Powder Hammer vs Hammer Drill for Concrete FASTENERS

The 2 types of fasteners we are comparing are nails used with a powder actuated hammer and concrete screws. When I worked construction we almost always referred to them by their brand name so I will also refer to the nails at Ramsets and the screws as Tapcons. I like the nails with the washers because they hold better and I have often had the screws break on me so I almost always use 1/4” screws or thicker.

Tools and Equipment

Hammer Drill: https://amzn.to/3PR7zqE

Tapcon Screws: https://amzn.to/3PXEmdx

Trigger Powder Hammer: https://amzn.to/3PTbmDP

Hammer Powder Hammer: https://amzn.to/3QfM3LJ

Ramset Nails: https://amzn.to/3bleBEU

Powder Charges: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ramset-0-22-Caliber-Yellow-Single-Shot-Powder-Loads-100-Count-00607/100187029

cost comparison

In my location the Tapcon screws come in a pack of 75 with the drill bit included so it works out to $0.41 a piece. (One note I generally get about 40-50 holes per drill bit, so I need more more drill bit for 75 screws, but I probably have bad drilling technique). For the powder actuated nails, Ramsets, on top of the nails you also need the powder loads which are $0.10 each. The nails are $0.24 each (in packs of 100) so that works out to around $0.34.

Winner: Powder Hammer

Tool Comparison

Remington makes a hammer on the back powder hammer for $30. Ramset makes a trigger style for $60 which is really a nice upgrade. For the concrete screws you need a hammer drill or a rotary hammer. The cheapest hammer drill I know of is made by Harbor Freight for $20, but I have used it and it is pretty bad. I upgraded my Harbor Freight hammer drill to a Rigid which was $130 and has served me well for over a decade. Rotary hammers work even better than hammer drills, but they are more specialized and more expensive. If it is for a single project you would probably be better off renting one.

The tool comparison gets a little more complicated because you can use the hammer drill for more than just hammer drilling. They all have switches for normal drilling mode and you may use it for more purposed. The powder hammers are really single purpose tools. I think for less money you can get a better powder hammer, but the hammer drill is a more useful tool.

Winner:Tie

Usage

Powder Hammer

To use the powder actuated hammer put a nail into the end first and then open up the breach and put in the powder charge. There are different powers of powder charge depending on your nail and your concrete hardness. For general framing through a 2x4 I find the power 4 to be right strength, but do use the power 3 for attaching things to walls. With the trigger version you push down and pull the trigger. Make sure to wear hearing and eye protection, especially inside. For the hammer version you do the same thing except you hit the back of it with a hammer instead of pulling a trigger. I find the hammer version to be a lot louder than the trigger version.

Concrete Screws

For the concrete screws you use a masonry bit and drill through the bottom plate of your walls into the concrete. It is better to use a wood screw so you don’t dull the masonry bit, but I am too lazy for that. I like to go an extra 1/2” to 3/4” beyond what the screw instructions call for to give me a little bit of extra clearance so I don't have to blow out the dust from the hole. Now drive the screw through whatever you are attaching to the concrete.

Time Comparison

Doing some time comparisons I found that with the trigger style powder actuated hammer it took 29 seconds on average to load the nail, powder charge, nail it in, and eject the shell. If I used the hammer on the back style it took 5 seconds longer on average for 34 seconds total. Alternatively, using the hammer drill to drill through the wood, and into the concrete then drive the screw in took on average 1 minute 12 seconds. That is almost 150% longer, and for me the hammer drill is rougher on my body as well. This one is an unmitigated win for the powder actuated nails. On a whole basement you could easily be saving over 2 hours of drilling in concrete.

Winner: Powder Hammer

Final Thoughts

When thinking about this comparison, I personally think that the powder actuated hammer is the unmitigated king between the two. I think even for small projects that it may make sense to go with the powder hammer. The powder hammer allows you to quickly drive a nail in, especially if you need to bend your lumber straight or to keep it in place without too much fuss. When doing the job with my brother in law we used the powder hammer almost exclusively, and every construction crew I have been on, when attaching walls to concrete we used a powder hammer. Those are my two cents for what they are worth. Take care!