Anyone had experience with Phoenix Hammers and their customer service?

mgysgthath said:
Probably Don, but the problem is availability.. Freight shipping from the US is going to be insane, plus the border fees etc. What I have to do is ask around to see if there are any good Canadian suppliers, and go from there. But I agree, building a press is probably my best bet for now.
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Road trip? Hammers are out there but ya gotta hunt! :)
 
Don, does the fact that YOUR 100 lb LG is tied into a concrete base the size of a commercial refrigerator contribute to its hard hitting ability? I recall that Cliff's Say Mak was sitting on a dirt floor and it still seemed to hit harder the 110 Big Blu. as for a press and a 25 LG for $4000, I am not sure about that unless you can find a used press or build one. The prices on those have gone up a bit in the last few years.
Don Hanson III said:
Yep Joe, the Say Mak hits harder the the Blue and a 100 LG hits harder than both. :D


$4000? Lots of Little Giants south of ya selling for less than that. That'll just about get ya a rebuilt 50 lb straight from Little Giant. I also see 100 lb LGs for that or less? Just saying...
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Well, Big Blu hammers while great pieces of machinery, are notoriously light strikers in their tup weight class. I haven't found much that doesn't out hit them. My experience with LG's has been that they don't hit near as hard as my hammer or Zoe's 88lb Striker, even in the 100lb range. Now the bigger ones are a different class entirely, but mounting can have a lot to do with the performance of a hammer. It really depends on the hammer however, it's not all about tup weight, stroke length and cylinder can have a lot of impact on an air hammer, along with air delivery and pressure, the amount of resistance in the tup guide design, etc. It goes on and on.

I've never been too impressed with the LGs myself, but maybe I've never gotten to play with a top quality one, like Don obviously has. I started working with pneumatic hammers, and it's hard for me to use anything else, since I've come to rely on the control and the way they strike. Some people swear by mechanical hammers, some swear by air, some people love the self contained air hammers and think the utility hammers (ones that run on an external compressor) are a waste of time compared to the huge power of the old behemoths.

Before jumping feet first into the power hammer waters, I'd really suggest taking the time to seek out some people that have some of the different designs, and try them out. My experience has been that no two hammers are alike, even if they're the same model from the same manufacturer, and they're all designed with different focus and end goals.
 
jdm61 said:
Don, does the fact that YOUR 100 lb LG is tied into a concrete base the size of a commercial refrigerator contribute to its hard hitting ability? I recall that Cliff's Say Mak was sitting on a dirt floor and it still seemed to hit harder the 110 Big Blu. as for a press and a 25 LG for $4000, I am not sure about that unless you can find a used press or build one. The prices on those have gone up a bit in the last few years.
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Joe, yes, the huge chunk of concrete makes em hit harder. Big difference there. I didn't put enough concrete under my new one (140lb ram), didn't realize it was goin to hit that much harder than the old one. It'll have to do though. My thought on the 25 & press, was him building the press. And Cliff's Say Mak is actually on a concrete slab, you just forgot, or didn't notice. I helped him set it up over the phone. ;)

Javand, there are more Little Giants out there than any other hammer. And most are not set up and tuned Right! :)
I've been around some that would hardly run, but only needed 30 minutes of tuning to get em back in shape. Others needed a complete rebuild. In both cases their owners didn't really know any better, or seem to care. And the 100 lb LG is a completely different animal than the smaller ones. :D
 
I was perusing Little Giants webpage but I didn't see anything about them still selling stuff. It looked more like a historical page showing their illustrious history lest we forget. They still make new ones?? A road trip is probably going to be my only choice, when it comes right down to it. I have a few feelers out though, so I'll see what comes of that. If I can get someone to drop it off for a couple hundred bucks, I'll happily do that.

Thanks 1234, I will check out Machineco :P
 
1234, Looks like they have a brand new STC-55 Striker model 55 pound hammer for $4,845 USD. That's not all THAT bad actually.. I think they're pneumatic though, so would have to factor in compressors. I think I'll keep an eye on that page though I see they had a 25 pound little giant that sold, so they might get more. Thanks for that :)
 
Afaik all Striker hammers are "Self Contained" which means they produce their own air. I use one of the 88lbers all the time. They're great hammers. You will probably want to sure up your foundation for one unless you've got a real thick pad to put them on already.

You wouldn't be disappointed with one.
 
