AIR NAILERS

[KennyG]

I've got an economical framing nailer from Harbor Freight (can't remember the brand) and I've run about three boxes of nails through it flawlessly. A contractor would probably want a better one but it's fine for a homeowner. Regular oil keeps all these things going.

I've got a Rigid finish nailer that I've had for years and I think I've only had one jam in all that time and it was easy to clear. It doesn't require oil which is handy for a finish nailer because you can just grab it anytime you need a couple of fasteners.

 

[tow653]

If you don't have a compressor,look at Senco battery powered finish nailer. unlike Paslode,it doesn't require gas cylinder. I have one and love it.

 

[teejk]

first check out your local hardware supplier and see what nails they stock (plastic, paper, wire). all different designs and I don't know if any of them are interchangable between nailers. I bought a nice Dewalt (plastic) on EBay but the nails are pretty hard to find (maybe that's why I got a nice deal on an almost new nailer).

choose your nails, then buy the nailer!

 

[grsthegreat]

I use porter cable and/or Hitachi myself, cause i bough them 20 years ago and use them often. still working. Never been repaired.

I was on a job last summer with a guy that just bought and bragged on his HF 16d nail gun. thought it was such a great deal. Didnt last thur the day. You get what you pay fore.

 

[ScottAR]

I second Teejk's post. Buy what you can get nails to fit locally. I had a porter cable I bought used and it shot paslode style nails that are very common to my area. When it finally died, I was of course in the middle of a job so I purchased a paslode frame master(great gun). It of course uses paslode nails. I picked up a very lightly used Stanley from a friend in a tight spot and while stanley nails are common to my area this gun shoots a different style than is common. So I have a great gun with odd nails.

Since there's a Paslode nail factory a few miles away, I'll throw in a plug for them.

 

[PILOON]

For quality every pro I know uses HITACHI.
My Hitachi framing nailer was bought used 15 yrs ago at a flee market and I have fired pallet loads of nails thru it and still have yet to service it.
I own probably 14 nail guns of different brands and none have stood up to the quality of Hitachi.

Stick nailers, (and I do prefer full headed) in my opinion, are better than coil units as U can stuff many strips into a tool belt but not a coil. Also coils if not perfectly in coil shape will not perform.
Drop a coil and it become scrap.
Stick nails can also be had; plain, coated, twist, and stainless (for decking) as well as 2" to 3 1/2" to cover all applications.

 

[ericher69]

Rigid finish nailer, no oil, swivel air fitting and lifetime service agreement can't beat it!

Oh ya ultra reliable 3 years residential use renovating my place.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I've had good luck with the Harbor Freight framing nailer, the 3-in-1 one that allows you to adjust the angle. It drives a lot of nails in a hurry, and has the power to drive 3 1/2" nails flush or even sunk. I also use it for exterior trim with smaller nails, I just adjust the depth to sink them about 1/4" and caulk the holes. It's very forgiving in the nails it accepts, I don't think I've ever had it jam, even using nails that are slightly wrong, like 32 degrees on the 34 setting.

I also use the HF 18-gauge nailer for interior trim. It's a little light but I just shoot extra nails. The holes are so small they almost don't need to be filled. It was less than $20!

The thing about HF is they are constantly changing their models so my experience may not be relevant.

I also have two Bostitch guns, one for siding and one for shingles, that I use for siding and roofing. They are lighter and have a nicer feel than the HF guns but I'm not sure they work any better. I've had good luck buying reconditioned Bostitch on Amazon.

I have an HF store not too far away and I buy nails there, or at Home Depot. If I need specialized nails I buy them on Amazon or Ebay. Ebay is nice if you don't need 5000 nails, you'll find guys who break up boxes and sell them a few hundred at a time.

 

[DFB]

Ok guys I did a little more research into the clipped head/full round head (FRH) issue. Its definetly a regional/local thing with no uniformity of enforcement. Seems to be the only way to know for sure is to make inquirys at the local level.

FRH use being instituted predominatly in hurricane and earthquake prone areas of the west coast, east coast, and some parts of the south. Seems the question is wether or not the clipped style head has enough holding strength and/or allows for too deep a penetration into wood with its smaller head profile. The major design point of the clipped head is simply to allow the gun to hold more nails. Both the Porter Cable and SENCO have statements on their respective web pages concerning nail usage.


