Nail sets (most trivial tool recommendation thread ever)

[thr3squared]

I have a set of the cheapies from Stanley....haven't let me down yet, and for a while these were used daily and always in my tool bags.

Stanley Hand Tools 58-930 3 Pc Contractor Grade Nail Set - - Amazon.com

Stanley Hand Tools 58-930 3 Pc Contractor Grade Nail Set - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[billconner]

I have a set of the cheapies from Stanley....haven't let me down yet, and for a while these were used daily and always in my tool bags.

Stanley Hand Tools 58-930 3 Pc Contractor Grade Nail Set - - Amazon.com

Stanley Hand Tools 58-930 3 Pc Contractor Grade Nail Set - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

That's set I bought last. Very pleased with them.

 

[Ton ton]

Too be perfectly honest. I don't do trim carpentry. I don't even know what brand of nail sets I have. LOL.

 

[never enuf time]

As a Carpenter for 30 years,this is my most lost tool. Yes we still use them .as nail guns don't shoot every nail flush. Early on my favorite was the regular stanley's cause you could set a hardwood flooring cleat with the square handle.

Now day's the brighter covering makes it easier to see when set down. Going to check out those high end one though.

 

[MarvinBerry]

I use nailsets & punches a lot. But I'm more a woodpecker type anyway

Do they matter? Quality? Ehhh... how fast ya gonna lose em? Beat em up?

Punches are a consumable. Hazard freight has a 3 pack? 3 different sizes for short bucks can't go wrong.

I have better ones... mayhew dewalt dasco in my shop boxes where they don't wander off. Field use? No way go cheap. I buy em all by the handful

 

[RTM]

As a Carpenter for 30 years,this is my most lost tool. Yes we still use them .as nail guns don't shoot every nail flush. .

we did a shop flooring job for a friend, and chose a nail set as a tool to sacrifice, since you lose a tool on almost every job. Made the tool gods happy, no other tools lost, no injuries, etc.

 

[txvwnut]

Spring-Loaded Nail Set

Woodworking assortment of spring loaded nail sets designed to provide up to 3,500 psi of driving force.

www.rockler.com

I have one these and it's amazing how well they will set a nail.

 

[Coach James]

Mine are Stanley, Craftsman and some third brand I don't remember. they all work fine.

Coach

 

[dscheidt]

Dasco in my experience has been soft, cheap metal geared toward rough masonry work.

You're experience may differ, you have a great selection I'd be interested in your thoughts.

My experience with Dasco stuff is that their metal chisels are ****, their masonry chisels are okay, and their mini trim prying bars are good. Vaughan (the hammer people) bought them recently, I'd hope that improves quality. I don't know about their nail sets.

I have set of chinese made Stanleys, which are fine. I have a set of wilde's, they're nice too. I have a set of tektons, with plastic covers that keep them from rolling awy. Tehy work, too. I have a set of vintage craftsman my dad gave to me. I don't think i've ever used them, but I'm sure they're fine, too. The spring ones work, too, but are hard to set to an exact depth, if you care.

 

[Stobal]

Background: Today I was reclaiming a bunch of deck joists. The people who took it down bent the nails over, so I cut them flush with a grinder and drove them out with a nail set, because I had it on hand. Being intended for countersinking finish nails rather than driving framing nails out of two-bys, the nail set is somewhat the worse for wear now, and I need to buy a replacement.

I search Amazon, and they have a bunch of familiar and respected brands like Horusdy, Whlling, Xage, Sedy, and Qwork. Names that everyone knows, right?

For something as simple as a nail set, do you think it matters whether you buy a real brand like Stanley or a fly-by-night make-believe brand like Horusdy? It's not like they don't both come from China anyway.

Air Locker AP700 Nailer/Nail Remover Kit with Extra Driver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5RNHPA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

These are awesome for removing nails from lumber to reuse. They will punch out even the twist nails while minimizing the damage to the board. To set nails I use a combo of the Japanese style and spring one. shown in the thread.

 

[jacked_72]

Admitted it was trivial right in the title. Still curious what people think, though.

Yeah, there's always that guy. And since we live in the first world, that's the problems we have.

 

[RTM]

Air Locker AP700 Nailer/Nail Remover Kit with Extra Driver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H5RNHPA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

tools you don’t know you need. Wonder if I could get that tip for my air hammer.

Good looking pup. Mastiff?

 

[tymbo]

 

[ZRX61]

I used a 1/4in punch & a 2lb ball pein to re-set a few nails yesterday. Misjudged one nail & drove the punch about an inch into the redwood after barely tapping it..

 

[Stobal]

tools you don’t know you need. Wonder if I could get that tip for my air hammer.

Good looking pup. Mastiff?

Bullmastiff actually. I just lost him to cancer. I am still heart broken.

 

[Steve_P]

I have a set by Wilde and they're functional, but they show a lot of wear with minimal use. I also have a PB Swiss set, I don't think they make these anymore, and they have carbide tips and are, of course, amazingly bulletproof.

 

[64C10]

I like my Stanley nail sets - 3.99 at local lumberyard, USA made.

 

[Ricky Joe]

I think I have mostly Stanley, but I know I do have some Millers Falls. I’d have to check for any other brands, but they would be vintage, as I haven’t bought any in decades.

 

[Hytekrednek]

PB Swiss, and Starrett are the best I have used.

 

[Mike777]

Hello tymbo,
I had the same tool or one that was nearly identical to your photo but can't find it now. Would you reply with the manufacturer and tool no of this nailset? I tried blowing-up the photo but still can't make out the tool number or manufacturer details, too fuzzy.
Thanks.
Mike

 

[RTM]

Hello tymbo,
I had the same tool or one that was nearly identical to your photo but can't find it now. Would you reply with the manufacturer and tool no of this nailset? I tried blowing-up the photo but still can't make out the tool number or manufacturer details, too fuzzy.
Thanks.
Mike

Millers Falls 233 on my phone.

 

[Mike777]

Millers Falls 233 on my phone.

Thank you. Maybe I need to get a new monitor - or stronger readers - because my best guess was 899...LOL. Again - Thanks!

 

[Firebrick43]

I prefer the japanse style nail set, especially the short side head. Gets your fingers away from the hammer.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/punches/40379-japanese-nail-set?item=44K1301

 

[Hakeem]

The fancy nail sets look nice but for such a commonly-misplaced tool I’ll stick with whatever the hardware sells. I think I have a dasco right now

 

[Debcrow]

Looking around at a lot of women, Nail Sets seem to be pretty popular with them.

Quite a lot of times I find nail sets in tool lots I have found in auctions, garage sales, etc. I just throw them in with my punches and chisels since I do not do much wood work where I need to set nails. I have used them for punches in various applications. In my experience (in using them for the wrong job) there is a big difference in hardness and quality in them, even in the older USA made ones.
If you are the person that is going to use one for the right purpose I can see getting a better quality one with proper hardness would make a difference.

 

[lardy1]

I posted earlier in this thread that I hadn't bought a nail set in years.....relying on yard sale finds. Well, out of curiosity I picked up a few sizes of the PB Swiss and I don't regret it at all. I've used nail sets most of my life and really wasn't aware of how nice they could be. Are the pricier ones necessary? No. But, for the meager price I'm happy I decided to try them.

 

[Beerhippie]

I prefer the japanse style nail set, especially the short side head. Gets your fingers away from the hammer.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/punches/40379-japanese-nail-set?item=44K1301

A friend brought those back from Japan as gifts for all his hammer-swingin' buddies back in the '90s.

They're great for most nails, but not so much for tiny finish nails. I think my finish nail set is Starret--who know, as I bought is thirty-odd years ago.