Paslode 16GA Finish Nailer – Model IM250A-Li2

Paslode 16GA Cordless Angled Finish Nailer

5/5

Manufacturer: Paslode
Model number: IM250A-Li-2
Price: $429.00
Power source: 7.4v Lithium Ion Battery
Weight: 4.5Lbs

A part of Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Paslode is an industry leader in fastening products. Professional remodelers, contractors, and specialty tradespeople working in the residential construction industry have depended on Paslode products for decades. They undoubtedly improve workplace productivity. Paslode produces high-quality products that help us do the job properly. As a result, Paslode focuses on developing durable nailing methods that give users, whether professional contractors or do-it-yourselfers, power, productivity, and pleasure in their work.

Paslode Angled Nailer | Job Site Performance

We took this nailer on a long journey while testing it. It arrived days before we started a large 4 family finish carpentry project.  We were tasked with installing 44 new interior doors and all the trim. A total of 32 windows needed to be trimmed out, and there seemed to be endless amounts of baseboard molding that needed to be installed. Throughout this remodeling project, the nailer only had one jam. This was not a malfunction, but rather dumb luck hitting something behind the trim and jamming up.

Paslode IM250A-Li2 Specifications

• Tool Weight – 4.5lbs
• Tool Dimensions – 10-3/4″ x 3.5″ x 11-1/2″
• Tool Speed – 2-3 nails per second
• Battery – Cordless 7V Li-ion Battery
• Battery Life -12,000 shots
• Firing Mode – Sequential
• Fastener Capacity – 100 (2 strips)

Paslode IM250A-Li2 |Cordless Nailer Advantages

Owning a cordless finish nailer has the obvious advantage that you don’t have to bother setting up a compressor or being tethered to an outlet. As a result, there is no longer any risk of stumbling over air hoses or cords and getting hurt. Additionally, there’s no need to stress over selecting the fittings, hoses, or tool oil that will function with your tool.

As compared to this Paslode IM205A-Li2 gas and battery-powered nailer, a cordless nailer powered just by batteries means a single power source, which is one less thing to worry about. Of course, this means that the battery will be drained more quickly. A smaller battery, which results in a lighter tool, is another benefit of gas and battery nailers. A gas-powered nailer can often run longer than a model that relies just on batteries because it has two sources of energy at its disposal. This nailer will shoot 12,000 shots on one charge, whereas competitors with a battery-only power range from 750-1,000 shots. plus the lighter weight will be noticed if you’re working at awkward angles, like overhead.

Paslode’s Lithium-ion Battery

Paslode IM250A-Li2 runs off a 7.2v lithium-ion battery. When fully charged you have up to 12,000 shots. When completely dead, charging for 20 minutes will get you up to 80% battery life. Struggling and only need a few more shots? This nailer battery can charge for 2 minutes and that is enough to get you 200 additional shots.

There is also a secondary lock feature that allows the battery to remain engaged in the tool but does not drain it. Simply pull the battery out until it clicks and you are powered down. To engage, push the lever and push the battery forward. You will know you are ready to fire when the green LED light is flashing.

Paslode Fuel Cell

Each fuel cell, according to Paslode, can power about 1,200 nails. Paslode’s Fuel Drop-in System offers quick & simple loading. Each fire leaves behind a stench, although it isn’t overbearing, you can feel its presence but if you can ignore it or it doesn’t bother you, there are no problems.

Most big box stores sell packs of two fuel cells for roughly $20.00.It is recommended to keep a few readily available.

Paslode Fastener Specs

This Paslode nailer requires a 16 Gauge Angled finish nail. The nailer will accept nails from 1-1/4” to 2-1/2”. There are 2000 nails per container. So when you grab your nails, you probably want to grab a 2 pack of finish nail fuel cells while you’re at it. This nailer will also accept 2 strips of nails (100). Not having to reload every 50 nails is a nice feature.

Paslode IM250A-Li2 | Kit Components

The Paslode 16ga angled finish nailer comes with the following components:

• Nailer
• Charger
• 7.4V Lithium Battery
• Blow Molded Carrying Case

There is room in the case for an additional battery as well as storage for 2 containers of nails.

Belt Loop

The belt loop on this cordless finish nailer has a nice spring-loaded pivoting function that can allow you to hang it on either side. You have to push down and then turn the loop.

I love to hang the nailer on my backside while working. I do not like to hang it on my front due to constantly hitting it on whatever I am working on. This metal loop is rugged and will not have any issues down the road.

Room For Improvement | Contact Probe

One item we want to talk about is the no mar contact probe. While making a change and rotating for a better line of sight from the previous model, this thing continuously falls off. There were many times when I would have to stop what I’m doing to search for it. The orange rubber tip has grooves but does not secure well. We would like to see them come up with a better, more permanent solution.

For us, we ended up using some 2 part glue and since then it’s been fine. Additional tips would also be helpful for those that do not want to secure them with glue.

Paslode IM250A-Li2 |Ergonomics

The Paslode cordless finish nailer offers an excellent, comfortable rubber over-molded grip. The angled magazine offers better access to confined areas. The tool’s curved body offers an excellent line of sight and easy access to confined spaces. This saw is perfectly balanced and weighs 4.5 lbs.

Paslode IM250A-Li2 | Cold Weather Firing

One of the things that fuel cell nailers can experience is running sluggishly in cold weather. Paslode made some improvements about 4 to 5 years ago on this issue. The upgrades that were made were to the fuel can itself. They updated the dosing and the design of the adapter to ensure that the appropriate amount of fuel was released to the tool with each trigger pull. This will ensure that every time the trigger has been pulled a nail is shot. To get the best performance Paslode recommends using the tool in temperatures between 45°F (7.2°C) and 120°F (49°C).

Hardwood Testing

Many high-end remodeling contractors use woods such as mahogany and oak when doing trim. We tested the nailer in the shop using both of these woods. We wanted to check the depth of the nail in these materials vs the pine that we have been using it. For this test, we used a 2×4 and fired nails into the mahogany and the oak to see if we got any jams. We experienced no jams and the depth of the nail set was just below the surface of the material.

Conclusion

The concept of cutting the cord [in this case, the hose] has been around for a while now but we always hear people say “for larger trim jobs, we will still use the compressor and pneumatic nailers.” Always stating that the battery just does not last long enough. Well, Paslode has changed our thought process and it just might change yours. Firing 12,000 shots on a single charge is pretty impressive. This cordless finish nailer is worth the shot, and is highly recommended!

Paslode 16GA Cordless Angled Finish Nailer Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Paslode 30° Cordless XP Framing Nailer (Model CFN325XP)

Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer

4.5/5

Manufacturer: Paslode
Model number: CFN325XP
Power source: Fuel Cartridge + Battery
Weight: 7.2 lbs

“Increased efficiency of loading nails, redesigned grip for better comfort and control, improved performance when rapid-firing nails, and easy battery removal. All of these features have been added to this new model solving pro’s key pain points.”

We evaluated these focus areas as well as all around performance throughout our test period and came away impressed with the Paslode 30° XP Framing Nailer (Model CFN325XP). So let’s get into the specifics!

Specifications & Features

Specifications:

• Nails/fuel cell: approx. 1,200
• Nails/battery charge: approx. 9,000
• Battery: Paslode 7.4V Lithium
• Fuel: Paslode Orange all-season fuel (816008)
• Framing Gun Style:  30° framing, paper tape framing nails
• Nail length: 2 – 3.5 inch
• Nail diameter: 0.113 – 0.131 inch shank
• Size (LxHxW): 14.5 x 12 x 4.25 inch
• Weight: 7.2 lbs (without nails)
• Tool kit includes: XP cordless framing nailer, Li battery, battery charger, molded carrying case, safety glasses & 5/32 in. hex wrench

Features:

• Nail lock-out prevents blank driving
• Special formula fuel that works in all seasons down to 14°F
• Tool-free depth adjustment & Jam release
• Compact design fits between 16 in. OC studs, joists & roof trusses
• Battery stand-by position
• Reversible belt/rafter hook
• Stainless steel magazine resists warping and jams
• Covered under Paslode 2-year service promise – “free repairs with no questions”

Power & Performance | Paslode CFN325XP

Fuel/Battery Hybrid

I was impressed by the Paslode CFN325XP’s overall power from the first nail to the last. I had used my share of pneumatic framing nailers over the years and had come to rely on their reliability and consistent performance. Recently, I added a few battery-based cordless nailers to my kit. The Paslode CFN325XP’s Fuel cell & battery design is phenomenal. We used the CFN325XP over the course of a few weeks to set framing, place LVL’s, and erect sheathing. The performance of both the fuel cell and battery came as advertised. In full sequential mode, it seemed to easily drive 2 nails/sec (although we rarely sustain that driving rate) with no noticeable power loss.

The fuel canister loading was hard to mess up and seems quite reliable. Once locked in place it’s secure and protected from damage. The nozzle that swivels to attach the hose to the canister is held in place by metal swing arms. This typifies the overall quality of construction as it would have been easy for Paslode to use less durable materials on the arms since they are completely covered, yet they did not.  The case also has storage spots for 3x additional canisters which should cover the fuel required for almost 5,000 nails. We knew everything was working when we heard the fan start-up and could see some fumes form around the nozzle area. The smell is a bit pungent but, when used in a well-ventialted area as highly recommended, it wasn’t a major factor.

Compact & Reliable

We were pleased the Paslode CFN325XP delivered impressive power from such a compact and light nailer. The compact size (14.5 inch total length) allowed us to easily fit the nailer between studs and joists when required. I’ve used other nailers where this was possible but not easily done. The only tradeoff on the compact size was the limitation from using an extended capacity magazine but we’re used to that job site trade-off for 30° nailers.

