3 Best Professional Piano Tuning Hammers on Amazon
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.
3 Best Piano Tuning Hammers on Amazon
There's a limited selection of acoustic piano tuning hammers for early professional tuners or hobbyists for their own use on Amazon.
Having said that, I've put them in an order which may be beneficial to early piano tuners to get started with a piano tuning hammer that's easiest to purchase.
Here's my professional assessment of each top 3 Amazon Piano Tuning Kit.
#1 Xuyiyue Piano Tuning Lever and Tool Kit
This is the best piano tuning hammer for an early professional tuner available on Amazon.
While it is not a state-of-the-art tuning lever, it has all of the qualities of a high end tuning lever, without the extra comfort and tuning tip fit as one.
The kit does not have extensive accessories, but as long as a beginner piano technician has some other piano tools in their tool bag, then this would be the perfect piano hammer upgrade.
The Xuyiyue is a lever that has great rigidity to it and weighs little due to the carbon fiber material
The designer made an effort for the handle to be ergonomic, though it isn't perfect.
Xuyiyue Piano Tuning Hammer
This kit includes tuning tools such as:
1 Xuyiyue Tuning Lever
1 add-on extension
1 interchangeable handle
2 extra long rubber mutes
2 small rubber mutes with handles
1 piano tuning kit case
There are few extra accessories in this kit, which may not be helpful especially to piano tuners who are starting at the very beginning.
Here's the pro's and con's of this particular lever, which in general is much better than other hammers available on Amazon.
Pros:
lightweight
rigid
ergonomic for a good feel
also relatively inexpensive
extendable
different types of handles
less energy loss (rigidity)
replaceable tip sizes for piano tuning pins
Cons:
Heavier than state-of-the-art tuning levers
More expensive than other levers on Amazon
May feel awkward to tune with; design could use further refinement for feel
In my years of experience, these are commonly agreed upon qualities that piano technicians agree on.
The Xuyiyue Piano Tuning Lever
Owners may prefer to opt against the rounded hammer's handle.
This silver handle keeps to the general shape of the lever at the end. Personally, I would prefer the rounded shape end rather than the straight edged handle.
The lever may be extended for extra leverage.
I think the extension was a good concept, however, when it comes to implementation it's more of a gimmick that doesn't offer much of an added benefit.
I credit the designer for implementing the idea of extending the lever with add-on pieces, though I think it falls short of having much of a benefit.
Below, it's apparent that the tuning lever tips can be interchangeable.
This is helpful to those seeking a higher quality tuning lever tip which can provide:
tight fit around the tuning pins
Increased sensitivity
replace worn tips
All in all, I would rank the Xiyuyue hammer highest among the piano tuning levers available on Amazon.
If you come across a better piano tuning hammer on Amazon, please let me know!!
#2 YZN Life Piano Tuning Kit Case
The "YZN Life" piano tuning kit is halfway decent for a tuning kit from Amazon, largely due to the lever, kit case, and miscellaneous tools.
This is another tool kit that will at least get you started, though upgrading your toolkit overtime is something to keep in the back of the mind.
Tuning kit cases are rather convenient when first starting out.
All of the professional tools look nicely put together and allow for a technician to quickly grab what they need.
Some of the tools in this kit aren't that great. Though, it's easy to swap out one of the inferior tools with a better on for a more complete kit.
I love the layout of all the tools and the overall appearance. Though, it will be necessary for beginners to swap out some of these tools for better ones.
The YZN Life Piano Tuning Hammer
For a beginner level hammer, this one is acceptable.
The lever is thicker which provides more rigidity necessary to tune pianos with less effort.
In other tuning kits from Amazon, the tuning hammers that come with the kits are often of the lowest quality that the market can support. Here, this hammer will support a technician who really wants to learn for a good price.
Philips head and flat head screwdriver for piano technicians
Early on, the most valuable tool for a technician is a philips head screwdriver as well as a flat head screwdriver.
As time goes on, it's necessary to upgrade the quality and variety of screwdrivers to carry on-hand. As well as adding other basic tools overtime.
Pin polisher
This tool is commonly used as a polisher to either clean or polish keypins underneath the piano keys that guide the motion of the piano keys.
I've found that using a clean cloth and some metal polisher gel is more effective at thoroughly polishing the keypins than this wooden stick.
Some technicians prefer this regardless, it's all a matter of taste.
