Hammers Reviews

I have a lot of hammers. This is the best. A joy to use. What else can I say.

The art of making a good hammer isn't exactly new. This claw hammer isn't too different therefore from the claw hammers of our fathers or our father's fathers. This hammer does absorb the impact very well, and is very lightweight for its strength. The hammer is made by Stanley, so you know its going to be a good quality construction, but there is really nothing here that is much different from any other hammer. Its not laser guided and doesn't have GPS tracking, but it is reliable when it comes to knocking nails into things.

Amazing hammer. Works like a hot darn. Easy to hold when it gets wet. Packs quite the punch but does not feel awkward. My only complaint is the checkered face on mine wore down very quickly, not a huge deal however. It sure has made the tendonitis clear up in my elbow. Keep up the good work Stanley!

I land survey - bought for drilling 5/8" holes into asphalt/concrete pavements to set 1/2" rebar for property corners-land monuments -- I used a 16" Milwaukee Magnum44 bit - This unit will walk right through the pavement - drilled 2-5/8" holes 14" in depth - and today drill a 1/2" hole through a 6"X12" depth concrete compressive strength test cylinder 4000 PSI - after drilling these three holes the battery level is still shows three lights. These is a very impressive tool - better than a 1/2 gas powered hammer drill. I would recommend the Bosch 11225VSRH to any one - and the name is correct - ANNIHILATOR.

great tool love the power indicators on the batteries handles everthing i throw its way day in day out just wish it had a chipping only mode gotta plug in my bulldog model to get that type of work done

I am a concrete contractor who since the cordless era has tried nearly all drills, hammer drills or any drill claiming to have the ability to drill 4-6 inch deep holes in concrete with close to the power of a 1 inch rotary hammer. Finally Bosch has done the job. The 11225 will drill 60-70 1/4 inch holes 4-6 inches deep in cured 4000 psi concrete. As most concrete contractors we use tapcons for all our form work and this rotary hammer has proven itself as a time,which means money, saver. We can now set forms on footings without generators or cords. Enough said.

I own a dozen or so great blades, but one of these came with my new Unisaw, and I was amazed at how well it performed. I use a lot of MDF, which is very abrasive, and tough on carbide, and I cut about 800 feet of cabinet rails and stiles, and trim pieces before the blade showed any signs of wear. This is very good life for MDF. Rips hardwood very good, and crosscuts well also. It is a better blade than the CMT products at a much lower price. Razor sharp cuts with MDF, and runs straight and Quiet. Lasts longer than the Woodworking Wizards and Signatures from Oldham, although they are top notch as well. I save my favorites, the Forrests, for furniture. You can't go wrong with this one!! I ordered another one to use while my first one is out being sharpened.

Awesome combination blade. Clean crosscuts and decent rips. You can't go wrong! I have two.

This is an excellent combination blade at a great price. It produces very smooth, finished cuts with no visible saw marks. I no longer need to run boards through the jointer before panel glue-ups. I have cut hundreds of feet of Oak and Cherry with it (enough to build a dresser, chest of drawers, two night stands, a bookshelf, and a wall shelf) and the blade is still sharp! Delta even threw in two coupons for free sharpenings. Bravo on this one, Delta!

I've got a four year old son. I'm confident this hammer will be among his cherished heirlooms.

The "D" shaped head is a great design. With a little practice you can roll the hammer just a touch on that last stroke and set the nail head with the corner. I also get tremendous leverage with the side pull by hooking the nail and pulling forward against the nose as if I were using the claws. This is another place the flat face of the "D" head really shines - That flat edge is a very stable fulcrum.

I hate to admit it but I've driven steel pins into limestone, for concrete forms, with this hammer without so much as a mark on the face to show for the substantial abuse. This hammer is tough!

The balance is just right, the features are clearly designed by and for a real carpenter and Mr. Douglas even managed to make it a work of art fit for a gallery wall. My hat's off to you sir - I believe you may well have arrived at the perfect hammer!

I'll add my own recommendation to the chorus: the Douglas hammer is wonderful. One thing no-one seems to have mentioned is the side nail puller feature. It allows the pulling of nails that are fully clinched! If my Douglas ever breaks (and I have seen one broken head, apparently from misuse), I'd buy another.