I was also a big fan of the non-slip, non-mar tip. The non-slip (4x pronged) design of the tip allows it to stay in place once set even if nailing overhead or at an awkward angle. The non-mar design of the tip disperses the prong pressure evenly to reduce the indents caused by the tip. This wasn’t a huge factor on the job site though as we are rarely concerned about mars on rough framing and carpentry.

The last performance feature that really stood out was the nail lock-out feature. Simply explained, there is a design mechanism that prevents the Paslode CFN325XP from firing when nails are not loaded. This is especially important because of the high-power, fuel-based firing design of the nailer. The resistance of the nail against the force of the expanding gas on the ignition chamber is balanced to prevent damage to the driving pin. If the gun were to fire without a nail there is an increased chance of damage to the driving pin.

Ergonomics & Safety Features

The Paslode CFN325XP weighs in at a trim 7.2 lbs.  This is comparable to many pneumatic framing nailers but gives you the added freedom and balance of not having an air hose pulling back on the gun during operation. And while many of the Paslode CFN325XP’s battery-based competitors also offer the benefits of hose-free operations, they also weigh, on average, a few more pounds. Even when well balanced to distribute the added weight of the larger battery, the added weight (sometimes significantly) increases fatigue. And if you want to drive more nails with a battery-based nailer, you have to bring (and charge) extra batteries. Needless to say, we were very impressed by this nailer’s low weight and great balance!

We also appreciated the battery 2-point lock design.  The battery clicks into place at position 1 but does not actually supply power. To fully set the battery in place you need to again press the locking button and seat the battery at position 2. This was great because it meant that the battery was always securely stored; either in the gun or the charger. But when in the gun (and locked in position 1) there was no chance of accidental misfire because there was no energy source available to cause a spark in the ignition chamber.

One safety feature to note with any fuel-based nailer is that the combustion causes a release of carbon monoxide. For this reason, Paslode HIGHLY recommends this nailer is used only in well-ventialted work areas. We’re not sure how difficult it would be but it would be cool to see future versions of Paslode fuel-based nailers have an integrated CO sensor.

Overall Adjustability

The Paslode CFN325XP continued to shine in this area. We LOVED the tool-free depth setting and found that it worked exceptionally well. When working on consistently dense materials, the performance was extremely even and predictable and didn’t require us to adjust as we worked our way through the fuel source. You simply pinch either side of the depth gauge and slide up or down. And because there is no lever or small adjustment wrench required, it was easy to do while wearing work gloves. Every minute saved is more work done in a day, so we appreciated this simple yet very effective design feature!

The other adjustable feature on the Paslode CFN325XP is the rafter/belt hook. In order to change the angle/position of the hook, you pull back on the hook against the spring tension. Then you can swivel the hook 180°. When facing the left (operator’s perspective) side of the tool there is ample clearance for the hook to fit over a standard 2x. And when rotated to the right side of the tool the hook is in a more compact position so you can hang it on your work belt. The tool is light enough that this is a reasonable option and with the tip facing backward when on the belt, the chance of poking yourself with the no-slip tip is minimal.

Does the Paslode CFN325XP need to be oiled, and the answer is yes.  The only time you will need to oil your Paslode cordless nailer, should be oiled after it has been cleaned out .  Please only use Paslode cordless nail lubrication oil #401482.  Your cordless nailer comes pre- lubricated from the factory.  If you see a small amount of oil seep  out , that’s ok and not uncommon.  During normal use it is not necessary to oil your cordless nailer.

Suggested Improvements

We would have like to seen hex key stored on board.  We had one nail jam and needed the hex key to assist in clearing the jam and  of  course this happened first thing on a Monday morning .

Final Thoughts | Paslode 30° XP Framing Nailer

Overall we were thoroughly impressed with the Paslode CFN325XP. It is a feature-rich nail gun that strikes the perfect balance of power, comfort, sleekness and ease of use. It performed flawlessly no matter the day, task, materials, or operator (yea, that’s a thing too) we threw at it. At $399 it’s on the expensive end of the spectrum, but for a difference of $50-100, it’s worth every penny. The CFN325XP proves that you get what you pay for so you might as well get one of the best framing nailers on the market. We’re sure glad we did! The only thing we turned our nose up at (sometimes literally) was the smell of the fuel after extended use. But having adequate ventilation makes all the difference in taking care of this easily fixed issue.

Paslode 30° XP Framing Nailer Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Comparing Manufacturer’s Warranties

Comparing warranties between manufacturers has always been difficult, if not practically impossible.  Yet we all have the same few basic questions with regard to each brand’s warranty.   So here at Tool Box Buzz, we decided to ask the vendors themselves to answer those basic questions for you in plain English.  And they did!

Here are the questions we asked

We figured that there are 14 questions that cover the bases as far as what we really need to know.  So here’s what we asked each brand:

For each category o power tools that you sell (if there’s more than one), including batteries:

1. How long are the warranty periods for?
2. How do you require registration to be done, if at all?
3. How long a time from purchase does the customer have to register?
4. Must the receipt be kept?
5. What do the warranties cover?
6. Is the customer responsible for part of the repair/replacement expense?
7. What are the exclusions?
8. What will void the warranty?
9. How do you get service (bring the tool to store, bring it to a dealer, send it to a repair center, etc.)?
10. If to a service center, how many certified repair facilities are there in the US?
11. Who determines if the tool is covered under warranty, and how do they do that?
12. If the customer has to send it somewhere, who pays shipping charges?
13. If the customer brings the tool to a store or dealer, will they get an immediate replacement?
14. Is there an average turnaround time?

The Brands Covered

We got responses from 15 brands to which we sent those questions.  We asked the vendors to respond in a standard format, and their actual responses are linked to by each of their names below (numbers after a brand name link to separate documents of the response).

• BLACK + DECKER
• Bosch
• CRAFTSMAN
• DEWALT
• Festool
• Hart
• Hilti
• Makita
• Metabo HPT
• Milwaukee
• Paslode (1) (2) (3)
• Porter-Cable
• Ridgid
• Ryobi
• Skil (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

IMPORTANT NOTE What follows is our necessarily very brief few-word synopsis of the vendors’ responses.  It is not the complete vendor response. Nor does it cover all the details and subtleties.  For that, you’ll need to click through the hyperlinks above.  In some places, we put an asterisk (*) after a point to indicate that additional detail is found in that vendor’s response when that answer was complicated.

How long are the warranty periods for?

This is the most basic question and the starting point for most of our consideration.  Of course, the devil is in the details, and the rest of the questions address them.  But here’s where we all start.

BLACK + DECKER  2 years for tools and batteries

Bosch  Corded tools – 1 year | cordless tools – 3 years | chargers (made after August 2020) – 3 years | batteries – 2 years | measuring tools – 1 or 2 years*

CRAFTSMAN  90-day money-back | 3-year limited

DEWALT  90-day money-back guarantee, 1-year free service, 3-year limited warranty on most tools.  Batteries have 2 or 3-year warranties

Festool  3 years wear-and-tear

Hart  3 years

Hilti  20 year warranty | 2 year wear-and-tear

Makita  3 years Lithium-Ion Tool, Battery, Charger, and Pneumatic Nailer | 1-year general product warranty | 2 years emissions-related components

Metabo HPT HPT Materials and workmanship only, not wear-and-tear.  Depending on type of tool: limited lifetime, 5 years, 2 years, or 1 year*.  90 or 30-days for accessory-type items.*

Milwaukee  Power tools – 5 years | Equipment – 2 years | Batteries – 3 years

Paslode  Cordless Two-Year Bumper to Bumper Warranty. Pneumatics (including Duo-Fast) 1-year Limited Warranty. Five years on molded parts for both (see * for details).

Porter-Cable  Power tools – 3 years | batteries – 2-3 years

Ridgid  3 years | most items eligible for LSA

Ryobi  3 years | 40-volt tools – 5 years

Skil  Corded handheld – 1 year | Benchtop – 3 years | Cordless/OPE/measurement – 5 years | batteries & chargers – 2 years

How do you require registration to be done if at all?

Registration — specifically failing to do so — has been the bane of many busy pros.  We see here that most brands don’t require registration these days.

BLACK + DECKER  Not required

Bosch  Online or phone

CRAFTSMAN  Not required

DEWALT  Not required

Festool  Not required (in the USA)

Hart  Not required

Hilti  Not required

Makita  Not required but online recommended

Metabo HPT HPT  Not required

Milwaukee  Not required

Paslode  Not required but recommended, online

Porter-Cable  Not required

Ridgid  Online or by mail

Ryobi  Not required

Skil  Not required but encouraged

How long from purchase does the customer have to register?

While registration isn’t required by most brands, it is always a good idea and making a habit of registering new tools is best practice.  We highly recommend keeping a folder for each expensive tool with the warranty, registration, and receipt…and anything else that might be needed down the road.

BLACK + DECKER  N/A

Bosch  Corded and corded tools – anytime during warranty period | measuring tools – within 8 weeks from purchase

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  N/A

Festool  Not required, but within 30 days is best

Hart  N/A

Hilti  N/A

Makita  N/A

Metabo HPT  N/A

Milwaukee  N/A

Paslode  Anytime during the warranty period

Porter-Cable  N/A

Ridgid  90 days

Ryobi  N/A

Skil  Generally within 30 days to get full warranty

Must the receipt be kept?

Many manufacturers don’t require a receipt to be kept, and in many cases the tool’s date of manufacture will be considered the start of the warranty period.  But see the note above about keeping a folder for each significant tool–it’s just good business sense!

