Air nailer question

[Tdog]

I've resisted buying one of these for a while. I built a barn 15 years ago using hammer & nails, screws, and lagbolts. I'm starting a small storage shed to hold garden tools. It will be 8' x 16'. I'm toying with the idea of buying framing nailer. Norther tool advertises one for $129, on sale. I don't need to spend the money a professional would, but I do want a tool that will work.

Anyone have experience with the Northern Tool Framing Nailer?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[vic4news]

I bought a cheap framing nailer from Harbor Freight when I built my shed and it did the job. I have used it for a few small projects since. I imagine the one from Northern Tool would work as well.

Vic

 

[Charlesaf3]

buy the Hitachi NR83a, used should be fine.

Really, you won't regret it. Yes its a pro tool, but there is a reason its the most common framing gun at construction sites. Its the gold standard.

The HF air tools have been surprisingly good in my experience - its one of their better tools.

Oh, and I'd as soon build something without a nailgun as without a hammer or tape measure. Its not just easier, it lets you do a lot of things better. Including of course nailing your hand if you don't pay attention....

 

[WVBill]

Get the nailer - It's well worth it. Last Summer I build a 24' x 24' 1 1/2 story building for my wife's quilting studio. Did all the nailing with a Bostitch N80 Coil nailer.

I looked at the Northern Tool and HF framing nailers but couldn't tell for sure if the nail sticks I could get at my local Home Depot/Lowes/etc. would fit. The info in the catalogs sometimes lists the angle of the stick (like - 31 degrees) and looking at the local box stores it seemed like the standard sticks for their brands were something else. I didn't want to get stuck having to buy my nails from Northern Tool of Harbor Freight so I just used the Bostitch I had.

It only drives up to 12d nails but there's a table in the building code that gives equivalent numbers of nails between sizes (like 3 x 12d nails = 2 x 16d nails).

I could never have finished the building myself if I'd had to swing a hammer that much.....

WVBill

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

I have a red 21 degree campbell hausfeld nailer from Lowes and a blue 28 degree HF special. it's easier to find nails for the CH, but if I was still in the market, I'd be looking at the HF "6-in-one" nailer for less than $100, because it adjusts to take several different sizes and angles, so it would be a piece of cake to buy nails at Lowes or Home Despot. as an alternative if I had a spare $300 laying around, I'd look at "professional" nailers like the 31 degree Paslode at grainger or another professional supply store. (model # is very similar to the one sold at Lowes & HD, but piston is bigger and more robust)

the other nice thing about the CH set I got - it was $199 and had the framing nailer, a brad nailer and a finish nailer - so now that I'm done framing, I'm using the finish nailer to build cabinets.

 

[mikim]

I have a porter cable 350 (love it) but I'm thinking now about getting a cheap one from HF ... cause everytime I want to use my nailer ...it's at the other place! (3 hours away) Course it would just be my luck that I'd end up with both of 'em at the other place.

 

[hazmat]

The money spent on the nailer pales in comparison to the cost of the nails - especially galv or stainless. Spend the money & get something that you know will work. Find out what brands are popular locally so you'll have good supply of nails. I've got 2 framers, a sider, 15ga finish, brad, pinner, stapler, and flooring nailer. Perhaps $1,200 worth of tools (the smaller ones cost less - flooring was bought used) - I'd bet I've spend more than $2K on nails over the last 5 years and thats just on renovation work around my house & my rental property. A box of SS nails is $100.

 

[EddieWalker]

When my Hilti nail gun finally died on me, I debated having it rebuilt or buying a new one. Once I picked up a new gun and realized it was half the weight of my Hilti, it was a done deal. I shoped around, compared statistics and even thought about hoseless.

In the end, I went with DeWalt. One of the things that really caught my attention was the hook that it has for hanging it on the framing. It's such a simple thing, but nobody else has it. I really like that hook, and the gun works real nice too. I've run about 6 cases of nails through it in the last year, so I'm not a big time user of it, but I use it more then the average homeowner.

Eddie

 

[Charlesaf3]

I'm getting more than a little burnt on dewalt, but no doubt the hook is nice. There are people who make a hook for the hitachi - just saw it in Journal of Light Construction and it reminded me I have to get one. Of course, I don't have any real framing to do in the near future, just did a lot... time to get one was a year ago... typical me.

 

[Tdog]

Thanks for the replies. Now I'm ready to really show my ignorance. What is the difference between 'round head' & other nailers? And what are the different angles 21 degrees, etc. What should I be looking for?
Duh!

Jack

 

[dmccarty]

A round head nailer uses a round head nail. A clip head nail gun uses a clip head nailer. The clip head is kinda like a half moon of metal for the nail head instead of a full circle. A round head is what you would get to use with a hammer. Clip heads allow more nails to be packaged togather.

Can't help on the angle to get.

To make it more confusing, some nail guns can work with metal connectors and some can't. Don't know if that is a concern or not.

I have been resisting buying a nailer for years because of the cost and I would only need it from time to time. And I kept trying to by One Perfect Nail Gun. Which I finally figured out does not exist.

I do have to build some things this summer and I think a nail gun will finally get bought.....

Later,
Dan

 

[RobJ]

Thanks for the replies. Now I'm ready to really show my ignorance. What is the difference between 'round head' & other nailers? And what are the different angles 21 degrees, etc. What should I be looking for?
Duh!

