Are you a cool tools junkie?

Got a thing for cool tools and getting work done on the jobsite or in your home? We do. That’s right. So here it is: A MyFixitUpLife ‘I got this’ for picking a hammer that gets work done.

First, I rarely drive a nail with a hammer any more but a hammer that meets the cool tools moniker is as essential to my home improvement, DIY, and pro jobber life as it has ever been.

I look for a hammer that’s:

-Light. I carry the damn thing all day and the lighter it is the better.

-A demo dog. A top tier job for my hammer is breaking stuff up. And the front-line breaker-upper is the claw. A shallow ‘fetch” more like a chisel than a claw is where it’s at for me.

-Easy. That I can slide into my hammer loop like a gunslinger in reverse. I use an axe-handled hammer to help me sling it into the loop faster and easier.

-A Crusher. Whether I’m pounding apart floor tiles, breaking out studs, or doing what hammers (used to) do—drive nails—a grab-and-smash, all-business, cool tools maul makes me happy.

Mark

A licensed contractor, tool expert, wood and outdoor enthusiast, and elite Spartan Race competitor, he writes about home improvement and tools for national magazines and websites, and teaches hands-on clinics for other remodeling professionals. Check out his book, The Carpenter's Notebook.

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