Tools of the Trade: Tool Tests

Paslode IM250A Li Cordless Finish Nailer

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:29:58 EST

Though expensive, this tool offers some real advantages over comparable pneumatics

Senco Joistpro Metal Connector Nailers

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 03:28:05 EST

My crew and I used to hand-nail framing hardware, but as codes changed and we had to install more and more of the stuff, it became impractical to nail by hand.

Tools Up Close: Two Fuel-Powered Framers

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:06:05 EST

Early this year, Tools of the Trade sent me the newest models from Paslode and Bostitch, and this story is about my crew's experience with those guns.

Tools Up Close: 16-Gauge Fusion Nailer

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:15:51 EST

In my work as a finish carpenter, I use a variety of nails: 18-gauge brads for molding and trim, 15-gauge nails for door jambs, and 16-gauge nails for everything else. I prefer to work without hoses, and for the last 10 years have been using 16- and 18-gauge fuel-powered nailers from Paslode. They work very well, but I dislike having to buy gas cylinders, breathe exhaust fumes, and oil and clean the guns.

Tools Up Close: Big Cordless Circular Saws

Mon, 7 Jan 2013 07:14:12 EST

For this article we tested four higher-voltage saws – 36-volt models from Bosch, DeWalt, and Hilti, and a 28-volt model from Milwaukee. We used them while framing and siding a house and for building a deck. Later, we performed a test to see how many cuts each saw could make per charge.

Tool Test: Framing Nailers

Fri, 3 May 2013 04:22:57 EST

As a framing contractor, I rely on nail guns more than almost any other tool. When I buy a framing gun I look for a model that is comfortable to handle, able to toenail well, and powerful enough to drive nails flush every time.

Tools Up Close: Paslode Fuel-Powered Roofing Nailer

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:41:46 EST

The CR175C roofing nailer will be familiar to anyone who has ever used Paslode's other fuel-powered tools. It has the same battery and charger and takes a smaller version of the fuel cell used in the newer framing guns.

Tool Test: Circ Saws

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:27:22 EST

Here in the Eastern half of the country, sidewinder circ saws are the workhorse tools of most construction jobs. We do our framing with them, and unlike our Western cousins with their wormdrive saws, we use our sidewinders for everything from form work to trim. As a result, during the past 30 years of building, I've probably run more kilowatts through circular saws than through all my other power tools combined.

Framing Nailers

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:44:06 EST

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.

Tool Test: Framing Nailers

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:00:53 EST

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.

Tool Test: Cordless Circ Saws

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:27:26 EST

When I began working in the building trades some thirty-plus years ago, carpentry tools fell into two categories: basic hand tools and simple electric power tools. I didn't start working with cordless tools until the mid-80s, when I bought my first 9.6-volt, 3 3/8-inch blade cordless saw–more of a toy than a tool. Today, however, cordless technology seems to be the fastest growing segment of the construction tool market, and cordless saws have come a long way in terms of technology, power, and performance. I was eager to test the newest models on my jobsites, and I am happy to say that many of these saws finally can be considered power tools.

Metal Connector Nailers

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:29:25 EST

Years ago I'd routinely build houses that didn't have any metal connectors in them at all. Everything was blocked or ledgered and a few 16d nails were considered adequate for almost any connection. Once in a while I'd use the odd joist hanger, so I kept a coffee can full of 1-1/2-inch hanger nails in my truck box. It would last me a year.

Hoseless Nailers

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 05:03:41 EST

As a builder in the Washington, D.C., area, I spend a lot of time with a nailer in my hand and, of course, a lot of time dragging an air hose around the jobsite. It was an eye-opening experience for me to try out the current generation of hoseless (a.k.a. cordless) nail guns, both framing and finish; it's an impressive array of capable tools, whether they are powered by gas fuel cartridges or by rechargeable batteries. After a few months of testing, I came to the conclusion that we are inching closer to a time when air compressors will be a thing of the past. I'm convinced that we are already at that point with finish nailers and, hopefully, are on the threshold of a great leap forward with framing guns, too.

Hammer Tackers

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 01:41:26 EST

Lowly-but-essential tools that we count on unconsciously and curse when we can't find them buried in the toolbox, hammer tackers simplify the tedious task of driving wire staples into all sorts of building products. Whether you're tacking down carpet pad, hanging faced fiberglass batts, felting a roof, wrapping a house, applying fan-fold siding backer, or posting 'Keep Out' signs, you'd be lost without these fast staple-driving tools.