Problem with estwing dead blow coming apart

[emeraldcoupe]

Any of you ever have this happen? I haven't used this in quite a while, got it out of the box and it seems to have reacted with something. It has this white residue all over it.This is the only one that had this happen. Any ideas what could have caused it? No chemicals or anything in my toolbox.

 

[seber]

My Mac hammer came apart the same way. It has always lived in a climate controlled environment in my tool box. I hope Estwing treats you better than Mac treated me.

 

[4xdog]

Polyurethane polymers have lots of advantages, but long life is rarely one of them.

It’s common for PU to self-destruct as it ages. The process is sometimes called hydrolysis, but it’s more complicated than just that.

It’s irreversible and fatal.

I still miss my old Blue Point deadblow ball pein. That was a great little hammer until the polyurethane turned to goo.

 

[Loud Lyle]

I had a Matco deadblow do the same exact thing. I had it replaced under warranty

 

[emeraldcoupe]

i just got off the phone with customer service and they asked for a couple of pictures and my address. She said it should be covered. i'll update when i hear something.

it's odd it was just this one, i have a couple others that are fine.

 

[dscheidt]

i just got off the phone with customer service and they asked for a couple of pictures and my address. She said it should be covered. i'll update when i hear something.

it's odd it was just this one, i have a couple others that are fine.

The rate at which the degradation occurs depends on a bunch of factors. Environmental ones are big, but there are also manufacturing defects that can leave unreacted chemicals in the end product. Improving that has been one of the big improvements in durabality of these things.

 

[KnurledNut]

i just got off the phone with customer service and they asked for a couple of pictures and my address. She said it should be covered. i'll update when i hear something.

it's odd it was just this one, i have a couple others that are fine.

The current Estwings are not the same. They are now imported and a different design.
The one you have was made by Trusty Cook in the USA. I would reach out to them and see if they would be willing to help.

 

[Jon h]

I replaced 2 older snap-on dead blows that did the same thing…….
Regards,
Jon h.

 

[65ranchero]

I also had a Snap-on dead blow disintegrate like that about 25-30 years ago. No problem with replacement and the replaced one is doing very well.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

I just got an email from them, they are sending out a replacement tomorrow. That was fast, great customer service. 3 hours from first contact!

 

[NMTrailboss]

I also had 3 Snap On's that had sat in storage for close to 20 years after I had quit turning wrenches professionally and when I got them back out after all that time, the polyurethane broke into pieces first time I used them. Snap On dealer replaced them all no questions asked.

 

[scooby074]

Urethane rot. Ive warrantied SO deadblows for the same

 

[dnschmidt]

The current Estwings are not the same. They are now imported and a different design.
The one you have was made by Trusty Cook in the USA. I would reach out to them and see if they would be willing to help.

Actually they were made under the Compocast Brand which at that time was part of SBD. They all eventually died from the white death. If something lasts 20 years, which is typical for these, I just scrap them out and move on with life. I have a lot of recently bought Trusty Cook which I expect to last 20 years which is much longer than I expect to last myself.

 

[KnurledNut]

Actually they were made under the Compocast Brand which at that time was part of SBD. They all eventually died from the white death. If something lasts 20 years, which is typical for these, I just scrap them out and move on with life. I have a lot of recently bought Trusty Cook which I expect to last 20 years which is much longer than I expect to last myself.

Huh? Not sure what you are referring to. The OP’s hammer was made by TC.

 

[dnschmidt]

Huh? Not sure what you are referring to. The OP’s hammer was made by TC.

Trusty Cook bought, or was given, or whatever arrangement was made for them to take over Compocast from Stanley Black and Decker. I believe they are made in the same factory using the same chemistry. In any respect Compocast and TC's hammers both, at least in that time frame, died in the same manner. The new TC might have changed the urethane chemistry and last longer before the white death strikes but as long as my new ones last as long as I do I don't care.

 

[emeraldcoupe]

Got the replacement today. Yes it's made in Taiwan. Doesn't bother me. Great customer service.

 

[fourjeepin]

Got the replacement today. Yes it's made in Taiwan. Doesn't bother me. Great customer service.

I hope the blue ones don’t have that problem. I have that one and the smaller one.

 

[Gila Monster]

My Harbor Freight one has become really sticky and tacky, I just wonder if if it's pretty widespread for the type of material used that it breaks down over time, from the high end ones to the cheap ones.

I used some baking soda and water (read this online) and it really helped make it way less tacky.

I just view at as disposable, but I think HF will give you a new one.

 

[Russell_Reid]

When this happened to my estwing deadblow (grey plastic) I peeled it all off and bought some rubber crutch bumpers of appropriate size and glued them on each end of the metal core. Still works as a deadblow to this day.

 

[fourjeepin]

Here’s a picture of my old estwing dead blow after it shed its skin. I haven’t tried checking with their customer support.

 

[pcrov]

Needs suspenders to hold that grip up.

 

[i84x]

Had one break apart on me like that and never bothered with one again.
Thats why i prefer the deadblows that let you change the plastic faces vs being fully moulded. When it wears out just swap a new face in.

 

[tomshep]

I warrantied 4-5 Mac that did this. Some replacements read Mac and others Stanley. Tom

 

[NUTTSGT]

This is why I always considered deadblow hammers like this as sacrificial. If beating on something doesn't destroy them, age will.

 

[American Locomotive]

This is also why I'm a pretty big proponent of the metal-bodied Lixie (or Lixie-style) deadblows with replaceable faces. I've seen so many deadblows from different brands just disintegrate.

Of course my favorite are lead deadblows, but they tend to have relatively short service lives and need to be recast often if you use them hard.

 

[oscarsnapkin]

I also had 3 Snap On's that had sat in storage for close to 20 years after I had quit turning wrenches professionally and when I got them back out after all that time, the polyurethane broke into pieces first time I used them. Snap On dealer replaced them all no questions asked.

Had the exact same experience. I bought a set of three sometime in the late 90’s. At most I used one of them once. A few years ago I attempted to use one and it disintegrated. Pulled out the other two and they both fell apart. They exchanged them no hassle. I have some Craftsman Professional dead blows that did the same. Need to find a place to swap them. FWIW, the Snap Ons were orange plastic. The replacements they gave are red and seem to be a different material.

 

[NMTrailboss]

Had the exact same experience. I bought a set of three sometime in the late 90’s. At most I used one of them once. A few years ago I attempted to use one and it disintegrated. Pulled out the other two and they both fell apart. They exchanged them no hassle. I have some Craftsman Professional dead blows that did the same. Need to find a place to swap them. FWIW, the Snap Ons were orange plastic. The replacements they gave are red and seem to be a different material.

Funny, mine were orange as well and purchased in the late 90's. They were replaced with one orange, one red and one black. It was what he had on the truck at the time and I didn't care what the color was as long as they got replaced!

 

[KnurledNut]

This is also why I'm a pretty big proponent of the metal-bodied Lixie (or Lixie-style) deadblows with replaceable faces. I've seen so many deadblows from different brands just disintegrate.

Of course my favorite are lead deadblows, but they tend to have relatively short service lives and need to be recast often if you use them hard.

I wish Lixie offered metal replacement faces. Brass, bronze, aluminum, steel... something besides urethane.

 

[American Locomotive]

I wish Lixie offered metal replacement faces. Brass, bronze, aluminum, steel... something besides urethane.

You know, I could have sworn they or someone did, but in all my searching I can't find any. Seems like such an obvious thing to offer.