Since this video I reviewed another Budget minded set of Hammers and Dollys, the GearWrench Tools set. Check out that review here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html Spoiler: I like them.
This is really an excellent review because it explains the "why", not just "these don't feel good" or that they're overseas made garbage. Your points are logical and valid, and that's the kind of info us newbs are looking for in making a tool purchase.
Thank you. I try not to make statements without qualifying the why of them. Some things are always going to be subjective (hand feel, etc) but design elements can be understood.
In my most recent video 4 out of 6 Metalshapers recommended quality hammers and dollies as the first purchase for a beginner. These Marr from normal use, so they require refacing often and if not kept up will mark and ruin finished pieces. They are poorly shaped so you have to shape them to proper shapes for good use. And they can't stretch a weld as effectively as a quality tool because it Marrs the metal as much as it stretches the weld. How is a beginner to know any of these maintenance and reshaping steps to keep up with? I know plenty of people feel that it is the person not the tools, but the tools go a long way to helping. I've seen many people try very hard at tasks and never quite get it, until they got their hands on a proper tool and realize their previous ones let them down and held them back. Quality hammers and dollies will last generations. How can that even be close to a bad call as a beginner purchase?
Aaron Anderson I wasn’t calling them overseas garbage, just using that as an example of a common criticism of these. I have lots of Harbor Freight tools, many good, some bad. I appreciate a logical review without net opinion.
I did a two year part time course in metal finishing, the hammers at school were of a high quality as were the dollies, Just so I could carry on at home I picked up a cheap set absolute rubbish, I thought it was me, so I took them to school for a laugh... The teacher had a go with them, even he could not do a professional finish with them, like you say flat faces etc.. I now have Martin as per your video, they are wonderful to use, they give me confidence and I know I can not blame the tools when something goes wrong.
I'm a painter and a body man. I do a fair amount of metal shaping and fabrication. That being said, I personally think this is a fantastic set for what it costs. I've used it for about a year now and I don't know what you would have to do to wear this set out. I keep it on my tool cart and use it on customer cars. I keep my better stuff put away just to have because I have a thing for hammers and dollies. Bottom line, this set is plenty good enough.
I appreciate your opinion on the subject. I haven't used them nearly that long but they just don't fit into my needs or wants from a body hammer overall. I will give them more of a chance around the shop to see how they really hold up to my abuses though.
NOW THAT IS A REVIEW! Other reviewers hear that deafening sound of silence , it’s your subscribers un-subscribing and moving over to the Hippie! The Hotrod Hippie actually backs up his opinion with real data and he actually gives an opinion, great or negative he states what he would do. Sometimes it’s not positive for a vendor but it’s what the viewer is wanting from the review. Best review I’ve seen in years, thanks Hippie. I’m a new subscriber now!
As a former film student and avid youtube watcher, your videos are really well done. I know this subject matter isn't the most mainstream, but I'm still surprised you don't have more subscribers. That being said, I have a good feeling you'll eventually get up to having at least tens of thousands of subscribers.
Joseph thank you very much. I'm always aiming to improve my content quality in every way. The channel is growing steadily, I'm not going to complain about where it is, just hope that it continues to grow.
When i first watched this video when it came out i thought you were being hard on this set, but after learning more this review is absolutely spot on. I thought i would come back and thank you for an honest thorough review. I personally have gone with Martin hammer.
Awesome!! Ive learned more about body hammers by watching this video about whats wrong with bad ones, then most videos that try to teach you whats good about a good hammer and dolly!!.. great content.. and Thanks
Thank you, I'm glad you got the info I was trying to impart. You may also like another video of mine where I Explained the different designs of Body Hammers specifically: th-cam.com/video/gRhosSyIWLQ/w-d-xo.html
I used this set for about a year when i started auto body. My boss got it for me to start doing dent work since I was a new tech. Once I started replacing each hammer with snap on ones OHH MA GAWDDD the difference is crazy! Only reason I love this set is because it was my first set that I learned so much with.
I bought this set a couple years ago to do a particular fab and repair on someone’s CJ Jeep. I noticed the lack of crown and the sharp point on the ball pick, and the edges on everything. So I actually ground, sanded, and filed several of the hammers, predominately the two you’d actually use. Then I got frustrated with the dollies because they were clunky being small in spots and awkward in the hand. 6:14 was the final straw. I like wood handles, too; they even ‘bounce’ better with rapid sequential repetitive hits but don’t vibrate up the handle. I returned them 12:12 I would NOT recommend this as a starter set. People won’t learn anything with them because they don’t have the features, balance, and design that move metal in non-destructive ways. One good pick/hammer, a chisel hammer, and three or four sizes of decent-brand ball pein hammers, a decent heel, wedge, and ‘rail’ dolly, and various 3/4” flat chunks along with some rounds and tapers and you could run for years and never want for another dolly or hammer. Additionally they will behave properly so they will unconsciously train the user how to be effective with them. With cheap tools you’ll constantly be struggling to fix the consequences of their poor design. 13:38 oops. You said that after I typed above.
Finally someone who understands hammers haha. I have the HF set and I had to make adjustments on everyrhing exactly like what your talking about thank you
Someone willing to put the time in to modify the hammers can absolutely get a decent result out of them. Glad you have been able to. I just cannot review a product and recommend it while saying "You DO need to modify them to make them usable in my opinion." haha
@@HotRodHippie right! I got them because they were cheap and I was like well it can't hurt. They are decent for just banging some dents out and I have had situations where the they were kinda handy but like you said I would never use them for putting down small dings and flattening out sheet metal or welds. I always use my snap on or Martin for the more precise stuff
Good question, I probably didn't explain that deeply enough. What I mean is that the face of the quality hammer has a Radius to it. It is not completely flat. If you were to draw a 24" circle on a piece of paper, then lay your hammer face up against the inside of that circle edge, the Radius of the hammer face would match the Radius of the Circle drawn. Here is a link to a gauge used to measure these Radii, it may help you visualize what I mean better: www.trick-tools.com/Radius_Check_Gauge_TTRCG_366 The Harbor Freight hammers have a true flat face, which counter to what most people might think, IS BAD for a good body hammer design.
At Rockwell 50 they’re not going to file well or stone polish easily. Grinder on a body hammer? Way too coarse, too much heat. EDIT: I did buy these and reshape them with a belt sander. So hard the files mostly skated but it still did remove the sharp edges.
@@fishhuntadventure plus good luck getting a completely even surface face radius with a grinder lol making sure every side is even all the way around the face of the hammer...not gonna happen
I appreciated that you tested and took the time to share what seems a very honest opinion. There is however a big gap between a cheap set and a decent set. What you said at the very end sort of convinces me to give them a try anyway, that is they can still be modified for a particular job, which gives them another purpose to learn to modify a tool! It's also a case of say 200 for a good set or 240 for both!
