Milwaukee Hammer Review

Hammers are probably one of the oldest hand tools known to man.  They have been made out of stone, wood, bronze and more. The hammer symbol has been a sign of war and peace over the years we have roamed this planet.  Considering how long hammers have been around, there hasn’t been much change from the first hammer found 10,000 years ago to the hammers we use today. Well, they have added a claw or nail puller.  But when you think about a hammer, it’s a simple hand tool that pounds and removes fasteners.  Sure it’s what we use to smash our thumb or dent expensive wood but when it comes down to it, it’s one of those tools that everyone carries in their tool belt.  So does the Milwaukee hammer stack up with the competition?  Let’s take a look at the Milwaukee hammer review and see.

Milwaukee Hammer Review Overview

While old hammers were made of a variety of materials, your typical framing hammers are usually made of two types of materials for the handles, wood and metal.  Both wood and metal handles have their pros and cons.  They offer different strengths, different striking power and a different feel for the user.  When it comes down to it, it’s a personal preference.  For me, I have always been a wood handle type of guy.  Not sure if that’s because of old-school hammers or just something I have been used to over the years.

While Milwaukee does offer hammers with a metal handle, these new hammers are designed with a wood handle for those of us who have been asking and seeking a quality hammer with a solid striking head and a lightweight wood handle.

Milwaukee Hammer Review Features

Milwaukee designed two types of hammers in this line, the smooth face hammer (48-22-9519) and the Milled face or waffle head hammer (48-22-9419). Both hammers are 19 oz.

The hammers are made from an American Hickory wood which helps reduce vibration and acts as a shock absorber.

The hammer uses an Anti-ring claw design. This means it should reduce noise and ringing when striking nails or other hardened objects.

On the top front of the hammer, Milwaukee designed it with a magnetic nail set so it holds the nail in place when you first strike the hammer to an object.  While not the first to market with this feature, it does come in handy when you’re on a ladder and only have one hand available.

The hammer is designed with a straight claw.

Milwaukee Hammer Review Performance

For me, I love these hammers.  During my house construction, I used the milled faced when we were framing, but the smooth face is identical, well except for the face.

I love the weight of these hammers.  While they aren’t as nice as Stiletto hammers, they are less expensive.  As I noted earlier, I love wood handle hammers.  With these hammers, you feel the strike but don’t get a ton of feedback or vibration when you strike the hammer wrong.

One of my favorite features of this hammer is the design or shape of the handle.  While there are other manufacturers who use the same type of design, I really like the ax style handle design over a straight handle design.

Milwaukee Hammer Review Value

The smooth face hammer and the waffle head hammer both retail for about $25 at The Home Depot.  When you compare these to other hammers, I would say it’s a fair price.  Yes, you can buy cheaper and a lot more expensive hammers but you will notice the difference in each price range.  For this price range and the quality of the hammer, it’s what you would expect.

Milwaukee Hammer Review Final Thoughts

If you are a fan of wood handle hammers, this will be a nice fit in your arsenal.  For me, I am a fan of wood handles and a wood handle hammer would be my first pick.  I like the length of these hammers along with the weight.  So the ratio of weight and leverage of these Milwaukee hammers is very appealing.  With the Hickory handles you do get better feedback when striking a nail. Overall, I am a fan of these hammers and they would be at the top of my pick for this price range.