Ludell 11320 Sledge Hammer with Double Wedged Fiberglass Handle, 20lb, 35" Handle Length

Depending on your particular application, a 20lb sledgehammer may be the ideal weight. Finding the correct head weight for a particular user and application can be difficult. In the 20lb category with fiberglass handle, the India-made Ludell 11320 sledge hammer is a solid value. As sledge hammer prices go up exponentially after 12 pounds, it is convenient that Ludell offers a 20 lb sledge with a fiberglass handle under one hundred dollars. Overall, I have been been pleased with this product's performance during my limited time of use.The manufacturing quality of this product appears to be excellent. The head is precisely machined and the handle feels solid. The rubber grip is very durable while there is a substantial amount of rubber protecting the far end of the handle from overstrikes. At 20 lbs, it is easy to see how a straight hickory handle (or even one made from fiberglass) could easily be shattered by direct contact with a splitting wedge so this is a nice feature.If you need a 20 pound sledge for applications where overstrikes are a remote possibility, I would highly recommend this product. If you are pounding tires or dirt merely for exercise, you may may want to consider evening heavier options listed below.Very large sledge hammers (aka war hammers):Searching for very large sledge hammers, I identified two companies with significantly larger head weights than those found in industrial sledge hammers. They are made by Torque Athletic and Rage Fitness. Their advertised weights go up to 150 lbs and 66 lbs (30 kg) respectively. Unfortunately, neither company was able to tell me what type of steel was used to manufacture the head, so it is unclear if they would ever be safe to to use these for log splitting or demolition.

This has been a great sledgehammer for concrete demolition. I demolished about 56 lineal feet of 6" foundation wall and 1000 square feet of slab and driveway, and it's been holding up great. I have the 16lb version, which is about perfect for this type of demo work. The handle grip is well-shaped and hammer is well-balanced. The handle also has enough "give" to cushion heavy impacts against your hands, and the protective boot at the base of the handle is helpful in preventing handle damage. Overall, I love this hammer.

I bought this for breaking large rocks on my property. Until now I've been using a Ludell 16 lb sledge, which has worked well, but I decided I needed a little more punch. This did the job, but only lasted 10 swings or so before the head came loose from the handle. I didn't miss strike or hit the handle, so I'm hoping I just got a bad one. I'm returning for a replacement, and will update this review when I get a chance to use it.My 16 pounder is 14 years old and still going strong; I had to reattach the handle at around the 10 year mark (after a LOT of use), and it's been fine since. I really hope this failure was just a fluke.UPDATE June 6 2019:I cannot change my rating of this item; the replacement failed as well, in exactly the same way, in less than 20 strikes on a rock. I know 2 hammers is a small sample size, but other reviews seem to speak to this as well. These may be okay for pounding on tires (for a workout), or for using on wood posts, etc., but they cannot handle sharp impacts (eg, use on rocks, steel, etc.). The way the handle is fastened to the head just isn't designed for this use. Either there isn't enough glue, or the type of glue used is not up to the task. Also, I cannot understand why the handle doesn't go all of the way through the head; it seems you would want as much contact between the head and the handle as possible to avoid this type of failure.I unfortunately am having to spend much more on a different hammer to get the job done. If the manufacturer reads this, please take a look at the design of this item. It either needs to be updated, or you need to note the limitations of this hammer.

Yup, it is a big sledge hammer with a synthetic handle.. just as advertised. I used it to beat 4 post holders into the ground and it worked like a charm. The synthetic handle hopefully will mean it lasts in the humid weather it is kept in out here on the CA Coast.How I rate something:When I review an item, I try to always do so in context of the product and its description. For example, if I bought a vase that said shatter proof, and then drop it on the ground and it shatters, that is bad. But if I purchased a crystal wine glass, and knocked it over on the counter and it broke, I would not say "these glasses are not very sturdy".I believe, when possible, in reviewing items based on what is available in the market. Sometimes the market simply does not have better options. So if the product is the best in its class, I think it deserves 5 stars even if you can "poke holes" in their design or materials. I want to help you pick the best item available COMPARED to all other items that fill the same user requirements.Who I am / Where I work / Why I reviewI am not affiliated with the sale of ANY product(s)I do not take employment from any company I review, in any wayI paid for the product out of pocket and I work a job in a completely unrelated field to items I purchaseI am a serial researcher by hobby (and OCD) and spend a lot of time developing my purchase choicesI recently decided to do what I could to give back to the Amazon community for all the reviews they have done that have helped me with decisions on products I have madeThis review is 100% honest and based on my personal experience with the product

Quality Product.

Good 10 lb. sledehammer with a durable handle. The price was reasonable and I would buy it again.