15ga finish nailer - help me select

[dwasifar]

Looking to maybe upgrade from my El Cheapo 15ga angled pneumatic finish nailer. Three contenders:

Bostitch N62FNK-2 $147

Hitachi NT65MA4 $116

Makita AF635 $145

The Hitachi wins on price by a wide margin, and a lot of guys seem to really like Hitachi nailers in general, but I've had spotty results with other Hitachi tools. It's also the heaviest of the three at 4.2lb. 5-year warranty.

Bostitch wins on features and also seems to have a lot of fans. It's the lightest at 3.8lb and has neato keeno features like a variety of tips and a little flip-out gizmo on the magazine that lets you use the nailer body to mark out 16-inch centers. 7-year warranty is the longest of the three.

Makita is in there just because I like Makita and it's basically the same price as the Bostitch. Shortest warranty at 3 years. Middle of the weight range at 4lb. Makita often looks like a lower value for dollar when you run numbers against the competition, but somehow they always turn out to be worth the money.

The use case is varied. The last two projects I used the El Cheapo for were a trim job and building some plywood boxes.

Which would you choose and why?

 

[The Cobbler]

not much info but I have a 30 yr old bostitch angle brad nailer that has been a workhorse( with several repairs)
I also have the older style hitachi straight 15 g trim nailer. that I actually prefer in most cases.
we use thousands more of 18 g brads tho

 

[rlitman]

...I also have the older style hitachi straight 15 g trim nailer. that I actually prefer in most cases...

I've got old Porter Cable 15 gauge angled and 16 gauge straight nailers. Each has it's uses. Neither has let me down.

 

[sam.coll]

Maybe worth seeing which nails are more easily available locally, the Bostitch uses 15Ga "FN" series brads where as the other 2 use the more common "DA" series.

 

[rlitman]

Maybe worth seeing which nails are more easily available locally, the Bostitch uses 15Ga "FN" series brads where as the other 2 use the more common "DA" series.

DA all the way! DA nails are 34 degree. That's enough of an angle to stack the heads, which means that the nails have much fuller heads.

FN nails are only 25 degree, and basically have the same T heads (which pull through too easily) as straight 16 gauge nail strips.

 

[tom-ky]

I have this one and have had good results:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bostitch-Smart-Point-2-5-in-15-Gauge-Finish-Nail-Gun/50413020

 

[gsmith22]

If it was me, I would get the Bostitch but go for the newer smart point version. The model you listed is the older non-smart point nailer. All of the smart point nailers are fantastic because you can very accurately place the nail due to the head design. For the 15ga nailer, they also made two versions - one for either the FN or DA style nails (FN Style is BTFP72156 ; DA style is BTFP72155).

 

[dwasifar]

DA all the way! DA nails are 34 degree. That's enough of an angle to stack the heads, which means that the nails have much fuller heads.

FN nails are only 25 degree, and basically have the same T heads (which pull through too easily) as straight 16 gauge nail strips.

Aha! I did not know that about the nail standards.

So I should be comparing to the Bostitch BTFP72155 instead of the one I said at first. I'm seeing that one for about $149.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

From your list, either the Bostich or Hitachi. I've used both along with ones from Senco and Max which would also be good options. Paslode is the other brand I like a lot for nailers and they have a nice 16 gauge angle finish nailer. I've not used that one though.
In addition to their weight, how they balance and feel in your hand is just as if not more important. I too prefer the DA nails.

 

[PugetDude]

I have the Hitachi. It replaced my old Senco which had an annoying habit of stabbing me in the back every time I tried to use it. It was a big step up, well balanced, a lot more powerful, and so far... much more reliable.

 

[SRSemenza]

The Bostitch Smart Point is really nice. I replaced an older PC with it. The narrow nose and rear exhaust are great! Also the safety works well. You need to touch the nose to the surface BUT you don't have to push down to actuate the sliding safety mechanism. Much nicer when trying to keep a piece in position.

Seth

 

[dwasifar]

Well, as it turns out, I got a deal I couldn't pass up, and that made the decision for me.

I went to Lowe's to look at the Bostitch and the Hitachi. They have all the nailers zip tied to the display, so you can't really handle them, just look at the displays and the prices. Zip tied above the NT65MA4 was another Hitachi, model NT65MA2, with no price, or tag, or stock. So I asked about it. It's the previous model, discontinued, and nobody had thought to take it off the display. The service manager took my number and said he'd call me the next day if it was for sale.

I was hoping for $80. He called me today and said $50. I jumped at it. It has a couple of very light scratches on it, but it's otherwise new and works perfectly. Only things missing are the case (I'll make one) and the rubber nose bumper (cheap at Amazon).

So let's see how it goes. I googled it and a lot of guys really like this model.

 

[ryan20021982]

Have used a Senco 15ga for about 10 years without a problem

 

[dwasifar]

Here it is:

I agree with most of you guys that the Bostitch is nicer, but for $50 I couldn't pass this by.

 

[Roberts210]

I just bought a Bosch 15 ga. angle nailer on fleabay. Factory reconditioned with a warranty for $116. Looks new and works great.

 

[rlitman]

...I agree with most of you guys that the Bostitch is nicer, but for $50 I couldn't pass this by.

I don't know about the Bostitch, and I don't need another 15 gauge finish nailer, but I too couldn't pass that up for $50. Great deal you got there!

edit:
I just looked up the Bostitch Smart Point. I guess it's a nice feature, but I've never really had an issue with the safety on any of my nail guns. The only time where a conventional safety would be a big problem is on my pin nailers, and those have double triggers instead, just because of this issue.

 

[Rarified27]

I have the Hitachi NT65MA4 the OP mentioned; got it from recon'd from bigskytool.com and have had no issues. It's a great gun and does well when things get a little beyond what my 18g can handle.

The Hitachi nailers have been great for me; I'd recommend them to anyone, pro or otherwise. I discovered them from recommendations on GJ and am grateful I never bought junk.

 

[The Cobbler]

You SUUCK!!!
you did very well, that is the Made in Taiwan version, much better gun than the new line.
you stole it...