Now that DeWalt has found a new home as part of the larger Stanley Black & Decker family, which also houses the Bostitch brand, it shouldn’t be a surprise that a new line of hand tools is set to be released in June. I first saw these tools back in November of 2010 and have been waiting and watching for the release for some time now. The wait is over, and I’m now allowed to talk about the new tools. Some are “me-too” tools, and won’t likely be much different than their Stanley and Bostitch relatives, but there are a few gems in here. You can see the full lineup in the top picture, but here’s a bit more on a few of the standouts:
Tape Measure – If you’re familiar with the Fat Max Xtreme, you’re going to notice some similarities here, particularly the oversize blade hook, wide tape, and 13 ft. of standout. In fact, the body of the tape measure appears to be the same shiny casing used on the Fat Max Xtreme. The price, $25, is also the same.
Utility Knife – This knife is a bit of a mystery to me, as I don’t remember seeing t it back in November. DeWalt describes it as a “hybrid folding retractable utility knife”, saying that it combines the “convenience and space savings of a folding knife with the cutting performance of a traditional utility knife to create an all-in-one solution.” Interesting idea, but I’m not sure of the intended audience. A folded knife would fall to the bottom of my tool pouches where it would be hard to find when needed, and it looks to be a bit too fat to stick in my pocket, where my Milwaukee folding utility knife lives. I may be wrong, this one requires a closer look.
Hammer – This one, folks, is the real deal. Imagine all of the perks of a Stiletto hammer, but at just $60. Rather than using expensive titanium like the folks at Stiletto cranking out $260 hammers, DeWalt opted for MIG welded steel. I spent a good long time grilling the young buck who shepherded this tool from concept to completion, and I am truly impressed at how much science and engineering they threw at this tool. But not only are they under cutting Stilettos niche-market dominance, they are pointing out flaws in titanium as a hammer material, claiming that the manufacturing process used for that metal can leave pits and weakspots (hence the replaceable face on those hammers). Regardless, hopefully this 15 oz. hammer is just as easy on the arm as it is on the wallet, because that low price alone will make this a seriously popular item on a carpenters want-list.
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FYI the replaceable faces on Stiletto hammers are steel. Kinda interesting that the Humungous Company they have become now markets the same tools under 3 different names , they cannot think carpenters are that stupid or maybe we are !!!
@carpguy
Carpenters? Stanley doesn't care about marketing to carpenters. S/B&D wants DIY's......they are much stupider than carpenters and have way more money to give away.
These tools are only intended to give the impression of being professional grade. Notice how you always see tools marked as "Heavy Duty" "Industrial Grade" "Professional" and "Extreme" but you never see anything marketed as "Homeowner Grade".
The irony of being a professional carpenter in this modern age of handy-dandy power tools and well stocked home centers is that we might have to focus on increasing our carpentry skills just in order to overcome the incompetence of our low quality tools.
DC
I saw the new DeWalt hammer at a show last month. It's pretty cool and like nothing I've seen before. They use a new technology they call MIG Welding. They basically take a 28oz framing hammer and get it into a 15oz body. The size and length are the same, just lighter! It's pretty much like the Stiletto but it will only be $60 instead of $250 (and you don't need to spend extra money on Stiletto replaceable faces).
They tell me that my "swing speed" is faster because the hammer is lighter, and because my swing speed is faster I actually hit the nail with more force. I don't know if that is true.... But it felt really good swinging it. I will definitely buy one of these when they hit the market.
@MSUguy
Quote "They use a new technology they call MIG Welding"
Was that a serious statement? That's not a new technology and DeWalt certainly didn't invent it. MIG stands for "Metal Inert Gas" and it's how most metals are welded these days but I wouldn't consider it a great choice for welding a hammer.
I have always been amused by hammer "technology". I mean, we're talking about basic Newtonian forces (f=ma)
Dreamcatcher, lighten up! The technology is new to hammers. It's how they get the weight down. Anyway, it's pretty sweet and felt awesome swinging it. I'll definitely buy at least one when they hit the stores.
I own a 16 oz Stiletto hammer and for the most part I love it, it works great for siding, finish work and the occasional heavier duty stuff, but I would still use a 22-24oz head for framing. The lack of mass makes it very difficult to "smack" things into place. I was building a second story deck and was toenailing the floor joists to the beam with a gun and using my hammer to make any adjustments needed to make sure it was on the correct layout. My Stiletto was just to light and I had to borrow one of the other guy's framing hammers in order to finish.
I don't want to knock on Stiletto and their great product and those people who are trying to emulate, but there are times where a heavier hammer is needed and you can't get away from Force = mass * acceleration as mentioned earlier by dreamcatcher.
DeWalt MIG Weld Framing Hammer is the modern time is needed for every home. Because it's a safe time for little work, you don't go with the mechanics you do yourself.