Need help choosing a power nailer

[DieselDave]

I need to buy a power nailer and have been looking and asking around for a couple of weeks. Everyone seems to have a different opinion on which way to go.

I have to build approx. 400' of wood fence, and a 50x50 deck in the very near future. I built them myself last time, buy only half as much fence and deck. I used screws before but time constraints dictate I go to a cordless or pneumatic nailer. I looked at the guns that feed screws but I don't think that will give me enough speed. I will also buy another gun or two later for smaller or more delicate work. The first one I buy will be a framing nailer.

Here's where I am so far. Either a Paslode cordless framing nailer, a Porter cable compressor and framing nailer or the newest and seemingly most attractive approach, a Rigid framing nailer and their's or another companies compressor. I found out yesterday Rigid has come out with a lifetime service contract on their power tools, they will even replace batteries for free (there don't have a cordless nailer)

I know from past experience here we have experts or at least those with experience on every topic so…Which nailer and which compressor should I buy?

Thanks

PS: If you've noticed I'm not around much anymore it's because I have to put my house back together and want to finish by Christmas. I miss checking in every day but by the time I'm done at night, I'm whipped. I plan to post progress photos as time goes on.

 

[Eugene]

I've been meaning to pick up one of those porter cable kits myself. You pretty much can't go wrong with the PC, I was amazed at the difference between my old Craftsman router and my new PC.

 

[DieselDave]

I am a Porter Cable fan myself and have a couple of their sanders and a recip. saw. I was leaning toward them until I noticed the PC framing nailer was out of stock and asked the sales guy at Home Depot when they would get more and he said they weren't getting any more because they had too many returns. The PC framing had good reviews on-line. I liked the PC kit as well but was told the pancake compressor wouldn't support the framing nailer. It would have enough air for the smaller guns but would spend over 50% of the time running and by doing that would burn up in pretty short order if hooked to the large framing nailer.

I bought the Ridgid. Lifetime service warr. is tough to beat and I talked to a few contractors that said it was a great. I also bought the Ridgid compressor, the one that uses oil. It has less power than the oil-free, cost the same but the motor is rated for 3x more hours, 1500 hours compared to 500 hours. I called Ridgid and they said you could use two framing nailers with the oil-free and only one with the oil type. One is plenty for me.

 

[mahoney]

Guess I'm a little late to the party, but if you are going to buy another nailer in the future, I've found one of the most important considerations to be the availablitiy of LOCAL parts and service for any given brand. I'm not a big fan of Paslode, but every other brand of nailer I've used has been OK, provided I could get service when necessary.

A lifetime warranty is great, but if your nailer breaks and you need to use it now, and it's 6 weeks waiting for the parts to ship...you are going to be buying another new nailer. The only way around this is to buy the cheapest one and treat it as disposable.

 

[MoonRise]

Well, a little late as well. First thing for a framing nailer is to check local codes and see if they require full-round head nails or if they accept clipped-head nails. That can narrow down your choices right away. Even if local code accepts clipped-head, you may still choose to get a full-round head nailer. But if code requires full-round, then you can't use the clipped-head units. I think Florida code requires full-round head for framing and structural use (framing, sheathing, etc).

The Hitachi full-round head framing nailer NR83A is a good tool, very good tool. Has the consistent power to sink 3 1/4 nails into dense micro-lam or engineered limber. The Porter-Cable FR350A is a decent tool, not quite as much power as the Hitachi, but a bit less expensive.

Either tool will probably be just fine, power-wise, for a fence.

But I think that there are no pneumatic nails available yet in the newer-required hot-dipped galvanized or stainless or CR-coated for use with the newer PT lumber (CCA-treated is no longer available for consumer use, now you get AZQ (?) and/or something else). The new PT stuff requires more corrosion resistant fasteners.

Also, your deck codes may require the use of galvanized connectors (joist hangers, framing clips, etc) and a framing nailer is just about useless for that. The required nails for the connectors are hot-dipped galvanized and a thicker gauge than 'normal'. You can use a palm-nailer for them though.

For air tools, an oil-lubed compressor is just fine. The oil blow-by helps to lube the tank and tools too. The after-tank vapor separator usually gets the oil out of the air stream, so you still have to OIL THE NAILER REGULARLY !!! Just watch out using an oil rig with a spray gun though. Oil doesn't help a quality paint job at all. Make sure you have a good oil separator at the spray gun.

The P-C pancake compressor can support one guy on a framing nailer OK working at a moderate pace. It is not the right compressor for a crew of guys all using pneumatic nailers (framing, roofing, siding, etc) together.

NOTE, if you haven't used pneumatic nailers before,

BE CAREFUL!!!!

They don't care what they shoot a nail into, wood, your leg, your hand, your head, etc. Nails can bend and come out the side of where you shoot them (especially if you hit a knot), they can blow right through a piece of wood, etc.

Be especially careful to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire the nail. Don't pick up the tool with your finger on the trigger, if you do and bump the nose contact the gun will fire! Watch out for bump-firing, especially during recoil and if you have a semi-auto trigger installed.

Wear safety glasses, the tool and the air exhaust will kick up things.

Be careful and good luck with the rebuilding project.

Oh, and the cordless nailers are sometimes useful but not as the primary nailer. They are usually slower than a pneumatic nailer, more expensive, and not as powerful. As a supplemental tool for a pro for when his air hose won't reach or he doesn't want to set up the compressor for a quick job, but they are a supplemental tool not the primary nailer.

 

[DieselDave]

Great info. I am starting this Sunday and hope to be able to use my computer at the end of the day.

I bought the round head nailer.

My only complaint so far (I haven't used the tools yet) is the compressor is so heavy it makes me want to go buy 500' of hose and leave the compressor in the garage while I use it. Sorta kidding, I will haul it around in my little 4'x3' trailer. The gun is huge and I know there will be times when it won't be usable but I'm committed now.