You may want to check out my review of the Gearwrench Hammer set if you are on the fence about the bigger budget tools. th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html I definitely see your point and I can't argue with it. I still have these hammers "in case" I decide to cut up a hammer for something. I haven't done it but I could if I wanted.
Your content is excellent, I’m in the hvac duct manufacturing trade, the malco tinners hammer I use gets heavy after about 3 hours of setting Pittsburgh seams, for all the trolls I ain’t slow either, they look like they’re fairly heavy if you’re using them all day every day? I’ll more than like get into this set to have at home doing side work. Keep going with the videos I’m watching, and telling my co workers who aren’t journeymen, to check you out.
I just bought this set for a project car I'm going to start learning body and paint on. I'm a professional automotive technician but new to body. I'll use this video to fix the issues you brought up with lack of a radius on the flat hammer and smoothing out the edges but as far as durability... I'm not concerned about that
This was great. I bought this set recently to help me form floor pan patches and a couple body panels pieces on my Jeep Cherokee xj project, they seem to work okay for me I'm a beginner, the welds and metal forming that I am doing are functional and that works for me, not the prettiest as it is my first welding and body project. I completely agree with the sharp chamfer on this set, smoothing them out will give a better result. Thanks for putting out this kind of contact man it really helps 🤘🤘
I have a 1980 Toyota Truck the bed has been bobed (shortened) but the side panels and floor are really starting to rust a lot. at what point do you say it's not worth repairing I would say there a two foot by one foot section on both the side panels and about a third of the floor needs fixed not one big section but a lot of little sections
That is really up to you. Is it a street driven vehicle that you want to look good? An off-roader that you are going to beat? Or do you NEED a running/driving vehicle? It is all what you are willing to put into it time and money wise. Those trucks can make great off-road beasts. I know the frames are known for rot on those as well though. So if the body is going i'd be concerned about the frame as well. If it were mine and it weren't my daily driver, I'd fix it up or turn it into an off road truck with minimal sheet metal. I just did a quick Ebay search and it looks like good condition ones are $5000+.
Food for thought. There is a reason why we have never seen SRV, Hendrix, Clapton or Knopfler using a 1950's Sears/Roebuck guitar but treating a 50's Stratocaster like it was their first born. Who'd have thought a lump of shaped metal or a hammer face on a steel handle (not wooden) would make a huge difference. This video has just convinced me Riviera Paradise can only be heard using the correct tools. Check it out. A big thank you for a very informative video. I'm off to buy a Martin set. Strangely Hendrix played a Martin acoustic guitar, maybe he should have used a Maddox HA HA.
I know you can't see my dent scratch on my fender but here goes - I'm trying to bang out the dent sratch on fender someone left me . Depression isn't that deep but about 4-5 inches wide . How to fix the scratch ? It's a lil gouged but not very deep . I have a small 3 lb hammer , can i use that as dollie or get this just wanting to do this one project not get into body repair ? For inexperienced amateur will it suit my purpose to make it paintless repair ?
You can use basically any decent chunk of metal as a dolly. So your heavy hammer may well work. Doing the repair paintlessly? I cannot give advice without seeing / possibly feeling it. Cover the area iou are working on with masking tape is the best tip I can give. And very light strikes if you hammer anything. I’d maybe use the “dolly” to lightly tap the dent out from the backside. That’s not the typical way to do dent repair, but at least the scratches would be hidden then.
Such a good video! My set, which isn't used that often, is an older Craftsman. I'd be curious to know the OEM. They will flatten a weld, albeit not as nicely as in the video. Wish I had your skill.
From what I have seen the Eastwood set is the exact same set with just different handles and paint for twice the price. If you want a budget set I'd recommend the Gearwrench one: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
You gave me a lot of good understandable info on these tools. I can think with it. I might still buy the Harbor Freight set... the price is so affordable... knowing that I would have to reshape the hammer faces to get decent results. Thanks! 🙏🏼
And if you are good with that, go for it. I reviewed the GearWrench Tools set after this and that has become my recommended budget set. It’s right around $100 and requires far less reworking in my opinion. But that’s a fair bit more than the HF set so I get why folks would save the bucks.
Hello Alan! First thank you for making these videos!! I wanted to ask you if there are any sets of body/fender repair sets that offer close to the quality of the Snapon / Martin sets but at a lower price point. I’m not a professional paint n body tech but someone who is getting ready to start a restoration project on my 1974 240Z.
My current go to recommendation for a budget set is from GearWrench tools. I won’t say it is Martin quality but it’s significantly better than this set and my recommendation for folks in your position. th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
Im currently learning with a set of these and can agree out of the box they are a nightmare to use. However they have worked effectively on a very difficult crease/dent I pulled out a curved section of a quarter. I have used other sets in the past where the dollys had far heavier mass that put these Maddox ones to shame. It felt like that was the key to getting most these small hail dents on my Acura Integra flattened back out without stretching the skin too much. Also remember there are physics involved in this form of straightening. The mass of the dolly is important because it actually does the pushing when the hammer blows.
I prefer quality tools over cheap tools but the issue that wasn't addressed was if you use your tools for a living and need the durability and "quality " then that's the way to go. But the flip side would be projects at home or repairs that dont neccesarily require hardcore usage of said tools. At home I can make due, at work not so much.
I started this review approaching from that perspective. However I found the quality and design of these hammers to just be so poor that I couldn't recommend them for Home use either. Thus why I didn't bother to distinguish my point. I clearly stated that these are not designed the way any body hammer should be. I've since reviewed the Gearwrench Body Hammer set and found that to be an excellent set for those on a Budget. It is less than $100 and properly designed as a Hammer set should be. It's my Home kit recommendation for those unwilling to spend money on a better set. Check it out here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
Good review man! I have the set from gear wrench that is pretty good, but not complete. This saved me from wasting money on harbor frieght return time. Too bad snap on is mad expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Honestly I HIGHLY recommend Martin Tools rather than Snap-On. They make some decent hammers and dollys, but I promise you the Martin Tools ones are AS good if not better, but a fair bit cheaper. Though Snap-On has one or two designs that no one else has in their lineup.
HB hammer set $35.00, 3 piece hammer set from Snap-On $190 PLUS shipping on flea-bay not to mention you'll still need dollies. I'll modify my HB set and not cry. ALSO be able to get $150 + worth of needed parts. BTW, a great review.
i have a snap-on pick hammer that I've used for over thirty years. i do machining, carpentry, fabricating, and body work. it's the one hammer in my shop that is irreplaceable. no other hammer comes close to being universal. you can drive nails with great precision,align edges and joints, work sheet metal and a multitude of other tasks with it. the face of it holds up very well. i think I've only had to lightly touch up the face a half dozen times in over thirty years. i'm not a huge fan of snap-on but this is by far and away the best tool I have ever bought.
