Let us be be the first to admit that the Clunkbucket garagelet is currently in disarray. In an effort to tidy things up and deliver a reasonably steady supply of semi-useful and entertaining content, we are proud to present the very first Clunkbucket Tool of the Week! This five-pound short handle sledge hammer was an early addition to the Clunkbucket arsenal of tools, and has served well in various garages and wrecking yards for over 15 years. The sledge hammer is not used often, but is without equal when it comes time to separate tie rods from steering knuckles, or help convince without finesse any part worthy of a solid blow. The short handled sledge hammer is a welcome and useful addition to any shop or awesome set of tools.
I was a big fan of the short wooden handled 5lb sledge, but I recently got a 3lb polymer handle sledge and have fallen in love with it. It has almost the same “persuading” power but is easier to carry (for removing those stubborn parts from junk cars) and a little smaller so it can get into tighter spaces.
I have always said that any good mechanic only needs four tools; a sledgehammer, a crescent wrench, a pair of vice grips, and a two foot section of black pipe. If a car can’t be fixed with those, it’s not a real car.
@Willys: I think I have that same hammer. Yellow handle?
I call it The Persuader.
The Convincer is another good sledge hammer moniker.
This, technically, is an MFH. If it had a 24″-plus handle, it’d be a BFH; if the head were sub-two-pounds it would be an LFH.
The more you know!
If I hadn’t known from the start that I’d like this site, this would go a ways towards convincing me- the first Tool of the Week is the Big Ass Hammer. Awesome. I have three tools of persuasion; aside from the 5lb sledge and a rubber mallet, I’ve found that my 24oz framing hammer is a good intermediate step.
Hammers are good, but I find myself making use of my $25 Harbor Freight prybar set at least as often…particularly the small-to-medium sized ones when it comes to prying apart 26 year old electrical connections.
Quality tools are a good thing to have, but completely abusable cheap tools serve a very important role in the tool arsenal.
Heh, we call that the Harley Tool in my garage.
Recently I’ve also found my jack handle to be a pretty good impact tool for opening soft fasteners without rounding them.
I’ve had a 3lb short wood handle sledge for years. Hell the paint has all but disappeared. We call it Baby Thor. We’ve recently added the polymer/fiberglass 3lb short handled sledge, we call it Pestilence.
The sledge is by far one of my favorite tools in the garage. My MOST favorite is the “Dammit Tool.” This is the tool you are holding when it slips. breaks or in some way crushes your hand. To use this tool properly, you must scream DAMMIT as you throw it across the garage. Then you can say dammit a bit softer as you realize you still need it and have to hunt for it somewhere in the garage.
Every tool has a built in hammer…