1) Clip-heads were the original type of collated (in a strip) nail for air tools, they were first introduced to the market in the late 1960s and they still remain a popular choice in most parts of the USA.
2) FRH nails came on the scene in the late 80s as a popular product in the earthquake/hurricane markets like the west coast states and the coastal areas in the gulf and east affected by hurricane threat. In these markets, local code changes required many builders to change from the clip-head to the FRH nail. Building inspectors started to discriminate against the use of the clipped-head nail. It was felt the FRH would help prevent an overdrive into shear wall (structural sheathing). http://www.senco.com/Documents/Tips/2.pdf

Full Round Head vs Clipped Head nails
There is plenty of debate as to whether clipped head nails (with a nail head shaped like a "D") provide as much holding strength as traditional full round head nails. The consensus seems to be that they are just as adequate, however, in some states and areas, only full round head nails are certified as being sufficient for building and renovation tasks, so you might like to check with your local authority before choosing between a clipped head or a full round head framing nailer. One advantage the clipped head nailers have is that they can generally hold more nails in the magazine, so less refills are required. porter cable

 

[Mickey_Fx]

I've had good luck with the Harbor Freight framing nailer, the 3-in-1 one that allows you to adjust the angle. It drives a lot of nails in a hurry, and has the power to drive 3 1/2" nails flush or even sunk. I also use it for exterior trim with smaller nails, I just adjust the depth to sink them about 1/4" and caulk the holes. It's very forgiving in the nails it accepts, I don't think I've ever had it jam, even using nails that are slightly wrong, like 32 degrees on the 34 setting.

I also use the HF 18-gauge nailer for interior trim. It's a little light but I just shoot extra nails. The holes are so small they almost don't need to be filled. It was less than $20!

The thing about HF is they are constantly changing their models so my experience may not be relevant.

I also have two Bostitch guns, one for siding and one for shingles, that I use for siding and roofing. They are lighter and have a nicer feel than the HF guns but I'm not sure they work any better. I've had good luck buying reconditioned Bostitch on Amazon.

I have an HF store not too far away and I buy nails there, or at Home Depot. If I need specialized nails I buy them on Amazon or Ebay. Ebay is nice if you don't need 5000 nails, you'll find guys who break up boxes and sell them a few hundred at a time.

Have the same 3 in 1 HF nailer. Bought it a yr ago after all my pneumatic tools took a walk. Recently started to use it for first time. No problems so far and it did take a nosedive from 6-8 ft and has never missed a beat. It's pretty heavy and for this old guy, pretty hard to hold out sideways and control placement. But the weight keeps the kickback to a min.

As for nails, been buying at local Lowes. Hitachi brand @ 21ｰ with plastic for collation. No issues with feeding these nails into the HF gun. For a guy that only has need once in a blue moon, this gun works well for me. Seem to recall paying $100 on sale.

I also have an 18ga and 16 ga nailers. So far haven't had much of a need but they will see service on the current project. Oh, have used the 16ga nailer from Grizzly on this project without any problems.

 

[lutt]

I second Teejk's post. Buy what you can get nails to fit locally. I had a porter cable I bought used and it shot paslode style nails that are very common to my area. When it finally died, I was of course in the middle of a job so I purchased a paslode frame master(great gun). It of course uses paslode nails. I picked up a very lightly used Stanley from a friend in a tight spot and while stanley nails are common to my area this gun shoots a different style than is common. So I have a great gun with odd nails.

Since there's a Paslode nail factory a few miles away, I'll throw in a plug for them.

Thanks Scott, I live in Pocahontas. Thanks for the replys so far, what I like about this forum,lots of do it yourselfers. LUTT

 

[CurlyDave]

If you look at what professional framers use, it is almost always Hitachi. And there is a good reason. if their nailer quits working in the middle of the day, they may lose half a day's pay. For a DIY guy, the situation is worse. You will lose one of the few weekend days you have for the project.

A good Hitachi nail gun is ~ $250-290. For a framer, it will last many years, for a DIY guy, it will last a lifetime. Buy quality and you will not be disappointed. The other issue is that a quality nailer has better adjustments, and is easier to use. If I frame something once a year and want to get the same quality as a pro who does it every week, I need an easy to use tool, not one that I am constantly fiddling with, especially if I am not really confident that I know all the nuances of the job.

If you haven't bought it yet, the standard is full round head, and just buy a nailer that takes those nails. There is no reason to fool around with anything else, especially when you could get shut down by a new inspector if you do. Standard nails are available, they are reasonably priced, and they work great. Don't start off by deliberately choosing a potential headache when the right tool is on the shelf next to the wrong one.

