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
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?

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.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

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.

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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Regards,

Dean Bielanowski
Editor,
Online Tool Reviews
http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com
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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

as I did. In defense of the Porter Cable, it's always worked flawlessly
and has never jammed to date.

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.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

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.

bitternut wrote:
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?

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.

In article .com,
says...
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.

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. ;-)

--
Keith

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-

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...lance&n=228013

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




"bitternut" wrote in message
...
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?

On Tue, 24 Jan 2006 06:59:48 -0500, "bitternut"
wrote:

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?


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


"bitternut" wrote in message
...
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?