November 19, 2008

Craftsman Nextec 12-Volt Lithium-Ion Hammerhead Auto Hammer

This looks like an interesting item. It's a small 12-volt impact hammer, perfect for times when swinging the 16" Estwing isn't practical. According to Sears, the Auto-Hammer can drive up to a 16 d nail (3-1/2").

The technology appears to be similar to that of a pneumatic palm nailer. Craftsman explains that their tool nails at 2000 impacts per minute. The tool also has a magnetic tip and a built in LED to light up the workpiece. Both of these are great additions, seeing as this tool is going to be particularly useful where it's cramped and dark.

At first we thought that battery longevity might be a problem with the tool, but then we started thinking about any 12-volt impact driver and how long those batteries can last, so hopefully that won't be an issue.

This tool costs about $100 and comes with a case, a little pry bar, a charger, and one battery. It will be available in December.

At Sears