Customer Reviews

Jackson 1217300 Total Control Elite Demolition Hammer With 36-Inch Fiberglass Handle

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great head design, excellent build quality and comfortable handle. It is built like a brick $hithouse and could be used to demolish the same :). Seriously, the chisel head works great for demolishing concrete, masonry, and wood. The normal head lets you use it as you would any sledge hammer. One quality tool with increased versatility.

Great tool -- it smashing things very well and withstands a lot of abuse. :-)

Very well constructed and very hefty. Great handle too. First job for this was demolishing a tiled bathroom that had a concrete board backing and wire mesh throughout. No problem! The pointed edge comes in very handy for cracking through things and the flat edge is great for everything else.

Need to destroy something? Get this hammer. :-)

There are a lot of considerations when choosing a sledgehammer such as cost, weight, durability, and functionality. This hammer seems to score high in each of those areas. I'll try to justify my opinion in this review.

Durability is arguably the most important factor when choosing your sledge tool. When inevitably a sledge breaks, it is usually from an inaccurate swing. To be more precise, breaks happen when one misses the target with the face of the hammer, and instead contacts it with the neck of the handle just below the anvil. In essence, this places all the force of your swing directly on the handle and depending on the ridgity of the material struck, this can easily have enough force to shatter the handle. That is why a reinforced neck is necessary to produce acceptable durability. This hammer does indeed have a reinforced(thicker) neck. More importantly, this hammer comes with a limited lifetime warranty, if the Jackson website is to be believed. Always a plus. On a sidenote, I don't think many are capable of laying out an unbiased argument on the hardwood vs plastic handle debate, so I won't rekindle that discussion here, needless to say that both materials can make a decent sledgehammer handle and there is no way to ascertain which is a "better" material so it is a question we must continue to live with.

The cost of this hammer isn't that bad either, at the time of this writing, the cost being 42.99 USD. About par for most hammers of this size, but value is added when you consider the relative quality and the limited warranty. As for the weight of the hammer, it comes in at a rather scrawny 8 pounds. That is relative, of course, as an 8lb sledge is one heck of a destructive tool. However, there are a number of 20lb sledges available on Amazon for close to the same price. When determining weight, you need to look at the strength of the person wielding the hammer and the job required of the hammer. Generally, lesser weight promotes accuracy in stroke and ease of operation, while more weight reduces the force needed to do the job. A 20lb sledge and an 8lb sledge are two very different tools, and to have a complete toolset I would suggest having one of each, but if you want a more versatile(do anything) tool I would suggest the lighter weight. Very few jobs require a 20 pounder. Many are made easier by one, however.

Speaking of versatility, this particular sledgehammer has a wedge-like shape on one face which concentrates more force into a smaller surface area. Like a pickaxe. This makes creating initial breaks in surfaces like concrete much easier when using the smaller face. Unlike a pickaxe, the design of the anvil on this hammer keeps the balance more akin to a true 2 face sledge, and thus maintains its viability as a dedicated sledgehammer vs a poorly balanced pickaxe/sledge hybrid. Simple yet innovative.

I can't see any real drawback to this sledgehammer. It has an excellent grip and great functionality. The anvil itself is well machined and attractive. If nothing else, this hammer is a nice and functional piece of modern art. Impressive presentation and design. I don't think anyone could go wrong having this hammer in their tool kit. 5/5.

Final note: When using a hammer, let the hammer do the work. No need to slam it down at maximum force. It requires a lot less stamina to operate the hammer, and reduces the amount of strain the job requires. More importantly, it increases accuracy considerably which usually makes a job go quicker and signficantly reduces the chance of overswing and shattering of the handle. In my experience, the more exhausted one becomes the less one is capable of performing the fine motor skills necessary to maintain accuracy. Above all else, accuracy is the key to using a sledge properly. It reduces strain on the user, it helps maintain longevity in the life of the tool, and it more often than not increases the speed and quality at which a job is completed. Good hammering.

I'm a plumber by trade and use a sledge hammer at least once a week to break up concrete. The design of the head makes this very easy to do. Highly recommended