Striker 55

[jhiggins]

Hello,
I have been looking at purchasing a power hammer for a while. I have found a used Striker 55 that is not too far from my house. It comes with 4 sets of dies, single phase motor, and a base. Sounds like it is in good condition. I am planning on trying it out soon.

Anyone have any thoughts on what this Striker would be worth?

I also am looking at the Iron Kiss 50. I believe that my compressor would run it at about 80% or so.

How would the two hammers compare?

Thank you,
Josh

[Mainely,Bob]

If you have a choice then go with the Iron Kiss hammer.Customer service is second to none with all John`s equipment.If I had the money to buy a new hammer this is he one I`d get.
Look thru the past posts and I think you`ll find that there was some concern about Striker having closed it`s doors.So much for customer service there if it`s a fact.

BTW-John has a blog here where he talks about pretty much every thing he does day to day to build an Iron Kiss hammer.Read thru it a little and look at some of the recent posts with members using his hammers and I think you`ll be impressed.I know I am.

[jason0012]

What happened to Striker? I heard not too long ago that they had been certified by the Navy as a domestic manufacturer so they could sell to the government. I'm not sure by what stretch of the imagination they could be considered to be of domestic origins but it seems that would bode well for the company.

[pkozloski]

Sometimes these forums reminds me of the arguments we got into as kids... my dad drives a Ford and his car is better than your dad's Chevrolet. The only way you are going to make a good decision is to try the hammers out for yourself. There are real pro's and con's for all of the brands of hammers that are out there. Striking power, purchase price, maintainability, reliability, controllability, service by the distributor, and I am sure there are other factors. Personally, I would go with a self contained hammers... those are the hammer designs that are used in industrial production shops around the world... for over 150 years. I have used both external compressor hammer designs and self contained hammers and I like the hitting power of the self contained... but then my dad's Ford was better than your dad's Chevrolet.

[Mainely,Bob]

I know I`m going to get some flak about this but for me there is also the often overlooked point of supporting a product made right here in the USA as opposed to buying a product from a country that has a well known problem with quality control.
For me at least there are other factors involved besides price.I would rather have to save up for a little longer and eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day than help undermine the talent we have here at home.

[arftist]

Good post Bob. I couldn't agree more.

[monstermetal]

Even though I am a fan of self contained hammers ( Like the striker ) I would have to agree with Bob... I have seen great Striker hammers and I have seen some that took major amounts of work to get and keep them running. Cosgrove is not going to give you the service that John will. (that is if you can even contact Striker) I would say pass up the Striker and buy a Iron Kiss.... Having John to talk to about issues that could arise and maintenance concerns are a huge bonus. If you had no issues about rebuilding or repairing the striker with no help or if it was just flat dirt cheap I might sway that way a bit... But the reality is the Iron Kiss hammers are very economical, the smaller hammers are down right cheap! a 50lb Iron Kiss at around $4000 is comparable to what a real nice Little Giant brings...

[pkozloski]

I have heard good things about James Johnson and Anyang. It seems like the feedback is he has taken care of customers, knows the hammers, and is also a blacksmith that has used hammers in his work.

[jason0012]

The big problem with picking a hammer by brand is that most of us start in business on a shoestring. Given that, few of us have the luxury to buy an absolutely ideal machine right off from the start. How many pro smiths today started with a 25 or 50 little giant? The first machine need not be perfect. Your first hammer has to produce enough to buy the next one( the tool collecting gets into high gear then) These machines are obscure and aren't always available used when one is looking. I would say that it is better to have any hammer than no hammer. If it is a question of the ultimate hammer get a #3-#4 Nazel. Some of us aren't so lucky as to be able to stumble into such machines or have funds available when we do. A 55# Striker is a far cry better than my first hammer or , put another way you could do a lot worse. My personal vote would be that the external powered hammers have greater versatility and would be the more useful hammer. There is a downside to an external powered air hammer, namely they need a big compressor. If you have one already and the price is similar go for the iron kiss. Self contained hammers have their advantages too. The striker will most likely be a plug and play affair while the iron kiss will take some tweaking to get all its parameters set. For those who do not wish to have to learn the machine a self contained hammer is truly ideal. On the other hand, the iron kiss can do things a self contained hammer cant, like clamp, press, and deliver single blows. So there really isn't a simple answer to the question. Both are good machines, both will smash steel, both will make your work easier, and eventually , both will seem far too small. For a first hammer the striker may be the ideal, for a professional the iron kiss may be better. The striker comes with tooling and is ready to go, barring any great malfunction. (self contained hammers are shamefully simple and rarely break down- though when they do it is a major uh-oh) I am sure it would be nice to get some factory support for your machine, but that is something I would not have experienced. I have tried to get assistance with my Bradley from Cortland but always found them less than helpful. Many of us get by with old machines whose manufacturers have gone extinct long ago. Stumbling along with a mysterious mechanical problem while a hot job is cooking in the fire is part of the excitement of being a blacksmith!

