• Specs and Tester's Comments

About 30 years ago, when I made the decision to start using framing nailers and their expensive collated nails, there wasn't much to choose from; there were only two big players. The tools themselves were basic, so I made the buying decision mainly on the price of nails and who could provide the best service for the tools. I favored round-head nails and have stuck with them ever since, having gone through about 1,000 nailers since that time in my production framing business.

Many people pick a nailer based on a favorite brand name, or how it feels in their hands at the supply house. Others use "wallet ergonomics" to find what suits their needs, or at least their budget. We found a better solution–we tested 20 of the latest, full round-head nailers in the shop and on the job.

Eighteen of the nailers are conventional, 20- to 22-degree magazine angle models. Those with a maximum nail capacity of 3-1/4-inch are the Amigo 8320, Hitachi NR83A2, Max SN883RH and Senco SN902XP. Most of the tools shoot up to a 3-1/2-inch nail, including the Bostitch F21PL, Craftsman 351.18178, DeWalt D51844, Duo-Fast DF350S, Grip-Rite GRTRH350, Hitachi NR90AE, Makita AN923, Milwaukee 7100-20, Pneu-Tools SN2190RH, Porter-Cable FR350A, Senco Frame Pro 502, and Spotnails NPR90. And then there are the 4-inch shooting Grizzly H7943 and Prebena 8F-RK100-S90.

While it's true that the 30-degree magazine Paslode PF-350S is configured differently, new offset, round-head, collated nails by Paslode made this clipped-head nailer an honorary member of the category. We also tested the high-pressure Max HS90, which is so unique, we couldn't really test it alongside the other models.

The venerable Hitachi NR83A has been the Western framers' tool of choice for years, and for this test, Hitachi sent the next-generation NR83A2. The NR83A has been so successful, we decided to include three "tribute" tools that it inspired in our review: the Amigo, Senco 502, and Spotnails models.

Nail Angles

Full round-head nails are allowed in some applications where clipped-head nails are not, such as for nailing shear wall sheathing; the nailers that shoot these are our tools of choice. The 21-degree, full round-head nail collation is an industry standard, but some nailers are listed as 20- or 22-degree models, and a few even refer to themselves as 20- to 22-degree tools. One great thing about these nailers is that they aren't too picky about their diet; plus or minus a degree doesn't matter much.

First, we tested each tool with fasteners of its listed angle, then stuffed them full of generic 21-degree nails. They all cycled without complaint. The 30-degree Paslode was only nailer we used that has its own brand of round-head nails.

Test Conditions

Before field-testing, we put the tools through their paces in our shop, where our high-quality air system ensured correct pressure for each test run. We ran each tool at its highest approved operating pressure, just like we do in the field, ranging from 100 to 120 psi, and fired the longest nail each could handle. To make sure we weren't losing airflow, we used a short, 3/8-inch interior-diameter air hose and standard 3/8-inch fittings.

We buried nails into Douglas fir, and then into engineered laminated veneer lumber. All the tools consistently sank nails into the test materials. For the larger tools, the Bostitch, Grizzly, and Prebena set the nails slightly deeper into the engineered lumber than the others.

The Max was a real standout among the smaller tools. Where the other 3-1/4-inch nailers might countersink in fir and flush-nail in the engineered lumber at the same air pressure, the Max would effortlessly countersink in both with each nail driven precisely the same as the last.

The Grizzly and Prebena can handle 4-inch nails, so we loaded them and nailed three pieces of Douglas fir together. The Prebena flush-nailed the 4-inch spikes consistently but with pretty strong recoil. At the same pressure, the Grizzly countersank the spikes and with less recoil, taking on the challenge a little better. While not always needed, 4-inch nails are great for attaching rough-sawn 2-by trim material, going through full 2-inch stock and 1/2-inch wall sheathing while still providing a solid 1-1/2-inch penetration into the structure. It sure beats drilling pilot holes and screwing it on.

After shop-testing each tool, we shipped them out to the field for full-on, full-crew testing, giving our team a chance to compare each model in jobsite conditions. Here's our evaluation of features and performance.