When buying hammers, there is often a proportionate relationship between size and price. Simply put, one would expect for a 28oz framing hammer to cost more than a 16oz claw hammer.
For the most part, this does hold true, where larger hammers cost more than smaller ones. However, this isn’t always the case.
When you get to smaller sizes, the pricing doesn’t often make sense.
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Sometimes there’s a smaller price difference between say a 12oz nail hammer, and a 16oz hammer.
Other times, a 4oz or 8oz ball peen hammer might cost as much or even more than a heavier hammer.
I told myself that it could have something to do with supply, demand, and sales volume – or something like that.
There are parallels to other tool categories as well, such as pliers.
Often, the main differences in cost come down to minor differences in the amount of raw materials, with most of the production steps and processes being similar.
Could I just use a 16oz ball peen hammer in place of a 4oz or 8oz hammer? or a 16oz nail hammer in place of a 12oz hammer? Sure.
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If pricing is the highest priority, there are usually more value-centric options.
If a 16oz ball peen hammer is $16, and the 8oz hammer is $18, most people would rather go for the heavier hammer and keep the $2 difference in their pocket.
I have learned to give myself permission to buy the better choice for my needs, even if it’s not the best value.
It’s not easy.
What would you rather have a 4oz burger for $10, or a 6oz burger for $10? What if the 4oz burger is $8? $12?
Going back a few years, my decision to buy 4oz, 8oz, or 12oz hammers would depend in part on the price of a 16oz hammer. Similarly, whether I bought 7″ pliers might have depended on the price of 8″ pliers.
Nearly 20 years ago, I needed 2 or 3 sizes of combination wrenches. I was at Sears, pricing things out, and it made more sense to just buy a 9pc set.
The same value-seeking mentality bled into a lot of my purchasing decisions.
There are exceptions to this. If I need a wire stripper with 24 gauge slots, wire strippers sizes for 18 to 12 gauge wires just won’t work, no matter the price.
Eventually, I convinced myself that it’s unfortunate for the pricing of smaller hammers to occasionally be disproportionate, and that it shouldn’t factor into my purchasing decisions.
If I need a 4oz ball peen hammer, a 16oz hammer isn’t going to cut it.
Eventually, I bought the smaller hammers. They worked perfectly and far better than trying delicately tap with a larger hammer while choking up on the handle.
I try to approach other tool purchasing decisions with a similar mentality. What do I NEED? Can I justify it? Sometimes I can, other times I make compromises for the sake of a better value.
I attribute smaller sized hammers for encouraging me not to always make compromises for the sake of a better value. The first time I thought “wow, this is better!,” I realized that the money was well-spent.
fred
Interesting discussion.
Certainly, some tools that are often sold in sets have a much better value if judged on a price per piece basis. I math, I was taught to solve some problems based on finding limits. In a similar vein if you need only 1 wrench – you probably don’t buy some huge mechanic’s tool set. At the other “limit” if you need a tool set for a factory – you probably don’t assemble it 1 tool at a time – opting instead for buying more cost-effective sets of tools. The issue for us buying for personal use, is that the appeal of the “set price” is often strong enough that we end up with many tools that we might never use in our lifetime. We also can fall into the logic-trap of buying based on speculation that having many-many tools – or just that special one may one day come in handy. Mea Culpa – as I have many tools that have seen little or no use – and yet I am loath to part with them.
Jim Felt
fred. If I could I’d upvote your very last sentence.
Much to my wife’s “occasional” consternation.
fred
I started out by inheriting many of my unused tools from relatives. Some of those may also have been inherited – as a few date back many years (possibly the 19th century) and others seem to be hand made by blacksmiths with their names stamped on one letter at a time. I will never use some of the farriers’ tools nor those for working with lead – but rather will just likely pass them down.
My wife says that she was an enabler for my hobbyist compulsion. When we acquired our principal domicile – she acquiesced to my appropriation of 2400 square feet of basement for a shop – and over the years adding on parts of our garage and some out-buildings. I know that she’s right – and in-fact if the basement had been under all of the house – my shop probably would have grown even larger. Her own hobby – and avocation turned to business – had her carving up the bulk of our property into separate and different gardens – and if we had had the acreage (all we needed was about 5 times what we have), money and time she’d have tried to replicate the gardens at Château de Villandry.