I know you wouldn’t recommend these at all but I’m currently doing a job at my house with a ball peen hammer lol do you think that heel dolly could be cleaned up on those cast edges to make them usable?
If you are willing to put time in on the set, it could absolutely be cleaned up to a usable point for a job (or few). I generally recommend the GearWrench set for a “budget” set these days. It’s a fair bit more than this and nowhere near perfect, but I find it a much better starting point than these. Affiliate Link: amzn.to/35ezUon
In my humble experience I have found a skilled man with even the cheapest of tools can out perform a poorly skilled man with the very best of tools. Money is better spent getting good training and practicing the needed skills till they are at a satisfactory level. I paid quite a lot of money to do a training course on hand metal craft skills. This combined with frequent practice and effort has yielded better results than buying snap on bodywork tools! Investors some very reasonable mid range tools and very happy with them. Investors finessed them to be just how I want them. Pay for training,best investment you will ever make. Oh and watch lots of great videos for inspiration.
"It is a poor Craftsman that blames his tools" is a statement I've most often heard from folks who didn't want to buy quality tools. Or bought them when they were less expensive. I agree that the best quality tools in the hands of an untrained individual will not make miracles happen. However the worst quality tools in the hands of the best trained person are going to limit that person's abilities. It is all about finding a balance between the right investment in tools, equipment, and training. I've gone to training classes, learned skills, then gone back to a shop that didn't have the necessary equipment to apply those skills. It does little good to know how something needs to be done without having the means to do it. It is all a balancing act and it is hard to say how things should be done. That said, these hammers aren't mid-grade, they are bottom of the barrel grade. I intend to shop around and pick up a couple sets of "mid range" hammers and dollys to test out and find folks an affordable option versus the Snap-On and Martin Tools sets. Unfortunately I haven't found sets I'm confident will fit this bill yet. If you have suggestions I'd love to hear them.
HotRodHippie thank you for your wise words. Perhaps a compromise might be to purchase quality hammers for your main use hammers and the same for dollies and then buy mid range for the less common used? I have one very nice snap on hammer,my main one that was bought from a retirement sale. Quality at mid range price from somebody who had respected their tools. I was offered a rusty dolly and was a bit reluctant. I was informed it was good enough to build spitfires during the war. I of course bought it and after careful polishing it does indeed have supermarine and 1942 stamped on it. Now felt proud and humble to own it. What's your thoughts on shafts for the hammers? I have hickory and ash handles but hear good things about composite shafted hammers? One thought I have is to purchase singularly as needed rather than buying a set, seem to end up buying stuff no real need for?
Andrew Wilson I prefer wood handled hammers personally. I often choke up on the handle of the hammer to grip it closer to the hammer head depending on the situation. Doing that with a composite handled hammer just doesn't work as nicely. And I like the shock absorption of the wood more. I agree with piece meal buying hammers. That is how I have done it. I've never bought sets for my use. Always each individual hammer and dolly as I saw the need for it. Buying used quality hammers is absolutely a great way to go. Some types and designs they just don't make new anymore. My reverse curve hammer is an Old Snap-On one I cleaned and polished up. Also with Snap-On ones you can get the old ones warranted if you want. I did that with my 1.75" faced hammer. My Dad had an old one that was quite rough, my Snap-On guy just gave me an entirely new one. I agree with you on maybe buying better hammers for your main uses and then more affordable ones for your less used ones. That makes perfect sense to me I am going to continue looking for a good mid range option for those folks who won't be using hammers as often as myself or you do.
HotRodHippie thank you. I will look forward to the videos. Perhaps one on looking for and restoring nice quality used ones and bringing them back to life. A comparison between that hammer and a new one for the same price and see what makes the most sense? What's nicest to use feels good in the hands and can produce the best results?. I restore old vehicles and aircraft, hammers and dollies a major part of my tool kit. Restoring old tools is so satisfying,a self contained mini project that can be done between jobs,start to finish.
I have not handled their latest offering for budget hammers. Based solely off of looks and available information it seems to be the same quality as these Harbor Freight ones. The Eastwood Fairmount line was decent but they've largely done away with those. My current recommendation for budget hammers is the Gearwrench set. You can check out my video on that set here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
HotRodHippie good to hear the opinion of a pro. it's the standard chinesium kit that's sold around the world in that same red colour. pretty much like you say - ok for a few basic jobs but not up to more advanced or demanding work - and that's coming from a rank amateur. the dollies especially are pretty lame. i prefer old tools i dig up at swap meets etc. generally need some restoration but cheap and often good quality. make my own wooden handles when needed.
Bought this set just last week & had EXCELLENT results. Guess I must be hitting "square/right dead on". Or perhaps I simply adjusted the surface & edges ever so *slightly* with a rotary sander before using. Dollies could've been just the tiniest hair bigger, but were still quite satisfactory. I'd give this kit an 8/10 overall. Outstanding starter (or in my case replacement after relocating to another state) kit.
I'm glad they are working for your needs. However by your own statement you had to modify them out of the box. So if a product that requires out of the box modification to be properly used rates an 8/10 then my reviews would get weird and misleading very fast. I'm coming at these reviews from the point of view of a professional that uses hammers every single day of his career. If that is not the opinion people want they can find plenty of reviews on here by people who just bought their first Hammer set in this kit. I was harsh on these and I plan to do a video about how one can turn them I to a solidly usable kit, but 8/10 is just a misleading rating, I'm sorry.
Thank you. I would recommend you check out my very recent video about the Ron Covell Hammer and Dolly set. They are made by Martin Tools and are a slightly better price than buying the same items Individually, Martin Branded. th-cam.com/video/aop6rRaSuCg/w-d-xo.html
I have. And I was planning to do a video about how to make these the way they should be. However I shouldn't have to spend a couple hours dressing a hammer to make it usable. And when all said and done it's still inferior metal, improper handle design, a funky weight balance, and just not going to last long term. I make my living with hammers and dolly. I review tools from the perspective of someone who knows how these things are supposed to be. That is all I can do. I see thay not everyone makes their living with their hammers but I'd rather find other hammers that are just a better construction to recommend. I have a Gearwrench set sitting in the shop waiting for review. I can say that off initial impression they are superior to these in every way. They cost me $79 and came with everytbing this set did. Is cleaning up this set worth your time over that?
The Martin Tools set I linked in the Description is $203, not $600. And my points stand that these hammers are improperly designed to function as body hammers. They just are not made the way body hammers are intended to be made. I did another review of an "Affordable" hammer and dolly set that does a much better job from the folks at GearWrench: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html It is $97 normally but can often be found on sale for $75-80 and is a far superior set vs the HF one for $38 (what the HF website says).
They work well for the purpose i need them for doing Auto body work. The flat face on the hammers work great for some applications. If you are just starting out in bodywork and dont have a lot to invest I recommend them
Alan C and I don’t. I recommend the GearWrench ones. They are a vastly superior product for about $100 (less when on sale). What applications do the flat faces work well for? You have to strike perfectly true every time or damage is very likely to occur. As an experience metalworker, I find that difficult, how is a beginner going to do it?
