56 WHAT TRADIES WANT.

T

he trusty ol’ sledgehammer doesn’t

come straight to mind when talking

about advancements in the tool

sector...until Hart’s new 8lb anti-vibration

sledgie hit the WTW worksite, that is. Between

the anti-vibration chambers, (filled with steel

shot) which reduce vibration by 50%, the

double breaking efficiency due to its Cross

Strike face and the fibreglass anti-vibration

handle, this hammer is jam-packed with new

features and arm-saving advancements.

TEST #1: ANTI-VIBRATION

There’s always something satisfying about

getting a nicely weighted sledgie and smashing

it as hard as you can into a solid brick wall.

Usually this is followed by a shuddering of

vibration and energy that travels through the

shaft of the hammer and goes straight into

your hands, wrists and forearms. By the time

you’ve spent an hour or two of solid hitting the

arms start aching.

Hart’s solution to this age-old problem is quite

unique in its design. The company’s designed

two hollow chambers within the head of the

hammer, and they’re filled with one- and two-

millimetre steel shot. The dampening effect

is significant. In fact, it’s been independently

tested and proven to reduce vibration by 50%.

To put this to the test we rolled up our sleeves

and really laid into a few walls on the back of a

terrace house. The reduction in vibration was

obvious from the very first hit. There were

virtually none of the typical sensations up

the arms that you would normally get after a

session on a regular sledgehammer.

The anti-vibration fibreglass handle with

rubber grip was also factoring into the

equation. The hammer felt great in the hand,

very comfortable and had a tonne of grip.

TEST #2: OUTRIGHT

DESTRUCTIVE POWER

Demolition’s a messy, dusty and physically

demanding process and you want to get it over

and done with as quickly as possible.

Pretty much every sledgehammer I’ve seen

up until now has had the industry-standard

round head for hitting. The Hart team has been

doing a lot of thinking outside the box of late,

taking a fresh look at old concepts, and has

designed the Cross Strike face. It’s improved

breaking efficiency of the strike by doubling

the destructive power.

The Hart also comes with what they call the

‘Side Strike’, which is exactly what it sounds

Tested By Matt Page

Smashing it with

HART

The Cross Strike face offers

2x destructive power.

Matty is looking happy

with his handiwork.