Framing nailers

gerard · Jul 25, 2003

I just bought porter cable fr350. Got a price on line, Home Depot matched the price and then took off another 10% so I got it for around $200. Only put about 1000 3.25inch nails through it so far but no problems. Has a adjustable trigger for single hit or contact so you don't get double taps if you get sloppy. So far I'm very happy with it and it was cheap. 100 psi countersinks 3 1/4 inch nails and the rated capacity is 120 psi.

Richard - re the paslodes - I've never used one, like the concept, but I was told you have to wait like 7 seconds between nails for the charge to build back up?? Is that true?? There are a lot of times when doing siding or girts that I put in 3 or 4 nails together right after each other and I know I wouldn't be happy with a delay between nails. With the air guns you can put them in as quick as you can move the gun.

MikePA · Jul 25, 2003

but I was told you have to wait like 7 seconds between nails for the charge to build back up?? Is that true?? 
The Paslode web site here indicates that it will drive 2 to 3 nails/second.

It'll will be interesting to see if doc's experience matches this claim.

Bob_In_MN · Jul 25, 2003

gerard,

When I used the paslode, I remembered thinking that while it worked well for me, I would think that a professional would be ready to nail well before the gun. Then when I returned the gun to my neighbor, I saw that he had several air nailers in his trailer. Looked like the air guns were used for the fast work and the paslode for the work where it was not easy to drag an air hose around.

Knucklehead,

Spoke with my cousin last night who has been framing/building for years. He has a Senco and said he must have shot a pallet of nails through the thing and it just keeps on going. I am also in the market so this thread has been helpful to me as well. So--for air powered--there's another vote for Senco.

Bob

Bob_In_MN · Jul 25, 2003

Mike,

I checked out the website--they must have come up with a new model because the one I used definately would not drive 2-3 nails per second.

Bob

ChrisW · Jul 25, 2003

I also have the porter cable fr350 that I got at lowes for just over $200. Home Depot had it cheaper than Lowes but they matched and then beat the price by 10%. I have built some shelves in the garage and basement as well as a 400' long picket fence around our back yard. 2000 nails later it is still like new and working strong. I think that I made a very good purchase. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

ChrisW

dmccarty · Jul 25, 2003

KnuckleHead,

I tried to find a review of nail guns but I came up empty. I
know I read a review of niail guns in the last year but I could
not find in on www.jlconline.com. Maybe it was
in Fine Homebuilding.

Anyway, I did find this reference.
http://www.jlconline.com

Grrr... Sorry the url was to long. If you go to the Research
tab, and then search for "nail gun" a Q/A section will pop up
on the left side of the page talking about clipped head nails
vs full head. Sorry for the vauge instructions.

There also is a discussion area on JLC that talks about tools.
You might want to read through there and see what the
contractors are using. Its a contractors only discussion
area.

From my read of the forums and the review that is MIA, the
conclusion I came to was that all of the big brands where
good. They had different features that might make a
difference to a person depending on the type of job. I think
its Senco that has a new nail gun that is cordless and does
not use a fuel cell like the Passlodes. It does use a battery.

I have been reading up on Engineering specs and such for
when I build a garage and a barn as well as figuring things
out for the house. What has suprised me about nails is how
important nails are and that they ain't simple. The code
requires certain types/size of nails in certain uses and its
important to do so. I know when I get a nail gun, and I'll be
danged if I can decide on which one but they all seem
good, it WILL be a full head nail gun.

Later,
Dan McCarty

bebster · Jul 25, 2003

I bought a cordless Paslode and have been happy with its speed. It fires more slowly than an air-powered gun because it has to cycle the fuel with a pump. Smell reminds me of firing a cap gun as a kid. I find that positioning the nail in the right place is slower than cycling the nailer. I guess if you were going to do really fast "bump nailing" it might be too slow to keep up.

But I find that for smaller jobs it's actually faster since you save all the time (and hassle) of hooking up hoses, etc. not to mention more portable.

higgy · Jul 25, 2003

If you are going to be working in areas that have electricity I would suggest a pneumatic nailer, the combustion type are great if you do not have a compressor handy or are doing a small job that does not justify setting up the pneumatic gun.

The larger guns, be it paslode, senco, hitachi have enough power to shoot nails partway into concrete, althogh this is not what they are desinged for.

One of the most important steps in using these guns is 1) maintain it 2) never over ride the safteys 3) don't get body parts between the gun and the wood.

Most of the good nailers have a push type safty by the "barrel" that will stick into the wood for toenailing, a big advantage when toenailing otherwise it is hard to get the safty depressed and the gou will not fire.

My personal liking is full head nails, there is not that many more nails per string and the full heads will meet code (I know that you don't have them yet, but you will).

I do shop and I do buy things at the big home supply stores, but I get my nialers from specalty stores as the price is not much different and I feel better about the service that I get, besides if i do not support them they will not be here and I will be forced to buy what the "big guys" want me to buy.

Good luck with you decison.

I love my senco, it is well ballanced, pwerful and tame enough that my wife uses it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

_RaT_ · Jul 25, 2003

I'll see if I can dig up my "Tools of the Trade" article on framing nailers. Both strip and coil. The Bostich had the most powerful driver and one of two reasons I bought it. The other was it was just cheaper then some of the others like SpotNails and Senco (super build quality on both). My Senco cliphead nail is so nice and smooth but I just don't use it for anything but fence work anymore. Here in CA., it's the shear panel (plywood siding) that they want a full round head on. My Hitachi coil nailer is superb and for some reason, the flush nailing attachment for coil nailers just always seems to work better then on stick nailers. My Bostich has a toolless drive depth adjsutment and it works quite well. You will find the drive depth adjusment an important part of the equation. The Paslode and Porter Cable airless tools work fine but are slower compared to a air powered nailer. They have their place. Makita makes a great palm nailer (its actually shaped more like a gun) then the standard palm nailer. These come in handy for many things from driving spikes to putting in bracket nails. Richard mentioned that he could not get an air nail to go through oak, if thats ever a problem, the palm nailers will drive them through most anything short of steel or concrete. For that they even have nailers though, enter my Hilti. Theres a ton of stuff out there, portable battery operated rebar tying tools, battery rebar cutters, battery operated tubing benders, concrete slot cutters, a gob of stuff most folks never see. Rat... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif