How many hammers is normal?
- Thread starter RVDan
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PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I've got about 30.... most are Estwing, a few others crept in when I wasn't paying attention.
Sine Swept
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- Feb 2, 2014
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Machinist hammer x 2, small ballpeen, large ballpeen, claw hammer x 2, craft size ball peen, small brass hammer, 2 sided rubber hammer, non marring slugger, orange (non)marring slugger and a sledgehammer.
I really don't have my hammer terminology down
I really don't have my hammer terminology down
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Marc Benjamin
Well-known member
The answer is really the same as to how many women should one bang and there is no right answer.
It just depends on the dude and while some are fine to just bang a few, others go the distance and keep hammering new and different ones as often as they can.
It just depends on the dude and while some are fine to just bang a few, others go the distance and keep hammering new and different ones as often as they can.
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timmyisme22
Well-known member
I think you have too many claw hammers. Only way to balance it is to buy more types of hammers 
Gotta ensure they don't get lonely, after all! 
Gotta ensure they don't get lonely, after all! 98ssuck
Well-known member
17 anything more and you may be a millwright
Millwrights only carry three hammers. If it's not fixed after three different sized hammers they order new parts.
Most of mine came with bulk lots of tools I buy cheap sometimes on auction sites. I should try to trade some for things I don't have multiples of. I only have one hacksaw.
Most of mine came with bulk lots of tools I buy cheap sometimes on auction sites. I should try to trade some for things I don't have multiples of. I only have one hacksaw.
General Geoff
Well-known member
I have six and consider myself dangerously low on hammers!
four.cycle
Well-known member
there is clearly no such thing as "too many hammers"
> see HERE: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143435
> see HERE: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143435
maddawg1952
Well-known member
Define "Normal", Between my truck , my basement shop, my garage and a shed I roughly estimate I have between 30-40 hammers plus 10-12 sledge hammers of varying weights. Framing hammers, claw hammers, brick hammers, ball pean hammers....... They all have a different use.
countryroad82
Well-known member
I have a thing for hammers and ratchets. No clue how many I really have but I really like hammers I guess it's cause I like hitting/smashing things. Body panels, nails, wood, my hand..........
DieselDent
Well-known member
What is normal on a forum of tool mongers lol. I have at least that many dead blows of different sizes. I just seem to end up with more and more, I even have a rubber made container full of spares incase the 30 or so I have in service get messed up or lost. Favorite by far is my 32oz snap on ball peen dead blow.
rodsnratfinks
Well-known member
It really depends on what you use them for at what you work on. I have about twelve, but I use hammers a lot, and could use a few more types and sizes. 8, 12, 16, 24, and 32oz ball peens will help with a wide variety of projects, but if you are banging panels, you're going to want some body hammers. Everyone needs a ~16oz finish claw hammer, and if you ever want to frame anything, a ~24oz framer. At least one good sized dead blow and a ~32oz drilling hammer for stubborn objects, an 8lb sledge for yard work... How about a non marking mallet? A brass hammer? A chipping hammer? Hammers for masonry?
Not every style do you need multiple sizes, but for some, you really do (such as ball peens). I definitely see some ridiculous redundancy on here. I don't understand it, but if you're looking to do a significant amount of pro level work in a given field, you're going to want a good complement of hammers for that, and the know how to use them. Hammers are probably the most misunderstood tool.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Not every style do you need multiple sizes, but for some, you really do (such as ball peens). I definitely see some ridiculous redundancy on here. I don't understand it, but if you're looking to do a significant amount of pro level work in a given field, you're going to want a good complement of hammers for that, and the know how to use them. Hammers are probably the most misunderstood tool.
Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
woody 73
Well-known member
This is a trick question right!
Come on now you need one for Mondays.
one for Tuesdays.
Oh hell one for every day of the week...
Then 30 more for the month.
Don't let me forget 12 months in a year.
So at least 365 should be a good start.
Come on now you need one for Mondays.
one for Tuesdays.
Oh hell one for every day of the week...
Then 30 more for the month.
Don't let me forget 12 months in a year.
So at least 365 should be a good start.
bczygan
Well-known member
There is no "Normal" on GJ!
