Southwire has quietly introduced a new hammer that’s specially designed for electricians.
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The main highlight of the new Southwire Romex electrician’s hammer, BMEH-18, is its claw, designed for removing Romex staples.
The 18oz Romex hammer also has an extended neck, for reaching into outlet boxes. Additional features include a high strength and lightweight fiberglass handle, slip-resistant handle grip, and a hole in the handle for connecting a tool tethers or lanyard.
- 13.75″ height
- 1.13″ width
- 6.63″ length
- Weighs 1.68 lbs
- Smooth face 18oz head
Price: $27
Buy Now(via Amazon)
See Also(20oz Hammer via Amazon)
There’s also a 20oz model, but it seems to lack the special staple-removal claw design.
See Also(Klein Electrician’s Hammer via Amazon)
See Also(Greenlee Electrician’s Hammer via Amazon)
Discussion
While electrician’s hammers isn’t a new concept, I don’t think I’ve seen any with modified Romex/nonmetallic cable staple removers before.
I’m not sure what kind of work requires a hammer to have an extended head for reaching into an outlet box, but that’s a common feature of electrician hammers. The outlet boxes I’m familiar with have nails on the outside, although I’ve seen some with screws inside.
Southwire is still relatively new to the hand tool market, but this seems like a logical extension of their current product lines.
If it proves to be a popular feature, it’s possible that we’ll see other brands integrate staple pullers into their own electrician hammers.
Looking online, I don’t see many products specially designed for removing Romex or NM cable staples. How are Romex staples typically removed? I’ve seen diagonal cutters being used to bite into staples for leveraging out.
If you’re an electrician and have been frustrated with pulling staples with diagonal cutters or other tools, is this something you’d try?
Kevin M Smith
Another solution looking for a problem.
Chris
I’m an electrician, and i’ve never once used an “electricians” hammer with the extended head. My estwing has done just fine. I’m not against it, i’ve just never come across a need for it in my residential, commercial, or limited industrial work and don’t exactly know what it’s for. Maybe it’s a hold over from the past…
I might buy this hammer for the romex staple remover though. I really like that idea because it might be faster. Then again, I could probably get a decent hammer and grind the claws down for the same effect. I’m also wondering if the claw is any good when someone really pins down a wire and it’s dug into the jacket, will this end up taking a chunk of romex with it? Will I end up carrying my linemans (which is a hammer for most electricians) already anyways when this is potentially an extra tool to carry?
I think i’m talking myself out of it pretty quick…
Bolt
Yeah, I’ve though about grinding down one of the claws on a hammer many times. I should get around to doing it
Kevin Destefano
Agreed!
Tim
Intended market electricians.
Floor guys be like “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!”
Pete
I’m somewhat surprised that Southwire didn’t announce a new pair of lineman’s pliers and market them as a new “Electrician’s Hammer.”
fred
I believe that this tool is marketed as a Romex Staple rmover:
https://www.amazon.com/Rack-Tiers-Multi-Purpose-Removes-Staples/dp/B0087TBOGK/
Trent
This is the best tool on the market for removing staples. It fits in so many tight places it’s a lifesaver during demo.
It’s become on of those tools I would purchase again instantly if lost.
fred
Looks like Rack-A-Tiers has another variant that they say can also be used in setting staples:
https://www.rack-a-tiers.com/product/staypal-electrical-staple-setter/
Frank D
Note the bad reviews about the strength of the steel.
I either use some kind of pliers, nail puller or the teeth of my smallest stanley crow bar, which has fine points on the nail pulling end.
Can’t see myself using a hammer, too big too long and staples very often driven in too deep.
John Blair
Once upon a time I was an electrician and I found the most useful tool for removing staples was my lineman pliers. You would think the diagonal cutters would work better, but harder to get leverage with them. With the pliers, grip the staple in the back of the cutter and use the front of the head as a leverage point to pull them out. Worked for nails too.
Dcl
I like the idea of a staple puller, but I use a ball peen hammer as I find easier to swing in joist and stud bays, so I wouldn’t really be interested in a longer than usual hammer for electrical work.
Tjb
As an electrician I use my diagonal cutters for pulling staples. Lineman’s would work too. Jamming a big hammer handle into some of the places you put staples in to pull them sounds unlikely. Might work for a wire run down a open stud bay, or along the bottom of a strapped ceiling joist. But you can get dykes in way tighter places.
Trent
Electrician here as well. For removing staples I use diagonal cutters or the Rack-a-tiers Staple Shark (awesome simple tool).
The hammer doesn’t interest me at all. I’ve never been in a situation where I wanted a extended neck. I love my Stilleto 10oz for residential electrical work.
Noah
I use a lot of narrow and medium crown staples in scenic construction. I’m sorta interested in this hammer.
Rman
I’m old school retired electrician. And in the good old days 1970,s my eastwing electrician hammer with leather wrapped handle was used to Nail in Junction boxes with roofing nails
Yeah no cordless screwdriver no phillips or other fancy torx
Screws. Start nailing and get your thumb out fast. It is easier today with modern power Tools
Jorn
I prefer to just grab a handful of Romex above and below the staple and pull has hard as I can until I black out.
The What?
Electrician framer plumber painter here. I do finish carpentry and flooring as well as acoustic ceilings and the occasional hvac tech aside from recovery and recharging. Anyways I turned a framing hammer into one of these a long time ago for the same purpose as this. It didn’t work like I thought it would. It didn’t work well enough to keep in my toolbox. In fact it made the task harder than it needed to be. It would only work if there was a gap between the jacket and the staple. There shouldn’t be a gap big enough to fit a hammer claw in it. No gap tight hold but don’t crush wires pry from back up against wood not in between wire and staple. Fulcrum point should be on material surface staple is nailed to. Safety 101. The way its shown in the picture is a good way to crush and short the wire and possible electrocution. Bad day.. Me, I’ve always used a flathead to wedge in between the wood and the jacket right behind the staples and use the wood as my fulcrum. Pops the staples out every time.
Corey Moore
Staples shouldn’t completely pin the wire, they’re not straps. You should be able to feed/pull Romex back through your top plate if you need to, with a guy above and at the wall, or one guy moving above the wall once he gets the service length free and hanging. What are you going to do, abandon wires in walls, leave blanked off boxes on walls to meet code instead of fixing drywall, or pry a bunch of staples blind inside a wall you can’t open up? See it all the time, curse every single one. Staple your direction changes a reasonable distance so as not to squeeze the wire into hard angles/corners, and verticals are to prevent you’re wire from swinging away from the stud. It’s Romex, not dark matter, it’s not going to pull itself around corners or anything crazy from weight.
Corey Moore
Also, it’s very clear that hammer has an offset claw and the hammer/fulcrum is next to the wire, not on it.