framing nail gun recomendations

Posted by Tim on February 24, 2009, 9:53 pm

I have a bunch of guns and like most of them...

I have a Porter Cable and an old Bostitch N16 framing guns. The Porter is
the work horse, runs hard most every day and nails come from HD. The
Bostitch is good except it uses a clipped head nail and CANNOT be used for
shear or most any other "structural" thing. It gets used for fences and the
like. I don't know what it weighs, but it is A LOT. I don't see many clipped
head nailers anymore.

I have a Senco finish neiler and it is very good. No issues there at all.

I have a Porter Cable coil roofing nailer. It believe it can go up to a 2+"
roofing nail (though not sure why I'd want to) and it runs good all day at 1
1/4" nail.

I have a bunch of misc. staple and brad guns that seem to be pretty good.
One gun lost the guard on the tip so it fires just by pulling the trigger so
I don't like that one too much (they stopped making the parts so I can't fix
it either). The other large staplers are good and I even have a stapler for
roofing staples that I have but haven't used enuf to know if I like it.

I have a palm nailer. For straps and most other hardware, I love it. There
is a little magnet that holds the nail in, you put the nail in the hole, and
just push and the nail gets pounded in. Mine is an import but it has worked
great. It also comes with a leather glove-like thing that fits on the palm
nailer and has straps for your fingers. I don't use it everyday, but when I
need it, there's nothing like it.

My only cordless / hoseless gun is a Porter Cable finish nailer. I don't
even think they make it anymore. It has a little battery-operated onboard
air compressor that supplies the gun, OR you can hook it up to a compressor.
It is a cute little thing and if you have to shoot three baseboards in and
case a door upstairs, MAN, is that handy not to be lugging compressors and
hoses up and down stairs.

If it is any consolation, most of the great roofers I see still nail by
hand. Just grab a handful of nails, feed them between their fingers and
pound all day.

> Ok, so I'm old school and I've been using a hammer forever. I've had
> air for a long time but only used it with auotmotive tools. But last
> year I got a small pneumatic brad nailer and I've got to admit it is a
> whole lot nicer than a hammer. So much so that I've started eyeing
> the framing nail guns. But there are a lot of choices and I've got
> like zero experience with them.
> I'd like to get one that handles some variety of nails. I see there
> are ones that do strips and ones that do rolls. And that the strips
> can be notched or not notched. So what's the best way for me to go?
> Are these cheap ones on ebay any good?

Posted by fftt on February 27, 2009, 1:08 am

On Feb 24, 10:55=A0am, jamesgan...@gmail.com wrote:

> Ok, so I'm old school and I've been using a hammer forever. =A0I've had
> air for a long time but only used it with auotmotive tools. =A0But last
> year I got a small pneumatic brad nailer and I've got to admit it is a
> whole lot nicer than a hammer. =A0So much so that I've started eyeing
> the framing nail guns. =A0But there are a lot of choices and I've got
> like zero experience with them.
> I'd like to get one that handles some variety of nails. =A0I see there
> are ones that do strips and ones that do rolls. =A0And that the strips
> can be notched or not notched. =A0So what's the best way for me to go?
> Are these cheap ones on ebay any good?

I have owned a Hitachi NR83A for over 20 years.

Its a FRH (full round head) framing nailer. My older model shoots
from 2 3/8" long x .113 dia to 3 1/4" x .148 dia.

I have found the gun to be useful over a wide range of apps...floor &
wall diaphragms and of course framing. IMO it's a good all purpose
nailer, unlike a specialty coil / roofing nailer.

They also make an NR90A that shoots up to a full sized 16d common (3
1/2 by .162 dia)

Senco, Bostich & Porter Cable I have also used and they were good / no
problems.

>>And that the strips can be notched or not notched.<<< what does that mea=

n?

Clipped head nails & nailers allow more nails in a "stick" of nails
but there are arguments as to whether the clipped heads are a problem
in e/q or high wind areas. IMO, avoid the issue and get a FRH nailer.

The comments about a palm nailer are good as well....anyone I've shown
my Senco palm nailer has said "I want one of those!"

cheers
Bob

Posted by MountainFramer on March 1, 2009, 7:20 pm

Take it from a man who has framed houses for 18 years.
SENCO is yor friend.

MountainFramer
Roll Tide.

--
"If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride - and never quit,
you'll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards."
Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

Posted by THERIGHTTOOL on March 13, 2009, 5:25 pm

THERIGHTTOOL had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/construction/framing-nail-gun-recomendations-16624-.htm
:
I've seen that happen a lot with contractors that have been building homes
for a long time, and are sometimes reluctant to conform to new technology
and tools. You can increase your productivity many times using a nail gun.
Some framers put homes and apartments together in a seemingly short time.

Most framing nailers use what are called "strip nails" and they come in
different forms, (i.e.) some are clipped head, some are round head, and
they usually come in either the paper coalated form, or plastic. Hitachi,
Senco, and Pasload use the paper coalted ones, while brands like Duofast
use plastic.

I wouldn't be too sure about the guns being sold on e-bay. You just never
really know what you're getting, and with the cost to repair a used
Hitachi, running around half the cost of a new one, I would opt for buying
a new gun. The inital cost and the amount of use you get out of a gun
before you have to service it is also important. If you really can't make
up your mind, I would go with a Pasload PowerMaster, [F350S]. They're
priced less than their competitors and are fairly inexpensive to maintain,
once they do require maintainance. They shoot a 34 degree nail, rainging
from 2'-3 1/2' which are commonly sold in hardware shops.

Jorge Flores
Souther Fastening Systems
Wylie, TX

-------------------------------------
jamesgangnc@gmail.com wrote:

> I'd like to get one that handles some variety of nails. I see there
> are ones that do strips and ones that do rolls. And that the strips
> can be notched or not notched. So what's the best way for me to go?
> Are these cheap ones on ebay any good?

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framing nail gun recomendations - Page 2