Rileysan
Well-known member
Made me re-think the previous post. I'm not technically a millwright - I'm a card carrying "journeyman maintenance mechanic" - so maybe that's the distinction. A millwright won't pound things into submission. I've never counted my hammers, but own more than 40 hammers.
Maybe we need a new thread - "You might be a millwright if ..."
Brian
B_Bimmer
Well-known member
I probably have a hundred and fifty hammers scattered about, but can only find about thirty of them when I'm looking... None of which are ever the type of hammer I actually need. I need more tool storage. At least sledges are big and hard to lose.
padroo
Well-known member
How many times have you ever seen a worn out hammer. My grandfather was a blacksmith and he had a rotating lazy Susan filled with worn out ones.
prob like 15, but only two are the same. Mechanics box, 4 sizes of ball pein, 32 to 4oz, a mini sledge, 3 sizes of dead blow, a cross pein, brass hammer. Woodworking stuff, medley of every size, framing hammer to 10oz trim hammer. I think this is a reasonable amount, if you have a 5 of every size you might have too many
bobcatdan
Well-known member
9,000
BioNerd
Well-known member
I have a 12oz and 16oz estwing, 1lb dead blow and a plastic/rubber mallet in my carpentry set.
In my mechanic service cart I have a 2 pound short sladge hammer, a small plastic mallet, a one pound bronze hammer, a 10oz metalworking hammer... ( I guess I could call it that). And I miss having a 2 pound deadblow.
In my mechanic service cart I have a 2 pound short sladge hammer, a small plastic mallet, a one pound bronze hammer, a 10oz metalworking hammer... ( I guess I could call it that). And I miss having a 2 pound deadblow.
Strouty
Well-known member
Why would anyone need more than one hammer?
neonlazer
Well-known member
In multiple colors?!
No such thing as a normal tool person at Garage Journal - it's like asking what a normal gambler is in Vegas
I saw a youtube video of somebody tapping a padlock with a jewelers hammer to open it, now I want a jewelers hammer. Nothing fancy required, maybe the $5 HF and pick up another set of screwdrivers I decided I needed the other day, but now don't remember what for.
hammers surprised me with how many sizes and types are needed, but weight and type determine the impact they make and you need all kinds of whacking. You can use several types of hammer to drill concrete for example, but a drilling hammer really does work best.
hammers surprised me with how many sizes and types are needed, but weight and type determine the impact they make and you need all kinds of whacking. You can use several types of hammer to drill concrete for example, but a drilling hammer really does work best.
Strouty
Well-known member
That would make things even weirder, you mean people will own the same hammer but in different colors?
neonlazer
Well-known member
Even weirder is the fact that people have the ENTIRE line of hammers in multiple colors.
Strouty
Well-known member
Interesting concept, I should look into it.
WhiskeyRanger
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- Mar 28, 2015
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I'm not a millwright, I only have one hammer.
neonlazer
Well-known member
This series of posts has completely made my day.
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jjjrmx5
Well-known member
rlitman
Well-known member
I know how that happens.
Ok, let's see:
In Estwing (all hanging by the back of my shop), there's the
16 oz straight claw finishing
20 oz smooth face rip
22 oz waffle face framing
two bricklayer's hammers
3lb drilling hammer
pointed rock hammer
(not counting other Estwing stuff like the hatchet, camp axe, fireside friend, and assorted prybars).
Then there's the ball peen hammers. 2oz, 4oz, 8oz, 12oz, 16oz, 24oz, and 32oz, plus a Snap On dead blow ball peen in 24oz. And the jewelers miniature hammers (2), the upholster's tack hammer, the planishing hammers (2), the cross peen hammers (2), the welding chipping hammers (3), and the two 16oz hammers the wife has in the house (Plumb fiberglass curved claw and Husky forged steel straight claw).
Ok, so that's 27 (off the top of my head, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some) steel faced hammers. Then there's the urethane dead blows (6ish), the rawdides (4ish), brass (3ish), copper (1?), rubber (4?), plastic (2?) and lead hammers (4 plus a few molds) that will easily raise this count to 50.