I have tried other hammers, Stilletto, Stanley (UGH!), Vaughn, etc. The Douglas is a work of art let alone an well designed tool. The Traction Face is stellar and won't mushroom after repeated wailing on a nail puller. The center nail pull is nothing short of amazing, talk about leverage. Magnetized nail set is very handy, and most of all the polished steel is just sexy. I also have a waffle face for demo work, and an 18 oz finish that is just as nice. American made, and well made at that.

This hammer is an excellent complement to a full-fledged framing hammer. Because it has a shorter handle than the Estwing framing hammers, it works great for sheathing roofs and roofing, as well as other closer-in work. Still has the rip claw like a framing hammer. The 20 oz. weight gives it the right punch to drive nails without being unwieldy. The new shock-reducing handle does seem to work. Certainly softer than the old handle style.

I purchased my Estwing 20 oz. Vinyl Grip Rip Claw Hammer from a certain Blue store recently. Although it costs more than other hammers, the Estwing is superior due to its simple one-piece design. During a long day of installing wood siding with this hammer recently, I appreciated its flawless weight distribution and rigidity. The grip is of excellent design and proves comfortable day after day on the job-site. After a redesign from previous generations (which I have occationally used), the new grip material is softer, thereby reducing vibration noticably over previous models.

Let me start by saying that I am not a contractor and I don't use my tools for a living. Having said that, I do all of my own home repair/renovation work and at one point or another I have built everything from furniture to room additions to a 24' by 40' pole barn. I have owned this hammer for a long time - at least 6-8 years, and although the metal has tarnished to a dark grey it is still in as good of shape as the day I bought it. The face has remained very flat and true and the handle grip is holding up just fine. I love the balance of this hammer and the weight is just right for jobs like framing where power is more important than finesse.

All in all this is what I would consider a useful and indestructible tool at a great price.

(This is an amendment of my earlier review, based on some feedback from the discussion posts. Thanks M. Black and Stevie Q for your comments)

My Dewalt cordless drill had served me well, but the batteries were getting weak, and I thought it time to step up to a new technology. There were several choices out there: Panasonic's superb, long-life drills, Hitachi's cool-looking powerhouse, and Milwaukee's 28 v lithium ion kit. Which is the best choice?

I almost bought the Panasonic, which was a great value for the drill alone, certainly from appearances a better buy than the Makita. But I thought I could use the extra tools in the kit. Ultimately, I went for the kit, and I'm glad I did. Put me in the category of those who never had that much use for battery powered tools (other than a drill) because of my perception that they had limited power. I always wanted the biggest, the best. The Makita lithium ion combo kit changed my perception.

First, the drill. That 560 in-lbs of torque is more than enough. It compares favorably to Milwaukee 28 v.'s 600 ft-lbs, and weighs less, only 5.2 lbs. The drill has 3 speed settings, and within each setting you can also vary the speed by pulling the trigger less or more. You have to wonder how they crammed all of that power in such a light tool!

Well, it's not just a drill. Flip the top switch, and it's a hammer drill. I had never used a hammer drill before, always having forced those concrete bits using a regular drill, which worked okay. But as a hammer drill, this Makita tore right through tiles and concrete so fast I had to slow down--deep, fine holes without overheating the bit, and fast. What a pleasure.

All of the Makita tools in this kit have a light that comes on when you start to work. Touch the trigger, and even before the tool starts spinning, your work area is illuminated. If you are working in an area where a lot of shadows are cast, this is a really nice feature. Unlike the Hitachi which also has a light, this light runs right off of your rechargeable battery (apparently the Hitachi requires separate batteries).

Now, the circular saw. What, pray tell, can you possibly do with a battery-operated saw, I thought. The answer, I have found, is just about anything, and better than I could do it with my electric circular. My other saw is the worm-drive Skilsaw, perhaps the top-rated circular saw. It hasn't come out of its canvas bag since I got this Makita. I really put the Makita saw to the test, ripping 8-ft pieces of bubinga , 1 1/2" thick the full length. Bubinga, also known as African rosewood, is one of the densest, hard to cut woods around. I could get a good 3 8-ft rips before the battery played out. Now, that may not sound like much, but then, you have to know bubinga. On 2" zebrawood (also a hardwood) I could get 5, and I reckon it could get 10 8-ft rips on pine. And for a guy making furniture, it gives me all of the cuts I need between charges. So the power to cut just about anything is there. Just don't expect to run all day on a single charge while sawing. With the extra battery on the charger, you should be fine.