Hon Cho
If your wife recreates Villandry, you’ll be able to justify a forge and machine shop for all the gardening tools necessary to keep that marvel of gardening going.
928'er
My philosophy is: better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Ron
Great points! I often look at the amount of materials in a larger vs smaller identical product and a lot of times I can’t see the justification. But I think you mentioned in the past that the engineering is the same. For example Knipex pliers…..
It’s the same in a lot of industries. The cost of a loveseat is only a few dollars less than a sofa. Same with food. When we go out to eat, and my wife tells the server she wants a 6 oz steak, I’ll say “No she doesn’t, she wants the 12 oz “. It’s only a few dollars more.
JR Ramos
Absolutely…always buy the tool that helps you do the job best or to the level of your desired craftsmanship or pleasure. Tools are one area in life where within reason the cost should factor in less than what needs to be done with them/what can be done with them. Gear pullers taught me that lesson (harshly).
As for cost, you’re probably looking through a layer (or two) of retail nonsense. Upstream, the differences in cost between many hammers isn’t really that large – depends on who and which category. The raw material obviously increases with a larger size but then so do the freight costs (which often as more to the big picture than the raw materials do…). Freight affects distributor pricing which then affects the retailer’s pricing, too, and the retailer pays for it twice, basically. But with popular models there is an economy of scale at the manufacturing level so with some there are savings made in the process and sometimes also in the pricing. Less popular models – larger or smaller – effectively can cost more to produce (time, costs for forging or tempering, etc), so while there is less material and lower freight cost, they end up being the same or possibly a little more.
Simple cost-plus retail pricing went the way of the dodo many years ago – it’s rare to see and enjoy that today. It’s really irritating when you know the real costs of goods and then see what’s happening in retail. There are distributor games in between but the pony tricks at the retail level are frankly just dishonest a lot of times. Let’s say your 16oz hammer has the same landed cost as the 20oz hammer, or less than a buck’s difference. The retailer says no, there should be a greater percentage difference and the customer will see that as logical…so.
I saw this so much…and nine times out of ten it’s just greed, not necessarily something wise for the gross margins and operations. What was interesting to me was when a vendor might be selling the same product private-labeled and how once in awhile that product’s cost would be the same or less than what the actual manufacturer was selling it to us for. Usually it was the opposite (looking at identical auto tools, for example, we could often tell who the real manufacturer was just by the retail we set, ignoring actual cost….Rimac, Lisle, KD, Truecraft even in that mix…overlapping products with only one real manufacturer).
We’ve certainly been trained and coerced to think a certain way about the prices we are asked to pay. We’re kind of stuck with it unless we seek alternative sources sometimes. This might be a good example of why buying the item that suits is best, rather than considering cost or comparative value. The work the tool can do is honest, the retail games are not.
Should say that this changes a bit (usually) the more you are paying for something. A few hundred to a thousand and there is less room for the game…..start talking multiple thousands for machinery and large equipment and there’s even less room unless there is no competition or when other accoutrements are involved such as servicing and technical assistance.
Joe Reichlin
The work the tool can do is honest, the retail games are not.
Nathan
I sort of see it but I don’t so much find buying a spendy hammer makes it better. Ie why not buy a cheaper 8oz. If you can get a 16 for 16 then surely you can get a cheaper 8.
Other stuff I find easier to rationale. Sockets. Cheap ones that size correct is one thing. Cheap ones that don’t break with high use don’t exist. But moderate priced ones that fit very well do exist. And moderate priced ones that don’t break with high use does exist. Put all together is where you get snap on and mac and sk. Great fit strong and sometimes lighter.
Sloppy fit might distort causing more work. So there is a reason to buy a better quality socket especially if you will use them alot. Or middle ground get a good fit moderate price set
Depending on the tool paying more is easier to justify
Stuart
You won’t always find a less expensive smaller hammer, and when you do, the price difference might not be substantial.
I can find Vaughan’s 12oz ball peen hammer for less than their 8oz, and their 4oz tends to cost more than both – when I can find it.
Here’s Estwing’s – https://www.amazon.com/ESTWING-Ball-Peen-Hammer-Metalworking/dp/B00DPL17YY/?tag=toolguyd-20
The 24oz cost less than the 16oz. The 8oz is a hair more than the 24oz, and when not on sale it’s around the same as the 16oz – if not more.