[steveh]

Anyang hammers have hold down and single blow capabilities.I would tend to believe the Striker would as well.

[jhiggins]

Thank you everyone for the advice so far.
Josh

[Don Hanson]

I know I`m going to get some flak about this but for me there is also the often overlooked point of supporting a product made right here in the USA as opposed to buying a product from a country that has a well known problem with quality control.
For me at least there are other factors involved besides price.I would rather have to save up for a little longer and eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day than help undermine the talent we have here at home.

No flak from me...Great post!

I buy USA when ever I can and my three power hammers are all made in the USA :)

[John Larson]

I very much appreciate the nice comments about me and my hammers. I set out to produce the best utility hammer on the planet in terms of every dimension that mattered. I'm there or darn close. When my smallest rtwo hammers can run on a 5 hp compressor and a 60 gallon tank without compromising your forging pace I'd say you have to look far and wide to find something better.

Not to be snide, but China is a communist regime with no plans for being anything else. To me, that matters tremendously. I know Walmart is full of Chinese products. So what's the big deal? Has your standard of living gotten better or worse since trade with China mushroomed?

[Mainely,Bob]

I tend to look at it this way,Do you want the unemployment problems here to turn around and jobs to stay here at home?If you do then buy American or at least from another democratic country who supports us like we support them.How many Chinese companies have a plant here in the US and employ US workers?
Every time you buy an off shore product that`s another dollar you contribute to keeping our economy in this downward spiral.Never mind that if you buy from China you`re supporting the same communist government that stood with every one of our enemies in the last few conflicts we`ve been involved in.You don`t think all those AK-47s,RPGs,rockets,etc came from the former USSR do you?
Just keep telling yourself free trade with a communist country is OK and buying their goods does no harm.
I am not buying it,and I mean that in a literal sense.

[Jamesrjohnson]

Years ago when I was just starting my forging shop, I was looking for a self contained air hammer. I had very specific needs and reasons as to why I wanted a self contained air hammer. I only had a few choices, the USA didn’t have a self contained hammer still in production-they still don’t. One hammer that I was looking at was a Kuhn. They were imported by Centaur Forge, a trustworthy company. The only problem was that I couldn’t afford them. I almost financed the hammer, but I decided to wait. (I did have a 50lb LG, so I was still able to produce work) A year later I came across a used Anyang 33 and made the purchase. This choice saved me thousands of dollars and at a time in my life where every penny counted.

I put the money that I saved back into my business (more tools, juried art shows, website building). It was decisions like this that kept me from going into debt and allowed me to keep my shop open.

Some people view China as a threat. They believe China is taking all the USA jobs. For me as an artist blacksmith, China (Anyang) has helped me for years now providing me with reliable hammers at a fair price. If it wasn’t for China’s ability to produce these self contained hammers, my business (Johnson Metalsmithing) may not have worked out.

China has kept this USA blacksmith in business… If you look around my shop you will find tools from around the world. My cold saw is from Italy, my power hammers are from China, my anvils are made here in the USA –Nimba 450lb/120lb. At the end of the day, I don’t care where my tools come from. What I look for in buying tools is real value (quality and affordability).

When buying tools, I don’t care about race, politics, or nationality. They might have different views about how they live, or how they elect their country’s leaders, but none of this should affect a tools performance.

This forum was created to help blacksmiths. I personally have learned a lot by reading and studying the input of other smiths. It’s important that we keep this forum’s momentum moving in a positive way. If you have personal feelings regarding politics, go to another forum.
This is “IFORGEIRON.COM” not “IFORGEIRON/COMPLAIN ABOUT OTHER COUNTRYS.COM.”

[Mainely,Bob]

James,

Have you ever served in any branch of the military?If you have was your MOS/rating combat arms?
I think those of us who have may have a slightly different way of viewing communist countries.I also remember that one of the great things about being a citizen of this country is being able to respectfully express our opinions through our right of free speech.
I thought I respectfully stated how I felt.I`m not asking anyone to line up behind me.
I only ask that folks keep an open and objective idea of just what the dollars they send overseas is supporting.

You do some fine work and I really like and respect that work.We just disagree about the importance of the source of your tools and the politics those imported tools support.

