Tools of the Trade: Tool Tests and Reviews

Lightweight Framing Nailers

Thu, 2 May 2013 01:29:42 EST

These sub 8-pound nail guns are comfortable to use and surprisingly powerful.

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.

First Test: Nailing With Nitrogen

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 01:29:00 EST

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, and repressurize over and over in a closed loop. The tool's motor applies force on the upstroke to pressurize the piston, so the driver shoots down the instant the trigger is pulled, just as it does with a pneumatic nailer. That's why the company bills the Fusion trim nailers as the first 'cordless pneumatic' tools on the market.

First Test: Paslode Angled 16-Gauge Nailer

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:41:20 EST

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 nailer. I also have a 16-gauge finish nailer, but I've always preferred the 15-gauge tool for its angled magazine and – for some uses – slightly larger fasteners. The straight magazine and perpendicular shooting angle of the 16-gauge nailer make it difficult to get into tight places. It's just too clumsy for most installations. So it stays in the shop, and even there it sits on the shelf most of the time.

2010 Editor's Choice: Senco Cordless Nailer

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 12:38:14 EST

Senco has simplified cordless-nailer operations with its new Fusion trim nailers featuring the company's Reflex-Shot technology, which provides instant trigger response.

First Test: High-Pressure Pneumatics

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:06:05 EST

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 drives a lot of product designs. Makita's models have been available there for about three years; they were released in Europe last year. Now it's our turn.

First Test: Bosch's First-Ever Nailer

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:06:01 EST

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 unexpected name just entered the field. After decades of making every other tool imaginable, Bosch has introduced its first nailers and compressors, with all-new designs from the air intake up.

First Test: Nail Kicker Pneumatic Nail Remover

Tue, 5 Feb 2013 01:28:57 EST

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.

First Test: The New Nail Bangers

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:01:00 EST

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.

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.

2009 Editors' Choice: Max Superframer

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:44:39 EST

The best of the best in our recent test of full round-head framing nailers—we ran out of pages just extolling its virtues.

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.

First Test: Cordless Brad Nailer, New LI Battery

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:44:09 EST

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 to pay attention to the direction new products are moving in.