Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
Not on my bikes...
If there's a press available at modest effort, I'll use it in preference to a hammer any day.
We all have our preferences, but there's nothing wrong with using hammers on crank cotters --- if it's done right. Unfortunately many people (probably a majority) don't do it right.
The key is to properly support the crank arm so all the hammer's energy stays in the cotter and arm and isn't transmitted to the bearing.