Professional-Grade Taylor 2.0 Neurological Reflex Hammer - Free-Parts-for-Life & Lifetime Warranty - Black (MDF505XL-11)

I'm a rehab resident--just like neurologists, we take our reflex hammers seriously. And I would be caught dead before someone sees me using a classic taylor hammer (or my stethoscope). So, I used to use a Tromner reflex hammer (the MDF one also sold on Amazon--great hammer), which I loved because of the weight. That lets you use the hammer as a pendulum and lets you impart a more consistent stimulus when checking reflexes. You just can't do that with the classic Taylors or a stethoscope head. Hopefully anyone looking at this hammer knows you don't swing a reflex hammer from your arm--you let the weight of the head/hammer do the work. Unlike every other Taylor hammer out there, this one has the weight and heft to be a true reflex hammer and allow you to do just that. It's longer, has a bigger and heavier head, as well as far more rugged/sturdy handle than any other Taylor hammer. It's just as rugged as my Tromner. Overall I like this hammer even more than my Tromner, for three main reasons: 1) The rubber is a bit softer and gentler on your patient (or your own thumb) 2) It's very easy to use the long/thick back side to whack that Achilles tendon and not miss. I sometimes miss with the Tromner--you don't have much room for error because the large head is still fairly small (though some Tromners do have bigger "big" heads--but they cost too much), and you're also usually your own force in addition to relying on the weight of the hammer when you check the Achilles--and the more force you impart, generally the harder is is to correctly aim and hit your target. Not that missing the Achilles really hurts your patient--but it does potentially make you look a little less competent... 3) (Honestly the main reason I bought this hammer). You can comfortably put it in your pocket! I'm on my peds rehab rotation (ie., no white coat allowed). The Tromner is just quite uncomfortable to carry in my front pants pocket, and I'm not into the "swordsman" style of carrying my hammer in my belt--I just think it looks sort of silly and unprofessional (well, more nerdy than unprofessional I suppose). A regular Taylor fit the bill, but those hammers are worthless. An adjustable Queen Square could be pocketable and usually have the heft just like a Tromner, but the adjustable ones never seem to gather good reviews (and you'd have to set it up every time). This one is all very one dimensional and solid and the head has no awkward small protruding bits that either makes things uncomfortable or look rather awkward while in your pocket--it just stays in place in my Dockers much better than the Tromner (despite both having more or less the same head thickness)--the latter of which had a tendency to rotate or tilt in my pocket. Sure, a Tromner looks really cool--but it also kind of freaks some patients out. I can't say how many weird stares I get from patients when I first pull it out of my pocket--patients are just used to seeing Taylors because of the movies or it's what their primary physician uses. I've found this hammer is equally as effective as your good Tromners (I can't compare to those $100+ Tromners--but who spends that much on a reflex hammer, really? And why?) and rigid Queen Squares (which are NOT pocket friendly in any way), but I think it's less intimidating to patients (particularly important if they're kids) and really easy to carry in your pants pockets. It's easier to carry in your white coat pockets as well, but the difference isn't as significant as with the pants pockets. The only two negatives I've encountered with this hammer are: 1) The rubber head can collect lint--just like any other rubber reflex head, but with this hammer the entire thing is a soft rubber head, not just two small ones like with the Tromner. An alcohol wipe takes care of that real quick, and I've only needed to clean it every 1-3 weeks or so to keep it looking nice (assuming your pockets are clean). But I have noticed I clean it more than the Tromner heads 2) The handle is polished/mirrored. I prefer something dull, because in the case of this hammer, it collects fingerprints and the "grease marks" just like your iPhone screen. But as it gets used more it gets scratched more and will hopefully get more of that patina that hides those marks. It's quite easy to fix--just wipe it down with a shirt, kleenex, paper towel, etc., every now and then. But my Tromner had a frosted handle and I never had to worry about that. Maybe I could use steel wool and dull the finish, but I'm not sure I want to do that yet. I intend to keep using this hammer as my primary hammer even after I finish my peds rotation and start wearing my white coat again. It's taken the place of my favorite reflex hammer. It's amazing no one perfected the Taylor design before.

