Starting the workshop-need advice on a nailgun

[rcspott]

Old review but maybe some tips, great free magazine.

http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/articles/showarticle.asp?articleID=1488&position=8&type=article&partID=1


rich

 

[MarkV]

I have a good number of different types of pneumatic nailers and staplers that I use for work. My take is that like tractors most any of the major brands would serve you well and if you look around construction sites you will find most of them used by different people. What I would look for first is fit and weight and then I would look at weight again. A framing nailer can get pretty heavy after a while. Next I would look for the availability of fasteners at your local suppliers. Not everyone carries nails for all nailer brands and nails are too heavy to have them shipped to you economically. Pneumatic tools will eventually have to be serviced with new “O” rings, seals and drivers so it is good to have a service center or independent repair service for the brand you have near by. Another feature you may want to look for is an adjustable depth setting. Not very important for framing but very important for nailing something like Hardiplank siding. Also look at how a jambed nail is cleared from a gun. This does not happen as much with a framer as a finish nailer but some nailers require disassembly and others have a built in release mechanisms for clearing jams.

Finally I have to preach just a little bit. Nailers are dangerous and justify a lot of respect. Any type of pneumatic nailer can double shoot nails, blow through weak spots in material, ricochet a nail or penetrate skin and bone. The last if very unpleasant, I know.

MarkV

 

[dullpain]

The link to Tools of the Trade is an excellent reference. Remember reading that. County Codes here in Mid TENN have just forbidden use of clipped head nails, must be full round head now. Hitachi is great but pricey, I own a Paslode framing nialer and can suggest that brand without reservation.

 

[boomer4snow]

I have a Paslode F350S Cost just under 300 and parts nails are really cheap. It is fairly lightweight, I can swing it around really easy it's almost nimble. I would reccomend seeing what is around you as far as can you get service, nails replacement seals etc locally? I built two decks and my shop (30'x60') and plan to start on the new house next year and havent needed anything but the oil for it. works cold as well as warm. If you have it on the roof or doing decking, slow down a bit when "Bump nailing" to get an accurate hit. Makes the job nicer, and you wont nail your foot to the decking /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Glenn9643]

As others have said, check the code in your area. Some don't allow clipped or "D" head nails.
Before buying whatever you decide on be sure that nails are readily available.
Look closely at the weight; as others have said they do get heavy before day's end.
I have a Porter Cable clipped head framing nailer that I bought along with a pancake compressor on sale, but don't remember the price. The compressor is great for this use because it's lightweight, oilless, and can be moved around easily on the job. Also have a Porter Cable finish nailer that's good. I've used a Harbor Freight framing nailer that was OK, but as has been mentioned you need to consider parts availability sooner or later.
A framing nailer is one of the best investments you'll ever make if you build anything very often.

 

[snorider]

Have that same gun for a while now and have had no problems with it. bulit several decks, shed, garage (24x32) and have never had a problem with it. and my favorite part no air hoses to drag around. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

I know very little about nail guns, but when my brother was going to start building his house, he stopped at a construction site to see what the guys were using and they had pneumatic Paslode strip nailers and told him that was the best of the lot, so that's what he bought. We built his house with it, then he sold it to a friend and neighbor of mine and he's done a couple of remodeling jobs and built a couple of storage buildings with it and never a problem. So I have no idea whether there are better ones available, but if I were going to buy one, I'd be looking for the Paslode after using that one. The only drawback I can see (and it may apply to all of them) was that it got awfully heavy after a couple of hours.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I got a Paslode IMCT cordless framing nailer and love it. A friend used one when he was helping me to build a deck and it really impressed me. No compressor, no cords, nothing, just a fuel cell and a battery ... add nails and you are ready to go. I use it mainly for fixing the wooden fence around the house and pasture and I used it to frame out the scenes at the local haunted house this last year. If you are working where getting power to run a compressor is a problem, this is the way to go. I'll be picking up an air driven stapler and finish nailer soon because those will be used in the shop. I haven't decided what make yet so I'll be interested in the replies here. I think it was Henro who said, "Once you have one, you'll want more".

 

[EddieWalker]

The first nail gun I bought was a Senco brad nailer. It was great for a first gun and really opened my eyes to the possibilities it presented. Problem with it was it could only handle short brads.

I came across a pretty good deal on a Porter Cable brad nailer that could handle longer brads. It's easily twice the gun the Senco it. More features and better ballance. Adjustable depth and ease on clearing jams is really nice to have. I then bought a PC staple gun. Theres a real treat!

I use a Hilti Nail gun for framing. It's old, big, heavy and indestructable. It's built dozens of homes, dozens of remodels, a few sheds and one barn. It works every time and has never needed any attention.

Because it is so heavy, I'd love to buy something lighter, but as long as it keeps working, I'll keep using it.

One thing to remember is to oil your nail guns before using them every time. I also wear hearing protection with my Hilti. Not sure if other brands are as loud, but mine will cause serious hearing loss!

 

[rcspott]

I own a Max. They were one of the first companies to build a nail gun that would not double fire the nails by accident. I notice some of the new models have swithes to go from single to "bounce rapid fire". If your new to a nailer buy one that you can set to only single fire, it is a great feature.

rich