1970chevy07 because many of the $30 sets are the same ones just sold under different names. You can often put them side by side from different companies and they look identical. The point was to show you what hammers are supposed to end like (expensive) and what the $30 ones are like in comparison.
So you want him to compare shit with shit? The idea of comparing things is to see how the cheap stuff stacks up against the quality stuff, you get what you pay for... if your gonna be using something everyday for years apon years you buy quality
@@HotRodHippie the icon tool boxes seem really nice, people seem to be buying the hand tools everytime I'm I visit. Icon quality looks just butt hair better than gearwrench in my opinion.
Bob Bastion fair point. It is just the only means of testing the material of the hammers I can do without having to send samples to a metallurgist and spend $$. Hardness is an important factor in body hammers and dollys though. To a point obviously.
HotRodHippie Agreed and also a good point. I'm looking forward to your vid on how to improve the HF body hammers. The whole time I was watching this vid, I was trying to think of an easy way to get get a 12" radius on the face. It seems that just smoothing that sharp, beveled edge would help a lot. When I opened them, I thought: "Damn, these are cool." Then I ran across your vid :(
Yep that is the best thing you could do, dull and radius that beveled edge. I'm going to look at them and decide what I think is the best course of action soon.
You could use that fat faced cross chisel to smooth welds would probably work better too. I have these hammers just bought today. They need dressing yes but time will tell if they suck as bad as u r jabbering about.
Alan C painted surfaces transfer paint to the material when hammering. Meaning more clean up after doing the job. They only paint them because the cast surface is unfinished otherwise. It’s rough and messy, meaning it is NOT a good surface to be used as a dolly. A rough surface on a dolly will imprint a rough surface on the metal you are working. Entirely defeating the purpose of repairing the metal. A tool should not do more damage to a part while you are attempting to fix it.
Cheap tools have their place...which is Use them one time and then throw them away....{mostly}....why not take the overall price of this set and buy just the 1 Good Quality professional Hammer ? And then when you have more $$ invest in another high quality well made hammer. Tools are an extension of ourselves. If you eat junk food and treat the Temple that is your body with Potion then go ahead and buy the cheapest tools made. But they wont last and wont do the job nearly as efficiently as a Higher quality well made tool will. High Quality tools will Last Beyond your lifetime and can be handed down to your children to then use and also hand them down to their kids and so on and forth. I have made a conscious effort to Minimize and downsize. To me tools are Needs, not Wants. Tools allow me to complete a task whether it be for pay or for a particular project. I dont want the best; I NEED the best tool avaivlable.
I don't get paid to do visoes by anyone and if a video was sponsored it would always be disclosed in writing and verbally. You can see numerous other sheet metal workers in these comments agreeing that these lower quality lower cost hammers just do not match up. And really I usually recommend Martin Hammers over Snap-on hammers. Martin hammers being half the price of Snap-Ons. You chose to believe I'm pushing Snap-on ones.
If you never aim for perfection, you won’t accidentally achieve it. Why damage metal further while trying to repair it? That’s just working against yourself. The goal should always be a minimal amount of body filler. I don’t do slapped together repair jobs, I build high end custom and restored cars. That’s where my opinions and techniques come from. If folks want a different goal, then there are other people to give them advice.
Good video, but what's up with the tattoos? You are a decent looking guy, well spoken with some serious skills... So why did you do that to yourself? I ask the same question when I see a beautiful woman with tattoos. Why? Tattoos make women look cheap and men look untrustworthy. At best they demonstrates poor judgement.
I get tattooed because I like them and the way I look with them. They have helped me to feel more comfortable in my own skin and life. Tattoos are an expensive endeavor so the thought that they make someone look "cheap" is just a judgement on people's parts. Please understand that this is rude. Commenting on someone's choice of their look is never welcome unless they ask your opinion. If you truly cannot get past how I look, I'm sorry for you but my content isn't for you. However if you truly do say this to women, please stop. Women have enough judgement in this world. They don't need your unsolicited judgment on the matter.
When the cheaper product is improperly designed, then yes, yes it will. I just uploaded a review today of a $90 hammer set that is VASTLY superior to these hammers. I also compared that set to this one for further analysis. Quality tools do have features that generally allow the user to do a better quality job faster. You can get the job done with just about any tools if you really put your mind to it, but that doesn't mean it's going to go smoothly or be an efficient use of time. Thanks for Commenting Darren.
Since this video I reviewed another Budget minded set of Hammers and Dollys, the GearWrench Tools set. Check out that review here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
Spoiler: I like them.
This is really an excellent review because it explains the "why", not just "these don't feel good" or that they're overseas made garbage. Your points are logical and valid, and that's the kind of info us newbs are looking for in making a tool purchase.
Thank you. I try not to make statements without qualifying the why of them. Some things are always going to be subjective (hand feel, etc) but design elements can be understood.
In my most recent video 4 out of 6 Metalshapers recommended quality hammers and dollies as the first purchase for a beginner.
These Marr from normal use, so they require refacing often and if not kept up will mark and ruin finished pieces. They are poorly shaped so you have to shape them to proper shapes for good use. And they can't stretch a weld as effectively as a quality tool because it Marrs the metal as much as it stretches the weld. How is a beginner to know any of these maintenance and reshaping steps to keep up with? I know plenty of people feel that it is the person not the tools, but the tools go a long way to helping. I've seen many people try very hard at tasks and never quite get it, until they got their hands on a proper tool and realize their previous ones let them down and held them back.
Quality hammers and dollies will last generations. How can that even be close to a bad call as a beginner purchase?
Aaron Anderson I wasn’t calling them overseas garbage, just using that as an example of a common criticism of these. I have lots of Harbor Freight tools, many good, some bad. I appreciate a logical review without net opinion.
I did a two year part time course in metal finishing, the hammers at school were of a high quality as were the dollies, Just so I could carry on at home I picked up a cheap set absolute rubbish, I thought it was me, so I took them to school for a laugh... The teacher had a go with them, even he could not do a professional finish with them, like you say flat faces etc.. I now have Martin as per your video, they are wonderful to use, they give me confidence and I know I can not blame the tools when something goes wrong.
I'm a painter and a body man. I do a fair amount of metal shaping and fabrication. That being said, I personally think this is a fantastic set for what it costs. I've used it for about a year now and I don't know what you would have to do to wear this set out. I keep it on my tool cart and use it on customer cars. I keep my better stuff put away just to have because I have a thing for hammers and dollies. Bottom line, this set is plenty good enough.
I appreciate your opinion on the subject. I haven't used them nearly that long but they just don't fit into my needs or wants from a body hammer overall. I will give them more of a chance around the shop to see how they really hold up to my abuses though.