In these cases, you have to make a choice – go for the better value, which is almost always the larger size, or go for the more suitable smaller size that often costs more.
Channellock 8″ adjustable wrench – $19.95 at Amazon
Channellock 6″ adjustable wrench – $17.95 at Amazon
Channellock 4″ adjustable wrench – $18.25 at Amazon
The 8″ costs a little more than the 6″ wrench. But, the 4″ cost more than the 6″.
Logically, the 4″ should cost less, but it doesn’t.
So if you’re looking for a 4″ wrench, you need to make a choice – spend less for a better value, or spend more for the more suitable tool.
Going for the poorer value can be difficult to justify; in almost every aspect of life, most people are drawn towards better values.
Screwdrivers are $4 each or $5 for 2. Which would most people choose?
Spending more – or at best nearly the same price – for a smaller hammer, wrench, pliers, etc, tends to require a different way of thinking that for the longest time felt unnatural to me.
Joe Reichlin
“spend less for a better value, or spend more for the more suitable tool.”
The more suitable tool is always the better value. The whole or point of tools is to create better work.
JR Ramos
Or…look elsewhere than Amazon. You know darn well that Amazon has a myriad of pricing structures and games and the prices fluctuate (often multiple times a day) depending on seller and fulfillment method.
Acme has the plain lineup at “logical” price steps in the 4″ to 10″ range. I can tell you with certainty with Channellock that the actual cost does not jive with this “logical” retail structure. Some of this will depend on direct vs. distributor and bulk vs. clamshell packaging (very minor difference).
There is even less “logic” in Amazon pricing than there is throughout the normal part of the retail industry (considering tools/industrial supplies). Using Amazon as any sort of reference or example will often fall on its face (to include high or low prices from the norm).
Chances are good that most people can find this 4″ wrench locally at the usual $16 price or have it ordered in if they don’t mind waiting. Or pay a bit more for fast delivery with background fees from a platform like Amazon.
Still…buy the tool you need/want. Grousing over a couple dollars makes no sense.
Stuart
This isn’t unique to Amazon, that’s just a convenient example.
Smaller sized ball peen hammers, nail hammers, pliers, and adjustable wrenches tend to be very difficult to find locally, as they’re nowhere as popular as more standard sizes.
JR Ramos
Surely depends on locality and where one chooses to look. Some people only have retail and ultra-retail choices and are at the mercy of those decisions. There are a whole lot of things I can’t find anymore locally without ordering it in (a dying prospect these days) but all the typical stuff, no problem…smaller ball peen being an exception as those have been less available for years now (which is a shame).
Sorry for the rant, I just can’t stand how the big box stores have shaped the ecosystem and then how Amazon also affected it so greatly. Once you’ve experienced the normal behind the scenes things and understand the industry it’s just angering how this is allowed to continue and how So Many people remain clueless and have accepted it without knowing any better. As the trades have shrunk and manufacturing has decreased, fewer and fewer people are aware. Add to that all of the “brands” that rebadge imports and play those pricing games and crap…it’s just a mess. Fair and reasonable/previously-typical pricing can still be found, once you try to move away from major retail…in my experience, and without resorting to used. So…”value” is distorted these days but unfortunately it appears to be “clear” to many people and that has accelerated a lot over the last maybe 4-5 years. Generational shifts maybe.
JR Ramos
Should add here that in this case with Channellock adjustable wrenches, they are the middleman, so some of these points are really governed by Irega and international economics and don’t/won’t apply the same way to the items that Channellock actually manufactures.
And then you have the tiered volume discounting and freight allowances (or not), along with pressure to align with MSRP or god forbid MAP restrictions (which are barely legal and probably need to be addressed by the feds at some point as it’s simply skirting the intent of the laws…).
Stuart
Irega likely controls the cost of products they sell to Channellock, but wouldn’t have any direct say over the retail prices.
