Nailer Query

Folks -

I am thinking about getting a framing nailer. Do Y'all have any recommendations or things to look for - clipped head vs round, stick vs coil?

All I have is a brad nailer, so this is a bit more... Don't want to end up like that guy with 7 nails in his noggin!

TIA

John Moorhead

Reply to
John Moorhead
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Some locales require round head (Cali?).

I like Bostich' wire collated clipped head when I'm framing walls, etc onsite, etc. The nails fit in a belt better and take less damage than coils or paper/plastic collated strips if you sit on them or drop 'em. You do have to mind the fastener depth with thin sheathing - it's pretty easy to blast a nailhead 2/3 of the way through 1/2" plywood.

I have a couple Bostich N-80 series stick guns (clipped head). If I was buying tomorrow, I'd get another or look into a Hitachi stick gun.

Oh, and plastic collated full head nails shower your eyes with plastic fragments (not nice for overhead work).

Coil guns typically hold more nails (120 vs 90?). This makes them generally heavier than stick guns. If I did a ton of floor and roof decking I'd probably get one. The plastic magazines on the Bostich coil guns get fubar-d on occasion.

If the air is plugged in, treat them like a .45 and you won't be wearing any nails:)

Reply to
Eric Ryder

"John Moorhead" wrote in news:v3DMc.113$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com:

The Porter Cable FR350 (?) that my neighbor loans me occaisionally for homeowner projects is easy to use, and easy on my no longer so strong back & shoulder. Seems exceptionally well made.

One of the younger generation of friends is a one man contractor. Ben got a good deal on some SENCO gear, used, and has had exceptional service from those pieces. One neat piece he was using was the palm nailer, which made hanging Simpson-type hanger a LOT easier and faster. Since I've got some more floor joist upgrading to do, I may just spring for one of those soon.

The mention of supply for your fasteners is a good one. Check to see what your favorite local lumberyard carries, and adjust your equipment to fit. An unplanned drive to the big city can ruin a whole building day and/or your loving wife's attitude.

Patriarch

Reply to
patriarch

IMHO, Stick Nails take up less room than Coiled nails themselves. Coiled nailers take up less room than stick nailers. Clipped will not hold as well as round because of the smaller head area.

From there, if you are going to use this gun for framing, consider the Paslode Airless. An associate of mine bought one 3 or 4 years ago and not having a hose hanging around your feet while on a ladder sold me. He uses it weekly and together we have probably built 10 or so fences with it. It has never missed a lick. Fuel canisters run about $12 for 2. That is good for about 2500 nails. A single battery charge will go about 4000 nails. I'll take that over lugging any compressor and hose to a job site. It shoots clipped stick nails.

Reply to
Leon

Folks -

Okay, what about palm nailers? This PC unit sounded interesting...

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I know this'n won't bump and nail, but it might strike a happy balance for this and other uses. Once I finish this job, a standard stick or coil framing nailer would most likely be unemployed, whereas a palm nailer might server other uses..

What'cha thinmk?

John Moorhead

Reply to
John Moorhead

those are pretty much specialty nailers for installing framing clips.

Reply to
bridger

Check your local supplier or borg and find out what type of nails they carry. Around here I was going for the clipped when to my surprise they only carry round. Probably code reasons but that was the suggestion to me and it saved me from buyin the wrong one, well I actually never bought either I went for the palm nailer.

Rich

Reply to
Rich

I've been a Paslode user for years and been very happy with it. I have the

350 Powermaster and love it. But as soon as possible I'm getting an Impulse (airless) model. The angled models give a bit better access in tight situations. I and my work partner have been under a house saving the structure (replacing joists and beams) and the hoses are an extreme hassle in that situation.
Reply to
M A Patrizio

On Sun, 25 Jul 2004 06:08:39 GMT, "John Moorhead" calmly ranted:

Give this a try to test the waters. It's $20 and should be fully refundable on Ebay for $35 or so, KWIM,V? ;)

If you like it, keep it or get the PC.

What other uses did you think of for the palm nailer?

- Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag? -

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Full Service Web Application Programming

Reply to
Larry Jaques

I thought about those too - to avoid the expense of a framing nailer, for my occasional use. From what I learned: (a) they work (b) they're not something you'd want to use to replace a nailer. Have you hit the pawn shops? Seems to me like they're in there.

Personally, I "stole" a new FR350 from Sam's club - was at the clearance table for $75. Just missing the case. I've used it to knock out a project or three. I like the FR350.

Reply to
patrick conroy

John if you are not going to need to use a framing nailer, the palm nailer is a good alternative. I bought a Senco Palm Nailer from Home Depot for $79.00 last fall. The palm nailer is definitely better than swinging a hammer but still not as convenient as a framing nailer.

As Bridger indicated, the palm nailer EXCELS at nailing framing clips. It really will snug the metal brackets up close to the 2x stock.

I did build my 10x12 storage building with the palm nailer and used Hardi Plank for the siding. While this was vastly better than swinging a hammer, I did bend about 1 in 15 nails using the palm nailer while trying to penetrate the Hardi Panel siding. It worked pretty good for nailing wood to wood, and again was excellent for nailing the metal joist brackets. IMHO however, the palm nailer is marginally faster than swinging a hammer when nailing wood to wood. If time is a factor, the framing nailer will probably be your best bet.

Really big advantages of the palm nailer are that it is lite weight when compared to a framing nailer, it gets into tight spots easily, it uses almost ANY sized nail, and you can buy cheaper bulk nails in the quantity that you want. Since the nail goes in slowly compared to a framing nailer, you can usually drive the nail to any depth. This was nice being able to leave the head of the nail proud of the surface when putting up the siding.

Reply to
Leon

if you are getting it for real jobsite use it'll be the hitachi to attach to a hose or the paslode for cordless.

if you're looking for something to use a couple of times a year, either buy something used or perhaps look at the harbor freight models...

Reply to
bridger

Not according to my doctor it isn't. More damaging to the nerves in the hand, than swinging a hammer is to the wrist and arm. He said you have to be nuts to use one for more than a few minutes a day. I asked for studies on the subject but he said it's just common sense.

Reply to
Blake Pollard

Bostitch dealers, in Canada are giving away 'free' a palm nailer with the purchase of their framing nailer. $389 CDN for the pair.. Trust me, it's a pretty good deal.

Reply to
Blake Pollard

I suppose that could be so, however my Senco model was very palm friendly and it simply felt like I was pushing the nail into the wood. I really felt less shock than that of a hammer hitting the head of a nail.

Reply to
Leon

I've never tried the Senco, the Bostitch is pretty jarring. I trust this doctor though, he was recommended by my union years ago and he specializes in work related injuries. He knows his tools, and often asks about stuff like what hammers you use, even shovels. He's a big fan of those ergonomic handles.

Reply to
Blake Pollard

one more thing... the palm nailers use a lot more air than nail guns....

Reply to
bridger

Round, stick. Prior advice is correct - choose nail availability, then get the nailer which will drive them. I prefer the 20-22 degree nails. Look on the end of the box of 3" bright framing nails and copy the list of nailers which will drive them. Next find the nearest construction supplier who sells those nails to framing contractors. (not one of the home centers like Home Depot) Ask them which nailers are the most popular and are most easily repaired. Now you will have a short list to review for cost, weight, ease of use, etc. Very likely, you will find Paslode, Hitachi, Port-Cable and Bostich in this group along with others such as Senco, Duofast and Spotnails. One feature to ask for is a restrictive fire trigger, either selectable or as a replacement trigger. The Hitachi NR83A calls it a single trip trigger. Unless you want to bounce-fire nails, this makes you pull the trigger for each nail. The nailer is capable of firing 3 nails per second in the literature. I have done doubles.

Reply to
Thomas Kendrick

Ditto.

Reply to
Eric Ryder

I have the Senco as well. It's a well made piece of equipment that excels on joist hangers, is useful for nailing/homing 20d nails or when using hardwoods (put a rough oak floor in a small barn - the framing gun couldn't home the nails), but is slower than a hammer on new work.

Reply to
Eric Ryder

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