These sub 8-pound nail guns are comfortable to use and surprisingly powerful.
Though expensive, this tool offers some real advantages over comparable pneumatics
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
Senco's new Fusion trim nailers operate unlike any drive system you've seen before and represent a giant leap forward in hose-free technology. As in pneumatic models, a cylinder-housed piston creates the force to drive fasteners, but the system uses a captive volume of nitrogen to pressurize, shoot...
In my architectural woodworking business, finish nailers are the pneumatic tools we use the most, and having a good complement of nailers for every application is critical to the success of a custom job. My primary arsenal of finish guns includes a 15-gauge finish nailer and an 18-gauge brad...
Senco has simplified cordless-nailer operations with its new Fusion trim nailers featuring the company's Reflex-Shot technology, which provides instant trigger response.
Makita is bringing its high-pressure nailer line to the U.S., and we were the first framing crew in the country to get our hands on its framing and siding coil nailers and brand-new 400-psi compressor. High-pressure nailers are more common in Japan, where the affinity for efficiency and compactness...
Out West where I build, the Big Three of framing nailers are Hitachi, Paslode, and Senco; if you've shot a 12d nail here, chances are it's been through one of these. There is no shortage of companies making framers, as I found out in our test of 19 full round-head nailers last year, but an...
For such an ingenious tool, the Nail Kicker is based on a very simple concept. What if you could use a nail gun instead of a hammer to pound a nail back through a board? All you would need is a nailer without a magazine, right? That's the idea behind the Nail Kicker.
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Tools of the Trade rounded up nine waffle-faced framing hammers from around the globe and put them out on a Colorado jobsite with 15 framers, lead by regular contributor Michael Davis, to see how they'd stack up. Here's what we learned, in order of increasing appreciation.
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...
The best of the best in our recent test of full round-head framing nailers—we ran out of pages just extolling its virtues.
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.
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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...
If you do much work that requires nailing, you know the importance of pneumatic technology. I cannot imagine going back to the days of nailing up crown or other running trim with a hammer. Changing with the times and tools can increase your productivity and the quality of your work, so it is wise...