Needed a roofing nailer. Called both Harbor Freight stores in the
area, one had none, the other had one 11 gage, which, near as anybody
can tell, doesn't work with standard nails of the kind you get at Home
Despot or Lowes or Bradco or the rest.

Well, I was checking my credit card balance preparatory to biting the
bullet and getting a Bostich, when the manager at Harbor Freight
called and told me that he had found two of the 10 gage magnesium
nailers, so he's holding one for me.

I really didn't expect him to do that.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

In article ,
says...
Needed a roofing nailer. Called both Harbor Freight stores in the
area, one had none, the other had one 11 gage, which, near as anybody
can tell, doesn't work with standard nails of the kind you get at Home
Despot or Lowes or Bradco or the rest.

Well, I was checking my credit card balance preparatory to biting the
bullet and getting a Bostich, when the manager at Harbor Freight
called and told me that he had found two of the 10 gage magnesium
nailers, so he's holding one for me.

I have a HF 6:1 nailer that I've never really used. It would take
Hercules to lift the thing all day (and it likes to double-nail).
It's huge! I've been looking for another nailer but can't decide
(looking at DeWalt, PC, and Hitachi). Seems everyone has an opinion
(both good and bad) about all of them. Sometimes too much research
doesn't pay. ;-)

I bought a Bostich siding nailer off the eBay. It leaked a little
air but worked long enough, well enough, to side the garage two
years ago. I bought an O-ring kit but never got a round-tuit. I
was going to put it on eBay with a half a case of SS nails, but
again, no tuits of any shape.

I really didn't expect him to do that.

Like anywhere else, it really depends on the individuals. Some like
what they're doing.

--
Keith

On Oct 12, 12:10*pm, "J. Clarke" wrote:

SNIP

when the manager at Harbor Freight
called and told me that he had found two of the 10 gage magnesium
nailers, so he's holding one for me.

I really didn't expect him to do that.

They must be working on their image and service. I was in the store
here a couple of weeks ago to buy some of those leather work gloves
they sell by the dozen and some nitrile gloves.

The store was really clean... I thought I was in the wrong place! The
people there were friendly, which is important as I still can't figure
out the store layout.

Who knows; HF, HD, and others may meet somewhere in the middle. As
the quality of tools at the box stores continues to inch downward and
the overall quality of the tools at HF seem to be going up, it could
make things interesting.

Every once in a while the HF here has refurb Porter Cable and DeWalt
tools. They don't sell them discounted enough to make you buy
something you don't need, but it was a surprise to see some DeWalt
hand tools there.

The whole store still smells like uncured rubber, though.

Robert

wrote:
On Oct 12, 12:10 pm, "J. Clarke" wrote:

SNIP

when the manager at Harbor Freight
called and told me that he had found two of the 10 gage magnesium
nailers, so he's holding one for me.

I really didn't expect him to do that.

They must be working on their image and service. I was in the store
here a couple of weeks ago to buy some of those leather work gloves
they sell by the dozen and some nitrile gloves.

The store was really clean... I thought I was in the wrong place!
The
people there were friendly, which is important as I still can't
figure
out the store layout.

Who knows; HF, HD, and others may meet somewhere in the middle. As
the quality of tools at the box stores continues to inch downward
and
the overall quality of the tools at HF seem to be going up, it could
make things interesting.

Every once in a while the HF here has refurb Porter Cable and DeWalt
tools. They don't sell them discounted enough to make you buy
something you don't need, but it was a surprise to see some DeWalt
hand tools there.

The whole store still smells like uncured rubber, though.

FWIW, so far I've had good luck with HF air tools. I don't use them
in a production shop and so can't say how they'll hold up in heavy use
though.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Oct 13, 8:33*am, "J. Clarke" wrote:
wrote:

FWIW, so far I've had good luck with HF air tools. *I don't use them
in a production shop and so can't say how they'll hold up in heavy use
though.

I hope you post some results. They could make an interesting
alternative to the main nailing equipment. A couple of sales ago, I
spotted an interesting 15 ga, magnesium bodied angle finish nailer.
The sales price was $79, regular price was $119. That same nailer now
is $79 all the time.

Comparing it to one of my friend's Grip Rite (jobbed out no doubt -
they are nail and screw sellers) which sells for $169, it is the
same. Same head, same trigger, same magazine. He took his back and
bought the HF gun for $79 and bought a three year store exchange
warranty for $7.99, and couldn't be happier.

As a donation to one of our financially challenged school, I bought
them some brad nailers when they had them at the famous HF sidewalk
sale. I paid a whopping $7 each for them. There were three; one
broke from being dropped so much, one was stolen at the end of the
year but worked fine for a whole school year of abuse, and the other
one is still getting the snot beat out of it but working fine.

Like I said, at least on some products, the line is fuzzier and
fuzzier on what the price/quality offerings are.

On a different note, we just had the semi annual HF sidewalk sale
here. It looked like a flea market of old tools they were getting rid
of to make room for new stuff.