Tiny hammer for piano technicians
There are limited uses for this tiny hammer.
The only purpose for this hammer off the top of my head is to adjust the jack position in the window.
While there may be other valid uses for this miniature hammer, I find that the size of this tool deems it unpractical for everyday use.
Piano Tuning Temperament Strip
The kit came with a generic temperament strip to complete the kit.
It's best to order temperaments of specific sizes to suite specific needs for the piano technician.
Without overcomplicating things, it's nice to see that the kit includes a temperament strip to get anyone started.
Felt Mute for Piano Tuning
Felt mutes are a traditional tool for every piano tuner.
Though, it's odd that the kit only comes with 1 felt mute.
Generally, it's nice to have a few extra mutes, instead of only 1 that you have to keep track of.
"Papps Mute"
Technicians love the "Papps mute" to mute for hard-to-reach areas of the piano strings that are more difficult to mute with other mutes.
Occasionally, this mute will break in one way or the other, so it's nice to have a few of these on hand.
I always recommend to have redundancy with your tools so that you never run out, having more than 1 of these mutes would be best.
YZN Life Piano Kit Tuning fork
Unfortunately, this tuning fork measures at about 444 hertz.
When warm, the tuning fork only lowers its pitch to roughly 442 hertz.
The international standard pitch is 440 hertz. Unfortunately, because this tuning fork measures too high at various temperatures, there's no way to further modify the tuning fork to lower its pitch.
This tuning fork is unsuitable for piano tuning use. Please heed this recommendation!
Piano Tuning Tweezers
Tweezers are always handy in a variety of different repairs.
Come to think of it, I only have 1 set of tweezers in my tool kit...
Having ample tool redundancy is a large contributor to having a successful appointment after only the 1st visit. This is part of the reason why I'll be happy to add these to my kit!
Awl for Piano Technicians
The kit comes with an "Awl." I don't often find a use for this tool, so I generally don't carry one with me.
However, the other day I had a specific use for it, so I may end up adding this to my tool bag as well.
This tool seems a little dangerous, but I've never had a problem handling them. So just be careful!
Rubber Mutes for Piano Tuning
The handles that come along with the miniature rubber mutes are too large.
The result of this is that this muting tool as a whole will feel "off-balance."
What I mean by this is that when the mute is between the piano strings, the handle will lean quite dramatically and weigh down the mute, causing it to be less effective when muting strings.
Constant repositioning of the mute may be required due to the over-sized handle which pries the mute away from where the tuner had it positioned.
I use rubber mutes every day to tune pianos. The drawback here is that they get old and lose their flexibility, ability to stick between the strings, and can wear down at the edges.
The good news is that piano mutes are inexpensive. I'll definitely incorporate these mutes into my tool bag.
There's nothing like new rubber mutes after working with ones that have aged.
I'd also like to point out that these can/should be cut or trimmed off at the tips of the long wedges. This is because I find that there's extra material at the narrow point that isn't useful and mostly gets in the way.
#3 ConchaCielo Piano Tuning Kit Pro
This universal piano tuning tools kit set is quite popular among piano tuners who are new to the craft of piano tuning. Concha Cielo has done a good job at offering a basic kit for mass distribution.
The quality of the tuning lever itself is sub-par for any professional tuner (which really shouldn't stop a tuning beginner from buying the kit), though, there are lots of useful little tools to help you get started in addition to items that seasoned tuners would find supplementary.
Surprisingly, after over 10 years of working in the piano industry, I'll certainly be adding a few of these tools from the piano tuner kit to my personal tool bags (and/or re-supply).
This kit is a great purchase if you need extra tools and comes packaged with almost 30 different things:
Temperament strips
Tuning lever/tuning hammer (star-shaped head)
Papps mutes
Felt mutes
8 pcs rubber mute set
Philips head
Flat head
Tuning tip wrench fastener
Tweezers
1 Awl (Metal pokey tool w/ handle)
Portable case
Read: Piano Tuning Hammer Review - Xuyiyue vs. Concha Cielo
Read: The Best Professional Piano Tuning Kit Tools for a New Tuner
The basic tuning lever is just what you need to get started.
Though, after having worked with a lever like this, I would never seriously consider tuning with one of these at a professional tuning appointment. Though, it's perfect for beginners if you don't have any tuning tools!
In a perfect world, this kit would come with at least a carbon fiber tuning lever, which doesn't cost more than $100.
