I’m not what you’d call “coordinated”, so the prospect of hammering nails without worrying about how many fingernails I’ll lose in the process is, um, appealing. The Craftsman HammerHead G2 Auto-Hammer does that — just not terribly well.
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Handy in specific situations — namely, cramped and poorly lit areas where a full hammer swing isn’t possible. The articulating head can drive nails at right angles, 45 degrees or head on, and sinks them at 3600 strikes a minute. Sheet rock, softwood, drywall and particle board were all easy to move through. The Auto-Hammer vibrates much like an orbital sander — a boon to older DIYers who no longer have the grip or joints to swing a traditional hammer. QuickBoost charger dumps a 25 per cent charge into an empty battery in three minutes.
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You’ve driven a finishing nail about three-quarters of the way in, when it suddenly goes squirrely on you and bends. Normally, you just flip the hammer over and pull it out with the claw. Not so with the HammerHead — you need to carry a separate pry bar with this guy. And that pry bar will be getting a fair amount of use, at least initially. The Auto-Hammer requires a certain amount of finesse to use effectively. The Auto-Hammer’s not deafening but your neighbours will certainly know when you’re using it.
$US100 from Craftsman.com.
The Craftsman HammerHead Auto Hammer position 1
The Craftsman HammerHead Auto Hammer position 2
The Craftsman HammerHead Auto Hammer position 3
The Craftsman HammerHead Auto Hammer from (Hammer)head-on
The Backside of the Hammerhead
The HammerHead Battery
The HammerHead Charger
The Battery being Charged
The HammerHead in a Box
The HammerHead in a Carrying Case