Best Wall Hammer?

Any recommendation or reviews of the one's that are widely available (BD Yosemite or Petzl Bongo)?

Mostly I am interested in using one to handdrill bolts but it would be good to have one that would work for occasional aid too.

Can you place brassies with the bongo?

Jim

maybe try the kong hammer (eagle?). its got a bit more ass behind it for hand drilling.. also a bit cheaper.

Wasnt there a special hammer thread on super topo a bit back on the redone D7 hammer and drill. Might be worth taking a look as folks seemed to be stoked about that

Edit: Sorry it was the D5 Hammer / Drill i'd follow up with one of these guys in this link
mountainproject.com/v/10715…

I am probably going to buy a Bongo. It sounds better for bashies.

You can also find much cheaper and functionally equivalent hammers for hand bolting. Search Amazon for a cross peen hammer. Bigger variety, a third the price. You lose a hole for a funkness and possibly some bashie ability, but can get great quality and higher weight for way less than $100. So if hand drilling is your goal, not aid climbing, the hardware store is probably the best place to look.

It is just a hammer, after all.

Timothy.Klein wrote:I am probably going to buy a Bongo. It sounds better for bashies. You can also find much cheaper and functionally equivalent hammers for hand bolting. Search Amazon for a cross peen hammer. Bigger variety, a third the price. You lose a hole for a funkness and possibly some bashie ability, but can get great quality and higher weight for way less than $100. So if hand drilling is your goal, not aid climbing, the hardware store is probably the best place to look. It is just a hammer, after all.

I agree with this.

However, an interesting experiment that SLIM and I performed many years ago. We beached ourselves on top of a rock and after rapping off a valley giant we returned with bolt kits to add an anchor. He had a framing hammer and I had a cute little Petzl hammer, the Tam Tam. We started swinging at the same time and I finished slightly sooner.

We surmised that my wee little hammer was able to strike far more often but definitely with less force.

For all I know, I could have been in a soft spot or had a new bit or something.

If it were only for drilling the occasional bolt, by all means the hardware store is the way to go. If you're going to drill a lot and maybe on lead, and will be packing it up routes often, I do like the wee little Petzl hammer. I don't know about pins though. Sounds like an archaic endeaver for sure.

Interesting observation, nicelegs.

I would have guessed heft is most important for hand drilling, but maybe not! Gotta test it systematically.

The best hammer I've used for bolting is the Grivel Thor. Way lighter than the BD Yos which makes you 10x less pumped out swinging that thing around. For bolting you definitely want a lighter hammer than for pin craft where a heavier hammer will help drive awkward placements and/or funking placements out.

edit to add that this is also dependent on the bits you're using as well. lately i've had the luck to climb with a partner who soley uses the Hilti 4x bits. We've been able to get 40+ holes and counting on a single bit. Noting that the increased cutting surface allows for quicker drill times. When used in conjunction with the Thor this adds up to a lighter, and faster bolt kit.

I have got a Grivel Thor hammer that has been on two walls. Dig it, but prefer my BD for the ironmongery. Have yet to hand drill a bolt in life
For sale, good condition (barely used): $80 shipped from Telluride if you're keen
Joe

This is very cool info about light hammers. I already have a light hammer, and just assumed I would be happier with a heavier one for hand drilling. Maybe not!

But I really do encourage one to search Amazon for hammers. Cross peens are the general shape, you can get them in several weights, and even very high quality hammers are at least 50% cheaper than big wall hammers. Just look for one with a hole for attaching a lanyard (narrows the choices, but still plenty to choose from).

FWIW, I LOVE my Omega Pacific hammer. You can get them from Liberty Mountain at a decent price. I've been beating the crap out of stuff with that thing for years and years.

Also, to second the search on Amazon because if you get a rock hammer they have a flat edge that makes a great cleaning tool. Sometimes those activities go hand in hand.

I carry "ole hickory "(BD), but the others have a more pointed tip for various aid apps.