Yes, it is bigger than your normal reflex hammer, but man, this was quite the discussion starter with my fellow classmates. We started our OSCEs and all of my classmates wanted to steal this for their turn. Fantastic quality, has a decent amount of weight and almost does the DTRs for you. I can see this lasting for a long time, will update as usage and time increases.

This is the third Taylor hammer from MDF that I’ve bought. The first two were great- sturdy and durable. When this one came in the mail, I could tell the metal wasn’t as heavy as the older ones. They must have changed the design, because the handle looks a little different too. Well I’m not happy with the new changes- the head broke off this one as if it was a cheap plastic tool. Definitely not suitable for a neurologist.

Most Taylor (Tomahawk) hammers are useless since they are made cheaply and don't have proper weight which makes it difficult for reproducible reflexes. This has an excellent length and weight for proper reflexes. Professor William DeMeyer who wrote the outstanding neurological examination book preferred the proper Taylor hammer for obtaining reflexes. It is simple, easy to carry and always true (when you have the right one). This is the right one.

Properly weighted to facilitate optimal reflexes, and the head is of an appropriate consistency. The handle is also quite effective in eliciting a Babinski response or even abdominal reflexes if so desired. A bit expensive when compared to other percussion hammers available, but well worth the price for the high quality construction, and ease of clinical use. Highly recommended.

This is the best reflex hammer I’ve owned. I had one years before but sadly, lost it. I purchased one recently and was a different quality, it broke off the tip spontaneously after one month of use. Too bad for such a good reflex hammer (it has the right dimensions and weight, it is comfy to handle and do not hurt the patient).

I can relate to people just trying to get through an NP assessment course. That's me as well. I got turned off by the cheap reflex hammers with reviews claiming they arrived bent, rusted, or in a set that had been used. A novice might think that all reflex hammers are the same. I had this thought myself. But after some further reading by actual neurologists, things like the weight matter. As with several other pieces of medical equipment I own, I decided to just pay a little extra and go for quality. Yes, it's about 3 times what the cheap ones cost, but I'm impressed with the product, and it feels like something I can add to my collection and trust for years to come later on when I'm in practice, even though I'm going into psych. It comes boxed with some literature. It has a nice heft to it, and the instrument itself is bigger than the cheaper hammers. MDF also has a lifetime warranty. If you go to their site you can see some of the other types of hammers. I chose this classic instead of the Babinski because one reviewer said the latter kept falling out of his pocket.

The product itself is great and matches the description, but the packaging arrived slightly damaged (see photo). Fortunately, the item inside was not affected.

Ich habe den Hammer wirklich gerne benutzt. Nach einem Jahr ist er mir aus der Kitteltasche auf den Boden gefallen, als ich auf einem Stuhl saß – dabei ist er kaputtgegangen. Ich habe beim Kundendienst wegen der Garantie nachgefragt, aber mir wurde mitgeteilt, dass so ein Schaden nicht unter die Garantie fällt. 😒 Weil ich den Hammer trotzdem so gut fand, dachte ich mir: Ich gebe ihm noch eine Chance. Doch nach nicht einmal einem Monat ist das Gleiche wieder passiert! Und wieder die gleiche Frage: Bricht der Hammer wenn er runterfällt? 😠 Diese „30 Jahre Garantie“ sind wirklich ein Witz – offenbar nur, wenn man den Hammer unbenutzt in der Schublade liegen lässt. Fazit: 2 Sterne für die top Leistung, solange er heil ist. Für den Kundenservice und die Garantieleistung würde ich -5 Sterne geben – besonders, wenn man sieht, dass dieses Problem offenbar häufiger vorkommt.

Fácil de usar, muy bien equilibrado al golpear. Material de buena calidad. Como única pega es que al ser tan grande y pesar tanto a veces se cae de los bolsillos de la bata. De todos modos, si tuviese que comprarme otro martillo repitiría este.

I normally would never use a Taylor hammer - used a queens square until I tried this, and loved it. I would never of guessed that just a bit of weight and changing the size would make such a difference, but just ordered three more for my office as now I don’t like to be without it!

Excelente Puntualidad. Les deseo muchos Éxitos.