Ryobi Automatic Hammer vs Artisan Hammerhead

Last year, Craftsman released their Nextec Hammerhead Auto-Hammer, which works similarly to an air palm nailer. Of course, this new tool piqued our interest, but until now there was nothing to really compare it to. This holiday season, Ryobi released its version of an automatic hammer. We decided to take it head-to-head with the Craftsman Hammerhead model…and to make things more interesting; we thought we'd also compare the battery-operated product to a Senco Air Palm Nailer and a plain old framing hammer.

Last year, Craftsman released their Nextec Hammerhead Auto-Hammer, which works similarly to an air palm nailer. Of course, this new tool piqued our interest, but until now there was nothing to really compare it to. This holiday season, Ryobi released its version of an automatic hammer. We decided to take it head-to-head with the Craftsman Hammerhead model…and to make things more interesting; we thought we'd also compare the battery-operated product to a Senco Air Palm Nailer and a plain old framing hammer.

The concept of the Auto Hammer and Palm Nailer was to be able to drive nails in tight spaces where a regular hammer wouldn't get enough punch to drive the nail home. Or – you can use them to drive nails in any situation where you don't want to use a hammer at all. The biggest difference between these nailing tools and other types of battery and air nailers is that they allow you to use bulk (single) nails, rather than collation types (joined together).

First, we unpack each one and inspect the contents to make sure all parts are accounted for. Then we started to fully charge the battery of the automatic nailer. Both automatic nailers come with a compact 12V lithium-ion battery and come with a fast charger. Other than the color difference, the fit and finish of the Craftsman and Ryobi Auto Hammer are very similar. Both have ABS plastic bodies and rubber overmolded grip areas. The Ryobi does have more of its body covered with grip material, which may make it more comfortable to hold in various positions. Both automatic hammers have LED work lights and are trigger activated for safety. This means that once you place a nail, you still need to pull the trigger to drive the nail in. With the Senco Mini Palm Nailer, you simply place a nail and press the tool into the head of the nail and the hammer action begins, no trigger required. All three nailers have a spring-loaded safety ring that encloses the hammer so your fingers can't touch it. All three electric nailers have a magnet in the hammer pocket to help hold the nail in the tool more easily.

DingTalk test product line

Test Methods

We started our testing by using the same piece of pressure-treated wood for all the nailing tools, and using the same size and type of nails for each. We chose a dry piece of pressure-treated 4×4 pine for our test lumber, and it had almost no knots. We thought it would be a fair test item given the types of projects these tools advertise, such as fences, decks, and frames. We selected five nails of the same type for each tool and then tested how easy and fast it was to drive the nails together. We also measured the noise level of each tool.

Test 1 – Ryobi Auto Hammer vs Craftsman Hammerhead 16d Nail Drive

Since the manufacturer's packaging for all tools claims to be able to drive 3-1/2" 16d bright common nails, we started with these. After numerous attempts, ironically to us, neither of these automatic hammers Ability to drive nails into wood for more than an inch or so. Even with freshly charged batteries and us using two hands (and our weight behind them), the automatic hammer just wouldn't drive the nail home. Even more interestingly, The head of the Senco mini palm nailer isn't big enough to accommodate a 16d stock nailer. As a result, the Auto Hammers are out on the first test. Our only finishers at this level are the standard framing hammers.

16d nailing test results

Test note: We scoured around and found some galvanized 16d framing nails with some smaller heads, we found that the Senco mini palm nails were able to drive these nails flat in about 2-3 seconds with ease.

Test 2 – Ryobi Auto Hammer vs Craftsman Hammerhead 12d Nail Drive

Since not all tools can compete equally in the 16d test, we next tried the 3-1/4" 12d bright regular nails. All tools can compete here, but we found it interesting that the battery powered automatic None of the hammers could drive the nails all the way home. We went further and tried driving the nails in different parts of the wood sample just to make sure we didn't hit a hard spot, but still failed to drive the nails all the way in. In all cases we Both stopped the clock for 25 seconds because the noise started hurting our ears and we had to wear earplugs. The Senco Mini Palm Nailer was able to quickly level our nails in about the same amount of time it would take to nail by hand. Palm Nailer with Drive the nail in with minimal effort.

12d nailing test results

Test 3 – Ryobi Auto Hammer vs Craftsman Hammerhead 8d Nail Drive

For this test, we downsized in the process of finding nails that the automatic hammer could handle, and decided to try some 2-1/2" bright regular 8d nails. Finally, we were able to drive the nails with two automatic hammers. However, at this level of testing, Auto Hammers still took about 3 times as long to hammer one of the nails flat.

8d nailing test results

Test 4 – Noise Level

One of the main issues we noticed in testing was how much noise output automatic hammers have, in addition to their inability to drive larger sized nails. We need earplugs, especially after running the tool for 25 seconds straight. The noise level of the Palm Nailer is very close to that of the Auto Hammers, but because it hammers in the nails so fast, it is considered to be much quieter. The hammer was the quietest of the tools tested. Since the concept of Auto Hammers and Palm Nailer is that you can nail in a confined space, we definitely recommend that you wear hearing protection at all times, as tight spaces will amplify the noise levels you will experience. Safety is always our top concern, so whenever you're hammering a nail with any tool, make sure you're wearing good quality safety glasses.

Noise Level Test Results

Conclusion – Automatic Hammer vs. Palm Nailer

The more we use and test Auto Hammers, the more they feel like toys rather than real tools. Between the Craftsman Hammerhead and the Ryobi Auto Hammer, we think the Craftsman is slightly better, with a slightly better feel and quicker peg-driving action. We found the battery life on both tools to be adequate, and since they come with a fast charger, you won't be down for long, unless you already have some batteries that might work for other NEXTEC or Ryobi tools you own. If you have a real project to work on, we think the Auto Hammers will disappoint to some degree; both in terms of actual performance, and the amount of noise they cause. Given their inability to actually drive frame-sized fasteners, we think there will be very limited how much real construction can be done with them. So, do they eliminate manual hammering like the packaging claims? We don't think so, even in confined spaces. For those who have to do something in tight spaces or areas that are difficult to access, we highly recommend the Palm Nailer. For our tests here, we chose the mini Palm Nailer to showcase their versatility, compactness, and power. Given that the tested Palm Nailers are about half the size of a standard Palm Nailer, we're pretty sure you can find a tool that will nail any size nail. Of course, just for argument's sake, you can always revert to the way it's always been done – take a hammer.

All in all, we think both the Craftsman and the Ryobi Auto Hammers are overpriced gadgets that are best as gifts for someone who has everything or someone who only has a few really light projects at home. For anyone who owns a compressor, we recommend getting the mini Palm Nailer for the same amount of money you spent on this gadget. Add a decent framing hammer and you'll be even more satisfied.