Kobalt has come out with a new 16 oz. checkered face rip hammer that they say drives nails like a 28 oz. framing hammer.
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The high-velocity steel hammer arena is filling in fast. There’s Dewalt’s MIG-welded hammers (V2 is on the way), Vaughan’s new Stealth hammers, and Estwing’s new Ultra hammers. Kobalt’s high velocity hammer design is similar, in how it features reduced head weight and a slimmed-down shaft.
Kobalt engineered the hammer to be forged from one piece of steel, for higher strength and durability.
Features
- 1-piece steel construction
- Large checkered face
- Straight ripping claw (better for demolition work)
- Bi-material slip-resistant handle material
- Tempered rim for reduced chipping and spalling
- Magnetic nail starter
Buy Now(via Lowes)
Price: $40
Item # 116570
Model # 62754
First Impression
Swinging the hammer in the air at my local Lowes, the handle felt quite comfortable, and the swing was a swift as I expected from a high velocity design.
What I didn’t quite like is the lack of consistency in the quality. The hammer I was looking over had dried glue spilled out from its cavity. Looking at the others in the rack, one had a magnet that was seated noticeable below the surface, and one had a magnet that was protruding from its hole. Only one of the hammers had a flush magnet and with no glue spill-off.
I liked the feel of the hammer – at least as much as I could tell without using it on a series of nails – and its $30 price doesn’t seem too high. I also appreciate that Kobalt is keeping up with competitors.
Aside from the nail starter magnet issue, the hammer’s design and build quality seemed quite good for the price. Country of origin is China.
danielo42 says
bought one about a month ago after the magnet fell out of my dewalt mig. Very similar in terms of swing. Dewalt head and handle are a bit bigger than the new kobalt. I also noticed the variances in quality when selecting mine.
Only 25$ CAN compared to 80 for the Dewalt.
Javier says
I like kobalt tools, well mostly their hassle free lifetime warranty. Most of my hand tools are kobalt. Ain’t the best and I would gladly pay extra for better quality and features but I can’t pass up on their value. I’ve had a few kobalt tools fail on me from rough use and I simply got a new one from Lowes no questions asked, without a receipt either. I like that I can be rough with the tools and not worry about breaking them as opposed to pricier tools I have to be careful with them and pamper them.
Stan says
I personally found with American made Grayvik hammers, that whilst these are simple tools without any bells and whistles, work exceptionally well and at least for what I use mine for deliver more than enough power for me.
Plus I am able to support Epstein’s when I bought mine. These might not be magnetic slots or so, but these are American made and except for a few blemishes, are of very high quality.
Bill K says
Dropped by Lowes to look at these hammers. Nice looking hammers. I saw short & long handle versions of this design. The short version had a smooth head face but no magnet. I’m not familiar with today’s hammer technology including high velocity versions and their best uses. How about in a future review ToolGuyd providing some advantages/disadvantages of the various technologies or something similar. Thanks for bringing this technology to our attention.
Justin says
+1
Stuart says
Essentially, the claim is that these hammers swing faster and deliver the same impact energy as heavier slower-hitting hammers.
It is hard to quantify the differences, and there is a lot of BS behind the marketing of these hammer.
The general idea is that these hammers get the job done with reduced arm fatigue compared to heavier hammers.
They are often longer than same-weight traditionally-styled hammers and have slimmed-down handles. Material is removed from the handle-head interface as well. This gives them that lightweight feel.
Marketing claims are that impact energy is more dependent on speed than mass (K.E. = 1/2 m v^2), but I feel momentum is better used to discuss striking power (p = m v). Even in the case of momentum, speed (or v for velocity) and mass are directly proportionate, meaning that a lighter but faster-swinging hammer can have the same momentum as a heavier but slower-singing one.