DEWALT DWHT51004 20 oz Rip Claw Nailing Hammer

Every garage has a hammer, but often it’s a light one from a starter kit that bounces off anything bigger than a finish nail. A 20 oz head drives framing nails with fewer swings, and the straight rip claw is the useful kind for a garage: it pulls nails, but it also slides between boards to pry them apart.

Head and handle are both steel, so there’s no wooden handle to dry out or work loose in a cold, damp garage.

Pro tip When pulling a long nail, slip a scrap of wood under the hammer head. It protects the surface and gives you more leverage once the nail is half out.