But the real beauty of the saw is in the quality of cut and control. Whether a cross-cut or a rip, the cut is really smooth, with no wood burns. And the blade guard never gets stuck, even when I'm shaving off the finest amount on an edge. It is so well balanced that I can control it with my left and alone (and I am right-handed). Now, compare this to my monster Skilsaw worm drive. Powerful, yes, but difficult to control, with a lurch when you start it up. Both hands are absolutely necessary. On trimming edges, the blade guard often gets stuck (and this is common on almost every other corded circular saw I have used). So, you have to use your hand to slide up the blade guard while holding the monster with the other, which is difficult. Because it is so powerful and hard to balance, wood burns are common. Keeping it flat on the wood while shaving off the edge is next to impossible. I get much better quality cuts with this Makita. A further advantage is the dust reduction. The Makita, first of all, has a finer kerf blade, 1/16" I think. So, dust is reduced proportionately. Most of the dust exits through a cleverly designed hole in the blade guard in a neat little pile next to the cut, instead of blowing it all over me and the workshop. The texture of the dust is different also; it's not fine dust that blows all over the place, but slightly coarse, so it stays put. Now I won't exactly say that I exit the shop dust-free. But I will say, there's a lot less dust on me, and shop clean-up is a lot easier. And unlike the Panasonic cordless saw, the Makita takes standard arbor diameter blades which you can pick up cheap almost anywhere.

Finally, the impact driver. What's this? I'd never used one before. Well, it is extremely light to begin with, just over 3 lbs, and puts out 1280 in-lbs of torque, which is over twice that of the drill. By using short bursts of power, it knocks in bolts and heavy duty screws with a lot more ease than your drill, without torquing your arm off. In fact, you hardly feel any torque at all. It's not for every screw, because it has no clutch, so it will break off screws and bolts that can't handle the 1280 in-lbs. Reversable too, so great for changing tires. I've found myself using it quite a bit. I've driven #12 screws into 2" of hardwood without so much as a starter hole. It's the tool to use when a lot of torque is required. By comparison, the Milwaukee 28 lithium ion impact driver delivers 600 in-lbs of torque. That's nice for lighter screws, which would not break on the lighter torque. But then, for lighter screwing, I use the drill, with its adjustable clutch. Comparing weight, Milwaukee's impact driver weighs over 8 lbs vs. 3.3 lbs for Makita's impact driver and 5.2 lbs for Makita's drill. The hammer drill and this impact drill combined will pretty much takes care of all of my drilling and screwing needs.

The set also comes with a light, which will stand up anywhere and which you can use to illuminate your work area. With all 3 tools providing their own light, I've never used it in the shop. But as a flashlight it's great-lightweight, and 5 hours of run-time on a charge, and the xenon bulb is very bright. You can stand it upright and point it at a white ceiling and it will illuminate the entire room. If you need a broad area lit up for some reason, it does quite a good job. The head is adjustable, so you can point it perpendicularly or at a 135 degree angle as well.

Milwaukee has a 28 v lithium-ion set. Milwaukee's 28 v are good if you are doing exceptionally heavy work, and you will get more done on those massive 28 v batteries. But I can't imagine doing much more than cutting through thick, dense tropical hardwoods, which my Makita does just fine. And the Makita tools weigh less-a LOT less. Makita's battery charge time is 45 minutes vs. Milwaukee's 60 minutes. Using the two batteries, I have never been lacking for power between charges. Since the Makita gives me more than enough power, it was a good choice for me. Recently I note that Milwaukee is selling a lot of reconditioned lithium ion equipment and not the new equipment. Maybe there were some bugs to be worked out. I've been working the Makita tools daily for about 4 months now with no problems.