BLACK + DECKER  Preferred, but not necessary

Bosch  Yes

CRAFTSMAN  Yes

DEWALT  Preferred but not necessary

Festool  Yes

Hart  No, but recommended

Hilti  No

Makita  No, but recommended

Metabo HPT  No, but recommended

Milwaukee  No, but recommended

Paslode  No, but recommended, otherwise serial # is coded with date of manufacture and dictates warranty period.

Porter-Cable  Preferred but not necessary

Ridgid  No, but recommended, especially with LSA

Ryobi  No, but recommended

Skil  Yes (one-time exception)

What does the warranty cover?

Ahh, here’s where we get into the devil’s details.  Note that most warranties cover defects in the manufacture of the tool, but a couple go significantly beyond that.

BLACK + DECKER  Defects in materials and workmanship

Bosch  Materials and workmanship

CRAFTSMAN  Defects in materials and workmanship

DEWALT  Year 1: Maintenance and parts are worn due to normal use | Years 2-3: Defects in materials or workmanship.

Festool  Everything except consumables

Hart  Materials and workmanship

Hilti  20 years material & workmanship | 2 years wear-and-tear

Makita  Materials and workmanship

Metabo HPT  Materials and workmanship

Milwaukee  Materials and workmanship

Paslode  Cordless – Everything (even if it falls off a roof) during the first 2 years; 5 years molded parts. | Pneumatics – One year on non-wear parts complex; 90 days on normal wearing, see table*

Porter-Cable  Year 1: Maintenance and parts are worn due to normal use | Years 2-3: Defects in materials or workmanship.

Ridgid  Materials and workmanship | LSA covers wear and tear

Ryobi  Materials and workmanship

Skil  Materials and workmanship

Is the customer responsible for part of the repair/replacement expense?

In all cases the customer isn’t responsible for part of the repair expense if the tool is covered under warranty…as it should be.

BLACK + DECKER  No

Bosch  No if covered under warranty

CRAFTSMAN  No

DEWALT  No

Festool  No

Hart  No

Hilti  No

Makita  No

Metabo HPT  No

Milwaukee  No

Paslode  No

Porter-Cable  No

Ridgid  No

Ryobi  No

Skil  No

What are the exclusions?

More of the devil’s details.  There are significant differences between brands here, but note that most vendors disallow coverage if the tool is misused or abused, but some Paslode covers their tools regardless of what you do to them.

BLACK + DECKER  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repairs

Bosch  Misuse, careless handling, misrepair

CRAFTSMAN  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repair

DEWALT  Abuse, accidental damage, unauthorized repair

Festool  Purchase outside USA

Hart  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Hilti  Wear-and-tear excludes abuse or non-intended use and some accessories

Makita  Normal wear-and-tear, alterations, unauthorized repair, abuse, misuse improper maintenance, the improper operation*

Metabo HPT  Unauthorized repair, non-conforming parts, normal wear-and-tear, abuse, inappropriate use, neglect, accidents.

Milwaukee  Normal wear-and-tear, and abuse

Paslode  Cordless – none | Pneumatics – see table*

Porter-Cable  Abuse, accidents, unauthorized repair

Ridgid  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Ryobi  accidents, misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification or repairs by other than Authorized Service Centers

Skil  Warranty not transferrable

What will void the warranty?

There are some significant differences here; note that purchase outside the United States will void some warranties.  We always recommend buying from an authorized dealer no matter your geographic area.

BLACK + DECKER  Modifications, use outside a home environment

Bosch  Misuse, careless handling, misrepair

CRAFTSMAN  Modifications

DEWALT  Modifications

Festool  Modifications, misuse, use inconsistent with the intent of the tool

Hart  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Hilti  Abuse

Makita  See above

Metabo HPT  See above.

Milwaukee  See above

Paslode  Cordless – non-U.S. purchase, improper use, non-authorized nails. | Pneumatics – see table*, also non-U.S. purchase

Porter-Cable  Modifications

Ridgid  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Ryobi  Misuse, abuse, neglect, alteration, modification, or unauthorized repair

Skil  Abuse, modification, unauthorized repair, purchase through unauthorized or third party seller

How do you get service?

The big differences here are mostly whether you can take the tool to a retail dealer or if you have to get it to a service center.

BLACK + DECKER  Factory or authorized repair center

Bosch  Ship to or drop off at Bosch service center

CRAFTSMAN  Take to retailer

DEWALT  Factory or authorized repair center

Festool  Repair center in Indiana

Hart  Get to repair center

Hilti  Ship to repair center or bring to Hilti store

Makita  Return to the repair center

Metabo HPT  Bring or ship to the service center

Milwaukee  Initiate service online or by telephone

Paslode  Bring to authorized service center – or send back to Paslode.

Porter-Cable  factory or authorized service center

Ridgid  Get to repair center

Ryobi  Get to the repair center

Skil  Get to the service center

How many repair centers in the U.S.?

Most brands have hundreds of authorized repair centers in addition to factory service centers.  The services you can get at a non-factory-operated center will of course vary considerably.

BLACK + DECKER  20 factory, 700+ authorized

Bosch  4 Bosch service centers | 400+ authorized service centers

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  20 factory, 700+ authorized

Festool  1

Hart  214+ independent

Hilti  4

Makita  12 factory | 1500+ authorized

Metabo HPT  800+ authorized

Milwaukee  20 factory  | hundreds authorized

Paslode  300+ authorized

Porter-Cable  20 factory | 700+ authorized

Ridgid  330+ independent | Home Depot tool rental centers

Ryobi  330+ independent | Home Depot tool rental centers

Skil  140+

Who determines if the tool is covered, and how do they do that?

In all cases someone at the service center itself determines if a tool is covered.  Of course, there’s no way for us to determine, or even properly ask, just how strict or forgiving that person will be…on that particular day.

BLACK + DECKER  Service center review

Bosch  Bosch Service technician

CRAFTSMAN  Retailer review

DEWALT  Service center review

Festool  Festool employees

Hart  Technician

Hilti  Serial number provides information

Makita  Service center

Metabo HPT  Technician

Milwaukee  Technician

Paslode  The service center

Porter-Cable  Service center review

Ridgid  Technician

Ryobi  Technician

Skil  Customer service, technician

Who pays shipping charges (if under warranty)?

This is an important detail.  If you have to pay for a heavy tool to get to a service center, it may be easier/cheaper just to scrap the tool.  Whatever the vendor’s policy, you always want duplicates of tools that will grind a job to a halt if they go down.

BLACK + DECKER  Customer pays to ship to the service center

Bosch  Bosch pays if, under warranty, the customer pays return charges if not covered by warranty

CRAFTSMAN  Customer must bring to a retailer

DEWALT  Customer pays shipping to the service center

Festool  Festool

Hart  Customer pays inbound

Hilti   if under wear-and-tear coverage

Makita  Customer (one exception)*

Metabo HPT  Metabo HPT

Milwaukee  Milwaukee

Paslode  – Paslode pays both ways |  Pneumatics – must bring to the service center, if sent to Factory, Paslode pays for return only

Porter-Cable  Customer pays to ship to the service center

Ridgid  Customer pays inbound

Ryobi  Customer pays inbound

Skil  Will recommend service location within driving distance; otherwise shipping pre-paid

If the customer brings the tool to a store or dealer, will they get an immediate replacement?

Most brands will offer a refund or replacement within 30-90 days of purchase.  Some brands differ.  We regard a refund as the same as a replacement since you can simply return a tool you’re unhappy with and buy a new one on the spot.

BLACK + DECKER  Most retailers have a 30-day return policy

Bosch  Yes within 30 days |  180 days for PROFACTOR rotary hammer*

CRAFTSMAN  If under warranty, yes

DEWALT  30-day returns to retailers | 90-day returns for most tools at the service center

Festool  No

Hart  No

Hilti  Yes for batteries, chargers, and some tools

Makita  30 days replacement or refund

Metabo HPT  30 days

Milwaukee  No

Paslode  Pneumatics – Store/dealer discretion

Porter-Cable  30 days at retailer | 90 days at the factory service center

Ridgid  90 day return to retailer

Ryobi  90 day return or refund at the retailer

Skil  Depending on circumstances

Is there an average turnaround time?

All brands offer reasonable, if not extraordinary, turnaround times.  Of course, these don’t include the shipping transit times.  Again, make sure you have, or can easily get, dups of vital tools.

BLACK + DECKER  5 business days

Bosch  5 business days

CRAFTSMAN  N/A

DEWALT  5 business days

Festool  48-72 hours

Hart  No

Hilti  Same day in, same day out

Makita  3 days

Metabo HPT  48 hours

Milwaukee  7-10 business days

Paslode  3 days

Porter-Cable  5 business days

Ridgid  No

Ryobi  No

Skil  Goal of 5-7 days

Conclusion

We were surprised by how similar most warranty terms are, and of course very happy to see some of the extraordinarily generous terms of some brands in some areas.  It seems that the manufacturers realize how important warranties are to most pro purchase decisions.  As you would expect in a competitive industry, at similar price points the terms are reasonably close.  Warranty terms aren’t the only characteristic that’s important in a decision to buy, but they can often make or break a decision to invest long-term in one brand rather than another.

Comparing Manufacturer’s Warranties is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Paslode F150S-PP Positive Placement Metal Connector Nailer

Paslode 1-1/2" Positive Placement Nailer

Manufacturer: Paslode
Model number: F150S-PP
Weight: 6lbs. 4oz.

