Are Dead Blow Hammers and Rubber Mallets the Same Tool?

Whenever you need to hit something with a good amount of force, a hammer or mallet is a handy tool to use. But what if you want to strike something hard without the risk of seriously damaging it in the process? Well, that’s where dead blow hammers and rubber mallets come into play.

With their handy designs, dead blow hammers and rubber mallets are great alternatives to regular hammers. They allow you to strike items with force without doing damage like a traditional hammer would, but are these tools exactly the same, or do they have some differences? Read on to find out.

Dead Blow Hammers vs. Rubber Mallets

So, to answer our initial question, dead blow hammers and rubber mallets are not the same. They do have a lot in common, but they also have some key differences that make them very separate items, and each one has its own pros and cons. Let’s look at some basic definitions of each tool in order to learn more.

What Is a Dead Blow Hammer?

So, what exactly is a dead blow hammer? Well, even though these items have the word “hammer” in their name, they’re technically classed as mallets. They’re usually made from a relatively soft compound like rubber all around the outside, with a harder material like a lead shot or steel shot inside the head. 

What this means is that dead blow hammers are soft enough on the exterior that they won’t do serious damage to anything you hit, but they still have a good amount of weight and strength inside their heads to deliver a serious blow with every swing. In addition, the “dead blow” part of the name means that these hammers won’t bounce back when they hit something.

What Is a Rubber Mallet?

A rubber mallet is another kind of tool you might like to keep in your kit. As the name suggests, these tools also fall into the mallet category, and they have rubber heads. Their handles, meanwhile, are usually made of wood. Plus, unlike dead blow hammers, rubber mallets don’t contain any other material inside the head.

In action, a rubber mallet will bounce back quite a lot when it hits something. So, if you swing it with a good amount of force against a piece of wood, for example, you need to be ready to deal with the bounce or rebound that occurs after each impact.

The Difference

So, what’s the main difference between dead blow hammers and rubber mallets? Well, even though they both feature rubber in their construction and can both be useful for hitting items without smashing or damaging them, they do have a big difference in terms of their construction and impact.

As explained above, dead blow hammers contain heavier, stronger heads, and when they hit something, they won’t rebound or bounce back. A rubber mallet, meanwhile, will bounce back, which can make it a little awkward to use.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this guide has accurately conveyed the difference between dead blow hammers and rubber mallets, so the next time you hesitate between these tools, you’ll have all the information you need to choose the right one.