[arftist]

If it wasn’t for China’s ability to produce these self contained hammers, my business (Johnson Metalsmithing) may not have worked out.

This statement is exactly why I would never buy anything from you or John N.

[Glenn]

IForgeIron about blacksmithing, not politics. The reason you buy any tool is so you can improve YOUR production.

Most powered hammers will work. Put both hammers in your shop and within 90 days (or less) you will either use one, or use the other. Most likely you will use BOTH, each for what it does best.

A discussion of the differences in the hammers, their different abilities, quirks, etc would be beneficial to the viewer. That way they could choose one, or both hammers based on what the hammer CAN do.

[jason0012]

This discussion degenerated didn't it? I don't think the origin of the hammer was ever in question. john fails to mention the one single domestically produced air hammer he could have purchased. I suspect that if the Kuhn seemed pricey he probably would not have had the room in his budget for a $200000-400000 Chambersberg. That's why there is no more Chambersberg Engineering Co! This is a capitolist country. Everything here is controlled by the almighty$$. Business, government, schools, health care, everything. If a product can be produced cheaper in some communist country and imported here at a huge profit is not that the ultimate capitolist ideal? I see so many people these days spouting mindless coldwar propaganda without considering what exactly they are saying. Have any of you who bash the china hammers shopped at wall mart? If you have your authority to xxxxx about a chinese company that fills a niche market that no American manufacturer has been succesful with in decades is quite suspect! More domestic jobs were affected by the closing of textile mills, steel mills, plastics manufacturers, car parts manufacturers ect, than by the importing of a chinese air hammer! My point about the dissapearance of the striker tool co was more a querry into why they might dissapear after landing a nice fat gov contract. Obviously it is a stretch to call the striker a US made hammer.

[Mainely,Bob]

All politics aside,The Chinese have well known problems with both metalurgy and quality control.
I know nothing of Anyang hammers but I know about the other Chinese and Taiwanese machinery I have had to rebuild for failures due to things like voids in the castings or something as simple as not cleaning a casting completely of what was either casting sand or blasting sand and other swarf inside of gearboxes.I`ve also had to take imported machines apart and remachine things after castings or weldments twisted and warped from not being properly normalized prior to machining and assembly.Brackets and supports that broke because they were thin cast iron instead of forged steel.Ask any job or repair shop what they think about welding Chinese cast iron.
In almost every case the companies I ended up doing the work for found that in the long run they would have been better off if they had spent the extra money and bought a quality machine that would have lasted at least twice as long with far less maintenance issues.
The only satisfactory uses I saw Chinese/Taiwanese tools bought for was as sacrificial tools to be used under conditions which meant that pretty much any tool wouldn`t survive long or was a one use type job and therefore not really a good financial decision to buy a quality tool.I suggested renting or buying used,they bought cheap instead.

How many professional shops who depend on their machines long term use brands like Harbor Freight,Grizzly, or any other Taiwanese or Chinese machines?

I have no doubt people Like James test run and will stand behind every machine they sell but when you can deal with folks like John and pick up the phone and talk to the very man who builds each machine using things like SAE valves and cylinders available through multiple US suppliers or one of the other folks who carefully rebuild the old iron right here in the US and have the talent and knowledge to diagnose problems and even make replacement parts to order then why not buy from the local experts who are making the stuff themselves.
The folks who all bought Strikers I`m sure thought they were quality machines and they may well be but that doesn`t change the fact that they are now having to call the Chinese factory direct to get info and parts when there`s a problem.
I wish James nothing but a long and happy life but if something happens to him where will all the Anyang owners go for parts?

When something breaks or malfunctions do you want a hammer that you can fix yourself using parts available in the closest big city or by UPS or do you want to wait while a part gets shipped from overseas?
It really is that simple for Josh here.

[Glenn]

To paint an entire line of today's products with paint from the past is not a fair judgment. Products with problems many times get changed and improved.

Before you make any large purchase, you need to call and talk with the business selling the item. Ask about the product support, spares, etc. Ask others how their purchases have held up and the support they have gotten from that business. Then make an informed decision so you can invest your money wisely.

[Jamesrjohnson]

Comparing Anyang to all the other Chinese companies is inaccurate.

They support their customers with a lifetime warranty on the hammer frame. They have been making large scale forging equipment for over 60 years that have been sold around the world. If they didn’t have quality, sound castings they wouldn’t be producing large two ton hammer- (ram weight). If they did not have quality machines, they would have been out of business years ago. Like all good manufacturing companies, the machines are also getting better. John,I and the other distributors working with current users identify ways to improve the functionality of the hammers and they are continously improving.