Features and Specifications

• Patented nose probe locates hole and guides nail as it’s driven
• New driver blade’s crescent-shaped design prevents jams
• Compact design allows you to work in tight spaces
• Toothless adjustable exhaust cap easily moves air out of the way
• Comfort grip provides greater comfort allowing you to work longer
• Inline magazine is designed for balance, maneuverability, and unobstructed operation
• Bypass Follower allows for faster loading
• Lock-out eliminates blank firing and promotes driver blade durability
• Weight: 6lbs. 4oz.
• Nail Capacity: 1 strip
• Air Req./100p.s.i. (6.9 bar): .086/cycle
• Nail Size: 1-1/2″ Only

Compact Design

Seems like nearly all framing we do these days includes structural hangers and or engineered lumber. Many of the joist and rafter hangers are installed in tight spaces which makes having a compact positive placement nailer very convenient. This new compact design is ideal for tight to reach spaces especially with framing members that are spaced in the 12 inch or less spacing range.

The F150S-PP measures 13″ long, 11.7″ tall, and only 3.7″ wide. That is considerably smaller than it’s big brother the F250S-PP which is nearly 14″ tall and just over 19″ long with a width of 5″. 

Plenty of Power

While the F150S-PP may be a much more compact positive placement nailer, it’s certainly not lacking in the power department. This nailer operates from 90 – 120 psi and is very capable of sinking 1-1/2″ hanger nails into traditional framing and engineered lumber. We didn’t experience any short sets when framing decks and floor systems both in traditional lumber or engineered lumber.

Improved Driver Blade Design

The biggest change in the new Paslode F150S-PP vs the older PF150S-PP is the redesigned driver blade which now features a “crescent” bottom shape. This new shape is designed to reduce the nonoccurence of jams. The tip also provides excellent line of sight and fast response to find the hanger hole easily and quickly.

Capacity Vs Compact Design

Like anything in life often one benefit comes with a trade-off. The F150S-PP certainly has a trade-off in the fact that it’s compact design only allows 1 strip of nails. When you’re installing a lot of hangers this can certainly be annoying but then again if you’re working in tight spaces the shorter tool length makes a huge difference. Paslode does offer an extended (2) strip magazine (part #502316) which can be changed out to offer more nail capacity.The other thing that is a limitation on this model is the limitation of only 1-1/2″ nails. It would be really nice if this model also could shoot the 2-1/2″ nails as well.

Overall Impression – Paslode F150S-PP

The Paslode F150S-PP is an excellent positive placement nailer specifically designed for compact spaces and ease of use. Other than a limited nail capacity and only offering 1-1/2″ size fasteners this nailer has nothing worth noting for improvement. Priced just around $339 this should be a great seller for Paslode.

Paslode 1-1/2″ Positive Placement Metal Connector Nailer Review is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Paslode F350-S Framing Nailer Review

We recently tested nine pneumatic nailers and the Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S Framing Nailer was in that mix.  I’m a fan of and have been using the F350 nailer for some time and was looking forward to testing the F350-S .

Paslode PowerMaster Plus Specifications

• Collation Type:                        Paper
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                   No
• Fastener Length:                     2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:         30º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:      Yes
• Jam Clearance:                       Yes
• Magazine Capacity:               84
• Magazine Loading:                Rear
• Operating Pressure:              80-120 psi
• Power Source:                         Pneumatic
• Height:                                     13-1/2
• Length:                                     19.3/8”
• Width:                                      5-1/8
• Weight                                     8.4 lbs.
• Paslode PowerMaster Plus

Depth Adjustment

This Paslode framing nailer requires and on onboard Allen wrench  for depth adjustments on the Paslode nailer. This method is an old-fashioned approach, and we’d like to see Paslode include a depth adjustment knob on future generations.

Paslode Trigger

The Paslode requires that the trigger be swapped out, to change firing modes, between sequential and bump fire. While this isn’t ideal for a “do-it-all,” framing gun, it’s typical for full-time framers who use task-specific guns and operate in mostly the bump firing mode. Changing out the trigger was quick and easy, but I’m sure I’ll lose the trigger over time.  I’d like to see Paslode include a selector switch.

Rafter Hook

The Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S framing nailer has the BEST rafter hook of all the nailers Ive ever used. Paslode’s spring-loaded hook has a 2-1/2″ opening, is not reversible, has a 180-degree swing, and three detent positions [it locks in a stored position, at 90 degrees, and also swings against the magazine.]

Dry Fire Lockout

This feature prevents the nailer from firing when out of nails. Many manufacturers include this feature because it avoids unnecessary wear. It also eliminates the frustration of firing the nailer and discovering that the user has not set a nail. Bostitch is the only nailer without a dry fire lockout and was marked down for this. The team felt that lock-out is an important feature that Pros prefer.

Toe Nailing With the Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S

When toe-nailing, I held the Paslode nailer at approximately 60 degrees. Many framing nailer contact-tips slip in these situations, and the nailers with the most aggressive contact tip will toe-nail better. For toe-nailing framing applications, I used 3-1/2” nails to fasten 2×4 KD framing stud at an angle. The Paslode was powerful and gripped the wood well.

Using the Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S fFraming Nailer

I used the Paslode nailer to make LVL headers, install 3/4″ Advantec to LVL joists and toe nailing a stud wall.  Its clear that this nailer was designed for Pro framers – its no nonsense approach and “set-and-forget” adjustments are designed for a contractor that sets this tool up for specific fastening applications and doesn’t deviate.

The Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S framing nailer is powerful, well balanced, and rafter its hook is second to none.

How Much and Where To Buy?

The Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S sells online at ACME for approximately $249.00 See link below.

Paslode PowerMaster Plus F350-S  is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Full-Size Pneumatic Framing Nailers

Head-to-Head Testing

Pneumatic nailers first started gaining ground in the construction world in the 1950’s. While the underlying technology hasn’t changed much; features, size, weight, and function have all been improved drastically. Even though pneumatic nailers can’t replace hammers on the job-site, they have become just as common.

Newer building materials like engineered lumber put today’s nailers to the test. Users can become frustrated when they have to follow up a pneumatic nailer by hand-banging “proud” nails into LVL headers. Whether you’re looking to avoid this frustration and want a nailer that is powerful enough to penetrate engineered lumber, or your new to the game, and need a “do-it-all” framing nailer this Head-to-Head will guide you on the proper choice. This test will give you the information you need to choose the best full-size framing nailer.

Full Head, Full-Size Framing Nailer Specifications and Features

For this Head-to-Head evaluation, nailers were chosen based on the following criteria: Capable of firing up to 3-1/2″ full-head framing nails, full-size tools (nothing from the compact category), and capacity to hold at least two full strips of nails.

The challenge for any Head-to-Head is developing the testing and evaluation criteria to create a valuable comparison for Pro users. There are many different tests that could be performed. However, with limited time and resources, this evaluation focuses on real world tasks found on many of the jobs we work on. These tasks have measurable and realistic applications to give you a good baseline on performance and expectations.

We included the following framing nailers in the Head-To-Head test:

Bostitch F21PL 21º Full Round Head 3-1/2” Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    No
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          21º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Sequential with Additional Trigger Included
• Magazine Capacity:                 60
• Magazine Loading:                  Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:                80-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       14”
• Length:                                      20-3/8”
• Width:                                       5-1/4”
• Weight                                      8.1 lbs.
• Bostitch F21PL

Craftsman CMP21PL 21º   3-1/2” Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                     2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          20-22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                 60
• Magazine Loading:                  Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       14.76 in
• Length:                                      21.65 in
• Width:                                       4.72
• Weight                                       8.2 lbs.
• Craftsman CMP21PL

Makita AN924 21º   3‑1/2″ Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          21º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Switch – tool free
• Magazine Capacity:                 73
• Magazine Loading:                  Top load
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                       13-3/4”
• Length:                                      22”
• Width:                                       4-5/8”
• Weight                                       8.3 lbs. 
• Makita AN924

Metabo HPT NR90AD(S1) 21º  3-1/2″ Paper Collated Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Paper
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                   No
• Fastener Length:                    2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:         30º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:      Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                86-94
• Magazine Loading:                 Rear
• Operating Pressure:               70-120 psi
• Power Source:                         Pneumatic
• Height:                                      13-3/4
• Length:                                     18-3/16”
• Width:                                      4-15/16”
• Weight                                      7.0 lbs
• Metabo HPT NR90AD(S1)

Milwaukee 7200-20  21º 3-1/2″  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                    Yes
• Fastener Length:                      2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:          20-22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:       Tool-free selectable trigger
• Magazine Capacity:                 64-72
• Magazine Loading:                  Rear
• Operating Pressure:                70-120 psi
• Power Source:                          Pneumatic
• Height:                                      14-1/4”
• Length:                                      21-3/8”
• Width:                                       4-3/4”
• Weight                                      7lbs. 12 oz
• Milwaukee 7200-20

Paslode PowerMaster Plus 30º F350-S 3-1/2”  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                        Paper
• Depth Adjustment:                 Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                   No
• Fastener Length:                     2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:         30º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:      Yes
• Jam Clearance:                       Yes
• Magazine Capacity:               84
• Magazine Loading:                Rear
• Operating Pressure:              80-120 psi
• Power Source:                         Pneumatic
• Height:                                     13-1/2
• Length:                                     19.3/8”
• Width:                                      5-1/8
• Weight                                     8.4 lbs.
• Paslode PowerMaster Plus

Porter-Cable FR350B 22° Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                     Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:              Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:                 Yes
• Fastener Length:                  2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:      22º
• Firing / Actuation Mode:   Tool-free switch
• Jam Clearance:                    Yes
• Magazine Capacity:            60
• Magazine Loading:             Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:           70-120 psi
• Power Source:                     Pneumatic
• Height:                                 14.76
• Length:                                 21.65
• Width:                                  4.72
• Weight                                  8.25 lbs.
• Porter-Cable FR350B

RIDGID R350RHF 21° 3-1/2 in.  Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                 Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:          Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:             Yes
• Fastener Length:              2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type / Gauge:  20-22º
• Firing  Actuation Mode: Tool-free switch
• Jam Clearance:                Yes
• Magazine Capacity:         60-70
• Magazine Loading:         Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:        80-120 psi
• Power Source:                  Pneumatic
• Height:                              15.25”
• Length:                              22.44”
• Width:                               4-3/4”
• Weight                              7.3 lbs
• Ridgid R350RHF

Senco FramePro 752XP 3 1/2″ Framing Nailer

• Collation Type:                Plastic
• Depth Adjustment:         Yes
• Dry Fire Lockout:            Yes
• Fastener Length:              2″ to 3-1/2″
• Fastener Type /Gauge:   20º
• Firing/Actuation Mode: Sequential with Additional Trigger Included
• Jam Clearance:                Yes
• Magazine Capacity:         60
• Magazine Loading:          Bottom load
• Operating Pressure:        70-120 psi
• Power Source:                  Pneumatic
• Height:                              14.1/4
• Length:                              20”
• Width:                               4-3/16
• Weight                              8.7 lbs.
• Senco FramePro 752XP

Best Features

WINNER – Milwaukee

There were a few stand-out features that affect performance and safety.  Each tool was ranked, using a 1 thru 5 score, 1 being the best, to determine the tool with the best feature ranking. A list of some of them are included below.

