Bought a $1200 power hammer sight unseen from a guy in Nebraska

It was a gamble, but my old arm just couldn't keep up with the big stock anymore. The thing showed up with a cracked anvil block and the motor sounded like a coffee grinder. I spent another $400 and a solid week of evenings getting it running right. Now I can't imagine the shop without it. Anyone else have a tool that was a headache at first but became essential?

4 comments

4 Comments

jenny471mo ago

Nah, I'm gonna disagree a little bit. Spending $400 and a week of evenings to fix a broken tool isn't a headache worth romanticizing, that's just bad luck or a bad purchase to start with. I get being proud of bringing something back to life, but calling it essential after that much work feels like you're justifying the sunk cost. My old anvil came cracked and I walked away, found a better one later for less hassle. Sometimes the headache is just a headache, not some character-building journey.

vera_lewis23mo ago

Ugh that initial pain is REAL. My old band saw was like that, a total project. But once you get through the fix it's YOURS, you know?

the_jennifer3mo agoTop Commenter

I swapped the original motor on my 1950s Delta for a 1/2 HP one, and it runs like a dream now.

blair_taylor323mo ago

Nice upgrade! I feel that pain vera_lewis2 mentioned, my own project tools usually fight me the whole way. Maybe I should stick to fixing spreadsheets instead?