Thought it might be helpful to compare 2 top notch US made dead blow ball peen hammers; the Stanley 16oz Compocast 54-516 (orange), and the Snap On HBBD16 (blue). Picture below also shows a Snap On soft face dead blow HBFE16, also with a 16oz head.
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The Stanley Compocast hammers were originally designed and produced by Trusty Cook for Stanley. TC has since moved on to new, presumably better designs, but the Compocast series remain excellent US made tools. The construction consists of a steel shot filled steel canister in the head and a steel shank, covered in "hot cast" urethane. The faces of the hammer are hardened steel, ground to shape. The Compocast have "limited lifetime warrantees" similar to Snap On; they are extended only to the original purchaser and abuse and misuse are not covered. List price for the hammer shown is about $40.
The Snap On hammers also used to be made by Trusty Cook. But TC now only makes the heavy duty sledge hammers for Snap On. The new Snap On hammers are made in-house by Snap On and use injection molding to form the outer plastic cover. This gives a smoother, higher quality appearance.
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The flash, or excess material around the Stanley hammer was excessive, so I carefully filed and trimmed it off to what you see above. Note how the plastic gaps around the heads. Both hammers' heads are nicely crowned. The Stanley a bit more so. The Stanley's ball end is down right pointy, which is not preferable. Also note the rougher, sharper chamfer on the Stanley head. This would have to be smoothened out like the Snap On for sheet metal shaping.
Inside the Snap On hammer is a similar shot filled canister. Snap On lists this as "free flowing" and this can be felt by simply swinging both hammers. You can hear and feel the shot moving in the Snap On hammer. At the end of the stroke there is a crisp thud feeling. The Stanley, less so.
The inner shank of the Snap On is composite (likely fiberglass). Fiberglass is a popular material for hammer handles as it provides a bit of shock absorption and a slight whip effect that can increase the force delivered by the hammer. The downside of fiberglass is that it can be damaged if the hammer is "shanked", i.e. if you miss with the head and contact the handle. Fiberglass is also significantly lighter than steel, which changes the balance point of the hammers. The Snap on is a bit more "head heavy" which is typically desirable.
But what most people will instantly respond to are the differences in the handles.
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The Snap on has the shape of an old fashioned wooden hammer. The handle swells in two places providing a positive and secure grip in use. It features a much larger shape at the **** end to remind you of where the end of the hammer is and encourage you not to loose it.
Soft black rubber inserts are bonded to the harder outer cover. The main grip is 37mm wide X 21.5mm thick vs the Stanley's 28mm X 18.5mm. I find the Snap On's upper "choked up" grip to be particularly useful and comfortable.
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List price for the Snap On is $72. I hasten to add that I didn't pay $72 for the blue one above. It was on special for roughly 50% off. With tax, I recall paying about $40 for it, so it cost roughly what I paid for the Stanley.
Snap On offers a "life of the original purchaser" warranty on their hammers. All plastic hammers have lifespans. At some point in the future the plastic will break down and the tool will fall apart. Plastics are also susceptible to certain solvents, temperature extremes, and sunlight. Consequently, having a warranty you can reasonably exercise could be a significant differentiator influencing your decision process. I think Snap On would probably say the new material and process was designed to eliminate the failures of the TC hammers. But only time will tell.
Just a couple concluding points:
1) If there is a sense that a hammer is "just a hammer" and that all of them do the same thing and are therefore the same/interchangeable, let this post be the end of that. These hammers are not similar. In use, the feel of it in your hand, the construction, the shock each delivers, are all very different. I can't imagine anyone able to hold both preferring the Stanley. The Snap On feels so much better and seems to function better. It is more comfortable to hold, especially with oily hands or loose nitrile gloves, providing a greater sense of control and security.
2) Unlike soft faced dead blows, I feel the need for a super high performing dead blow ball peen hammer is fairly narrow. These things excel at providing a single perfect wallop to transfer and center punches. Multiple hits on punches can result in less than perfect marks.
3) For chisel driving, an american hickory handled ball peen hammers may be sufficient for many users. American hickory has many of the same shock absorbing and whip effect properties as high tech composites.
4) Uncomfortable hammer handles of any material can be improved with tennis racket grip tape or bicycle handlebar grip tape.
Conclusion:
Dead blow hammers are very nice to use. They generate a lot of force with no bounce which can be critical in tight quarters like doing suspension work on jack stands. If you are looking for a top performing dead blow hammer for general automotive, or metal working, look no further than the Snap On models. Choose a 32oz for general purpose wailing in ball peen and soft face. 16oz is better suited to marking operations, and tweaking. While I have 16, 24, and 32oz soft face dead blows, I find I only use the 32oz.
Snap On hammers go on special with some regularity making their purchase prices more competitive with their US competitors' prices. Second hand prices are fairly high and Snap On is not obligated to extend warranty service to the second owner. Consequently, I can't recommend buying second hand.