The Milwaukee took first place with Makita close on their heels. The team felt that the two nailers were almost equal with the Milwaukee having a slightly better contact tip.  Third place was the RIDGID and Senco.

Nail Loading

During this evaluation there was no consensus on a preference for top-loading vs. bottom loading nailers.  For top-loading, the team chose the Paslode and felt that the two steel guide rails facilitated smoother nail loading and were more durable. For bottom loading, the team felt the Milwaukee was superior and its nail pusher release button was the easiest to use and most accessible.

In this head-to-head, 3-1/2″ full, round head nails were used. All but the Metabo HPT used plastic collated nails. The Metabo HPT tested, used paper tape Paslode RoundDrive nails. These nails are full-head, offset nails, as opposed to full-head concentric. The offset is due to the angle of the magazine, which is 30 degrees vs. 21-degree full-head concentric nail.

Contact Tip

Having a well-designed contact tip ensures the nailer does not slip and prevents nails from being installed incorrectly. The best contact tip in this test was the Senco. The Senco stood alone in this pack; it provided 360-degree coverage around the firing head and had more complex tangs to grip material without limiting access to tighter spaces.

Other nailers with great contact tips are the  Milwaukee, RIDGID, and BOSTITCH. Rounded and aggressive, these contact tips quickly gripped all the materials tested and were consistent in their performance.

During the testing, we noticed that the Metabo HPT contact tip didn’t grab well at steeper angles when toe-nailing. The Craftsman and Porter-Cable, have identical tips, with tangs that are flat and not ground to a sharp point. We found them to slide on harder materials like the AdvanTech sheathing and LVL framing lumber.

The BOSTITCH is the only nailer that comes with a replacement tip that is a positive-placement nailer tip for metal connectors.

Depth Adjustment

The Makita, Milwaukee, and RIDGID stood out with the best placed, smoothest-to-operate depth of drive knob adjustment. On the Makita, we liked the visible scale that allows you to see the adjustment range.  The Milwaukee and RIDGID both have a large adjustment wheel, but it’s hard to tell where in the depth adjustment you are compared to the other nailers. The Senco’s big knurled knob adjustment was the easiest to operate, and adjustment is smooth. It’s only negative is that it is directly in the line of sight.

An onboard Allen wrench is necessary for depth adjustments on the Paslode nailer. This method is an old-fashioned approach, and the Paslode nailer’s scoring suffered as a result.

Almost all of the nailers now have a tool-less adjustment dial. The BOSTITCH sports a unique tool-less “SLIDE” adjustment, which gives the user the benefit of speed, especially at extreme changes. We found the BOSTITCH adjustment easy, the tip completely slides in and out, but this could eventually be a concern due to the tip eventually falling out and get lost. The team felt that the nailers with a dial adjustment, a tried-and-true design, were more rugged and sensitive to minor tweaks, compared to the Bostitch slide model.

Clearing Jambs

Most jams are caused by a fastener, or part of a nail, jamming between the driver blade and the nail guide. Fastener strips with an incorrect collation angle or the wrong fastener type, (such as clipped head fasteners) may also cause continuous jamming.

To clear the jamb for all the nailers, except Senco:

1. Disconnect the air supply
2. Remove fasteners
3. Insert a screwdriver or pin punch into the nail guide to push back the driver blade
4. Once the driver blade is back in position, remove the nail or nail fragment with needle-nose pliers, if necessary

The Senco has a single-bolt, magazine removal procedure, for clearing stubborn nail jambs. An adjustable wrench or pair of pliers allows the user to loosen the bolt (not remove it), and the magazine slides out of the nose of the gun, allowing access to clear a jamb. This unique feature was simple and easy to do for jam clearing.

Sequential / Bump Fire Mode

All the nailers are capable of single fire mode, and sequential [bump] firing. For applications that have a consistent and repeating nailing pattern, like strapping or sheathing; bump-fire saves time and requires less effort on the part of the user.

Milwaukee had the best combination of  “ease-of-use,” and safety and Makita followed in second place. Both nailers switch between firing modes by rotating switch. Milwaukee has a locking, rotating switch [push and twist], Makita has a simple switch with no lock or secondary actuation on the rotating mode switch.

The Craftsman, Porter-Cable and RIDGID have has a push-button, on one side of the trigger, that releases the selectable trigger knob and allows it to rotate. The only drawback is that it requires a two-handed operation.

The Craftsman and the Porter-Cable also have a trigger lock out.

Swapping Out The Trigger

The Bostitch, Paslode, and Senco tools require that the trigger be swapped out, to change firing modes, between sequential and bump fire. While this isn’t ideal for a “do-it-all,” framing gun, it’s typical for full-time framers who use task-specific guns and operate in mostly the bump firing mode.  

Rafter Hook

Three nailers tested have metal rafter hooks: Paslode, Senco, and Makita. The team felt that Paslode has the BEST hook. Paslode’s spring-loaded hook has a 2-1/2″ opening. This hook is not reversible, has a 180-degree swing, and three detent positions [it locks in a stored position, at 90 degrees, and also swings against the magazine.]

The Senco 2-inch rafter hook is smaller profile and rounded, and seems more suited for a ladder rung – it almost seems like it was an afterthought. The Senco hook is a 180-degree swivel and is not reversible.

MAKITA has a fixed metal hook that is reversible by removing screws. It has two fixed-width options; 1-1/2″ or 2-1/2″ wide. The team found Makita’s hook sturdy,  durable, and reliable.

I like this hook (Makita) it’s solid, and you know exactly what to expect!   ~ ROB

While not fans of plastic hooks, the Milwaukee and Bostitch were the best. MILWAUKEE’s hook is beefy, with a 1-1/2 opening.  This hook has some flex but swivels easily. Bostitch is a shorter hook, with locking indents, positioned high on gun, and is easy to use.

The Metabo HPT nailer, we tested, does not come with a rafter hook, a feature we feel is a MUST on a framing nailer (other Metabo HPT nailers do come with a hook). The RIDGID’s rafter hook is easy to swivel, but the team felt that the hook was too narrow, barely fits on 2x lumber. It also seems thinner and less durable.

Dry Fire Lockout

This feature prevents the nailer from firing when out of nails. Many manufacturers include this feature because it avoids unnecessary wear. It also eliminates the frustration of firing the nailer and discovering that the user has not set a nail. Bostitch is the only nailer without a dry fire lockout and was marked down for this. The team felt that lock-out is an important feature that Pros prefer.

No-Mar Tip

Our crew members do not use a no-mar tip on a framing nailer – ever! If you were building a deck or dock using PT decking or maybe installing that horrible T-111 siding, maybe you would want to protect the wood surface. That said, the nailers with no-mar tips stored them in such a way as to guarantee they will get lost. As a result we decided not to score this category.

Weight And Size

WINNER – Metabo HPT

The length, width, and height of the nailers were used to determine their cubic volume, and the rank was assigned based on volume and tool weight. In the accompanying graph, the right column is the size ranking of the nailer, and the left column is the weight ranking.

The Metabo HPT was the smallest and lightest nailer we tested and its size was a favorite among the team. Coming in second was Milwaukee followed by Makita.

Nail Magazine Capacity

WINNER – Metabo HPT

For a full-size framer, most folks will agree that you want the nailer to have a two-strip nail capacity. All of these nailers hold two strips. Some had a slightly higher capacity.

Noise/Decibels

We measured the decibel levels during the LVL header testing and recorded the results at a consistent, waist-high distance.  Decibels were recorded at peak levels. As you can see below, these nailers are very close so we did not rank them. It’s important to note that all of these nailer require hearing protection.

Noise is a severe hazard in construction. So any tool that offers lower sound signatures is essential to know.  OSHA requires a hearing conservation program in place if workers are exposed to a time-weighted average (TWA) noise level of 85 decibels (dBA) or higher over an 8-hour work shift.

Ergonomics

WINNER – Makita and Milwaukee

The nailers are essentially the same from an ergonomic standpoint, but three nailers stood out as top contenders; Makita, Milwaukee, and Metabo HPT. We looked at how the tool interfaced with the user concerning the following five categories:

1. Grip
2. Rafter Hook
3. Ease of Firing Mode
4. Ease of Depth Adjustments
5. Balance

Each tool was ranked on each category above. The team used a 1 thru 5 score, 1 being the best, to determine the tool with the best ergonomic ranking.  

All three nailers had superior nailing mode selector switches. The Makita and Milwaukee had easier to use depth adjustments. The Metabo HPT has a clear line of sight, but the awkward placement of the depth adjustment is the trade-off. The location of the depth of drive does results in this nailer having the BEST sightline in our test.

