Combo stapler/brad nailers any good?

[Pat Coghlan]

I'd like to be able to do some light wood trim work (baseboards, door/window trim pieces etc.).

Rather than buy separate tools (a friend has a compressor which I can borrow), I see there are these combo brad nailer/stapler guns (Bostitch etc.).

Are they any good and can anyone recommend one I should look for (not too expensive)?

Thanks.

[Todd H.]

I had a friend leave a black/decker one here and it was such a lousy staple gun, I picked up my manual swingline. I didn't try it was a brad nailer though.

Of course, it could be the brand, as B&D has perennially been garbage.

Best Regards,

-- Todd H.

[lwasserm]

They work OK as far as driving the fastener, but the combo guns often mar the wood surface when driving brads. A brad-only gun will set the brad slightly below the surface without any "collateral damage" so to speak.

For occasional or even frequent use it is hard to beat the brad nailers and staplers from Harbor Freight. They run frequent sales with prices in the $10 to $20 range, depending on exact model and fastener size. You could easily purchase an 18 ga

1 1/4 or 2" brad nailer, and a stapler, for less than the cost of a combo gun from one of the "name brand" manufacturers. (Which are likely also produced in China)

[Brew Man]

I agree that the combo brad/stapler nailers do mar the surface a bit. I have found that by holding the nailer on an ever so slight angle that I can avoid any marring of the surface and that's my "work around" to the situation. I have a Sears Craftsman model that I picked up a number of years back and it has worked trouble free through many uses over the years. I have only used it once as a stapler (carpet up a stairs) and it certainly met my expectations. With everything made in China nowadays, the Harbor Freight specials might not be any different than any of the products from the big name manufacturers out there. However, I still like to believe that you get what you pay for.