What about those lithium ion batteries? All indications are that they are supposed to take a lot more recharges than even NiMH, and the weight savings contribute to the ergonomic beauty of this whole set. There is a great discussion at the Tool Barn website on this set, including the advantages/disadvantages of lithium ion batteries, and it is worth a read. Apparently, some believe that they can lose amp-hours over time, even if not in use. Makita denies this. Their charger is fan-cooled to control the effects of overheating on battery life, and it charges them up full in 45 minutes, which I can verify. The 3 amp-hours will go a long, long way on everything but the saw, and even with the saw, it should get you by until your spare is recharged. Personally, I can't say if those batteries will lose power with time yet, but it's not really an issue, given that the cost of a pair of new batteries is reasonable, which I can budget for every couple of years if necessary.

In conclusion--if you want a set that is lightweight, ergonomically exceptional, will light up your workpiece, powerful enough to drill, screw, or cut just about anything, will last long between charges, and is a lot easier to control than your current mega-tools, the Makita set is cutting edge. It out-specs the competition in every way that matters to me, and at the price I paid, it really can't be beat. If you don't need every tool in the set, check out offers on any individual tool and see if the extra tool for free is still on offer.

Treat yourself! This stuff will keep you smiling for years to come.

I bought this combo kit as an impulse from home depot. There was a mail in promo for a free Makita recipro saw. There was also a Home Depot promo for $100.00 off. I paid $399. for everything. The impact driver alone is worth almost that much. Makita makes great tools. They are durable and comfortable.

I would say that I'm an occasional "Do-it-yourselfer" from Mililani, Hawaii but this combo kit from Makita just blew me away. I can't believe the technological advances of their product since my first Makita cordless, a 9.6 Volt Drill-Driver 20 years ago-and I still have it. You'd expect an 18 volt cordless tool to be very bulky, but the tools in this kit are compact, very ergonomic, well balanced and not bulky. You won't be wasting energy, straining to work the tools. You'll also appreciate LED lighting on the all the tools. The power and torque behind the Circular Saw, Impact Driver and Hammer Driver-Drill are impressive compared to other brands I've tried. The free mail-in offer for the Cordless Reciprocating Saw was impressive too. It packed power just as my corded Reciprocating Saw. The High Capacity Lithium-Ion Batteries did not fail me. They packed a lot of juice and lasted a while in between charges. Also, I came to appreciate the 4-Position Flashlight. With all the rain that we've been having lately, the flashlight came in handy during blackouts. I didn't need to bringout my gas lantern; flashlight supplied all the light we needed. Overall, the tools performed flawlessly and I had joy using them. This 18 Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit from Makita is truly a great product. Aloha.

This product is the most used during my wash day. I am an anitque quilt dealer and collector. I wash many quilts and this product is one of my favorites. I need to get textiles that are usually over 100 years old that have been used and open to the environment clean and this product makes this task successful.

This product in combination with other ingredients cleaned silverware effectively. I was pleased with results.

I rec'd this order fairly promptly and was pleased to see that my 3 boxes were actually large boxes of the product. This will last me for a good while. The package was packed securely with bubble wrap and the items had no damage from shipment. I highly recommend buying from Gristedes Supermarkets of New York -- they simply get the job done:)

This is a great all around hammer. I've been using it for about 2 years. At 18 oz it's the perfect compromise if you are unsure of a 16 oz trim hammer or a heavier 20 oz. With an overall length of 15" you have that extra leverage for pulling nails. I haven't broken a handle but they seem easy to replace. The only thing I would change is the side nail pull, I like to hit chisels etc on the side and it has a hollow spot on the left. Great quality tool, and it doesn't chip like Titanium.

what a nice hammer!! i saw it and realy liked the look of it and splashed out and got one - what a difference!! i was a but unsure of how it would last but i have had it about 3 months now and the head shows no sign of coming away from the handel.
If you are used to the estwing or stanly hammers that i am then give one a try - the realy are impresive and they look realy cool too - talk of the tradesmen on site!!!