Price does, in this case, indicate quality and performance. Buyers should rest assured that they are getting what they pay for. But is the high price of a Snap On dead blow worth it? That's a question I certainly can't answer.
View media item 49456
The Stanley Compocast hammers were originally designed and produced by Trusty Cook for Stanley. TC has since moved on to new, presumably better designs, but the Compocast series remain excellent US made tools. The construction consists of a steel shot filled steel canister in the head and a steel shank, covered in "hot cast" urethane. The faces of the hammer are hardened steel, ground to shape. The Compocast have "limited lifetime warrantees" similar to Snap On; they are extended only to the original purchaser and abuse and misuse are not covered. List price for the hammer shown is about $40.
The Snap On hammers also used to be made by Trusty Cook. But TC now only makes the heavy duty sledge hammers for Snap On. The new Snap On hammers are made in-house by Snap On and use injection molding to form the outer plastic cover. This gives a smoother, higher quality appearance.
View media item 49454
The flash, or excess material around the Stanley hammer was excessive, so I carefully filed and trimmed it off to what you see above. Note how the plastic gaps around the heads. Both hammers' heads are nicely crowned. The Stanley a bit more so. The Stanley's ball end is down right pointy, which is not preferable. Also note the rougher, sharper chamfer on the Stanley head. This would have to be smoothened out like the Snap On for sheet metal shaping.
Inside the Snap On hammer is a similar shot filled canister. Snap On lists this as "free flowing" and this can be felt by simply swinging both hammers. You can hear and feel the shot moving in the Snap On hammer. At the end of the stroke there is a crisp thud feeling. The Stanley, less so.
The inner shank of the Snap On is composite (likely fiberglass). Fiberglass is a popular material for hammer handles as it provides a bit of shock absorption and a slight whip effect that can increase the force delivered by the hammer. The downside of fiberglass is that it can be damaged if the hammer is "shanked", i.e. if you miss with the head and contact the handle. Fiberglass is also significantly lighter than steel, which changes the balance point of the hammers. The Snap on is a bit more "head heavy" which is typically desirable.
But what most people will instantly respond to are the differences in the handles.
View media item 49451
The Snap on has the shape of an old fashioned wooden hammer. The handle swells in two places providing a positive and secure grip in use. It features a much larger shape at the **** end to remind you of where the end of the hammer is and encourage you not to loose it.
Soft black rubber inserts are bonded to the harder outer cover. The main grip is 37mm wide X 21.5mm thick vs the Stanley's 28mm X 18.5mm. I find the Snap On's upper "choked up" grip to be particularly useful and comfortable.
View media item 49450
List price for the Snap On is $72. I hasten to add that I didn't pay $72 for the blue one above. It was on special for roughly 50% off. With tax, I recall paying about $40 for it, so it cost roughly what I paid for the Stanley.
Snap On offers a "life of the original purchaser" warranty on their hammers. All plastic hammers have lifespans. At some point in the future the plastic will break down and the tool will fall apart. Plastics are also susceptible to certain solvents, temperature extremes, and sunlight. Consequently, having a warranty you can reasonably exercise could be a significant differentiator influencing your decision process. I think Snap On would probably say the new material and process was designed to eliminate the failures of the TC hammers. But only time will tell.
Just a couple concluding points:
1) If there is a sense that a hammer is "just a hammer" and that all of them do the same thing and are therefore the same/interchangeable, let this post be the end of that. These hammers are not similar. In use, the feel of it in your hand, the construction, the shock each delivers, are all very different. I can't imagine anyone able to hold both preferring the Stanley. The Snap On feels so much better and seems to function better. It is more comfortable to hold, especially with oily hands or loose nitrile gloves, providing a greater sense of control and security.
2) Unlike soft faced dead blows, I feel the need for a super high performing dead blow ball peen hammer is fairly narrow. These things excel at providing a single perfect wallop to transfer and center punches. Multiple hits on punches can result in less than perfect marks.
3) For chisel driving, an american hickory handled ball peen hammers may be sufficient for many users. American hickory has many of the same shock absorbing and whip effect properties as high tech composites.
4) Uncomfortable hammer handles of any material can be improved with tennis racket grip tape or bicycle handlebar grip tape.
Conclusion:
Dead blow hammers are very nice to use. They generate a lot of force with no bounce which can be critical in tight quarters like doing suspension work on jack stands. If you are looking for a top performing dead blow hammer for general automotive, or metal working, look no further than the Snap On models. Choose a 32oz for general purpose wailing in ball peen and soft face. 16oz is better suited to marking operations, and tweaking. While I have 16, 24, and 32oz soft face dead blows, I find I only use the 32oz.
Snap On hammers go on special with some regularity making their purchase prices more competitive with their US competitors' prices. Second hand prices are fairly high and Snap On is not obligated to extend warranty service to the second owner. Consequently, I can't recommend buying second hand.
Price does, in this case, indicate quality and performance. Buyers should rest assured that they are getting what they pay for. But is the high price of a Snap On dead blow worth it? That's a question I certainly can't answer.