What a ass you are
NOW THAT IS A REVIEW! Other reviewers hear that deafening sound of silence , it’s your subscribers un-subscribing and moving over to the Hippie! The Hotrod Hippie actually backs up his opinion with real data and he actually gives an opinion, great or negative he states what he would do. Sometimes it’s not positive for a vendor but it’s what the viewer is wanting from the review.
Best review I’ve seen in years, thanks Hippie. I’m a new subscriber now!
Don Davidson thank you very much. I hope my reviews continue to meet your expectations. I continually aim to improve, inform, and be honest.
As a former film student and avid youtube watcher, your videos are really well done. I know this subject matter isn't the most mainstream, but I'm still surprised you don't have more subscribers. That being said, I have a good feeling you'll eventually get up to having at least tens of thousands of subscribers.
Joseph thank you very much. I'm always aiming to improve my content quality in every way. The channel is growing steadily, I'm not going to complain about where it is, just hope that it continues to grow.
I have this set and have used it many many times over the years and it has served me well.
When i first watched this video when it came out i thought you were being hard on this set, but after learning more this review is absolutely spot on. I thought i would come back and thank you for an honest thorough review. I personally have gone with Martin hammer.
Awesome!! Ive learned more about body hammers by watching this video about whats wrong with bad ones, then most videos that try to teach you whats good about a good hammer and dolly!!.. great content.. and Thanks
Thank you, I'm glad you got the info I was trying to impart.
You may also like another video of mine where I Explained the different designs of Body Hammers specifically: th-cam.com/video/gRhosSyIWLQ/w-d-xo.html
true, by watching this even if I buy the cheap set I know what I'm dealing with and even how to modify it to work a little better.
Actual product aside, this is a fantastic review if not the best I've seen of any kind
Much appreciated. I've tried to drastically up my quality since this time.
I used this set for about a year when i started auto body. My boss got it for me to start doing dent work since I was a new tech. Once I started replacing each hammer with snap on ones OHH MA GAWDDD the difference is crazy! Only reason I love this set is because it was my first set that I learned so much with.
I've been using cheap hammers and dollies for years,recently picked up a really nice limited edition set from martin and oh my god what a difference!
I bought this set a couple years ago to do a particular fab and repair on someone’s CJ Jeep. I noticed the lack of crown and the sharp point on the ball pick, and the edges on everything.
So I actually ground, sanded, and filed several of the hammers, predominately the two you’d actually use.
Then I got frustrated with the dollies because they were clunky being small in spots and awkward in the hand.
6:14 was the final straw. I like wood handles, too; they even ‘bounce’ better with rapid sequential repetitive hits but don’t vibrate up the handle.
I returned them
12:12 I would NOT recommend this as a starter set. People won’t learn anything with them because they don’t have the features, balance, and design that move metal in non-destructive ways. One good pick/hammer, a chisel hammer, and three or four sizes of decent-brand ball pein hammers, a decent heel, wedge, and ‘rail’ dolly, and various 3/4” flat chunks along with some rounds and tapers and you could run for years and never want for another dolly or hammer.
Additionally they will behave properly so they will unconsciously train the user how to be effective with them.
With cheap tools you’ll constantly be struggling to fix the consequences of their poor design.
13:38 oops. You said that after I typed above.
Finally someone who understands hammers haha. I have the HF set and I had to make adjustments on everyrhing exactly like what your talking about thank you
Someone willing to put the time in to modify the hammers can absolutely get a decent result out of them. Glad you have been able to. I just cannot review a product and recommend it while saying "You DO need to modify them to make them usable in my opinion." haha
@@HotRodHippie right! I got them because they were cheap and I was like well it can't hurt. They are decent for just banging some dents out and I have had situations where the they were kinda handy but like you said I would never use them for putting down small dings and flattening out sheet metal or welds. I always use my snap on or Martin for the more precise stuff
2:32
I'm having trouble understanding what you mean when you say a 12 inch radius. I'm sure you mean degrees
Good question, I probably didn't explain that deeply enough. What I mean is that the face of the quality hammer has a Radius to it. It is not completely flat. If you were to draw a 24" circle on a piece of paper, then lay your hammer face up against the inside of that circle edge, the Radius of the hammer face would match the Radius of the Circle drawn.
Here is a link to a gauge used to measure these Radii, it may help you visualize what I mean better: www.trick-tools.com/Radius_Check_Gauge_TTRCG_366
The Harbor Freight hammers have a true flat face, which counter to what most people might think, IS BAD for a good body hammer design.
Thanks for the video . I learned a long time ago to buy good tools. still have most of my tools for all most 50 years now
I definitely believe in investing in the long term. However I understand some folks don't have that need. To each their own. Thank you!
What if i grinded the edges down to compensate for the eye brow affect.
At Rockwell 50 they’re not going to file well or stone polish easily. Grinder on a body hammer? Way too coarse, too much heat.
EDIT: I did buy these and reshape them with a belt sander. So hard the files mostly skated but it still did remove the sharp edges.
@@fishhuntadventure plus good luck getting a completely even surface face radius with a grinder lol making sure every side is even all the way around the face of the hammer...not gonna happen
@@TheCapitalVice
I got the pick dressed up ok. But them returned. Couldn’t stand using them. Hammers were like swinging a pipe not a hammer.
I appreciated that you tested and took the time to share what seems a very honest opinion. There is however a big gap between a cheap set and a decent set. What you said at the very end sort of convinces me to give them a try anyway, that is they can still be modified for a particular job, which gives them another purpose to learn to modify a tool! It's also a case of say 200 for a good set or 240 for both!
You may want to check out my review of the Gearwrench Hammer set if you are on the fence about the bigger budget tools. th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
I definitely see your point and I can't argue with it. I still have these hammers "in case" I decide to cut up a hammer for something. I haven't done it but I could if I wanted.
Your content is excellent, I’m in the hvac duct manufacturing trade, the malco tinners hammer I use gets heavy after about 3 hours of setting Pittsburgh seams, for all the trolls I ain’t slow either, they look like they’re fairly heavy if you’re using them all day every day? I’ll more than like get into this set to have at home doing side work. Keep going with the videos I’m watching, and telling my co workers who aren’t journeymen, to check you out.
