# Best (and Worst) Roofing Nail Guns..



## Fairwind (Sep 20, 2011)

I will cast the first vote..The "Central Pneumatic" sold by Harbor Freight for $100 is probably the worst....


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## Horseygirl (Sep 25, 2011)

Fairwind said:


> I will cast the first vote..The "Central Pneumatic" sold by Harbor Freight for $100 is probably the worst....[/quot
> 
> *As they say, "you get what you pay for" :wink:*
> 
> *We sell mostly Bostitch's. *


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## Roofmaster417 (Jun 9, 2010)

Fairwind said:


> I will cast the first vote..The "Central Pneumatic" sold by Harbor Freight for $100 is probably the worst....


 
Ditto.,That gun is a huge chunk of salvage.,a massive waste of metal.

Up until about 6 years ago I have always used Bostitch.,my favorite was the N12.,that was a hard hitting gun.

Then the N45 Ridge runner came out and I was sold on it.


The New Bostitch is not very impressive IMO.I have heard bad things about it in colder temperatures.


But when a friend of mine spoke very highly of the Hitachi I had to give it a try.I was hooked.


I have had friends that have tried many of the guns manufactured and just handed them back to the owner not being very impressed.

I have heard some good things about Max but have never had a reason to buy one.I have also never been around one to try it out.That is the only reason I am excluding Max from my list from best to worst.

1.Hitachi

2.Paslode

3.Dewalt

4.Bostitch

5.Porter Cable

6.Central


That is for roofing guns.My framer is a Bostitch 79WW.I have had that gun for 11 years.I have replaced internal parts and it still fires like the first day I bought it.It also depends on proper maintenance.


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## Fairwind (Sep 20, 2011)

Thanks for your insights Roofmaster ! That looks like a pretty honest list..All of the roofers working in my neighborhood seem to be using Hatachi nail guns..They can lay down the shingles with amazing speed..When my "Central" started jamming repeatedly, the hammer refusing to retract, out of desperation I went out and bought a Porter-Cable so I could finish my roof..While it's depth adjustment is somewhat lacking, it has not jammed yet and the job is progressing at a good clip....


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## Roofmaster417 (Jun 9, 2010)

The main issue that puts that gun back into the grave is the sequential trigger.But that's my opinion.

I don't recommend altering any tool/equipment because of safety issues but I have tried everything with the central.


I switch triggers with a N45 Bostitch and it made no difference.It remained the same piece of sCRAP as it was before I tried to mutate it.


The reason the other guns in the neighborhood seem to be fast is the nail gun has had something removed.


If this part is removed then it can get very dangerous quick.I have shot myself 2 times in my knee cap when laying the gun beside me on a walk board.Then I shot myself in my inner thigh and 1 time in my ankle.


It is very painfully getting familiar with the gun after the alteration.

Remember though.,.,it does not matter how fast you can nail.What matters is nail placement and a the ability to hold proper form with your wrist keeping the nose of the gun flush with the roof deck.


You could nail 20 square per hour but if 17 of that square has improper fastening then that speed means nothing.And especially if a warranty coverage is needed for material failure.

Proper alignment of the shingle and fastening will contribute to your roof systems longevity as well as other workmanship criteria.


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## PoleCat (Sep 2, 2009)

Oh no....I just bought one of these Saturday. It only need to get me through one roof and I am not interested in speed. Perhaps I will be lucky.


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## rossfingal (Mar 20, 2011)

Over the years - we've used various brands of roofing guns.
We expect to get 2 to 3 jobs from a "Harbor Freight" product -
(If we're lucky!)
Not exactly "throwaway" - however: as stated above ...
"You get what you pay for" 

rossfingal

(Remember "Gun - Oil" ... not the same as WD-40, 3 in 1, motor oil...)


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## bpm (Feb 8, 2011)

I bought and used the Harbor Freight gun when I did my own roof a couple of years ago. I didn't want to spend too much on a gun because I figured it would probably be the only job I needed it for. I could have bought a good Bostich or Hitachi and sold it afterwards but a coupon to Harbor Freight made the deal too tempting. I also didn't care about the gun not being able to bump fire because I was more concerned about doing it right than doing it fast. 

I have to say that the gun worked very well for me. It never misfired or jammed, nail depth was perfect and it held up for the entire job. I even dropped it off the roof twice, once onto a concrete walkway, and it continued to work just fine. I considered it a throw-away and only needed it last one job, but I also used it on my father-in-laws shed and it's still going strong.


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## Roofmaster417 (Jun 9, 2010)

I think its a good gun for a DIY'r.,doing it slow,fast or however.But when you and your crews are banging 100+squares per day the Central won't cut the mustard.

Also having sometimes $1000.00+ per day going to labor this gun is the last I would use for roofing.But I could use it for a wheel chauk with no worries.

Professionals need a gun that will hold up to the demands of rigorous day to day nailing.I would like to hear from someone who put on 20 sq. with that gun in a day.


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## bpm (Feb 8, 2011)

I completely agree!


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## Fairwind (Sep 20, 2011)

I bought the Harbor freight gun as a one roof deal. speed unimportant, bump trigger unimportant..The first day it did fairly well although depth control was lacking except by adjusting the air pressure..It would occasionally mis-fire, but it was tolerable..On the second day it just started jamming repeatedly, the hammer ram-rod refusing to retract..The thin wires that are welded to the nails would not shear off cleanly, and jam the ram..Increasing the air pressure helped, but then it would drive the nails all the way through the shingle..I was spending half my time messing with the gun...


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

Fairwind said:


> I bought the Harbor freight gun as a one roof deal. speed unimportant, bump trigger unimportant..The first day it did fairly well although depth control was lacking except by adjusting the air pressure..It would occasionally mis-fire, but it was tolerable..On the second day it just started jamming repeatedly, the hammer ram-rod refusing to retract..The thin wires that are welded to the nails would not shear off cleanly, and jam the ram..Increasing the air pressure helped, but then it would drive the nails all the way through the shingle..I was spending half my time messing with the gun...


Sorry you had so much trouble, Fairwind. I, too, bought the CP roofing gun from HF to DIY my roof. It did fairly well, occasionally it did not set the nails properly, but, in the end, for a one-time job, I was pleased.


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## bcdemon (Jul 12, 2010)

Best gun I have ever used is my current Max CN445R. 3 yrs in use, 4-5 drops of oil per day, no leaks, haven't opened the gun once. Pulled the air filter out and cleaned it twice, that's about it.

Worse gun I've ever used? Bostitch RN46. Broke down after 10sq in cold weather. Service guy said it needed an O-ring rebuild kit. 
The RN46 is the first gun produced after MaxUSA stopped building Bostitch air tools.


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