Wheel Weight Hammer - What is everyone using (beyond the obvious hammer/plier)

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

My son came home from work with a wicked blood blister on his thumb.. Said the wheel weight hammer / plier they have at work (and I've seen when I searched this subject a moment ago) clipped him.. (Or technically, he clipped himself.. lol). It apparently was a very small weight 1/2 oz or something.

A sr. mechanic said to use a 12-16 oz ball peen..

I checked with the Trusty Cook guy (HammersmadeinUSA) and he said some use their S1 / slimline deadblow 18 oz.

Anyway, I though I'd throw this out to the GJ to see what all you're using beyond the obvious hammer / plier combo tool..

 

[shampoop]

He will improve. Just use the standard plier/hammer tool. There will probably be more blood blisters to come. I got probably a half dozen blood blisters when I first started working at a tire shop. Then you eventually get better at using the hammer, and you never get one again.

 

[Handyfarmer]

I have a junk hammer I bought from JC Whitney 20+ years ago, By junk it is very crude weldament, but looks like ****.

and it works well, or it has for me, found a picture on eBay of one like it,

 

[Richard Cranium]

I have just the regular wheel weight hammer

 

[ken w.]

I have a SO wheel weight hammer and I still clip my fingers. I also have a ball peen hammer for some harder to install weights.

 

[Jweebothee]

i myself pinch myself with those on a daily basis, not from the hammer end, but when trying to remove stubborn old weights, i keep trying to change the position i am in, but damn muscle memory automatically takes me back lol, one of these days il learn hahaha,

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Here's a picture of one of their balancers.. the two hammer/tools both look mushroomed (problem #1). I told my son to get those fixed first.. (i.e. replaced). In the mean time, Richard at Trusty Cook gave him the S1 to try there..

View media item 58545

 

[shockwave]

We use a 8 oz ball pien almost always to install and the kd made black wheel weight hammer works best

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Here's a picture of one of their balancers.. the two hammer/tools both look mushroomed (problem #1). I told my son to get those fixed first.. (i.e. replaced). In the mean time, Richard at Trusty Cook gave him the S1 to try there..

View media item 58545

Those are the standard type wheel weight pliers/hammer. I used identical ones when i worked as a tyre fitter.

I can promise you it ain't the pliers' fault he hit himself.

 

[DanInVA]

I pretty much just use the standard pliers/hammer type deal. One thing that I recommend is when you are hammering on small weights, use a putty knife to hold the weight to the lip of the rim, and then just hit the putty knife. That will keep your fingers out of harm's way.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[rlitman]

I pretty much just use the standard pliers/hammer type deal. One thing that I recommend is when you are hammering on small weights, use a putty knife to hold the weight to the lip of the rim, and then just hit the putty knife. That will keep your fingers out of harm's way.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I like that idea. I may need to put a cheap putty knife on my balancer.

One thing I will say is that I really like the KD wheel weight tool. I think it is the best one out there. It looks like the Gearwrench is the same now.

 

[Fedwrench]

We use a 8 oz ball pien almost always to install and the kd made black wheel weight hammer works best

on the 8oz ball peen hammer. I like that the best especially with .5 oz and smaller weights. The deadblow, although a great hammer, has too large of a face even as a slimline. There are some nice dedicated soft faced wheel weight hammers that have a rubber face on one side and a hook for removing weights on the opposite side from nupla, Meyers tire supply & others but, again the hammer face is too large for me.
more experience is the key, position the weight at the rim edge holding the weight portion with the tip of your finger to tap it into place initially, then move finger driving the weight home. KD once made and sold a magnetic weight holding punch to aid in smaller weight installation

 

[firworks]

on the 8oz ball peen hammer. I like that the best especially with .5 oz and smaller weights. The deadblow, although a great hammer, has too large of a face even as a slimline. There are some nice dedicated soft faced wheel weight hammers that have a rubber face on one side and a hook for removing weights on the opposite side from nupla, Meyers tire supply & others but, again the hammer face is too large for me.
more experience is the key, position the weight at the rim edge holding the weight portion with the tip of your finger to tap it into place initially, then move finger driving the weight home.

Sounds like the new TC flat-flat might be a good option then.

 

[Fedwrench]

Sounds like the new TC flat-flat might be a good option then.

I'll let you know when I get mine but, I think its face will be too large and overall too heavy.

 

[montanafordman]

I worked at a tire shop when I was in high school and bit myself with those pliers too!

 

[JJThrasher]

A touch of bead lube makes the weight pop on with much less force. However as some people have mentioned he has more of an experience issue than a tool issue. 1/4 oz weights can be very small and it takes some skill not to get yourself. That said any small plastic faced hammer does the job well.

Here is a picture of a hammer similar to my favorite weight hammer.
http://www.hammersource.com/images/products/sfm32.jpg

Edited to add here's a link to the actual one I use on larger weights. It so old the hook on the back is long gone.
http://www.tooltopia.com/esco-50147...scplp6811532&gclid=CO_NjsXum8sCFQoNaQod9vcNfA

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Thanks for all the great replies.. Passing those along to the kid now...