Which type, then brand of framing nailer?

[rswyan]

Air-operated Porter Cable full round head framing nailer here ... have run several cases of nails through and no problems so far.

One thing to keep in mind: the steeper (closer to vertical) the nail magazine is, the less chance you have of it being in the way and making it hard to get to to something ...

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My question is this. Does a framing nail gun shoot nails legal/code for pressure treated? I am redoing some work I did 18 years ago and nails have dissolved that were in pressure treated that seemed to stay damp.

Yes, they do make them... They are expensive, but you can get them, I use them in my gun when nailing PT lumber.

SR

 

[Deere Dude]

I had a HF 28 deg. nailer that worked but wouldn't drive 3-1/2" nails in all the way in tougher wood. It was rated for 70-90 PSI and worked great in softer wood. I got a new compressor that hiked the pressure to 120# and worked great for a little while but then blew the head gasket and the gaskets are obsolete.

I got a new HF nailer $60 that is good for 125# and have no complaints, but obviously a name brand nailer would be better generally, but how much will it be used. Just make sure the PSI rating is up there.

 

[MikePA]

I use a Paslode cordless framing nailer. Works great and no air hose to drag around. For PT wood, I use stainless steel nails. I quit using clipped head nails long ago and only use offset head nails now.

 

[tcreeley]

My porter cable framing nailer has held up well - barn, chicken coop, roof framing for metal, etc. . I haven't used any others, but it will drive a 3.5 inch nail flush into pt without a hesitation. What it is supposed to do.

I am thinking of getting the porter cable MS200 stapler for cedar shingle siding. Has anyone used it, or staples for cedar shingles? I've always used a hammer and galvanized shingle nails in the past for cedar shingles.

 

[PILOON]

Hitachi all the way!
I have some 12-15 nail guns for each and every job.
I bought the Hitachi used 12-15 years ago and have fired a truckload of nails with it.
That is a TRUCKLOAD (did get actual load at a bankruptcy auction).
The only maintenance I ever did was occasional wash down spray with WD-40. (clears all the crud and lubes ) plus the occasional tightening of a loose screw or 2.
I fired everything from 1 1/2 thru 3 1/4" with no problems.
Can be had in full head as well as 'D' head nails.
They also make it in a coil version but my preference is the stick version as sticks can always be used while the coils if dropped constantly jam.
Some prefer the coil as the capacity is a bit higher but for the convenience of sticks (and price) I prefer it. Besides when I have fired 100 nails I kinda like to rest my wrist.
Be sure to get the sequential version as it is much faster to use.

Two versions are made ; sequential=bump-bump=2 nails
The other version is: bump+squeeze=bang and repeat for each nail.
Sequential is bang-bang-bang, much faster!

 

[Scooby074]

Hitachi. for Pneumatic.

Paslode nailers are great because they have no hose, so much more convenient for occasional use. Downside is added cost for fuel, and the units themselves are more money.

 

[SPIKER]

I have a bunch of the HF guns in different sizes, all of them have worked well other than one roofing nailer which I took back and got a 2nd which has worked on several roofs. I actually bought a 2nd roofing nail gun as I had my brother help & 2nd one made job go faster.

I have the 28degree rough nailer & used 2" thru 3-1/2" nails from HF & owned it for 12 or so years with 5+ boxes of long nails and few boxes of smaller ones.

I also have a pin nailer HF unit that was 20 bucks and bought for a book shelf project w daughter. She liked it but made her a bit nervous...

My brother had put a few nails into himself & myself also cut mostly without either one of us doing a full on bad one but not hard to do with nail guns.

Mark

 

[s219]

My question is this. Does a framing nail gun shoot nails legal/code for pressure treated? I am redoing some work I did 18 years ago and nails have dissolved that were in pressure treated that seemed to stay damp. Or got damp more than stayed dry. I tried to redo where things would not stay damp.

You need to get hot-dipped nails for use in pressure treated wood, and they are available for most guns. Electro-plated galvanized (typical for exterior use) is not acceptable -- has to be hot-dipped.

The new ACQ wood requires careful corrosion control for fasteners, flashing, and other metal hardware. For steel, that means hot dipped galvanizing or complex mechanical galvanizing, or special paint coatings. Older pressure treated (CCA, prior to 2003) was not as corrosive to fasteners or metals and basic galvanizing was often enough.

 

[s219]

I have Duo-Fast industrial framing guns, made in the 1980s. Solid as heck, all metal construction, and have driven hundreds of thousands of nails. But also heavy and cumbersome. I have used some modern framing nailers, and the light weight is a nice benefit, but they are nowhere near as solid as the old guns.