That's good to know, I got looking at them a bit more and the large section off the back looks like it might be self contained. I think when I'm ready I might get a 55lbs one.. they're only a couple hour drive away, so it is pretty convenient. Ya, I would just dig a hole and pour a little foundation for it, my floor is not thick enough. Although with 55lbs I might not need to. Problem is moving 1700 lbs :P But I'll find a way. Thanks everyone for all your advice, it is much appreciated.
 
you need to actually call and check with Machineco on the Striker 55, if in fact they have one in stock at $4845, thats a good deal. Be aware thought that Striker Tool Co. is out of business so any "support" will be non existent from the company.

I used to not be a big fan of the Little Giant hammers, but found out that most of them I had used were either wore out, way out of tune, but usually BOTH! Ive had the chance to spend some time on a 25 and get it tuned properly, makes a huge difference.

One of the things I like most bout the LG hammers is that you can pick up the phone, call Sid, and have a part enroute to you in a day.
 
Ive seen some little giant thats were dogs, just so out of tune it was horrible.Some dont run big enough motors, some look like they are gonna fly apart.I was very fortunate to get ours from someone who knew what they were doing..
Clifton Ralph used it and said it was the hardest hitting #50LG he had ever used and it was on a wood foundation then..
Then Ive saw a video of a #50 that wouldent draw out a RR spike in one heat :eek:
 
mgysgthath said:
I was perusing Little Giants webpage but I didn't see anything about them still selling stuff. It looked more like a historical page showing their illustrious history lest we forget. They still make new ones??
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No new Little Giants.

They sell rebuilt hammers and parts and do repairs. Also a wealth of info on these hammers.

Sid a Kerri are fine folks!
 
RMLamey said:
you need to actually call and check with Machineco on the Striker 55, if in fact they have one in stock at $4845, thats a good deal. Be aware thought that Striker Tool Co. is out of business so any "support" will be non existent from the company.

I used to not be a big fan of the Little Giant hammers, but found out that most of them I had used were either wore out, way out of tune, but usually BOTH! Ive had the chance to spend some time on a 25 and get it tuned properly, makes a huge difference.

One of the things I like most bout the LG hammers is that you can pick up the phone, call Sid, and have a part enroute to you in a day.
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I remember you not being a big fan of LGs'. It's good to see ya finally come around! :D
 
Lot of folks have been turned off of Little Giants after running one in poor shape. They kind of get a bad rap that way. But a well tuned LG is a pleasure to run and most of them have already out lived more than one owner. ;)
 
+1 to the last several posts....Before plunking down the cash for a hammer... I kept holding out for something like a Beaudry... but it was the whole idea that so many guys are familiar with LG's, you can get parts, and you can TALK TO SID or KARI... that really sold me on giving LG's a try. Don't get me wrong... I'd still love me a Beaudry!!! ;) :D But after getting to see quite a few LG's that were set up properly and tuned just right, they can be a really awesome tool.

In fact, I had gotten to use that ornamental blacksmith's 100 LG BEFORE I ever got to use a "Clark SayMak" and I was very surprised when I saw how much lighter the blows were with the air hammer versus the mechanical hammer...even though it was a 110# ram on the SayMak.

I don't think too many would argue that there are some beefier, probably better engineered mechanical hammers out there... but I sure love my LG's. I'm faunching at the bit to get them put back together and on proper foundations in the new shop!!! :D
 
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Nick, Id love to have a beaudry too..I got to tinker with a #200 Beaudry and it was a BEAST. Tools were so easy to use with it and talk about hitting hard..Man, what a machine..Dies were huge..Felt like standing in front of a car crusher..
 
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Thanks for the advice RM.. I've sent machineco an email asking about some details and shipping costs.. I can probably pick it up if need be, it's close enough. It's a BIT out of my price range, but doably so, I can pull cash from elsewhere. It's still a bit in my future I think, but It looks like a great price I agree, especially for a self contained unit. I'm ok with it being defunct as a company, I probably won't wear it out too soon. I'd like to have a 25# little giant, because they're only ~600 lbs and easy to move around, as opposed to 1700lbs ish. That place has some massssssive hammers..and it is shaming to see a lot of their stuff is outside and rusting. I feel like I need to rescue it all :) If only I was a rich philanthropist ! hehe. Thank you all.
 
i used to work in a shop next to pheonix hammer. good hammers.not good customer service. pheonix hammer used to be bull hammer, but tom brought in some investors who i think sold it to the chinese. this was years ago. you might want to find iron crow forge. gary is an old tool making blacksmith based out of asheville NC. he worked for bull hammer and offers hammers and presses as well as dies and anything else you may need. he also fixes and upgrades pheonix hammers. i can get you gary's info
 
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