# What kind of Nailer?



## SecretSquirrel (Jun 22, 2007)

In my repertoire I have 3 Paslode pneumatic tools;

F-350S Framing Nailer
T250S-F16 16ga finish nailer
T200-F18 18 ga finish nailer
Each with it's own distinct abilities. Hopefully a construction stapler will soon become a member of the family. There are multiple reasons for the choices that I made. The decision for pneumatic stemmed from the fact that I really needed a compressor for some other tasks such as keeping all my pneumatic tires filled, blowing sawdust off the woodworking tools, keeping a portable tank charged, future HVLP finish spraying, etc. I wasn't fond of the cordless because it required trips to the store for cartridges, batteries to be kept charged etc. I do see the usefullness in cordless tools but not having owned any I can't comment on their performance. A Dewalt D55155 portable compressor drives all this stuff. Yep, it's heavy but it doesn't let me down. It is an oil filled compressor so I know it will be somewhat quieter (quiet is subjective) than its' oiless cousins and also offer more longevity. The choice for the Paslode brand comes from it's reputation as a hearty, durable tool and for the local service and support that I can get if needed. I haven't incurred any problems with my equipment although my usage could be described as intermittant.

For your purposes I believe you'll need a finish nailer for your mouldings and trim and a framing nailer for the wall frames as the fasteners there need to have a full head. If you have any dainty work; picture frames, small trim, etc. then a brad nailer would be the tool of choice. The choice of fastener and length really depends on the specific task at hand. You shouldn't have any problem finding the correct fastener for the job.

Others will have to chime in with regards to the pneumatic vs. cordless debate. I'm sure each has it's pros and cons. As a side note I've noticed that Ridgid has entered the nailer market. The product looked pretty appealing.


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

*Thank you*

Duh,

I hadn't thought of the fact that heads are needed for the framing of course.

Great tip Secretquirrel. I am thinking having two would be a great idea. I have just seen a cheap compressor brad nailer combo. Then I could get a framing nailer as well. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks again,:thumbsup:


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

I've got the Porter Cable kit from HD that includes a finish, brad, stapler, and compressor. I'm very pleased with it so far. 

For the framing nailer, I have the Makita AN922. It's OK but if I did it again I would get one of the Bostitch nailers that doubles as a hanger nailer. 

I just got the Bostitch N66C-1 for a siding job. It seems like a great tool but I haven't actually used it yet though.


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

*Clipped head nailer or other?*

Hey Folks,

Yes looks like I'm going nailgun shopping this weekend. Getting a compressor and brad nailer kit and buying a seperate framing nailer.

Looking at the Campbell Hausfeld framing nailers, now should I get the clipped head or the round head one. Which one is more versatile?

Thanks again,:huh:


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## SecretSquirrel (Jun 22, 2007)

Oldhouseowner said:


> Hey Folks,
> 
> Looking at the Campbell Hausfeld framing nailers, now should I get the clipped head or the round head one. Which one is more versatile?
> 
> Thanks again,:huh:


Most building inspectors won't accept framing with clipped head nails. Don't know if that's a code requirement or not, but in my area the practice is highly frowned upon. Just a bit of information there to assist you in your buying decision. Secondly, if you were to ever sell it, I would think the full head nailer would have more appeal. My F-350S can shoot both.


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

*Full head it is*

Thanks a lot.

Full head it is then.

Going shopping,

Thanks everyone

:thumbup:


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## Joining_Heads (May 27, 2007)

If you are looking for something that will last. Give Hitachi guns a look. They know what they are doing.


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

*Thanks Guys*

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Good to be here.

Picked up a small Campbell Hausfeld kit this afternoon. 2 gallon air compressor for $99. Came with a brad nailer as well as a finishing nailer. Will get a brand name used framing nailer when I need it for my next project.

'A nailin' I will go' - sound of brad nailer being oiled.

Have fun everyone.

Kaclonk!

:thumbup:


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## William Bill (Aug 21, 2007)

*electric nailer better*

I've got 16GA,18GA with 1800W output finish electric nailer last year for homeworking.they are very good.If you think compressor not so good ,you can choose electric nailer.