I checked out their 10" and 12" sliding compound miter saw. Wow... it
was like driving a truck without suspension down an old country road.
Rough doesn't cover it; it felt like I was grinding metal.

Yet the manager told me he sells a lot of them, sometimes two - three
at a time. He sells to deck builders and wood playground equipment
guys, flooring installers and to the folks that put up those outdoor
wooden sheds/shops. The saws are a very affordable $149 for the 10"
and $199 for the 12", and that's the regular price. According to him,
no complaints from the guys that use them for that kind of work.

Although they they are sold as SCMS tools, I sure couldn't see them
being used for that! I don't think you could sneak up on a mark as
rough as those were. On the other other hand, the 12" has a laser
sight for that price!

At any rate, I do hope you post some results. I wouldn't mind a
backup gun that was pretty reliable. My Bostitch dealer that worked
on my guns free (if I bought his nails) is gone. So the next best
guys will work on their products only, which is Hitachi, and a could
of others. They don't handle Bostitch, which makes up about 8 of my
main nailers.

If I take them my Bostitch guns to work on, they have a $65 bench fee,
they charge $39 for an "O" ring overhaul kit, and any hard parts are
extra.

In a hard comparison, the HF 93253 looks an awful lot like one of my
older Bostitch guns. So it begs the question; replace the gun
entirely for $79, or rebuild the old mule for $104?

Like I said, I do hope you post results.

Robert

"J. Clarke" wrote:

FWIW, so far I've had good luck with HF air tools. I don't use them
in a production shop and so can't say how they'll hold up in heavy
use
though.

Also had good luck with 3/8" pneumatic drill used with sanding flap
wheels.

Lew

wrote:
On Oct 13, 8:33 am, "J. Clarke" wrote:
wrote:

FWIW, so far I've had good luck with HF air tools. I don't use them
in a production shop and so can't say how they'll hold up in heavy
use though.

I hope you post some results. They could make an interesting
alternative to the main nailing equipment. A couple of sales ago, I
spotted an interesting 15 ga, magnesium bodied angle finish nailer.
The sales price was $79, regular price was $119. That same nailer
now
is $79 all the time.

Comparing it to one of my friend's Grip Rite (jobbed out no doubt -
they are nail and screw sellers) which sells for $169, it is the
same. Same head, same trigger, same magazine. He took his back and
bought the HF gun for $79 and bought a three year store exchange
warranty for $7.99, and couldn't be happier.

As a donation to one of our financially challenged school, I bought
them some brad nailers when they had them at the famous HF sidewalk
sale. I paid a whopping $7 each for them. There were three; one
broke from being dropped so much, one was stolen at the end of the
year but worked fine for a whole school year of abuse, and the other
one is still getting the snot beat out of it but working fine.

Like I said, at least on some products, the line is fuzzier and
fuzzier on what the price/quality offerings are.

On a different note, we just had the semi annual HF sidewalk sale
here. It looked like a flea market of old tools they were getting
rid
of to make room for new stuff.

I checked out their 10" and 12" sliding compound miter saw. Wow...
it
was like driving a truck without suspension down an old country
road.
Rough doesn't cover it; it felt like I was grinding metal.

Yet the manager told me he sells a lot of them, sometimes two -
three
at a time. He sells to deck builders and wood playground equipment
guys, flooring installers and to the folks that put up those outdoor
wooden sheds/shops. The saws are a very affordable $149 for the 10"
and $199 for the 12", and that's the regular price. According to
him,
no complaints from the guys that use them for that kind of work.

Although they they are sold as SCMS tools, I sure couldn't see them
being used for that! I don't think you could sneak up on a mark as
rough as those were. On the other other hand, the 12" has a laser
sight for that price!

At any rate, I do hope you post some results. I wouldn't mind a
backup gun that was pretty reliable. My Bostitch dealer that worked
on my guns free (if I bought his nails) is gone. So the next best
guys will work on their products only, which is Hitachi, and a could
of others. They don't handle Bostitch, which makes up about 8 of my
main nailers.

Between the very late start and dinking with the air pressure, I only
got one bundle down before dark yesterday. At 80 psi it was doubling
on me almost every time, at 100 it's working a treat. Shooting Grip
Rite 1-1/4" nails in 5/8 OSB with Prestique 40s, once I got the air
presure adjusted it put the nail exactly flush every time.

Don't have a lot to do with it, half a roof at this point, so won't be
giving it a very thorough workout.

If I take them my Bostitch guns to work on, they have a $65 bench
fee,
they charge $39 for an "O" ring overhaul kit, and any hard parts are
extra.

In a hard comparison, the HF 93253 looks an awful lot like one of my
older Bostitch guns. So it begs the question; replace the gun
entirely for $79, or rebuild the old mule for $104?

My feeling would be, since you have several guns, risk the 79 bucks
and if it lasts 3/4 as long as the rebuild would you're golden, and if
it dies young, well, these days 80 bucks isn't all that much money.

Like I said, I do hope you post results.

Robert

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)