I’m planning on being in this business for a long time. I’m 31, so I’ve got years/decades before I consider retirement and I’m in good health. However, if something was to happen to me Anyang owners would still be supported. Anyang has a number of great dealers around the globe. We have John N. (England), Glen M. (Australia), Angele (Germany), SteveH (Canada), if I were to get hit by bus tomorrow the USA customers would still get help and support.

Hopefully soon I’m going to start shooting video’s covering my hammers capabilities (the 33,55,88, and 165 pound). I hope this will help end a lot of the power hammer gossip and everybody focused on are art and science of blacksmithing.

[Mainely,Bob]

One last post and I`ll move on.
To say the practices I talked about are past is not accurate.
Look at recent reports in the news about things like Chinese toys and sheetrock that are toxic and have been recalled(which we pay for).
The emphasis is on fast and cheap and that means made from the cheapest materials regardless of safety either during manufacture or at the user end.

I would love to be able to have a sample of the castings used in a Striker or Anyang hammer and be able to do testing in regard to suitability,durability and ease of welding.I hope it would be of a quality that would show me things have evolved for the better in that respect.
The simple truth is that the very recent aluminum replacement parts for motorcycles I have tried to repair for others give every indication of being made of low quality alloy if not recycled scrap.These parts are from US companies being made in Taiwan and most recently China.
The fit and finish has improved due mostly to efforts by the US companies but the metalurgy is still not where it needs to be in order for it to be safe or durable.
My friends in auto body shops say the same thing about the sheet metal replacement parts they encounter.They know it`s Chinese steel when they try to work or straighten it and pull and replace rather than try a repair.

As in all things you can have cheap or you can have quality.If you buy cheap just be aware that you just voted against quality and most likely longevity.

In regard to the Chinese hammers,I was up front about not having any experience with them,I also explained why.I know it may not be fair to view them through the same lens as the cheaper machines and tools.My concern from a working standpoint is that the raw materials come from the same sources as the cheap tools.
Don`t take my word for it,as with anything you should be doing your own research.Go and ask your local welding and repair shops what their assessment of Asian metals is,especially cast iron.Let the man you will bring it to when it breaks tell you if the quality is there.I think you`ll find the only quality metal is coming from a few Japanese companies.
Most any machine can and will work as long as it`s well lubed and not overly stressed.
All machines either break or wear out if used enough.The quality of the metal parts defines if you can repair that machine or not.It also directly relates to the time involved between sale and failure due to breakage or wear.

[Don Hanson]

I looked real hard at Striker hammers when they first hit the market here. Almost bought one, but just could not get past the origin of manufacture, and didn't want to deal with the risk. Have talked to smiths who are happy with their Strikers and others who've had nothing but trouble

[jason0012]

It is awfully easy to bash the chinese hammers for the quality of their castings. How many hammer frames have you cast? I would personally rather have a Nazel/Bradley/Beaudry/Chambersburg and in a 300-500# range. We dont always get what we want though. The Kiss 50 is a good hammer and has customer service which is actually such a foreign concept I can only vaugely grasp its meaning. It is in fact very much a one off custom machine. Therefore it will come with all the pitfalls of other one off or discontinued machines. This isn't really a huge problem as lots of old iron is still running and running well(my own hammer is pushing 110 yrs of pounding steel). The Kiss is a well built machine that runs beautifully as lots of skill and engineering went into its design and construction. The Kiss as well as the KA75, and the Phoenix hammers are real, serious, production machines. All are custom built in small shops. There simply is no big factory in this country producing an off the shelf kind of hammer. The Striker and Anyang both impressed me as being far better machines than the fabricated frame variety that dominated the market through the 80s and 90s. The price of the Kuhn was far beyond reasonable and I found it to be somewhat mechanically lacking. I think the entrance of the chinese machines fills a much needed gap in the available machinery. While I am no fan of the chinese government or the fact that they seem to have suplanted ALL manufacturing worldwide, there really is no alternative to theses air hammers. Nazel never built a 33# hammer. They certainly should have but they didn't. Little giants and other old hammers are getting scarce. newcomers to this field need an alternative. I have learned from my students over the years that not everyone has a desire to understand the intricacies of the tools they use. Many simply want it to run. For them a self contained hammer is the only possible machine. Why worry about the availability of factory service? Short of Sid Sudemier is there any factory service still for domesticly produced hammers? Despite this many still pound away.
Perhaps it is that I am used to buying old iron and having to tear down/rebuild everything that the QC on chinese machines doesn't bother me so much.