Auto Hammer Operation
The absolute first thing that we noticed is that there is no safety switch, only the trigger. However, after a few squeezes of the trigger, we realized that the hammer’s anvil will not engage unless it is in physical contact with and pushing down on a nail. This internal safety feature, combined with the fact that the Auto Hammer’s anvil is recessed within the retractable sleeve, ensures that there shouldn’t be any accidental hammerings under normal circumstances.
As soon as the battery was charged and ready to go, we decided to push the Auto Hammer to its limits and attempted to drive 16D 3-1/2″ bright common nails into a 2×4 stud.
The first thing we noticed was that the Auto Hammer is very loud, well beyond the point at which hearing protection is optional. It is important to note, however, that individual strikes by the Auto Hammer do not seem to be substantionally louder than those by a manual hammer. Instead, it is the rapid succession of impacts that is almost intolerable without hearing protection. The Auto Hammer is rated at 3600 BPM, but we could not verify if this actually translated to 60 strikes per second.
We averaged the time it took us to drive a handful of 3-1/2″ bright common nails, and it came down to about 40 seconds per nail. Trust us when we say that you probably won’t want to drive many 3-1/2″ nails consecutively. The Auto Hammer is relatively lightweight, so when the workpiece starts to strongly resist a large nails’ inward progression, you’re going to feel vibrations and counter forces in your hands. If you’ve ever used a hammer drill, these vibrations are stronger and more exhausting.
If given the choice between the Auto Hammer and a nice sized framing hammer to drive large nails, we’re going to go with the manual framing hammer. Yes, this would require greater physical exertion, but at least then we’d be able to work at a more comfortable pace. Our choice might change if the Auto Hammer version 2.0 features a variable speed trigger.
When driving smaller nails, though, the Auto Hammer works beautifully well, and is almost a pleasure to use. The tool is still quite loud, and we still feel vibrations transmitted to our hands, but to a much lesser extent.
Additional Thoughts
There were many things that we liked about the Auto Hammer’s look, feel, and overall quality. It had great ergonomics, and there a few minor touches that we appreciated: the included soft tool bag, the 12V charger with indicator LEDs and a legend to help diagnose charging issues, and the slim lightweight 12V battery with its nice grippy bottom.
Conclusions
Although we validated Ryobi’s claim that the Auto Hammer can be used to drive 16D (3-1/2″) common nails, that’s not something that anyone will enjoy doing. Attempts to drive 16D common nails resulted in extreme tool and hand vibration that cannot be comfortably sustained for too long. This usually started happening during the final 3/4″ or so with vibrations getting worse as the nails were driven even deeper.
We would recommend Ryobi’s Auto Hammer as a considerable option for those looking to primarily drive finish nails or smaller common nails in tight spaces. For those looking to drive many larger nails, we would instead recommend alternative options, such as pneumatic palm nailers or nail guns, or hose-less electric and powder actuated nailers.
By no means is the Auto Hammer a bad tool, but it is of more limited realistic use than we would have liked to have seen.
| Ryobi’s Claims | True or False? |
|---|---|
| Drives up to 3 1/2 inch nails | True |
| Hammers easily in tight spaces | True |
| Eliminates manual hammering | False |
At $59, Ryobi’s Auto Hammer will definitely be more appealing to potential customers than it was at $90, and this should also give it an edge against the nearly identical Craftsman Auto Hammer.
Rating
Tool Construction & Quality: 5/5
Comfort of Use: 2/5
Value: 4/5
Overall Rating: /5
Ryobi’s Auto Hammer is typically priced at $90 at The Home Depot, but it appears to have dropped in price recently to $59.
We would like to thank Ryobi for providing the sample Auto Hammer for this review.
9 Comments
I was looking forward to buying one of these Auto Hammers next month for a project, and your review came at a great time! I don’t plan on using it on big nails, and the lower price does make it an easier sell. Thanks for the reassurance!
btw, what would you recommend for hearing protection?
If you are a member of the Home Depot “Home Improver Club,” you can get an additional $10 off the price of $59. I have a promo code but have not tried it. Not sure if I should post it here or not.
$49? That’s a pretty decent price, and might even be low enough to convince skeptics to give the Auto Hammer a try.
I’d recommend holding onto the promo code a little while longer if it’s unique, for your or an acquaintance’s benefit.
I’m not sure if it’s a unique code or not. I thought about it, but I’m not sure. I think if I already had the other ryobi 12V stuff that used the same battery then maybe…
I recently tried one of these at home depot in store display. What a hunk o junk. I see no purpose for this tool. It is very noisy, with lots of vibrations. I would rather use a regular hammer or screws any day of the week.
Looks like Home Depot may be clearancing these Ryobi Aauto Hammers out. In my local store, they have all been moved into the clearance area of the store.
It could just be that some stores are trying to clear out excess stock that’s left over from the 2009 holiday shopping season.
I picked one of these up for $51 CDN in Home Depot clearance. Going to use it for awkward, hard-to-reach areas in my attic reno.
David, that’s the type of use that the Auto Hammer would excel at. If you have a chance, please let us know how you like it after using it! $51 is a darn good price, especially since the Craftsman version is still selling at $90-100.
4 Trackbacks
[...] UPDATE: Some time after writing this post, we published a hands-on review of Ryobi’s Auto Hammer – click here to check it out. [...]
[...] Auto Hammer head, for hammering nails in tight spaces (this should be comparable to the recently reviewed Ryobi Auto Hammer) [...]
[...] Since writing this post, we have published a hands-on review of Ryobi’s Auto Hammer - click hereto check it [...]
[...] Campbell Hausfeld Angled Finish Nailer Review Channellock Small V-Jaw Pliers Review Dewalt’s Impact Ready Drill Bits – a “Boring” Review Ryobi Auto Hammer Hands-on Review [...]