That $30 brick hammer from the big box store split after 3 weeks

Bought one of those composite handle hammers at the Home Depot off Route 42 in October, thought it was a steal. Third week on a chimney repoint in Clifton, head flew clean off and bounced off a scaffold plank. Spent $85 on a Vaughan at the masonry supply after that, shoulda just did that from the start. Any of you guys had luck with the cheaper brands or am I the only one who learned this the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

jordan90322d ago

Gonna say the cheap handle wasn't totally the problem here. Those box store hammers are fine for light stuff but repointing day after day is just too much for em. The real trick is checking the head wedge before you start, if it's loose even a little it'll fly off. My buddy still uses a $20 one from the same store but he re-wedges it with epoxy every few weeks. Worth doing if you're stuck on a budget but yeah, Vaughan is the way once you know better.

grantp2820d ago

A 30 year old epoxy job does not fix a head that was cast around a poorly shaped eye, you know? I have seen guys drive the same wedge for a decade and it still works because the head and handle were machined right from the factory. The box store stuff is soft maple with a head that never really clamps down tight, no matter how much you glue it. Repointing is all impact and twist, that combo beats up a cheap tool fast. My take is you are just buying the same problem twice with the epoxy trick. If it takes a new handle every few months anyway, might as well spend once on a Vaughan and stop thinking about it.