I just bought this set for a project car I'm going to start learning body and paint on. I'm a professional automotive technician but new to body. I'll use this video to fix the issues you brought up with lack of a radius on the flat hammer and smoothing out the edges but as far as durability... I'm not concerned about that
This was great. I bought this set recently to help me form floor pan patches and a couple body panels pieces on my Jeep Cherokee xj project, they seem to work okay for me I'm a beginner, the welds and metal forming that I am doing are functional and that works for me, not the prettiest as it is my first welding and body project. I completely agree with the sharp chamfer on this set, smoothing them out will give a better result. Thanks for putting out this kind of contact man it really helps 🤘🤘
I have a 1980 Toyota Truck the bed has been bobed (shortened) but the side panels and floor are really starting to rust a lot. at what point do you say it's not worth repairing I would say there a two foot by one foot section on both the side panels and about a third of the floor needs fixed not one big section but a lot of little sections
That is really up to you. Is it a street driven vehicle that you want to look good? An off-roader that you are going to beat? Or do you NEED a running/driving vehicle? It is all what you are willing to put into it time and money wise. Those trucks can make great off-road beasts. I know the frames are known for rot on those as well though. So if the body is going i'd be concerned about the frame as well. If it were mine and it weren't my daily driver, I'd fix it up or turn it into an off road truck with minimal sheet metal. I just did a quick Ebay search and it looks like good condition ones are $5000+.
Food for thought. There is a reason why we have never seen SRV, Hendrix, Clapton or Knopfler using a 1950's Sears/Roebuck guitar but treating a 50's Stratocaster like it was their first born. Who'd have thought a lump of shaped metal or a hammer face on a steel handle (not wooden) would make a huge difference. This video has just convinced me Riviera Paradise can only be heard using the correct tools. Check it out. A big thank you for a very informative video. I'm off to buy a Martin set. Strangely Hendrix played a Martin acoustic guitar, maybe he should have used a Maddox HA HA.
I know you can't see my dent scratch on my fender but here goes - I'm trying to bang out the dent sratch on fender someone left me . Depression isn't that deep but about 4-5 inches wide . How to fix the scratch ? It's a lil gouged but not very deep . I have a small 3 lb hammer , can i use that as dollie or get this just wanting to do this one project not get into body repair ? For inexperienced amateur will it suit my purpose to make it paintless repair ?
You can use basically any decent chunk of metal as a dolly. So your heavy hammer may well work. Doing the repair paintlessly? I cannot give advice without seeing / possibly feeling it. Cover the area iou are working on with masking tape is the best tip I can give. And very light strikes if you hammer anything. I’d maybe use the “dolly” to lightly tap the dent out from the backside. That’s not the typical way to do dent repair, but at least the scratches would be hidden then.
Such a good video! My set, which isn't used that often, is an older Craftsman. I'd be curious to know the OEM. They will flatten a weld, albeit not as nicely as in the video. Wish I had your skill.
is the east wood set any good? thanks was good video
From what I have seen the Eastwood set is the exact same set with just different handles and paint for twice the price.
If you want a budget set I'd recommend the Gearwrench one: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
You gave me a lot of good understandable info on these tools. I can think with it. I might still buy the Harbor Freight set... the price is so affordable... knowing that I would have to reshape the hammer faces to get decent results. Thanks! 🙏🏼
And if you are good with that, go for it. I reviewed the GearWrench Tools set after this and that has become my recommended budget set. It’s right around $100 and requires far less reworking in my opinion. But that’s a fair bit more than the HF set so I get why folks would save the bucks.
Hello Alan! First thank you for making these videos!! I wanted to ask you if there are any sets of body/fender repair sets that offer close to the quality of the Snapon / Martin sets but at a lower price point. I’m not a professional paint n body tech but someone who is getting ready to start a restoration project on my 1974 240Z.
My current go to recommendation for a budget set is from GearWrench tools. I won’t say it is Martin quality but it’s significantly better than this set and my recommendation for folks in your position. th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
Im currently learning with a set of these and can agree out of the box they are a nightmare to use. However they have worked effectively on a very difficult crease/dent I pulled out a curved section of a quarter. I have used other sets in the past where the dollys had far heavier mass that put these Maddox ones to shame. It felt like that was the key to getting most these small hail dents on my Acura Integra flattened back out without stretching the skin too much. Also remember there are physics involved in this form of straightening. The mass of the dolly is important because it actually does the pushing when the hammer blows.
I prefer quality tools over cheap tools but the issue that wasn't addressed was if you use your tools for a living and need the durability and "quality " then that's the way to go. But the flip side would be projects at home or repairs that dont neccesarily require hardcore usage of said tools. At home I can make due, at work not so much.
I started this review approaching from that perspective. However I found the quality and design of these hammers to just be so poor that I couldn't recommend them for Home use either. Thus why I didn't bother to distinguish my point. I clearly stated that these are not designed the way any body hammer should be.
I've since reviewed the Gearwrench Body Hammer set and found that to be an excellent set for those on a Budget. It is less than $100 and properly designed as a Hammer set should be. It's my Home kit recommendation for those unwilling to spend money on a better set. Check it out here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
@@HotRodHippie I seen a low budget set at home depot that has fiberglass handles. Might end up getting that over Hf.
Good review man! I have the set from gear wrench that is pretty good, but not complete. This saved me from wasting money on harbor frieght return time. Too bad snap on is mad expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Honestly I HIGHLY recommend Martin Tools rather than Snap-On. They make some decent hammers and dollys, but I promise you the Martin Tools ones are AS good if not better, but a fair bit cheaper. Though Snap-On has one or two designs that no one else has in their lineup.
Would you be able to test Gearwrench hammer and dolly set? It's seem to be middle of the row for price.
I've actually got that set sitting and waiting for me to test on t and review. Look out for that very soon. 👍
HB hammer set $35.00, 3 piece hammer set from Snap-On $190 PLUS shipping on flea-bay not to mention you'll still need dollies. I'll modify my HB set and not cry. ALSO be able to get $150 + worth of needed parts. BTW, a great review.
HF?
i have a snap-on pick hammer that I've used for over thirty years. i do machining, carpentry, fabricating, and body work. it's the one hammer in my shop that is irreplaceable. no other hammer comes close to being universal. you can drive nails with great precision,align edges and joints, work sheet metal and a multitude of other tasks with it. the face of it holds up very well. i think I've only had to lightly touch up the face a half dozen times in over thirty years. i'm not a huge fan of snap-on but this is by far and away the best tool I have ever bought.
Could you explain to my math teacher how BIG 12 INCH RADIUS IS on the surface of a hammer?
I know you wouldn’t recommend these at all but I’m currently doing a job at my house with a ball peen hammer lol do you think that heel dolly could be cleaned up on those cast edges to make them usable?
If you are willing to put time in on the set, it could absolutely be cleaned up to a usable point for a job (or few).
I generally recommend the GearWrench set for a “budget” set these days. It’s a fair bit more than this and nowhere near perfect, but I find it a much better starting point than these. Affiliate Link: amzn.to/35ezUon
In my humble experience I have found a skilled man with even the cheapest of tools can out perform a poorly skilled man with the very best of tools. Money is better spent getting good training and practicing the needed skills till they are at a satisfactory level. I paid quite a lot of money to do a training course on hand metal craft skills. This combined with frequent practice and effort has yielded better results than buying snap on bodywork tools! Investors some very reasonable mid range tools and very happy with them. Investors finessed them to be just how I want them. Pay for training,best investment you will ever make. Oh and watch lots of great videos for inspiration.