Jack

Round head it just that, the nail has a normal round head. The other is called a clipped head nail. The nail head is sort of D shaped, they can get more nails on a strip. Some areas the code doesn't allow for a clipped head. I used to work for Senco and there were many tests done and the debate still goes on as to which one is better. Senco would coat their nails with glue to set them in the wood, so the clipped head would uaually pull through the wood. Duofast had a round head and no glue but when tested the nail would pull from the wood. Seems to me like a failure is going to happen either way. The Framers likes the clipped heads because they did not have to reload as much. I love to tell how Senco came out with a 15 or 16ga 3.5" framing staple. Glued staples have proven to hold better than nails (remember staple legs were designed to separate or bend in the wood), and even with the cheaper price of the staples it didn't sell.

If you are just going to use it for a shed, the HF stuff ain't that bad and is a lot cheaper.

As far as the belt hooks, At Senco we had a company make up bent piece of aluminum and it was held on at the air coupler. It would be easy to make one up. Years back I found a guy on Ebay selling these and I bought all 5 for $20 or so.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[Charlesaf3]

round head, no question.

You need a special nailer for simpson strapping and the like. I've got it, I love it, you know if you need it - otherwise you don't

 

[MikePA]

What is the difference between 'round head' & other nailers? And what are the different angles 21 degrees, etc. What should I be looking for?

There are 'round head' and 'clipped head' nailers. "Round head" means the head of the nails have a full, round head, just like a regular common nail. "Clipped Head" nails have half the head removed so they fit in the gun. Some building codes do not allow the use of clipped head nails because of reduced holding power. To address this, some nailers can use nails where the shaft is not in the center of the head, but there's still a full round head.

The different angles can help if you are nailing in tight spots and/or hold more nails.

There's a lot of information on this topic out on the web.

I use Paslode Cordless nailers, no need to deal with an air compressor and hoses.

 

[BigE_]

Northern Tool vs. Harbor Freight vs. name brand....

I "made do" with a HF framing nailer for several years, and it had a really bad habit of double firing. It was the older model with the clipped nail design. Also, my air compressor would go down to 80psi before it kicked in, and the HF nailer would leave the nails sticking out slightly, so I'd have to go back and nail them the rest of the way in.

The last straw was the double firing. I was up on a ladder putting up a 16' long 2x6 (fascia board). Did the double nailing thing, but the second nail just went into the very edge of the board and then straight on through. My hand was 6" behind, well out of the way, so I thought. Broke through my glove, into the skin a little way. Not bad enough to require a doctor visit, but I did quit work for the day. Bought a new Porter Cable the same day. It has a single fire mode that I always use. Bonus is that nails are easier to find for it, and they always go in all of the way. I caught a sale and got the PC for $179. You can pick it up for $189 from Amazon. Amazon.com: Porter-Cable FR350A Round Head 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer: Home Improvement

After using the PC nailer for a while, I realized that the spring on the foot of the HF nailer had too much "spring" to it, meaning that you had to really push down on the HF nailer before you could pull the trigger. I took the spring out and cut it down a little so that it was closer to the amount of pressure required of the PC nailer. After I made this modification to the HF nailer, I no longer had problems with double nailing.

However, the PC nailer was just all around a better gun: depth adjustment, single fire mode, set the nails all the way, easier to find nails, and you could find truly galvanized nails for it. (HF has nails they call galvanized, but they aren't).

Now I keep the HF nailer around for people who want to borrow my framing nailer....

After using the Porter Cable

 

[KennethBrown]

I have a HF nailer for myself along with several of their trim/staple/brad guns. For what you pay ($39 on sale) its a great gun. When I had my house built I specified I wanted all ring shanks in the entire house. Having quite a few of those Paslode sticks leftover I have found that they fit/fire perfectly in my HF gun. I bought the nails at Lowes.

 

[bigshovel]

Buy a 30 degree Paslode cordless and be done with it. Your not dragging hoses around and waiting for compressor. Nails are cheap in comparison and gas refills are cheap as well.

Brad

 

[lovemytoys]

Buy a 30 degree Paslode cordless and be done with it. Your not dragging hoses around and waiting for compressor. Nails are cheap in comparison and gas refills are cheap as well.

Brad

thats what i just pick up

 

[Charlesaf3]

If you get the light 1/4 inch pex hoses they aren't an issue - I'm usually towing a 100 foot hose and it doesn't bother me. The air thing is odd - the average contractor compressor can run 2 framing guns going nonstop.

I've played with the paslodes, have to confess I didn't like them much.

If you go to just about any job site around here, you will only see one framing gun - the hitachi. At $300 plus I'm not saying everyone should get one, but if you are doing any real framing its the gun to have. Cost is only a couple of boxes of nails in any case at this point...

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have a framing gun made by Duo-Fast that I bought back in 1992. Other than replacing some O-rings, it has been a good tool save for the weight which if memory serves is up around 16lbs!

I bought it for personal use which has included apartments, houses and farm duty. I would not be without an air framing gun.

I had a contractor doing some work on my barn and he came with a couple of new Paslodes. I got to try them out a bit. Nice to not have to drag around an air hose but for production, I would think they would be too slow. Nor did I care for that gas smell.

They seemed touchy as well though the guys wielding them could probably use training. Like any tool, if it is your own, you tend to invest some time into understanding the tool and maintaining it.

Clipped heads? Penny wise, pound foolish.