Cordless Framing Nailer

[4570Man]

I do a lot of demo when remodeling clients homes. I'm very happy when they use 3 1/4 inch nails to hold the framing together. They come apart easily. I'm on a master bathroom job right now, and the guys who did the bathroom before me used screws for everything. Most are square head drive screws that are sunk into the wood, so it's hard to get them out again. It's been pure misery taking this bathroom apart because of how much stronger the screws hold everything together!!!!!!

Sheer strength is a good argument that doesn't really apply to proper framing. Nails and screws are there to hold the lumber in place, not support it. Nails and screws should never be used for any sort of support in framing.

People that claim nails are better than screws either used drywall screws for the comparison or just made it up because nails are faster and cheaper. When you use the right screw they’re many times stronger than nails.

 

[5030]

I got a 29 degree Harbor Freight Air nailer that I use 30 degree nails in (more common) sometimes. When I helped a contractor build a room here it outperformed his Paslode nailer and he had two. We used both nails & screws. Nails to get things in place then screws as well for strength.

You know me, I love HF tools, especially the Bauer line. I have a row of them on the back of the workbench and I've never had one fail me yet.

Only thing I don't care for is the Bauer Cordless grease gun but then I don't care for cordless grease guns anyway. I prefer my air operated bulk greaser.

Just picked up the new Bauer metal cutting circular saw btw. 5 amp pack equals 350 average length cuts in light gage sheet metal.

Last month I sold (private sale) my Lincoln Square Wave TIG machine and my 60 amp Hypertherm CNC capable plasma cutter and replaced both with a HF Vulcan inverter TIG machine and a Titanium 60 amp inverter CNC ready plasma cutter plus the Vulcan roll around multi machine cabinet and put 2 grand in my savings account and got state of the art machines to boot. Kept my Nitrogen bottles (2) and my 75-25 MIG bottles (2) as well because I own them as well as my oxygen and acetylene bottles and they are all the 180 cubic foot variety., except my oxygen which is a commercial 250 cubic foot and I have them filled and never exchange. Don't like banged up bottles and besides, my bottles all have my company name on them.

 

[5030]

I might add that Hyper Therm consumables are 3 times the cost of the HF plasma consumables and that equates to a huge cost difference as I do a lot of CNC plasma table cutting.

 

[BlueKnife]

Anyone have advice yes or no?

I've used Dewalt, Milwaukee and Ridgid framing nailers. They all sucked. I've heard good things about the Paslode nailers, but have yet to use one beyond just a few nails.

 

[Hay Dude]

People that claim nails are better than screws either used drywall screws for the comparison or just made it up because nails are faster and cheaper. When you use the right screw they’re many times stronger than nails.

It comes down to practicality.
About .0001% of homes, garages or large home additions are built with screws. Screws take way longer and cost way more money on a LARGE project.
Construction is already outrageously expensive.

Screws may be stronger, but nails are strong enough to meet or exceed building codes, they are probably 10 times faster to apply in large scale construction, and they are cheaper.

 

[4570Man]

It comes down to practicality.
About .0001% of homes, garages or large home additions are built with screws. Screws take way longer and cost way more money on a LARGE project.
Construction is already outrageously expensive.

Screws may be stronger, but nails are strong enough to meet or exceed building codes, they are probably 10 times faster to apply in large scale construction, and they are cheaper.

I absolutely agree that nails are faster and cheaper and good enough. But definitely not stronger than the correct screw.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Years ago my brother worked for a framing crew that was super cheap on how many nails they used on a house. To cut corners, they only used one nail at each end of the stud instead of two. Once the walls where standing, and the top plats installed, nobody could tell. They did a lot of houses that way!!!!

Yeah this is scary. I like each piece of the construction to be strong enough to hold the entire project. If I ram it full speed with a semi, the truck better come out in worse shape than the project!

I had to buy the hardware also. My framing crew was not shy about using all I could get them. Some of my rafters look like they are solid steel on the end with as many nails as are in them.

 

[jwmorris]

To cut corners, they only used one nail at each end of the stud instead of two. Once the walls where standing, and the top plats installed, nobody could tell. They did a lot of houses that way!!!!

Might have seen some of their work…

 

[mattdewalt]

I bought a Milwaukee framing nailer about a year ago. Can't remember what degree it is, but it works great. I used it to frame a bathroom in my house and a loft in my garage. Much faster than nailing by hand or using screws. Plus I have carpal tunnel and repetitive swinging of a hammer really bothers me.