The Metabo HPT has a beautiful line of sight ~ STAN

The Makita and Milwaukee tied for first place in ergonomics and were well ahead of the pack. They came in seven points ahead of the Metabo HPT, nine points ahead of Paslode, and 10-plus points ahead of the rest.

Toe-Nailing Evaluation

WINNER –  Senco

When toe-nailing, a nailer is held at approximately 60 degrees. Many framing nailer contact-tips slip in these situations, and the nailers with the most aggressive contact tip will toe-nail better. For toe-nailing framing applications, we used 3-1/2” nails to fasten 2×4 KD framing stud at an angle.

The Senco has the best tip. It has a “claw-like,” super aggressive tip that toe-nails well, with plenty of power. Milwaukee also has an aggressive tip, was powerful with solid and fully consistent toe-nailing. The Bostitch nailer has plenty of power, and it’s aggressive one-piece, cast-tip gripped well. The Makita nailer was “smooth!” It sank toenails consistently and is a powerful nailer. We’d like to see a more aggressive tip for toe-nailing.

The Metabo HPT nailer is smaller than the rest and easily fits between studs. The contact-tip was aggressive and gipped the wood well. The team found that the Metabo HPT was slightly underpowered, with inconsistent toe-nailing penetration.

The RIDGID nailer did not perform well in our toe-nailing test. Power wasn’t the issue, and this nailer did well in our other tests. However, the RIDGID nailer was not able to sink toe-nails even at a maximum-depth setting and with the nose of the gun firmly buried in the wood.

Heavy-Duty Framing LVL Application – Power Test

WINNER – Senco

For this application, we used 3-1/2” framing nails to fasten LVL headers together. We placed two 1-3/4″ thick LVLs together, with a 2×8 underneath and face nailed.  Each nailer installed a series of 10 fasteners, to compile an average measurement for nail penetration. We used the same compressor on all nailers and cycled the compressor to achieve maximum tank air pressure, prior to starting each and every test.

During the evaluation of Power (depth of drive) the nailers were evaluated in two different ways:

1. Test 1: Testers set the nailers to approximately the “mid depth of drive” setting to get a sense of the average depth of drive.
2. Test 2: This test was used to rank the nailers. Each nailer was set to it’s maximum depth of drive and the average depth of drive was measured for each.

The tests were run multiple times, and the results were compiled and an average determined. The chart below gives the average depth of drive in inches, with the nailers set to their maximum depth of drive.

The SENCO had the best power and was able to consistently “over-drive” fasteners on every nail.

The SENCO walked away with the power test! ~ Stan Durlacher [TBBCrew]

The RIDGID in terms of power performed extremely well coming in second. Following closely in third place was the Milwaukee which had very low kickback and impressed the team.

The advantages of pneumatic nailers are clear regarding power, productivity and capacity. The disadvantages commonly expressed among tradesmen are weight, compressor, hose, and maintenance.  ~ Stan Durlacher [TBBCrew]

Medium Duty Framing Application – AdvanTech 3/4″ Sheathing Over LVL Studs

For this subjective application, we used 2-1/2” long framing nails to fasten 3/4″ AdvanTech sheathing to engineered studs (LVL).  We did find that all the nailers were able to perform this task and achieve full penetration with very few nails that were not fully seated.

The Makita, Metabo, Senco and Paslode performed slightly better than the rest of the pack, but not enough to create a score ranking.

Framing contractors switch to a coil nailer for most sheathing applications like sub-floors, walls, and roofing. However, many carpenters own and operate ONLY one framing nailer. For those contractors, having the ability to adjust fastener depth when transitioning from framing walls to sheathing is important. In this situation, depth adjustment hurts the older style tools that require an Allen wrench depth adjustment over using a tool-less adjustment.

“I just want to keep on firing nails with this (Senco) gun!” -Ethan Bickford [TBBCrew]during the sub-floor test

Overhead Fastening Application

WINNER – Metabo HPT

For the overhead application, our intent was to assess performance and ergonomics in an overhead application. 3/4″ Pine strapping was fastened to LVL studs with 2-1/2” ring shank nails. No performance issues with fastening were noted.

The Metabo HPT due to its lightweight design, was easier to position and maneuver and will obviously cause less shoulder and neck fatigue. All the other nailers were heavy for this task. The nailing pattern of two ring shank nails per joist/strapping connection makes for quick work with the advantages of a bump fire mode. However, one issue that does stand out for this task is the added weight of the other nailers, especially the Bostitch and Senco. The extra weight of these nailers can be a significant factor for user fatigue when using the tool for extended periods of time like nailing ceiling strapping.

Pricing

WINNER – Metabo HPT

Pricing fluctuates constantly so keep in mind the pricing listed here was at the time of this publication and may be different. Pricing listed is from independent retailers that we trust for great service so keep that in mind, some lower prices may be out there from less reputable retailers. There was a tie on pricing for this test but the nailers were different enough that we were able to rank one above all others based on the quality of the tool and outstanding value!

Metabo HPT and Porter Cable tied at $199.00. The team felt that the BEST nailer of the two, in almost all other tests, was the Metabo HPT and awarded it first place in this category. Coming in at third place was the Bostitch and Craftsman both listed at $219.00.

It’s important to understand that price is only one criterion in choosing the best nailer, with over-all performance topping that list.

Best Full-Size Framing Nailer

WINNER – Milwaukee

Each tool was ranked in each category above. All of the categories ranked were then totaled to determine the total score to determine the Best Full-Size Framing Nailer.

The Milwaukee nailer is not new, and its stellar performance surprised the team. When it comes to pneumatic full-size framing nailers, the Milwaukee 7200-20 surely ranks at the top of the list when power, performance, ergonomics, and features are concerned. It came in at a total of 16 points, which was 6-points ahead of the second-placed Metabo HPT, and 7-points ahead of the third-place Makita.  [See Chart Below]

Final Thoughts – Best Full-Size Framing Nailer

We get lots of comments about how we make the final rankings. As we’ve stated, there are hundreds of ways to compare tools. The good news is we’ve openly shared ALL the data from our tests, and you can rank the tools however you want. Don’t care about the price? No problem eliminate that from the matrix above and re-rank them. Hopefully, you’ll find this Head-To-Head useful in comparing a wide range of full-size pneumatic framing nailers.

Did You Know …..

Interesting Fact On Nailer “Kickback”

Kickback is a product of a few factors, tool weight, the density of the material being nailed, size of the fastener, and the speed with which force is applied to the fastener. Kickback was a difficult problem to overcome in the early days of pneumatic nailers. In short, manufacturers needed to be able to overcome kickback, resulting in a few solutions developed around the same time but in the end, a “pop-it” valve developed for ejection seats on fighter planes was adapted for use in nail guns and that is essentially the same technology used in pneumatic nailers today.

Source:  Tools of The Trade –A Brief History of Portable Nail Guns by Don Carlson

Best Framing Nailer Video Review

Best Full-Size Framing Nailer – Head-To-Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Home Depot PROspective Event Highlights

A couple weeks ago, we attended the first all tools media event put on by The Home Depot. Whenever we go to one of these events we feverishly post to our various social media feeds so that you all can follow in near realtime. If you were unable to follow, here’s a summary article of all of our postings from the event.

What was great about The Home Depot PROspective event over some of the others we’ve been to is The Home Depot brought in all of their major tool vendors together under one roof. Milwaukee, Bosch, Makita, Diablo, Ridgid, Ryobi, Dewalt, Paslode, Dremel, Husky, and some automotive product brands were all there. Some highlights were the new abrasives from Diablo, new modules for Ryobi GDO, Dewalt’s Flexvolt, updated nailers from Paslode, and the cordless rear handled circular saw from Makita. Many other cool tools were there too, check them out below.

Of course the event was about the tools but one of our greatest takeaways is how passionate Home Depot employees are about their work and enabling others to build and fix their homes. No question those guys all bleed orange. This fervor doesn’t end at their customers though. The Home Depot is very passionate and active in local communities. At the event we got to help out a the local furniture bank assembling and building furniture for those with little or no furniture in their homes. It was probably my favorite part of the whole event.

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Home Depot PROspective Event Highlights is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Gas & Cordless Framing Nailers Comparison

Introduction

The Tool Box Buzz crew assembled in Concord, MA to assess four gas powered nailers and one cordless framing nailer. Ambient temperatures during testing were roughly 20F and equipment was left out overnight to simulate standard field conditions. Framing equipment is often stored overnight in unconditioned spaces, or outdoors in weatherproof jobsite boxes. Temperatures were recorded as low as 9F overnight and all components of the tool; nailer, battery, and fuel (if applicable) were kept outdoors. Testing began at approximately 8:00AM, the heavy, medium, and light duty applications were accomplished with the nailers cold from the overnight storage. A lunch break was taken and nailers were aggressively heated and the strapping/overhead application was tested.

Availability

The field of tools assessed included two nailers not readily available in the US market. The Bostich GF28WW has been discontinued, possibly globally, and the Makita GN900S is only available in Canada at this time. The major home improvement box stores in the U.S. market have discontinued the Hitachi NR90GC2. Although, the Hitachi NR90GC2 appears to be available for purchase online. Leaving only the DEWALT DCN692B 20V MAX XR Brushless 2 Speed Nailer and the PASLODE 905600 Cordless XP Framing Nailer readily available to the U.S. contractor and consumer. All tools can be expected to be purchased on the secondary market directly between consumers.

Pricing

Amazon.com typically reflects the most affordable pricing in the marketplace and is used as a baseline when available. The Makita nailer pricing was pulled from Home Depot Canada and adjusted for the US/CA exchange rate at the time this section was written. The DEWALT pricing below is for the nailer and one 4.0 Ah battery pack and charger.