In case you're wondering which lever I'm referring to, I will do a review shortly of an inexpensive carbon fiber lever that is much better product quality than the lever included in the Concha Cielo kit.
I'll also upload a comparison article between the Concha Cielo tuning lever and the carbon fiber mentioned above.
Piano Tuning Hammer Review: Xuyiyue vs. Concha Cielo
This kit comes with 2 "Papps Mutes," which are most useful for technicians when it comes to muting areas that can be extra tricky to mute.
When I first used this mute style, I didn't like it. That's why I don't actually carry this tool in my kit.
Since I now purchased the Concha Cielo Piano Tuning Kit Pro, I'll add it.
This is the first blue "Papps Mute" I've ever seen. There's nothing extra special about it, only a different color.
Tweezers are always handy in a variety of different repairs.
Come to think of it, I only have 1 set of tweezers in my tool kit...
Having ample tool redundancy is a large contributor to having a successful appointment after only the 1st visit. This is part of the reason why I'll be happy to add these to my kit!
I'm confident that the bend at the end of the tweezers on the right will prove to be useful in a particularly difficult to reach situation.
Surprisingly, I haven't owned individual felt mutes until I purchased this kit.
Felt mutes present a more professional appearance to your tuning practice.
Also, when removing felt mutes, the sensation of removing felt from strings vs. a typical rubber mute has an organic feel to it that can only be fully understood through experience.
The felt mutes certainly look nice, are brand new, and will be a perfect addition to the mutes I carry on-hand.
These mutes are some of the only high quality items that this kit provides.
These screwdrivers are as basic as basic gets in comparison to the proper array of screwdrivers that a piano technician must carry.
I recommend: The Best Roll-Up Screwdriver Set by PB Swiss Tools
Though, these two screwdrivers will get you started when it comes to removing most case parts, mute rails, and basic action tightening.
The screwdrivers are not magnetic, they won't help in all scenarios, and are bulky in comparison to my array of screwdrivers now.
Though they are nice to begin with, I won't be adding these to my tool bags.
I use rubber mutes every day to tune pianos. The drawback here is that they get old and lose their flexibility, ability to stick between the strings, and can wear down at the edges.
The good news is that piano mutes are inexpensive. I'll definitely incorporate these mutes into my tool bag.
There's nothing like new rubber mutes after working with ones that have aged.
I'd also like to point out that these can/should be cut or trimmed off at the tips of the long wedges. This is because I find that there's extra material at the narrow point that isn't useful and mostly gets in the way.
The kit comes with an "Awl." I don't often find a use for this tool, so I generally don't carry one with me.
However, the other day I had a specific use for it, so I may end up adding this to my tool bag as well.
This tool seems a little dangerous, but I've never had a problem handling them. So just be careful!
Alright, here's an example of how buying piano tools from easy sources online is not always a good idea.
I was trying to remove one of the interchangeable tips with the tool below and you can see how the tuning tip wrench broke and couldn't provide enough torque.
See how quickly this tool became useless after the first try of removing the tuning lever tip.
Unfortunately, this piece of the tuning tool kit did not hold up.
Though, you can rest assured that the tip attached to the tuning lever is on there tightly!
Oh well! Onto the next few tools.
It's always nice to get brand new strip mutes.
Typically, the red continuous mute felt wears down over-time, get dirty, and lose their muting ability.
Having a few extra strips on hand is useful, though, be aware that strip mutes of various widths can only be ordered through legitimate piano tuning supply warehouses.
Just looking at them makes me want to tune a piano!!
What a wonderful kit to have when you're just starting out.
Usually, collective kits will have many tools that are unnecessary or won't be used often.
I think that most of these tools are actually useful besides 1 or 2 items. I approve of its selection, although I encourage purchasing a better tuning lever.
While the kit looks very nice, I'll take the supplies from here and disperse them as I see fit into my favorite tool bags/backpacks.
Read: The Best SwissGear Work Backpack - Tool Bag Review
There you have it, an overview of what I think about the Concha Cielo Piano Tuning Kit Pro assembly of tools.
Contact me if you have any questions!
#4. BONUS The Worst Piano Tuning Hammer on Amazon
I was in shock when I opened this tuning kit and snorted in a burst of laughter when I saw the tuning hammer in person.
I shared the photos of this kit with my technician friends who described it as:
"Mini!"