"It is a poor Craftsman that blames his tools" is a statement I've most often heard from folks who didn't want to buy quality tools. Or bought them when they were less expensive.
I agree that the best quality tools in the hands of an untrained individual will not make miracles happen. However the worst quality tools in the hands of the best trained person are going to limit that person's abilities.
It is all about finding a balance between the right investment in tools, equipment, and training. I've gone to training classes, learned skills, then gone back to a shop that didn't have the necessary equipment to apply those skills. It does little good to know how something needs to be done without having the means to do it. It is all a balancing act and it is hard to say how things should be done.
That said, these hammers aren't mid-grade, they are bottom of the barrel grade. I intend to shop around and pick up a couple sets of "mid range" hammers and dollys to test out and find folks an affordable option versus the Snap-On and Martin Tools sets. Unfortunately I haven't found sets I'm confident will fit this bill yet. If you have suggestions I'd love to hear them.
HotRodHippie thank you for your wise words. Perhaps a compromise might be to purchase quality hammers for your main use hammers and the same for dollies and then buy mid range for the less common used? I have one very nice snap on hammer,my main one that was bought from a retirement sale. Quality at mid range price from somebody who had respected their tools. I was offered a rusty dolly and was a bit reluctant. I was informed it was good enough to build spitfires during the war. I of course bought it and after careful polishing it does indeed have supermarine and 1942 stamped on it. Now felt proud and humble to own it.
What's your thoughts on shafts for the hammers? I have hickory and ash handles but hear good things about composite shafted hammers?
One thought I have is to purchase singularly as needed rather than buying a set, seem to end up buying stuff no real need for?
Andrew Wilson I prefer wood handled hammers personally. I often choke up on the handle of the hammer to grip it closer to the hammer head depending on the situation. Doing that with a composite handled hammer just doesn't work as nicely. And I like the shock absorption of the wood more.
I agree with piece meal buying hammers. That is how I have done it. I've never bought sets for my use. Always each individual hammer and dolly as I saw the need for it.
Buying used quality hammers is absolutely a great way to go. Some types and designs they just don't make new anymore. My reverse curve hammer is an Old Snap-On one I cleaned and polished up. Also with Snap-On ones you can get the old ones warranted if you want. I did that with my 1.75" faced hammer. My Dad had an old one that was quite rough, my Snap-On guy just gave me an entirely new one.
I agree with you on maybe buying better hammers for your main uses and then more affordable ones for your less used ones. That makes perfect sense to me
I am going to continue looking for a good mid range option for those folks who won't be using hammers as often as myself or you do.
HotRodHippie thank you. I will look forward to the videos. Perhaps one on looking for and restoring nice quality used ones and bringing them back to life. A comparison between that hammer and a new one for the same price and see what makes the most sense? What's nicest to use feels good in the hands and can produce the best results?. I restore old vehicles and aircraft, hammers and dollies a major part of my tool kit. Restoring old tools is so satisfying,a self contained mini project that can be done between jobs,start to finish.
Andrew Wilson that is an excellent video idea. I'm definitely going to take that under advisement. Thanks
How about Eastwoods hammer and dolly set? Its only 10$ more...
I have not handled their latest offering for budget hammers. Based solely off of looks and available information it seems to be the same quality as these Harbor Freight ones. The Eastwood Fairmount line was decent but they've largely done away with those. My current recommendation for budget hammers is the Gearwrench set. You can check out my video on that set here: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
I have a set of body hammers, even cheaper than these, that I keep for grinding to an odd shape you might need. Just thought I'd throw that in.
Afred ! That is the same reason I still have these. Sacrifice hammers to make a strange and useful shape when you need it. Great input.
Have you had any luck with these Harbor Freight body hammers? Or what do you prefer?
HotRodHippie
good to hear the opinion of a pro. it's the standard chinesium kit that's sold around the world in that same red colour. pretty much like you say - ok for a few basic jobs but not up to more advanced or demanding work - and that's coming from a rank amateur. the dollies especially are pretty lame. i prefer old tools i dig up at swap meets etc. generally need some restoration but cheap and often good quality. make my own wooden handles when needed.
similar set, rubbish, hammers in the bin, dollies kept to re shape and weld posts on etc...
What about the set from gearwrench
Bought this set just last week & had EXCELLENT results. Guess I must be hitting "square/right dead on". Or perhaps I simply adjusted the surface & edges ever so *slightly* with a rotary sander before using. Dollies could've been just the tiniest hair bigger, but were still quite satisfactory. I'd give this kit an 8/10 overall. Outstanding starter (or in my case replacement after relocating to another state) kit.
I'm glad they are working for your needs. However by your own statement you had to modify them out of the box. So if a product that requires out of the box modification to be properly used rates an 8/10 then my reviews would get weird and misleading very fast.
I'm coming at these reviews from the point of view of a professional that uses hammers every single day of his career. If that is not the opinion people want they can find plenty of reviews on here by people who just bought their first Hammer set in this kit.
I was harsh on these and I plan to do a video about how one can turn them I to a solidly usable kit, but 8/10 is just a misleading rating, I'm sorry.
Esta chufa tu herramienta donde la compró en México
Great review
I will be ordering a set of Martin hammers
Thanks hot rod hippie!
Thank you. I would recommend you check out my very recent video about the Ron Covell Hammer and Dolly set. They are made by Martin Tools and are a slightly better price than buying the same items Individually, Martin Branded. th-cam.com/video/aop6rRaSuCg/w-d-xo.html
Glad I returned mine today. It was missing the heel dolly. Now I'm glad I didn't keep this suck ass tool. Great review and you're right!
love my proto hammers
For the price, have you ever heard of a grinder?
I have. And I was planning to do a video about how to make these the way they should be.
However I shouldn't have to spend a couple hours dressing a hammer to make it usable. And when all said and done it's still inferior metal, improper handle design, a funky weight balance, and just not going to last long term.
I make my living with hammers and dolly. I review tools from the perspective of someone who knows how these things are supposed to be. That is all I can do. I see thay not everyone makes their living with their hammers but I'd rather find other hammers that are just a better construction to recommend. I have a Gearwrench set sitting in the shop waiting for review. I can say that off initial impression they are superior to these in every way. They cost me $79 and came with everytbing this set did. Is cleaning up this set worth your time over that?
Swear once when u buy, not everytime u use it.
I like that. I'm going to use that one.
Thanks, it's good to hear the truth!
well, what you said is true, but my friend you are comparing a $24 H.F hammer set to a $600 Martin hammer set. of course, it is not the same.
The Martin Tools set I linked in the Description is $203, not $600. And my points stand that these hammers are improperly designed to function as body hammers. They just are not made the way body hammers are intended to be made.