The DEWALT represents an anomaly in the test as well. It requires no gas and therefore as long as you have charged batteries, you’ll never run out of the fuel. Furthermore the gas cartridges do not need to be purchased repeatedly over the life of the tool, which presents the gas-less model as possibly the lowest cost of ownership to the end user. However, it should be noted, the DEWALT relies solely on battery power, which means the battery pack will be cycled through significant charging cycles. Users should evaluate the cost of replacing the larger battery when evaluating total cost over the life of the tool.

The performance our crew experienced during our testing reflected very positively on PASLODE, it consistently performed well in all tests and the cold temperatures had the least effect on reliability. When comparing pricing with performance the Hitachi is well positioned to be the highest value tool of nailers tested, with performance ranking just below the PASLODE but at a price point $100 cheaper. The Makita is the most expensive, and also not available in the US.

Battery pack only tools becoming more prevalent in to the market pose a major threat to the gas powered nail nailer. Cordless Platforms provide users with the option to swap batteries between tools, and purchase Bare tools to expand their tool compliment affordably. The gas powered nailers have a distinct power advantage, but as we have seen over the past 5-7 years, cordless tools are becoming more powerful each year and it is inevitable that the platform will match gas performance, assuming manufacturer’s focus on the framing nailer category.

Examples to explain this are high demand cordless tools like Mag Drills, Rotary Hammers, Miter Saws and Table Saws that have all recently made significant gains with their cordless platforms.

Storage Cases

As referenced above all tools were accompanied by a protective case to store nailer, charger, batteries, and a few accessories. The DEWALT can be purchased in a kit with a 4.0Ah battery and a case sold at retail for $399.

Battery

The battery voltage and technology varied slightly within the gas models. The Hitachi and Bostich models shared a legacy 7.2V 1.4Ah Ni-Cad battery. The nailers, let alone the batteries appeared almost identical, but performance varied enough that we do not anticipate the battery life to be the same between these two models. The Makita and PASLODE both featured more modern Lithium Ion battery, the PASLODE with slightly more voltage, but advertised a significantly higher battery life in terms of nails driven. Makita advertised only 4,000 while PASLODE more than doubles this claim with 9,000 nails. The PASLODE also features the unique on/off slide to conveniently disengage the battery and prevent ghost drain of the tool.

Again the anomaly in the category is the DEWALT. Which can accept any slide pack battery in the DEWALT 20V and/or FlexVolt family. This drastically impacts the range of performance and life of each battery per charge. Based on our testing with a 60V 2.0Ah FlexVolt battery, which was at temperatures below optimal performance ranges for the tool, we did not observe notable improvements in power. We assume the nails per charge would be increased, but this was not tested. Ultimately the larger battery pack did not improve the tools ability to drive nails in the cold weather, at 20F, based on our observations.

Another considerable issue with the DEWALT is the weight of the battery which affects the total weight of the tool. Clearly the added weight can cause user fatigue and reduced performance when working in overhead applications.

Battery Life

Testing did not include an endurance component. Advertised ranges were considered during field-testing.

See “ADVERTISED FUEL BATTERY LIFE” Table Below

Fuel Life

Testing did not include an endurance component. Advertised ranges were considered during field-testing.

See “ADVERTISED FUEL BATTERY LIFE” Table Below

Advertised Battery/Fuel Life

Limiting factor on Cordless Gas Nailer is the fuel cells, maxing out at 1,200 nails. As stated above under “Battery” section PASLODE advertises 9,000 nails on one charge, Makita 4,000, Hitachi 4,000, Bostich did not advertise a nails per charge, considering the tool design and performance we assume it would match the models in the 4,000 range or fall slightly below. The DEWALT with no fuel falls well below the gas powered tools, at 700 with a 4.0 Ah battery. Perhaps with the FlexVolt battery the numbers could get into the thousands, but most likely still be well below the gas powered options.

In previous assessments of the DEWALT DCN692B we did some endurance testing by continuously firing the nailer until failure or battery drain. Equipped with a XR 4.0AH lithium ion battery pack we used 12d nails. DEWALT claims the nailer will fire up to 700 nails. We stopped only to reload the nailer and fired 504 nails before the battery drained and on a second test we got close to 600.

DEWALT claims that the more you use this nailer to closer you’ll get to the 700 nails per charge depending on length of nails, density of material, bump or sequential mode operations. They claim that the nailer has a break in period, similar to a car. The jury is still out on that and we’re still using it in the field testing!

Cold Weather Performance

Ambient temperatures during testing were roughly 20F and equipment was left out overnight, with a recorded low of 9F, to simulate standard field conditions. Hitachi advertises to users the tool may “fail to operate” below 32F. DEWALT recommends actuating the tool 10-15 times on scrap wood when operating in below freezing temperatures and cautions against charging battery packs below 40F. No references were available for the Bostich Nailer and Makita did not make any reference to cold weather performance or limitations in the users manual.

PASLODE and Hitachi models performed consistently at the 20F ambient temperature. The Makita, BOSTICH, and DEWALT were slow to start and required troubleshooting or “warm up” shots to get the nailer to fire the nail consistently and/or at the appropriate depth. The DEWALT was most troublesome of the group, followed by the Makita. The BOSTICH did not perform every time like the PASLODE, but was not nearly as unreliable as the DEWALT and Makita, which almost never fired immediately.

Nail Loading

All nailers shared the same nail loading style, but only the Hitachi, BOSTICH, and Makita allowed users to slide the magazine feeder knob past already inserted nails. Both PASLODE and DEWALT models require users to slide the feeder to the bottom of the rail to a fixed position to accept additional nails. The ability to slide the feeder knob past nails reduces the steps required to reload the tool, which is repeated frequently during regular use.

Nail Capacity

Nail capacity appears to be a limitation of the available clips of nails, rather than the nailer’s rail itself. The Bostich using clips of 25 nails creates a sweet spot where the rail can accept two full clips and therefore carries more nails than the rest of the field.

Fire Modes

All gas powered nailers are limited to a single fire mode, sequential firing, requiring the operator to release the trigger and re-engage the tool to fire a nail. Again the anomaly in this test was the DEWALT, which featured a bump fire mode. We did report the nailer was slow to start, but once it was warmed up and used on bump fire, it was a different nailer.

While the DEWALT clearly shoots faster in bump mode than sequential, the overall speed isn’t much greater than some of the gas nailers. However, the perceived speed by the user seems to be better as the user doesn’t have to time squeezing the trigger with tip placement. The Paslode can keep up with the DEWALT if the user can focus not only on tip placement, but also timing the trigger actuation with the tip depressing the safety.

For applications that have a consistent and repeating nailing pattern, like strapping or sheathing, bump fire eliminates that little extra step that when compounded adds up to a lot of saved time and less effort on the part of the user.

Nose/Tip

The superior tip in the test was the DEWALT. Rounded and aggressive, it easily gripped to all materials tested and regardless of nailer orientation was able to remain steady. As nailer orientation is manipulated to access tight spaces, angle the nail to prevent completely penetrating through material, or toe nailing an effective tip ensures the nailer does not slip and prevents nails being installed incorrectly.

The PASLODE, Hitachi, BOSTICH, and Makita shared very similar shaped tips, essential rectangular, with a few minor discriminators. The Hitachi and BOSTICH were identical and slid on harder materials, like the AdvanTec and LVL, they also did not provide tangs 360-degrees around the firing head. The Makita despite having a very similar head had more exaggerated flare to each point which made it grip better. The PASLODE provided 360-degree coverage around the firing head and had more complex tangs to grip material without limiting access to tighter spaces.

Noise/Decibals

During operation we recorded decibels at ear level during operation of the nailer at roughly waist height during the header construction of the testing. Decibels were recorded as an average. The range was not dramatic among the gas powered tools, but some distinct sounds were identified. The PASLODE had a more harsh snap compared to the Hitachi and BOSTICH, almost like a crack versus a snap. The Makita had a loud echoing report which was also distinct. Finally, just as distinct and noticeably quieter is the DEWALT with a mechanical whir and a significantly lower firing sound.

Depth Adjustment

Depth adjustment for the Hitachi, BOSTICH, and Makita are an antiquated onboard allen wrench adjustment. The DEWALT features a common nail nailer toolless adjustment DIAL, while the PASLODE sports a unique toolless SLIDE adjustment. The DIAL is a tried and true design, which we assume is more rugged and sensitive to minor tweaks than the slide model, although the benefit of the slide is speed of adjustment especially at extremes.

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the nailers were interesting to test given the similarity of the designs, with the exception of the DEWALT. The Hitachi and the BOSTICH almost have the exact shape, feel, and similar weight. The nailers are essentially the same from an ergonomic standpoint. The same case can be made for the PASLODE and Makita nailers. While again, the DEWALT stands out as an anomaly, with a much smaller, but heavier design.

The weight and balance of the tools were comparable across the board, same for the DEWALT. The difference in weight between the gas tools differ by a range of only about 1 pound. The balance and feel of the tools across the board were neither notable or offensive. While the DEWALT was the heaviest of the nailers, and the most compact, it felt dense in the hand. Conversely, the PASLODE was light and the most compact of the gas nailers. These observations were clear during the overhead application.

The accessibility of the nailers impact the user’s ergonomic experience, toe nailing and/or making connections in tight spaces can strain the user. The light, compact design of the PASLODE makes it the best in this category, but not by a significant margin.

Heavy Duty Framing Application

For this application we used 3-1/2” framing nails to fasten LVL headers together. We placed two 1-3/4″ thick LVLs together, and face nailed. No nailers were able to achieve full penetration consistently or at all. The PASLODE and Hitachi had the best performance, although the PASLODE was actually firing 3-1/4” nails so the performance was difficult to compare. But considering the ¼” difference, the Hitachi appears to have demonstrated the best performance in this test.