I'm not sure I'd really label it a finish hammer, but it is great for general use. I've been using it every day for a little over a year, and all I've had to do is reglue the handle and tighten up the screws. I love it for framing and siding, but I tend to swing something lighter when I get inside. The Douglas 15 oz is very nice. So is Estwing's leather handled 16 oz.

i'll preface this by saying i'm a professional carpenter and make my living using my tools.

i have owned or used worm-drives from skil, makita, and bosch, as well as sidewinders from porter-cable, makita, hitachi, skil, and dewalt. this milwaukee is my saw of choice in nearly every situation--it is light (4+lbs less than a worm-drive), powerful, accurate, and the tilt-lok handle is a great feature. at first, i thought i'd not use the tilt-lok often, but i end up using it in a different position several times a day. another feature easily overlooked but crucial is the positioning of the secondary handle. i most often cut one-handed anyway, but when i do grab the front handle, my hand and wrist are far enough forward to stay well away from the blade sightline.

my only (small) complaint is that i'd prefer the dust collection to be a bit more organised. porter-cable saws do a great job with this, and i wonder why the other manufacturers can't seem to get it together.

if i had it to do over again, i'd spring for the blade brake model--the blade can do a lot of damage in the 8-10 seconds it takes to spin down.

I received this saw as a birthday present, allowing me to retire my old underpowered and inaccurate Black & Decker "Sawforce" saw. The Milwaukee arrived in perfect condition and purred like a kitten from the start. I have been very impressed with every aspect of this thing, most notably:

The tool-less ability to change the base plate angle as needed;

The POWER. It cuts wet framing lumber and quarter sawn white oak with equal ease;

With all that power, I have not experienced any binding, stalling, kicking, burning etc;

The tilt lock handle is fantastic. I cannot conceive of using a saw without it now that I have it;

The blade that came with the saw is quite good.

Overall I cannot say enough good things about this saw. Its relatively light, very accurate, powerful, and feels like it will outlast me. Buy one yourself and you won't be sorry!

I bought this saw about 5 months ago to replace an old Makita and have used it almost daily since. I did a lot of research before buying using online reviews and magazine comparisons. After reading the reviews and having previous experience with other Milwaukee products, I opted for this one.

The tilt-lok handle makes it very easy to change positions, allowing for maximum control and comfort while sawing. I especially like the adjustable front handle. It makes beveled cuts a snap, keeping maximum leverage right where it needs to be. Once you use it, you will miss it if you have to use anything else. With 15 amps, I haven't found any wood too tough to cut with it even with a dulling blade. I purchased the edge guide about two months ago. This is a necessary addition if you cut lots of plywood.

I am becoming quite a Milwaukee "fan-boy". Every tool of theirs I've bought has been a winner. As long as they keep making tools with this kind of quality, performance and features, I'll be a user for life. This saw will be a welcome addition to any serious woodworker's shop or contractor's truck. If you're still undecided, give this saw a try. You won't regret it.

Been using it for a few months now and am overall happy. The gun does fine for toenailing, subfloor/sheathing and with new doug fir. It is a bit underpowered for old wood and engineered lumber. The gun shines for doing some akward overhead work like drops, which is why I got it. If you are going to get one gun, get the 83, but the 75 is a nice gun to have if you are having more than one.

I bought this nailer to hang fiber cement lap siding on my home. This nailer is very easy to operate and comfortable all day in your hand. I've put about 2500 nails through it so far with only a few jambs, usually only when I come to the end of a coil of hit something underneath. Very easy depth adjustment and loading. Using this with the Malco FCG2 Fiber Cement Siding Plank Gauges for 4" exposure works like a charm. Easy guages lets you hang by yourself. Although I use them maily to hold the piece in place while I remove the guide and place a wood guide I make to ge the "exact" exposure. I'm very fussy on this.

I highly reccomend this nailer. It's also great for nailing exterior wood trim, lots of power.

This is an excellent siding and framing nailer, however it is not as powerful as a Hitachi NR83A framing nailer, which has a substantially larger air chamber for driving nails. In most cases this nailer is great for framing; its compact size allows you to face-nail and toe-nail easier in tight spaces. However, when nailing a .131 x 3" framing nail into two pieces of old growth fir 2x (not as common of scenario these days unless you reuse materials from demolitions on the West coast), the nail will often sit proud about an inch or more. The Hitachi NR83A will usually sink the nail in this scenario, albeit sometimes the nail may sit about a 1/4" proud.