange Stanley compo cast. It's held up for at least five years now of much harder use than the harbor fright ones ever experienced. If it blew up tomorrow it'd owe me nothing.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
Wow, I started that thread nearly 14 years ago. Anyway, massive +1 from me. Mine are all still going strong and they've been used hard. Some gouges and some small chunks chipped off but no splits and still entirely serviceable.
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MushCreek
Well-known member
Another vote for Lixie. They come in a wide range of sizes, and have replaceable tips of different hardnesses. We used them exclusively in the tool and die business, and I've never broken one. I have about 5 different sizes, all the way up to the monster 300H which is over ten pounds (and $200!).