JR Ramos
Yes, but it’s the foundation of the pyramid. Save for the last retail games at POS everything stems from the source cost. I did this for a living for a long time. “Value” today is smoke and mirrors and “perception pricing” was the root of it…can mostly blame American manufacturers for that but it’s even more rampant now with all the rebadge “brands” out there. It’s usually easy to spot the more ethical/fair retailers and manufacturers. Channellock for the most part is one of those and I hope that doesn’t change if they end up with a greater mix of import/rebadge vs. manufactured than what they have now (it would make it harder for them to stay relevant at this point, imho, with today’s consumers).
Tom327Cat
There are two parts to a hammer blow; inital impact then energy transfer. Too much energy transfer causes shafts to bend, but we want as high an initial impact as possible. A lighter hammer gives us a nice sharp initial impact to overcome resting friction but not so much energy to deform shafts or heads.
Stuart
Momentum is controllable; you can deliver the same momentum with 10 different hammer sizes, with the only differences being in the user experience.
Nails, prick or center punches, pin punches, cold chisels, and similar won’t know the difference, but the user will have different experiences in accomplishing the task.
Rog
I used to buy into the specs hype and “bigger must be better” when I first got into tools, but I learned there are some many other factors to consider and now I buy what suits, not what looks best on paper.
fred
As an old saying goes: “horses for courses”
In building construction, we used to joke:
Don’t always grab a drill if all you need is a little divot and the point of a nail or punch will do
If you need a hammer-drill, then a drill will not suffice
Don’t think that a hammer drill will always replace a rotohammer
Don’t use a rotohammer when a breaking hammer is needed
When the pneumatic breaking hammer won’t do – bring in the hoe ram
When all else fails – call in the rock drillers and blasting crew
And this litany applies in reverse as well. One can’t imagine a watchmaker using a lineman’s pliers – or an ironworker twisting ties with a jeweler’s pliers.
Wayne R.
Not to argue your meta point here, but specifically: The value, I think, in small hammers has almost nothing to do with “quality” beyond their mass. It’s not like you can spend more to get a significantly better eight ounce hammer, right?
I’m reluctant to say this, but all my little “tappy” hammers came from flea markets or garage sales at a buck apiece. Maybe a little cleanup was needed or drive the wedge in a little further, but…
Again, I get your larger point, too.
fred
At one time many US toolmakers made common tools in different qualities to be sold at different price points. Stanley, for example, might have hammers in their “handyman”, “jobmaster” and “100-plus” lines. The handyman ball pein hammer might have a lesser quality ash handle and a painted head showing some of the foundry ridges along the sides. Moving up you got a straight grain hickory handle with the grain properly aligned so that the force of the impact was along the grain. Then too the peen, face, beveled rim and polls were polished and tempered. So, if you expected to use a 6oz. hammer infrequently – you might opt for the perfectly serviceable “handyman” version.
Blocky
I specifically collect smaller hammers in the 4-12 oz range. I also have prototyped a couple hammers. YMMV but I’ve found drastic differences with small changes in geometry and balance. Of course, most small, budget hammers swing just fine.
fred
I still use three Stanley Warrington Pattern hammers made in England about 60 years ago. I have them in 3.5-, 6- and 10-oz sizes. When I’m not using a 23ga or 21ga. pinner – these hammers are good for hand driving small pins
Amazon lists several different brands of modern ones:
https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Cp3-1-Pin-Hammer-3-1/dp/B0001IWDH4
Stuart
Some areas tend to have more flea markets, garage sales, and similar, than others.
It would take me significantly longer to source a second hand small-size hammer than to just buy new. The same goes with most tools.
Wayne R.
Well, sure, if you just need one particular thing. But if you hit a giant flea market with a canvas bag and forty bucks in singles, you’re likely to come home with a bunch of great old tools.
scott
Also remember sometimes it is harder to machine smaller part than larger ones, error tolerance is proportional to size,(i.e. 0.25 mm slop on a 25mm socket, might be tolerable but the same .25mm on a 2.5mm is unacceptable) Finishing might take the same number of passes, just smaller tooling doing the passing. The difference between raw material in a 4in versus 6in plier might not even be a 1% increase in the BOM ( Bill of materials)
Johnez
The metric for the value proposition in tools for me has always been which is tool am I going to make the most use of over time. I am not carrying around 24 oz ball peen with me on the floor, the 16 oz at 8 oz less gets FAR more use. The price difference is negligible when spread out over a thousand strikes in a year.