Hammers for auto work

[FiveFinger]

I recently had to beat a rusted set of rotors off of a hub with a 16oz claw hammer and I now realize I do not have a good hammer for anything other than driving nails.

What tyoe of hammer is best for some gentle persuasion? A one piece plastic deadblow? Metal faced deadblow? Brass mallet? Drilling hammer? I am clueless to what would work best.

 

[930dreamer]

I have several ball pein and small sledge hammers. Dead blows are nice too.

 

[#1SomeGuy]

I use ball pein and small sledge hammers....or big sledge hammers.

I'm wondering what a dead blow would be like.

 

[jmm]

I have 2 ball peins, a little drilling hammer (3 lb, I think), a deadblow, a rubber mallet, and one brass head hammer for working on my cars. They're plenty sufficient for a my purposes -- would probably need more variety as a professional (starting with one of the Snap On deadblows everyone raves about).

 

[Texican]

Use soft face, rubber mallets for delicate items, mini sledges, drilling hammers for bigger heavier items. I used to own a 30lb sledgehammer for busting open monument boxes.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I have 2 ball peins, a little drilling hammer (3 lb, I think), a deadblow, a rubber mallet, and one brass head hammer for working on my cars. They're plenty sufficient for a my purposes -- would probably need more variety as a professional (starting with one of the Snap On deadblows everyone raves about).

If they are made by Trusty Cook, the OP could get one at much better prices than SO I'm sure.

 

[firebox40dash5]

3lb. engineer's hammer/mini-sledge is your friend.

I've got a couple ball peens I picked up cheap, tiny and ~1lb brass hammers are good too.

 

[crewchief888]

my "goto" hammer for beating the **** outta stuff is an 8lb sledge with a short handle.

breaks everything i hit with it,
including fingers

next in line is a 4lb'er

 

[foreverfalcon40]

Got mini sledge hammer from HF...takes the good beating that it gives. Will do the trick for rotors...drums and suspension components.

 

[Super Sport]

I really like my soft face deadblows. I've got a 4lb and a 1 or 2 lb. They work great for stuff like that, and don't beat whatever it is up.

 

[Outlawmws]

3-4 lb Engineers hammer (can be cross peen or not... Looks like a mini sledge...)

48 oz Ball Peen also works.

 

[davesnothere]

Ball peen dead blow.
The bigger the better.

 

[scouting]

On a rotor, I have better luck with a 2-3lb sledge, a deadblow doesn't hit quite as hard. If you hit the rotor wrong, the part instantly becomes scrap metal; however, I would expect you could ruin a rotor with a deadblow fairly easily as well.

 

[wannab20hatch]

I have a drawer full of hammers from different weight deadblows, sledge hammers, body hammers until I got the snap on bh141a Now its my go to hammer for anything other than metal work.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item..._ID=635012&group_ID=675299&store=&dir=catalog

 

[Engineer61]

Hitting the back of the rotor to drive it off I would use a heavy plastic dead blow, you can use a 3 -5 lb head for this kind of work. Hitting the hat from the front to break it free from rust on the hub and studs a big 40 - 48 oz ball or cross peen or 3- 5 lb sledge - a dead blow wouldn't let the rotor "ring" and vibrate itself loose as well as a solid metal hammer head.

 

[ChevyEFI]

If they came off with a 16oz, the rotors were not all that rusted.

I'll vote for a 3lb one-hand sledge.

 

[MattPersman]

If I am trying to save a really stuck rotor 12 lb Matco deadblow http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/BFH12/12-LB-BLACK-FORMED-HAMMER/

If I don't care usually start with a simple 32 oz deadblow ball peen from snap on and give it the business if that doesn't do anything go to a 4 lb hammer

 

[FiveFinger]

Thanks for the recommendations. I think I am going to buy the three piece set from Trusty http://www.trustyhammers.com/product_p/mech3pk.htm
and probably a cheap engineers or drilling hammer.

 

[FiveFinger]

If they came off with a 16oz, the rotors were not all that rusted.

I'll vote for a 3lb one-hand sledge.

I do not think that they were very rusty but they did not simply pull off like they have in the past. I was replacing them anyways so i beat them pretty hard with the claw hammer.

 

[richfinn]

If I had to have just one it would be my "Thor" copper/hide hammer. It's just one of those timeless British classics. I manage with that a 32oz ball/pein and a little sledge hammer with a long handle.

 

[Haveblue]

Northern tool has some pretty good prices on hammers, with good reviews. That set you are looking at looks pretty good, though.

 

[Motor-Mechanic]

Since i bought a Snap-On 24oz ball pein (after 26 years as a pro mechanic) i haven't picked up another hammer.

Do fancy a copper/hide Thor like RichFinn though.

 

[Trash Mech]

Use soft face, rubber mallets for delicate items, mini sledges, drilling hammers for bigger heavier items. I used to own a 30lb sledgehammer for busting open monument boxes.

Why would you not still have a 30lb hammer? That sounds so bad ***!!

 

[wise]

+1 on Snap-On Dead Blows. I have the 16oz and 32oz and I find its a good combo. I might get the 8oz, 24oz, and 40oz in time (wait for specials or used/online). I find they hit a lot harder than the weight implys, a 24oz SO would be a great hammer for most general mechanical use IMO.

Jet brand 16oz soft face deadblow, 48oz (I think) Mac Compoclast soft face deadblow. Both are great. The cheap ones fall apart really quickly, and can never be used in cold weather.

I also have the 24oz Mac Anti-Vibe... It's a nice hammer but a co-worker broke the handle on a anti-vibe drilling hammer and put a nice dent in his triple bank Snap-On Master Series Box... I will probably just bring that one home and not use it often, or sell it.

Hickory Handle Drilling Hammer, 4lb Fiberglass Engineers hammer, Hickory 8oz ball pein, 10lb fiberglass handled sledge. All get a ton of use.

The shop supplies all our Deadblow Sledges, and they come in handy all the time.

It's weird with hammers. By far the simplest tool in the tool box, but certain jobs require a certain hammer, or else you look like a hack or damage your work peice/surrounding materials.

 

[sberry]

I cant carry everything in my pickup but am with chief, a claw hammer a 4 pounder and a short 8.

 

[Haveblue]

Id have to agree with you guys that the Snap-on hammers are real workhorses, I dont own any of them, but Ive borrowed, and been around enough of them to see that they just flatass get the job done.

 

[Bryan Burns]

If I am trying to save a really stuck rotor 12 lb Matco deadblow http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/BFH12/12-LB-BLACK-FORMED-HAMMER/

Nice looking hammer, really caught my eye. Then I looked at the price. Wow.