Some clarifications on Mage Hand

[MwaO]

Think you need to re-read the text. A few problems:
It takes a minor action to conjure it/sustain it.
It takes a minor action to pick up an object.
It takes a move action to move it 5 squares.
Range is 5 squares, so max distance the hand can be away from you is 5 squares.
Attacking isn't an option, so anything that requires some sort of attack roll isn't allowed. Tying things up in combat, putting bombs in baby dragon mouths, etc...

In other words, to conjure a Mage Hand/Sustain it, to then pick up a throwing hammer, then have it move a max of 5 squares away from you, then have it drop it = all your actions to drop a single hammer a round.

Sure, you could have it hold the throwing hammer in advance and keep sustaining it, but that then means the party can be spotted a fair distance away due to the weird object floating in mid-air.