best brad nailer

Been thinking of buying a finish or brad nailer for trim and such but am baffled on which kind or model to buy. They all sound good when you look at their specs but I have no hands on experience using one. I do have experience with framing nailers but they are a different animal. I want one that will use different lengths of fastners, get into tight spots and not leave marks. They all say they will do this but is there one that stands out from the rest?

"bitternut" wrote in message
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The best advice is to pass on some experience. I own two ... the infamous "Harbor Freight $14.95 on sale" model, and a Delta that was $39.95 on sale recently at Rockler and will also shoot staples, both 18 gauge.
Of the two, the Delta is the better made (fit and finish) brad nailer, but the HF has been trucking on for about three years with few mishaps and lots of use.
Somehow I've come around to the opinion that it is no longer necessary to spend big bucks on a brad nailer ... especially since they all appear to be made in the same factory in Chiwan.

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be
I tend to agree. I have a few including a cheapy and the cheap one has done the job for me just fine. However, some of the more expensive ones do have more features that can be handy to have that the el-cheapo nailers don't. I use a Fasco brad nailer now quite a lot because it is feature-rich and easier to manage if there is a problem. http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/reviews/fascogn40a.htm
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Dean Bielanowski Editor, Online Tool Reviews http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Latest 6 Reviews: - Ryobi One+ Cordless Tool System - Festool CT Mini Dust Extractor - Kreg K3 Pocket Hole Joinery System - Incra Miter Express - Book: Scroll Saw Fundamentals - Ryobi BT3100K Table Saw System ------------------------------------------------------------

When I first went shopping for my first brad nailer about 10 years ago, I was more concerned with a brad nailer being able to use the most different nail lengths that I was about the price. I ended up buying a Porter Cable FN250B nailer.
As others have mentioned, some of the cheaper brands appear to fill their needs. If they're as capable of a number of different brad lengths, then I can't see any reason to go with the more expensive type as I did. In defense of the Porter Cable, it's always worked flawlessly and has never jammed to date.

"Upscale" wrote in message
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Yup ... my PC finish nailer, part of a compressor/nailer package a few years back, is an excellent tool. I chose the finish nailer because I already had a brad nailer.

Yeah, my Porter Cable was part of a compressor nailer package too. The compressor is a 3 gallon, 1hp hot dog type. It's kind of loud, especially the few times I use it on the parquet floor of my apartment. I'm thinking of building a box for it out of pegboard material and lining the inside of it with carpet or some similar type material to deaden the noise. I'm figuring the the holes in the pegboard and the carpet will breath enough for the the compressor to operate adequately enough the five or ten minutes a time that I'm using the compressor.

snipped-for-privacy@rogers.com says...
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Last fall I bought a Porter Cable package; 6Gal pancake compressor, 16Ga. and 18Ga. nailers, plus a 1/4" stapler for just under $300. The compressor is loud but I put it over in the corner of the basement and plumbed copper over to my workbenches. I figure I can run hose from a connection by the basement door to anywhere in the house. Let it be noisy. BTW, I also put a connection in the closet on the front porch (where our entrance panel is) and in the garage. What the heck, copper's cheap. ;-)

bitternut wrote:
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Makita.
JP

I have a Senco 25XP which I really like. Other than jamming, here's a few things to consider:
*when you run out of brads, does the thing continue to "dry fire", punching holes with no nails, or does it stop and force you to reload?
*does it require lubrication? If so, in general you will end up with some oil mist on the work.
At least when I got it, the Senco brad nailer was made in the US. Ditto my Senco 15 ga finish nailer. I was a little bummed when I found that my Senco 23ga pin nailer was made in Taiwan, but it works pretty well.
There are many people in this newsgroup who swear by Harbor Freight, and if your thing is getting something functional at the lowest possible price, that is the way to go. Personally, i like the feel of a well-made tool and I want it to last longer than I will. In the nailer department, I go for Senco.

I've had a Porter Cable BN125 for almost 10 years now. It's used quite often, as I'm a carpenter. At the time, I bought the full line of PC guns- framer, finisher, brad gun, stapler (both narrow and med. crown) . Over the years, most of the guns have been replaced with Senco models except the brad gun. It has provided excellent service and has never jammed. Senco guns have also provided good service so far, if the brad gun ever goes, it'll be replaced with a Senco, as I don't care for the tip of the newer PC brad guns, (more personal preference than anything.) If you can afford both, and have a need for both, I'd suggest a 15 gauge angled finish nailer (PC or Senco) for larger trim and an 18 gauge brad gun. (again, PC or Senco) There are times when an 18 gauge nail just isn't strong enough to do the job at any legnth, and 15 gauge nails can be to large for smaller stuff. If you are just looking for a multi purpose gun, or can only afford one, I'd suggest a PC BN200 like this-
(Amazon.com product link shortened)38149465/sr=1-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7135650-8573525?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n"8013
It'll shooth 18 gauge brads up to 2" legnth (hence the 200 model number ) and it's priced right.
BTW The nice thing about PC guns is they are all easily recognized by their model number. My old brad gun is a BN125 (B=Brad N=nailer 125 = the max fastener legnth at 1.25") My PC framer was a FC350 (F=framing C=clipped head 350= max fastener legnth 3.5") hope this helps! --dave
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On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 06:59:48 -0500, "bitternut"
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We have four Senco brad guns on the job and don't have any problems with them. I think the model we use now is the finish pro 25x or something like that. It handles longer 18 ga pins but we rarely use anything longer than 1 1/4".
Mike O.

You cannot go wrong with any Omar products expensive but well worth the price in the long run. http://www.omertools.com/html/prod.html There all I use in my shop and they are used all day everyday 40 to 60 hours per week
Chris Melanson BLH Millwork
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