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

Got the Porter Cable Finished Nailer from Ebay.. it comes with 3 fuel cells.. finished them all.. and now I am stuck... cannot buy fuel cell no more in Canada..... I probably will sell this guy in Ebay soon... It is a nice tool and cordless is priceless... however.. sometimes, need to do a few try before triggers flied... don't know if this is because fuel cell being emptied or design problem of the tool... but it works perfect for the beginning while when the fuel cells were newly installed....


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## skymaster (Jun 6, 2007)

Oldhouse; Since you are not making your living from the framer get Porter Cable, quite good, reasonable and YES full round head. As stated earlier in many places clipped heads are NOT legal.
FR-350 is good gun, also look at coil guns again PC I have both and I really like the coil nailer better than my straight framer. PC COIL 350 covers everything from 6's thru 16's
JackM 
PS Amazon seems best place to buy tools I HATE EBAY


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

Thanks skymaster,

Used the CH brad nailer the other day and very happy with it. You're right I won't be making a living off any nailers. After looking at it objectively I decided to use elbow grease for my framing (Hammer and Nails) - It'll take me a while to cut the wood anyways so i might as well nail it by hand.

The other reason was that my circular saw needed upgrading (Got more serious over the years) - so I decided to spend on a Makita Circular saw instead. Will invest in a Framing nailer if I really need it later.

Rather nail by hand than get a crappy one - I guess.

Agree with you on ebay - I like my local shop!!!


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## davefoc (Dec 18, 2007)

William Bill said:


> I've got 16GA,18GA with 1800W output finish electric nailer last year for homeworking.they are very good.If you think compressor not so good ,you can choose electric nailer.


I have owned two electric nailers and they were both crap.

The first one I owned was the task force brad nailer. Lowes let me take it back even though I had it for little more than a year when it jammed permanently.

I got the arrow brad nailer at that time. It was much better than the task force in that it didn't jam all the time. But it was still difficult to use. You had to press it hard against the work surface to get the nail to be driven flush. Then it just plain burned up with smoke pouring out. 

Finally I bought the small porter cable compressor and a dewalt 2 inch brad nailer. There is no comparison. This is a real tool that reliably drives 2 inch brads below the surface without the requirement for excess force applied to the gun.

I knew that home depot probably had the better deal, but Lowes had been nice to me about letting me take back some stuff and I just decided to buy it at Lowes where they weren't selling the compressor with the three guns. I did notice after I bought mine Lowes dropped the compressor price by $40 so even if they don't have the combination deal they do have the compressor by itself at a pretty low price. 

The one thing negative about the compressor so far, like people have mentioned already it is really loud.

I noticed that Black and Decker has a battery operated two inch brad nailer and I happen to have 18 volt B&D tools so this would have fit right in. I finally just decided that I'd thought about getting a compressor for awhile for other reasons and I just wasn't going to mess with another electric nailer if I didn't have good knowledge that it was a good tool.


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## Oldhouseowner (Jul 24, 2007)

*update*

Hi Guys,

Thanks for all your info's etc.

Picked up a palm nailer as well now to help me with tight spots. Thinking I only need a nailer that can be as fast as me cutting wood, so didn't worry about a framing nailer. Also liked the idea it runs with regular nails. Well that baby got me out of some really tight spots so far. 

Thanks again all and have a great holiday,


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## OldPoop (Feb 16, 2009)

*Cheap electric nailer works.*

I bought a Task Force brad nailer at Lowes yesterday because I was tired of damaging molding in my home projects over the years. I was fairly certain I would be bringing it back because of how cheap it was, but they promised I could return it, so I gave it a shot.

I wish I had done this years ago! If you follow the directions it actually works great, or at least mine does. *Use both hands and keep it level with the wood!* Every time I got lazy or in an awkward position and just used one hand the brad stuck out. No matter how hard I pressed.

The first baseboard I did I left a couple of brads sticking out and gouged holes in the wood. By the 2nd one I had figured out how to follow the directions and it looked great, so practice on a scrap board until you get your technique down.

Also the brads hold better than I thought they would because I messed up and had to pull one baseboard off, and it was harder than I thought it would be.

I'm doing baseboard, quarter round, and other trim on beadboard nailed to plywood, so it's wood on wood. Not sure how it will do on sheetrock, brads might not be long enough to reach deeply into the studs. But when I finish this and the next project, also beadboard, I'll be giving it a try.


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