I did another review of an "Affordable" hammer and dolly set that does a much better job from the folks at GearWrench: th-cam.com/video/VHq9_-TkTvk/w-d-xo.html
It is $97 normally but can often be found on sale for $75-80 and is a far superior set vs the HF one for $38 (what the HF website says).
Thanks for the info., I think I'll try my wood handle sheetrock hammer on my truck. ; )
Thank you
You're welcome
They work well for the purpose i need them for doing Auto body work. The flat face on the hammers work great for some applications. If you are just starting out in bodywork and dont have a lot to invest I recommend them
Alan C and I don’t. I recommend the GearWrench ones. They are a vastly superior product for about $100 (less when on sale). What applications do the flat faces work well for? You have to strike perfectly true every time or damage is very likely to occur. As an experience metalworker, I find that difficult, how is a beginner going to do it?
Why compare it too an expensive brand compare it to a 30 dollar set also
1970chevy07 because many of the $30 sets are the same ones just sold under different names. You can often put them side by side from different companies and they look identical. The point was to show you what hammers are supposed to end like (expensive) and what the $30 ones are like in comparison.
So you want him to compare shit with shit? The idea of comparing things is to see how the cheap stuff stacks up against the quality stuff, you get what you pay for... if your gonna be using something everyday for years apon years you buy quality
There to thick... mac n snap on are thinner
My harbor freight hammers faces dented stretching welds
They need to redo this kit and rebrand it as Icon
I’m surprised they haven’t honestly. But maybe in time. I’m really not sure how the ICON line is doing for them as a business.
@@HotRodHippie the icon tool boxes seem really nice, people seem to be buying the hand tools everytime I'm I visit. Icon quality looks just butt hair better than gearwrench in my opinion.
Erm.. what about the one from AutoZone ? 😂
Hardness is inconsequential to a layman. The old Chinese hammers (and claw hammers) were so hard they would shatter. Not good. Not safe.
Bob Bastion fair point. It is just the only means of testing the material of the hammers I can do without having to send samples to a metallurgist and spend $$. Hardness is an important factor in body hammers and dollys though. To a point obviously.
HotRodHippie Agreed and also a good point. I'm looking forward to your vid on how to improve the HF body hammers. The whole time I was watching this vid, I was trying to think of an easy way to get get a 12" radius on the face. It seems that just smoothing that sharp, beveled edge would help a lot. When I opened them, I thought: "Damn, these are cool." Then I ran across your vid :(
Yep that is the best thing you could do, dull and radius that beveled edge. I'm going to look at them and decide what I think is the best course of action soon.
Thanks for keeping from wasting my money
I wouldn't bother with purchasing that set. You can buy a set on amazon with wooden handles for 52 bucks Canadian.
The edge on that flat face is beveled, but the fact all three being flat faced is no bueno
You could use that fat faced cross chisel to smooth welds would probably work better too. I have these hammers just bought today. They need dressing yes but time will tell if they suck as bad as u r jabbering about.
I dont understand what makes a side "unusable" just because its painted
Alan C painted surfaces transfer paint to the material when hammering. Meaning more clean up after doing the job. They only paint them because the cast surface is unfinished otherwise. It’s rough and messy, meaning it is NOT a good surface to be used as a dolly. A rough surface on a dolly will imprint a rough surface on the metal you are working. Entirely defeating the purpose of repairing the metal. A tool should not do more damage to a part while you are attempting to fix it.
What can you expect from Harbor Freight, all three flat head hammers lol.
Cheap tools have their place...which is Use them one time and then throw them away....{mostly}....why not take the overall price of this set and buy just the 1 Good Quality professional Hammer ? And then when you have more $$ invest in another high quality well made hammer. Tools are an extension of ourselves. If you eat junk food and treat the Temple that is your body with Potion then go ahead and buy the cheapest tools made. But they wont last and wont do the job nearly as efficiently as a Higher quality well made tool will. High Quality tools will Last Beyond your lifetime and can be handed down to your children to then use and also hand them down to their kids and so on and forth. I have made a conscious effort to Minimize and downsize. To me tools are Needs, not Wants. Tools allow me to complete a task whether it be for pay or for a particular project. I dont want the best; I NEED the best tool avaivlable.
Alright how much is snap on paying you?
I don't get paid to do visoes by anyone and if a video was sponsored it would always be disclosed in writing and verbally.
You can see numerous other sheet metal workers in these comments agreeing that these lower quality lower cost hammers just do not match up. And really I usually recommend Martin Hammers over Snap-on hammers. Martin hammers being half the price of Snap-Ons. You chose to believe I'm pushing Snap-on ones.
$45 vs $700
Martin tools 7pc set is $214. And since this video I reviewed the GearWrench set far more favorably at around $99.
Eastwood Hammer r lot better
Dude you are already repairing a piece of metal and most likely applying body filler so what’s the big deal.
If you never aim for perfection, you won’t accidentally achieve it. Why damage metal further while trying to repair it? That’s just working against yourself. The goal should always be a minimal amount of body filler.
I don’t do slapped together repair jobs, I build high end custom and restored cars. That’s where my opinions and techniques come from. If folks want a different goal, then there are other people to give them advice.
If you aiming for perfection replace the dang panel.
@@vergotiarteelyoyo2148 and when you butt weld in the new panel, how do you metal finish off the weld without quality hammers and dollies?
Good video, but what's up with the tattoos? You are a decent looking guy, well spoken with some serious skills... So why did you do that to yourself? I ask the same question when I see a beautiful woman with tattoos. Why? Tattoos make women look cheap and men look untrustworthy. At best they demonstrates poor judgement.
I get tattooed because I like them and the way I look with them. They have helped me to feel more comfortable in my own skin and life. Tattoos are an expensive endeavor so the thought that they make someone look "cheap" is just a judgement on people's parts.
Please understand that this is rude. Commenting on someone's choice of their look is never welcome unless they ask your opinion. If you truly cannot get past how I look, I'm sorry for you but my content isn't for you. However if you truly do say this to women, please stop. Women have enough judgement in this world. They don't need your unsolicited judgment on the matter.
Tattooed ladies are absolutely beautiful.
Great review.
Lol gtfoh you goose
@@HotRodHippie So well stated and handled... Great response very professional!
YEAH THERE YOU GO. THE MORE EXPENSIVE TOOL WILL MAGICALLY MAKE YOU A BETTER MECHANIC 🙄
When the cheaper product is improperly designed, then yes, yes it will. I just uploaded a review today of a $90 hammer set that is VASTLY superior to these hammers. I also compared that set to this one for further analysis.
Quality tools do have features that generally allow the user to do a better quality job faster. You can get the job done with just about any tools if you really put your mind to it, but that doesn't mean it's going to go smoothly or be an efficient use of time.
Thanks for Commenting Darren.
Auto body work is way different than mechanical work
If it’s more fancy works better. I’m stick with the harbor freight