From this testing, both the Hitachi and Paslode offer great nail driving power than the competition. Because none of these tools could fully seat the nails, we consider them to all fail this task from the perspective of having the “right” tool for the job. One of Hitachi’s core competencies is pneumatic nailers, it is clear the modifications or tweaks executed by Hitachi’s engineering team had an impact on the performance of the tool. This is especially evident when you compare the similarity of the BOSTICH to the Hitachi tools.

The inconsistency between the 3-1/4” nails loaded in the PASLODE and the 3-1/2” nails loaded in the HITACHI made direct comparisons difficult. And the wild swing in depths of drive made data analysis difficult. In the spirit of ranking performance, we’ve included an “average depth of drive”, although all nailers failed this task to the point that users would not consider this tool for the application. Note – this test was performed outdoors in 20-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.

For this application, header production (using engineered lumber), no tool tested met the appropriate needs of this task. Ultimately a user will have to take out their hammer to finish this task or hook up a compressor to get the job done in a productive fashion. No tool completed the task so these nailers, gas or cordless, are not viable options for this application.

It should also be noted; the current International Building Code requires 3-1/2” nails in many structural framing connections. A recent ICC-ES Report (ESR-1539) does allow for alternate nail patterns that do allow for 3-¼” nails to be used, requiring additional nails at smaller spacing. While this does allow users to use the Paslode to be code compliant, it does add a layer of management that we feel is cumbersome. Users must be familiar with the alternative nail spacing, they must educate crew members, and they most likely will have to educate local building inspectors. So it’s very important for users of the Paslode to be current with the ICC-ES report.

Framing crews don’t rely solely on a “cordless” platform for framing. This likely means they will have lots of 3-1/2″ nails on the jobsite for pneumatic nailers. They will also have 3-1/4″ nails for their Paslode. This takes an extra layer of management to keep everyone straight on nailing patterns when they use the Paslode vs pneumatic.

If the cordless/gas powered nailer is to be considered comparable with pneumatic tools, manufacturers of cordless/gas tools should strive to meet this heavy duty application. Also, Paslode should consider re-designing their nailer to accommodate full 3-1/2” long framing nails that are required by the IBC specifications. This will make it easier for construction crews to eliminate confusion and lost time explaining the alternate nailing of the ICC report.

Medium Duty Framing Application

3″ long framing nails. For this application we used 3” long framing nails to fasten 3/4″ plywood sub-floor to engineered studs (LVL). We assessed the performance of the nailer but considering the results, what was more important was the speed of application. We did find that all the nailers were able to perform this task and achieve full penetration with very few if any nails that were not fully seated.

Each nailer, when operating appropriately, was able to successfully drive nails to the appropriate depth. So speed is the key discriminator in this application. During platform framing a user may adjust depth to go from framing walls to sheathing walls in a short period of time. Depth adjustment hurts the older model tools that require an Allen wrench depth adjustment versus a tool-less adjustment on the DEWALT or PASLODE. This application is more monotonous, subfloor installation requires few adjustments, most likely just the first few shots to set appropriate depth.

In our evaluations of cordless (battery or gas) nailers we have found that the most important performance for users is speed of installation. Between our crews, and feedback we receive from other tradesmen, everyone wants to know if these tools can keep up with a pneumatic nailer. The flow of nailing with a pneumatic nailer allows users to repeat nailing patterns effortlessly. So we feel the bump fire mode is the only mode that keeps up with the speed developed by seasoned framers, while the extra step of sequential mode, compounds to disrupt that flow.

With that all said, the DEWALT, with a bump fire mode would stand out as a better option considering the field relegated to sequential fire. The constraint on the DEWALT during our testing was the cold weather performance.

Light Duty Framing Application

For a light duty framing application we used 2-1/2” nails to fasten 5/8″ plywood roof sheathing to traditional KD framing lumber. This application was similar to the one above when speed was considered. All tools were able to perform this task without any significant performance issues.

Overhead Application

3/4″ Strapping is fastened with 2-1/2” ring shank nails. Our intent was to assess performance and ergonomics in overhead application. Again, no performance issues with fastening were noted, but we did experience an anomaly with BOSTICH where when held overhead fuel would not flow to the chamber to fire the nailer. The tool had to be dropped down to its normal orientation to achieve a normal shot. This action had to be repeated for each nail.

The nailing pattern of two ring shank nails per joist/strapping connection makes for quick work with the advantages of a bump fire mode. However, one issue that does stand out for this task is the added weight of the DEWALT battery pack. The extra 2 +/- lbs can be a significant factor for user fatigue when using the tool for extended periods of time like nailing ceiling strapping. The DEWALT is even heavier than some of the new pneumatic framers on the market now.

Overall Impression

The advantages of a gas powered or cordless nailer are clear regarding convenience, mobility, and safety. The lack of a compressor speeds up setup and tear down, not to mention one less heavy tool to lug around. The subtraction of the pneumatic hose also improves safety and accessibility for users. The disadvantages commonly expressed among tradesmen are lack of bump fire, need to purchase and re-purchase fuel, and maintenance. Cold weather performance seems to be addressed by the fuel upgrades made by PASLODE.

Users of pneumatic nailers want a bump fire option, it is key to productivity, the lack of this feature on gas nailers is the biggest downside of using this technology, DEWALT clearly shined on this feature. Other areas of improvement can be made on the tip, the DEWALT and Makita appeared to perform the best on a wide range of base materials. While the Paslode, Hitachi and Bostitch were similar in design, they could be improved to match the other two top performers. Maintenance should also be addressed if possible or at a minimum users need to be educated and maintenance needs to be as simple as adding oil daily to a pneumatic tool.

While the Paslode’s maximum fastener size of 3-¼” meets the ICC approved alternative nailing requirements, it can be very confusing for users. We feel that Paslode could benefit greatly by re-designing the nailer to accommodate 3-½” nails and boosting power to accommodate structural headers that utilize engineered lumber. It’s clear that cordless nailers must find a way to perform that task to truly compete with pneumatic nailers.

When it comes to gas powered nailers, the Paslode surely ranks at the top of the list when performance, ergonomics, and reliability are concerned. Paslode is still the top dog when it comes to “cordless/hose-less” framing nailers! With some slight advancements in it’s design it surely could compete with pneumatics and help “cut the hose”.

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Cordless Nailer Video Review

Gas/Cordless Framing Nailer Head to Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Cordless Finish Nailers

Finish carpentry has been relying on pneumatic nailers since the first one was introduced in 1950. Fast forward to 1986 and Paslode introduced the first cordless framing nailer utilizing a gas “fuel cell” and battery. In an effort to eliminate the need for a gas cartridge, SENCO introduced their Fusion finish nailers in 2010, which uses a combination of battery power and a self-contained compressed air cylinder to eliminate the need for “fuel cells”. More recently in the last couple of years many manufacturers have introduced battery-only, cordless finish nailers.

Today throughout our industry finish carpenters are using a combination of pneumatic, gas powered, and battery powered finish nailers on a regular basis. In an effort to provide an accurate snap shot of the cordless options available to finish carpenters we gathered some of the top options available on the market and spent the day testing them head to head against each other in several categories. We hope you’ll find the following information useful in helping determine the best cordless finish nailer for you and your crew.

Best Cordless Finish Nailers – Head to Head is a post from Tool Box Buzz

Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer Review

The folks at Paslode have redesigned their cordless framing nailer and fuel to provide increase power and performance in cold weather fastening applications.

As a regular user of the Paslode cordless nailer I can attest to the sometimes-sluggish performance in the winter. Often times I would have to warm the nailer indoors or in my truck while driving to a job site. That’s no fun, trust me.

Better Tool and Fuel

The Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer CF325XP now combines forces with a new fuel formula that delivers effective performance down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

I’ve always loved the portability aspect of these nailers, freeing oneself from the air hose tether is a nice thing.

My favorite features of this nailer were covered in this tool review.

A few highlights are;

• Li-ion battery that provides the power to install 9,000 nails per charge.
• The ability to reach a full battery charge in 1-hour and the;
• 2-minute Quick Charge for Up to 200 shots
• Lightweight, durable design. This nailer weighs 7.2 lbs.
• Easy to use and effective depth of drive adjustment
• The battery slide on/off switch to eliminate phantom drain.
• Fuel life is 24 months from date of manufacture

What’s New?

The Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer features a re-engineered power vent design for the combustion engine. This new design increases power from 85 to 95 Jules. This power improves this tools already awesome power to drive nails flush into laminated veneer lumber.

NEW All-season Framing Fuel Formula

The newly re-formulated framing fuel cells eliminates time-consuming and annoying steps to try to keep the fuel warm during cold days.

Specifications:

• Model CF325XP
• Weight 7.2 lbs w/battery
• Height 14.5″
• Length 12″
• Width 4″
• Speed 2-3 nails per second
• Nail Capacity 1 strip
• Nail Range 2″-3 1/4″ in length, .113″ to .131″ shank diameters
• Nail Angle 30º
• Nail Type Paslode RounDrive® Offset Full Head (Brite or GalvGuard)
• Nails per Fuel Cell Approximately 1200
• Fuel life 24 months from date of manufacture
• Battery Life 9000 nails per charge

Summary

The improved speed and handling really make the Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer CF325XP and the new fuel, a worthwhile cordless upgrade.

The time saved from not having to lug a compressor and hose around, is worth it alone, not to mention my back thanks Paslode for not having to carrying the compressor!

Paslode CF325XP Video Sneak Peek

Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer CF325XP is a post from Tool Box Buzz