Which hammer should I buy?

[Lee Schierer]

I plan on helping with a Habitat for Humanity house building project in June. I know I will be driving lots of nails of various sizes. I currently own a 16 Oz claw hammer, but know from last year that my hand and arm got tired after a couple of days driving nails. I suffer from carpal tunnel to a small degree. I was looking at the Borgs yesterday and they must have at least 14 or 15 different brands and styles of hammers (Estwing, Husky, DeWalt, Dead On Tools, Plumb, QLT, Hart, Nupla, Pull'R Holding Company, Klien, Kobalt, Stanley, Bostitch, Wise, task Force, and Vaughan)

What is a good hammer for general framing and sheeting work that is comfortable to work with and of good quality. I'm not interested in spending $80+ for a hammer. I'm thinking that maybe a 20 or 22 Oz hammer might be the way to go. Your thoughts are appreciated.

[Steve Thomas]

Framing... 22oz for sure, or else you'll have to strike an additional 3 or 4 blows for every nail, that can add up over to course of a day, say about 1000 nails. thats 3000 extra blows that you dont need to make.
I have the newish estwing with rubber handles its pretty good.

[John A langley]

Lee - Glad to hear you are helping out Habitat. I would suggest a Vaughn 22 oz straight claw wood handle hammer. The good thing about wood hanndles, it will absorb the blow better than metal or fiberglass. The bad thing it, you can break the handle pugging a nail. So also buy yourself a small bar or cat's paw. Also if you have to get a nail out with the hammer a sideways motion rather than front to back seems to work better. I suggest you do not buy the waffle face They are hard on the fingers Also scar up the face with a piece of 100 or 80 grit sand paper. The new head won't be quite so slippery.

[Sam Murdoch]

A Stanley ANTIVIBE 20 0r 22 oz. If you don't get an antivibe (of some sort) hammer you will pay in the end. This particular model saved me after weeks of true suffering and a locked up elbow. Had to turn in my Estwing leather wrap, but I have never regretted the Stanley Antivibe.

[Mike Wilkins]

I have had one of the Hart framing hammers for years, and it is great. Waffle head design; I forget the weight, but it is hefty enough to drive 16D nails in 3 strikes, sometimes 4. Hickory handle to absorb the impacts. The latest from Stanley are all metal but designed to be impact absorbing.
Nice to know there are others like me who drive nails the old fashioned way.

[Scott T Smith]

In 2002 I purchased a Stiletto titanium hammer, and have never regretted it. Before it, my elbow's would ache up a storm after a day spent pounding nails. Afterward, much less pain (if any).

It's been used so much the grooves on the face are totally worn smooth. It's still my go-to hammer, and everybody that has worked at the farm these past 10 years will choose it over any others, if they get the chance.

Not cheap, but well worth it, especially in your situation.

I like the wooden handle version with the crook at the bottom end.

[Chris Tsutsui]

For about $60, i've seen Home Depot sell Dewalt's Mig Weld Hammer. It also uses the idea that a lighter hammer can utilize a higher velocity to function like a heavier hammer. The end result is less fatigue.

I have about 4 estwig hammers and those seem like they will last me a lifetime. A 22oz, 16oz, roofing, and masonry chipping hammer.

I don't think I will buy another fiberglass handle hammer again after breaking one prying out a nail.

[Dave Houseal]

I've got the Dead-On tools 22oz waffle head. Love it, but wish I'd gotten the smooth face. It has a very long handle, which is fantastic when you're working in an open area. Nails just jump into the wood. The downside is that the long handle is a little difficult to handle in tight spaces. I think that it handles vibration very well compared to other steal hammers I've used.

[Randy Reitz]

I've been going on Habitat trips with our youth group for several years now. Since they won't allow air-guns with the youth on site I carry two hammers, a wooden handled 20 oz California Framer with waffle face for days when we're driving lots of nails, and a 16 oz Estwing leather handle for general use.

Most volunteers don't swing a hammer very much in their day jobs, even the professionals, it's easy to get some repetitive stress injuries if you don't ease into it. That said, the action and sound of volunteers driving nails is an important part of the Habitat experience.

[Van Huskey]

I would say a Hammer N4400 and Rod S. would say a K3 of some sort...

My choice is a Estwing 22oz waffle head BUT I don't swing one a lot, when I am doing the little personal framing I would be using a gun for 90+% of the nails. One of the lower vibe hammers would be on my radar if I was going to hammer framing nails all day.

[Patrick McCarthy]

I would say a Hammer N4400 and Rod S. would say a K3 [Winner] of some sort... .

EXACTLY what I was thinking when I saw the title . . . . . and I am sure I am NOT alone!

[Clint Olver]

A Stanley ANTIVIBE 20 0r 22 oz. ...... I have never regretted the Stanley Antivibe.

Agreed. Of all the sub $50 hammers out there that I've tried, this one feels the best in my hand, performs well, and is built to last.

C

[Ron Natalie]

I have a 20oz fiberglass handled hammer that I've bought while helping a friend build his house 30 years ago. It's been my "go to" hammer ever since. I've got others, but ol' red is my favorite.

[Jim Matthews]

I bought my Dad a pair of Duluth Trading anti-vibe gloves for a similar Habitat build.
He suffers from a "trigger finger" that locks in the flexed position with over use.

They're warm, so you may need to rinse them out, each day but they may help you last longer.

[Bryan Rocker]

Hey Fellow Habitatter, I bought a stanley anti-vibe hammer. It works very well and what I liked about it is that it has a small rubber curl at the end that lets the hammer stay in your hand even when its hot and humid out.....Have fun out there....On a side note, when I was doing a lot of framing for HFH, us regulars used Pasload framers....I like them so much I purchased one myself used.....

Bryan