Just like the well known rap artist said, it is hammer time! But we are not going to sing some rap, but rather we are going to discuss some of the more relevant tools in our lives: the hammer. From its first ever design, the purpose of the hammer has never changed despite the countless evolutions in design and appearance. The function is the same, to deliver an impact. May the receiving end be nails, metals or other objects the hammer is there to provide the wielder the tool provide sufficient force to achieve their goals. May the goal be to drive a nail into a two-by-for or to mold or shape a structure, a metal or event to break down walls, the hammer is there to make the job easier and more convenient. Let’s go back in time for a while.

(For you DIYers out there, please read our cordless drill reviews where you can learn about products like the DeWalt DCD950B)

The stone hammer, stones attached to sticks, are probably the oldest human tool found by archeologists. But like I said before, regardless it it’s the Stone Age’s hammer or the newest one out of the manufacturing floor, the basic design of the tool never changed. You still have the head which is the compact material (it was a hard stone during the Stone Age) which can deliver force to an object without breaking or being deformed. More can be said with the other end, however, and also the handle. With the other end of the hammer’s head, it can be fashioned into something that people find to be useful. From a ball, to a claw, to magnetized surface or even a hatchet, the other end has seen a lot of innovative developments in recent years. The handles also have evolved from plain wood, to plastic or rubber that features ergonomic designs and provide safer and better grips.

Among the common hand held hammers that we see include the carpenter’s hammers which is probably the most common with its distinguishable claw on the other end of the hammer head which is used to remove nails. The upholstery hammer, the various construction hammers which includes the large sledgehammer, the drilling hammer and the mechanic’s hammer or what you might known as the ball-pen hammer. Nowadays, however, the hammer which before was a basic carpentry tool have been replaced with a nail gun the same as with upholstery hammers whose function have been taken over by the staple guns. That’s progress. However, when we consider mechanical hammer tools, we have the jackhammers, steam hammers and trip hammers at our convenience.

The hammer drill is considered as a mechanical hammer. The function of this one is slightly different because it combines the jackhammer-like feature with a drill. Other names for the drill hammer are the rotary hammer or the roto-hammer. The main purpose of the hammering action of this power tool is to provide the drill with a clearer space to drill. The hammering action crushes the smaller debris in the area allowing the drill to do its job unobstructed. Hammer drills are more often used to drill a hole in stone or masonry and concrete walls or floors. Tools that have relatively low power output are called hammer drills while the bigger, more powerful ones are often referred to as the rotary drills. The latter provides stronger impact because of all that power.

When you go out and look for a hammer drill to buy, there are some things that you might want to pay close attention to in order for you to get a more decent unit. First is the having a depth rod which usually is mounted at the side of the drill. The advantage of having this feature is that you will know how deep you have gone thus you will know when should stop. A good hammer drill allows you to change the speed of the drill. Ideally, you will use a faster speed when you are drilling small holes and a slow one if you want to dig a large hole. Also a good feature to have is a reverse function. Drills can sometimes get stuck inside the stones so having a reverse option can help you retrieve your bit. One of the final things you need to consider when buying pneumatic hammer drills is the drive system. Having detachable side handles also adds to more control and ease of operation. And finally, the type of drive system which is a choice from SDS and SDS max systems.