Porter Cable vs. Bostitch Finish Nailer Combo Kits

Mark Witczak · 2004-08-31T00:56:54+00:00

After manually installing baseboards in half my house and borrowing my neighbor's nail gun/compressor for another quater, I'm ready to take the plung and buy my own finish nailer. I looked around the local big box stores and found a couple of good deals. HD has a Porter Cable "starter kit" details below for $299:Brad nailer kit (BN125A) Uses 18 gauge, 5/8" to 1-1/4" brad nails. Finish-Nailer kit (FN250B) Uses 16 gauge, 3/4" to 2-1/2" finish nails. Features include adjustable depth-of-drive, jam release mechanism and non-marring nose tip, 10 Amp, 120 VAC, 2 Peak HP motor, Oil-free design for less maintenance, Ability to run on standard household current. 3.7 SCFM @ 40 PSI - 2.6 SCFM @ 90 PSI.And Lowes has a (suspiciously) similar Bostitch kit for $299, details below:Depth adjustmentSequential trip trigger2 HP, 6 gallon compressor1-1/2" 16 gauge finish nailer kit15/8" 18 gauge brad nailer kitIncludes hose and all required fittings70 to 120 psi required to operate toolMy question is should I just toss a coin? Who is the better manufacturer? Which one is of a better quality? I see a definite possibility of renting/buying a framing nailer to build a shed next summer, would that make a difference in the recommendation?Thanks,Mark

Aug 31, 2004 23 Replies

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krw 9 years ago

Or you could have bought a good one that would last a lifetime. I don't like the idea of single-use tools, particularly if I'm going to use it more than once.

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woodchucker 9 years ago

Did you ever oil it? I have one that has done a lot of stapling, and is still going strong

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Ivan Vegvary 9 years ago

I certainly wouldn't call 18 months of remodeling "single use".

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krw 9 years ago

800 ft^ is 18 months work? It was, in fact, a single use.

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