MAC Tools announced five new automotive specialty tools recently, including the hammer you see pictured above, which they claim is designed specifically for coaxing auto interiors into place. At first glance, it looks pretty much like the rubber mallet Sean and I have used for years for the same purpose. And honestly, that’s pretty much what it is… with two slight differences. First, the handle is a little longer and more grippy than most of the mallets I keep around the shop, and second, MAC added a third rubber tip on the end of the handle.
While we might poke fun at a pro-line specialty tool that bears exceedingly close resemblance to a dime-store standby, we can definitely attest to the handiness of a soft rubber mallet for putting dashboards back together. If you recall our fight with the old F150 that I (thankfully) no longer own, then you’ve seen at least one application where we hammered away to get everything to line up right. The trick is finding a mallet that’s soft enough to avoid plastic damage, yet hard enough to actually force the part in place. If the MAC hammer is indeed right in that hardness zone, it could be a winner. Of course, it’s damn difficult to tell from a picture.
The other tools released at the same time include a specialty brake spring tool, a brake spring plier set, some air filter cleaners, and a Ford Triton engine insert kit. For additional information on any of these — or to get your grubby mitts on one of these hammers — you’ll need to talk to your friendly MAC truck operator. I guess for now we’ll just eke by with our carefully selected partially-hardened-from-age-to-the-perfect-hardness cheap-ass rubber mallet.
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5 Responses to MAC’s New Dashboard Hammer
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$$?
I grabbed one of these as soon as my tool guy showed it to me.
“Kicks Ass” is not strong enough for how wonderful this is. Balance is perfect, weight is just right. Getting door panels to pop back in place has just become so much easier: did power window motors on an ’88 Blazer over the weekend, and this hammer is much more accurate and gives a quicker “pop” than the heel of your hand…and doesn’t hurt afterwards.
The hammer has not yet made it to their web site – but the new brake spring tool is listed for online purchase:
http://www.mactools.com/shoponline/product/tabid/120/p-331257-dbst1058.aspx
Probably the first hammer that was designed by people smart enough to understand the end of the handle is also a useful part of it.
If I were in the tool manufacturing biz, I’d make nailing hammers with metal heads on the end of the handle too. Betcha those would sell all day long. Of course, now that I’ve posted it, someone with a tool manufacturing plant in China will be cranking them out shortly.
Very cool mallet. I have a similar one but it didn’t come with a head on the end of the handle. I found a crutch/cane tip that fit nice and works great for “bumping” things into place in tight quarters.