I have Hitachi framing and finish nailers, and a Hitachi Teco nailer. I do have a Ridgid 1/4" crown stapler and it works OK, but if I had it to do over, I would have gone for higher quality.

 

[Dozernut]

I have a Bostitch framer and coil roofing nailers, they have been good guns. I had a Dewalt 18 gauge brad nailer that I gave to my son. It was a great brad nailer and I really liked it but I could not get parts for it. He travels a lot and may be able to find a repair shop that has parts for it or be able to rebuild it. I have A Porter-cable 18ga. brad nailer and a 23ga. pinner that I really like and both are oil-less. I also have a Harbor Freight 18ga. stapler that I cannot kill, that thing has been used and abused and still keeps on shooting with very few jams.

 

[lutt]

If you look at what professional framers use, it is almost always Hitachi. And there is a good reason. if their nailer quits working in the middle of the day, they may lose half a day's pay. For a DIY guy, the situation is worse. You will lose one of the few weekend days you have for the project.

A good Hitachi nail gun is ~ $250-290. For a framer, it will last many years, for a DIY guy, it will last a lifetime. Buy quality and you will not be disappointed. The other issue is that a quality nailer has better adjustments, and is easier to use. If I frame something once a year and want to get the same quality as a pro who does it every week, I need an easy to use tool, not one that I am constantly fiddling with, especially if I am not really confident that I know all the nuances of the job.

If you haven't bought it yet, the standard is full round head, and just buy a nailer that takes those nails. There is no reason to fool around with anything else, especially when you could get shut down by a new inspector if you do. Standard nails are available, they are reasonably priced, and they work great. Don't start off by deliberately choosing a potential headache when the right tool is on the shelf next to the wrong one.

I have Hitachi framing and finish nailers, and a Hitachi Teco nailer. I do have a Ridgid 1/4" crown stapler and it works OK, but if I had it to do over, I would have gone for higher quality.

Thanks Dave,I actually have 30 days off at a time, well depends on the time of year,come spring when farming season comes up, I will be helping on the farm on my days off. No I havent bought it yet, I am still at work and will be for 3 more wks.Thanks for the imput, I always like reading your post. Youre definitly right about you get what you pay for. That is my hang up, I like to be able to pick something up and go with out trouble. I do take care of my stuff,so whatever I get will be well maintained.LUTT

 

[bdeboer]

I have a Hitachi, shoots full round head 21 degree plastic collated nails works great. No problem purchasing nails here?? I also see the clipped head nails etc. at Lowes and Home Depot, not sure if local supply is an issue.

Hitachi does have a model I have seen at Lowes, that shoots the clipped head nails

 

[simoutdoors]

I have Bostich Framer, finish & brad nailers, they have all served me well for many projects for a bunch of years. I also have a Sear coil roofing nailer, but I am pretty sure it was made by Bostich. One thing about my choice of nailer was the nails were available at he lumber yards nearest my home and summer property, plus the the big box stores. Provides a chance to buy on account to be delivered with my lumber from the lumber yard or pick up a box from a big box store on a Sunday afternoon when you run short...

 

[lutt]

Thanks for you guys input so far, I have seen a lot of Bostitch nailers around here also. Is coil fed or magazine fed a issue? Thanks LUTT

 

[TnWV]

My father-in-law bought a harbor freight framing nailer for about $70-80. We have built a 16x32shed and did a 24x40 addition with it and its a good nailer for the money. Jams a nail here and there, but overall pretty good, especially for occasional use. A buddy has a paslode that I've used many times, it's lighter and overall I prefer it, but they are pretty expensive. I recently decided to get one of my own, and opted for the paslode lithium ion cordless unit. It was expensive, but I like not having to carry an air hose around and can use it in areas that don't have electricity. Haven't used it a lot yet, but I like how compact it is, and it easily fits between 16" studs. It cost 400 in the store, but I got mine for 290 shipped and brand new on eBay. I also really like the quality of Hitachi tools, I wouldn't hesitate to buy anything Hitachi. I doubt you could go wrong with any of the major brands or even the HF for around the farm use.

 

[CurlyDave]

... Is coil fed or magazine fed a issue? Thanks LUTT

In general, coil nails are more expensive, but the nail is cleaner. The magazine-fed nails frequently have little pieces of the plastic strip that holds them together in the nail gun embedded under the nail head after being placed.

If you drop a coil it is usually ruined, and rough handling can ruin it also. Strip nails can still be used if the strip breaks.

Usually, we use strip nails for framing, and coil nails for roofing and siding.