Finish Nail Gun? 15ga - 16ga - 18ga ?

[Davej]

I'm curious how many people own several sizes?

[Gordon Shumway]

I own an 18ga and a 15ga. There are jobs for each that the other would not be suited for. I have borrowed a framing nailer for jobs neither of the two I own could have done.

G.S.

[ransley]

12ga mossberg pump folding stock

[Davej]

That is what I was thinking of getting, but then I started wondering if I would really need both.

[dpb]

All depends on what you intend to use it/them for...

--

[HeyBub]

Depends. If you're going to mainly secure molding, get a brad nailer. Mine shoots 1-1/4 and 2" brads. Works swell.

[BobK207]

I bought

a new 18ga Porter Cable BN200 shoots 5/8" thru 2"

a used 16ga Accuset 1" thru 2 1/2" (Senco cheap line) it failed & I replaced it with a Paslode 16ga straight brad nailer (uses the same brads, since I had a bunch of SS)

I went 'round & 'round trying to decide 16ga (.062" dia) vs 15ga (.

072" dia)

the 15ga nailers tend to use a fastener more like a true finish....it more like a real nail gun the 16ga brad nailer, a more rectangular shaped brad

I got the 16ga nailer because it was cheap on ebay

There is a fair amount of overlap for what the 18ga & 16ga brad nailers can do

I think if I had to do it over again....I might go with a 15ga finish nailer & I wouldn't buy that cheap Accuset

but now that I have lot of $'s in 16ga SS straight collated brads, I'm sticking with 16ga.

my buddy has a 23ga pin nailer that we use for base shoe or scribe molding

cheers Bob

[Oren]

All of them!

[SteveB]

C'mon, Dave. You're among friends. Go out in the shop and look around. Just how many of those tools do you "need"? A guy can never have too many fishing poles or tools. Impossible. Look in your wife's cosmetic drawer. How many colors of lipstick does she have? How many does she actually use? (Try this argument on her when she complains of your tools. It never works, but it buys a little time.)

I have the 15 and the 18, mainly because I got them both new at the pawn shop. A Porter-Cable and a DeWalt. They are both good for a lot of different stuff. Once you get to using one much, you will find out if you need another of a different size. They are amazing tools, and I love mine.

But I think I need a bigger one, especially when looking at a framing hammer and 5# of 16d. nails.

Steve

[Red Green]

Davej wrote in news:6673b972-ed63-4345-b14f- [e-mail]:

I have one of the Porter Cable pancake combo kits. The finsh nailer does 16 ga and the brad nailer does 18ga.

[Joe]

Pot me down for 18 and 15 ga. Senco and Milwaukee. Plus Milwaukee shingle nailer, Senco framer, Senco palm nailer. I mostly use my hammer for holding up the shop window in summer as it needs new balance springs or some such, and driving Romex staples..

Joe

[C & E]

I bought reconditioned Bostitch's from toolbarn.com and picked up a 16 and an 18ga. I tossed around the 15ga but a sale price pushed me to the 16 ga. No regrets.

[willshak]

on 2/16/2009 1:09 PM (ET) Davej wrote the following:

I only own one, a Porter-Cable 15 ga. The first time I used it was many years ago when I did some baseboard work for my brother-in-law in one small room. That was also the last time I used it. I have done many small jobs since where I could have used it, but it was just too much trouble to get it out, load it up, drag a compressor out, and hook up the air hose, so I just took the hammer and nail set route, even when I replaced the baseboard and door molding in the master bedroom a few months ago. Maybe I would have used a power nailer more if I had bought a Paslode nailer. Unless you are in the carpentry or woodworking business, or changing all the molding in your house, forget the compressor type.

[Ulysses]

In 20 years you might still be able to get nails with the 18ga.

I have a pile of old guns that I can't find nails/staples for any more. And the seals cost more than a new gun from Harbor Freight.

[Ulysses]

12ga mossberg pump folding stock

So, no 16ga or 410?

[SteveB]

All 12 ga. here. No confusion over shells. 2 Remingtons and a Mossberg.