"Cute"
"Adorable"
"Very demure"
"For Elves"
There's a new joke now that this "tuning kit" has become the latest victim of shrinkflation! Inflation has finally hit the marketplace for piano tools!
What's inside the worst piano tuning kit on the internet?
Here's what's included in the tuning kit:
1 "Tuning Hammer" (best used as a paper weight)
4 long rubber mutes
2 miniature mutes with handles
1 low quality "one size fits all" temperament strip
1 pouch unsuitable for the professional
I must say that the mutes at least are useable, but the rest of the kit (tuning hammer, pouch, temperament strip) is better suited for a landfill. Or, better as a home decoration.
The World's Smallest Piano Tuning Hammer
This is a fake piano tuning hammer that's better categorized as a decoration.
This "tuning lever" will only make your piano worse, less stable, and could injure your hand, wrist and shoulder!
If you purchase this kit, let me know because I think this "tool" is absolutely hilarious, I can always use a good laugh!
The handle of this tool is made out of plastic, not even wood! Unless piano tuning levers are made of carbon fiber, they all have wooden handles!
It shows how cheap this decorative piece is, though, I do like to keep it on my desk as humorous decor.
The worst piano tuning temperament strip
"Why is this temperament strip bad?"
Well, it may be "just fine" for beginners, but it comes in this kit in a "one size fits all fashion." Professional piano tuners ought to know which thickness of temperament strip they prefer.
Lastly, you can't verify whether the material is 100% wool or not, it simply doesn't say!
What sizes of temperament strip are there?
Professional piano tuning tool warehouses produce different thicknesses of temperament strips.
Standard - .165" thick
Thin - .135" thick
Extra Thin - .115" thick
Each has their own specific purpose for different widths of string spacing found across a variety of pianos.
Why does temperament strip thickness matter?
Consider the following scenarios where this temperament strip may not serve its purpose
Too Thick: Impossible to fit in between string spaces, takes too long to fix in position, overall impractical for everyday use.
Too Thin: The temperament strip won't mute off the strings properly, falls out of place, and will force you to use the rest of the rubber mutes in your tool kit during tuning.
At the end of the day, you really don't know whether this temperament strip will be suitable for your needs. Only until after you've purchased the kit will you find out!
Why are rubber piano tuning mutes an inferior good in the piano world?
First, let's look at the bright side. These rubber mutes are useable for just about any piano technician, though they are often seen as an inferior good to piano professionals.
Felt mutes are often seen as a superior quality mute likely due to it's traditional appearance.
Tradition plays an important role in the piano industry and contributes to the reasoning behind why rubber mutes are seen as inferior.
The handles that come along with the miniature rubber wedge mutes are too large.
The result of this is that this muting tool as a whole will feel "off-balance."
What I mean by this is that when the mute is between the piano strings, the handle will lean quite dramatically and weigh down the mute, causing it to be less effective when muting strings.
Constant repositioning of the mute may be required due to the over-sized handle which pries the mute away from where the tuner had it positioned.
The Worst Piano Tuning Kit Pouch
This pouch is like a generic goodie bag for just about anything, though not specifically for piano tools!
Though it can keep all the "tools" together, there's no specific reason why this pouch should carry piano technician tools.
It's best to take care of your tools and place them in a kit that holds your piano tools securely. Specific tools should be stored so that they don't bump into each other during storage.
That's about all I have to say about the Worst Piano Tuning Hammer Kit on the Internet!
Please only consider purchasing this as a gag, a joke, or a souvenir/decoration. You deserve better for your first tuning kit!
Conclusion
There's my take as a professional tuning technician on the 3 top piano tuning levers available on Amazon!
Let me know if you end up purchasing one so I can learn about your experience.
Good luck!
Related:
Piano Tuning Hammer Reviews/Articles
3 Best Professional Piano Tuning Hammers on Amazon
Xuyiyue Piano Tuning Lever and Tool Kit Review
Xuyiyue Vs. YZN Life Piano Tuning Hammer Kit Review
Chonchacielo VS. YZN Life Professional Piano Tuning Hammer
YZN Life Piano Tuning Kit Review
The Worst Piano Tuning Hammer Kit on the Internet
Piano Tuning Hammer Review: Xuyiyue vs. Concha Cielo
Best Piano Tuning Kit for a Beginner: Review 2024
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.