Need recommendations on a finish nailer

[Flatsbroke]

Looking for a finish nailer for DIY projects and the first project it's going to see is crown molding. I was originally looking at an 18ga but reading some of the posts on here I'm thinking I might be better off with a 16ga. I've heard great things about the hitachi guns but have also read HF should suffice for how I'll be using it. What do you guys recommend? I'm not afraid to pay the extra for hitachi but also don't want to pay the extra if it won't be beneficial for me

 

[mslim]

I just bought a Hitachi NT50AE2 18 ga. brad nailer based on the rep of their framing and roofing nailers. I'm at the point in my life where I don't anticipate doing much more finishing trim work but I hate being frustrated with crappy tools. It ain't worth it to me. I am buying a 5th wheeler soon so I imagine I'll be using this Hitachi for cabinet repair etc.

 

[kctyphoon]

You're using an air compressor I assume and not a cordless nailer. Porter cable makes some good nailers from what I've seen, but honestly just about anything should be fine. I have a real cheap 4 or 5 gun set that I've loaned out to a few people with no bad reports. I have the cordless paslodes too.. read the reviews on the HF models, they should be fine. Or just search hd online or Amazon. I don't think this is anything you need to sink real money into.

For cordless, the Ryobi models seem to be the most for the money if you ever think about going that route. They actually get better reviews than the Milwaukees do.

Whatever you get, it's probably a good idea to have a cheap nailset also. There's always gonna be a nail or two that doesn't quite make it as far down as it should.

 

[catron44]

I've got the Hitachi 18 and 15 ga, they are great. I know nothing of the hf, but I would guess it doesn't have a directional exhaust which is a nice feature. The 15 has a built in blow gun as well. Neither gun has jammed on me. I had a Ridgid and cman brad guns and they both jammed on numerous occasions.

At this point though, if you have a battery platform that already has nailer, I would go that route just to avoid dealing with a hose.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Flatsbroke]

This is an air gun. Not looking to get into another rechargeable system

 

[Catfishdan]

I love my hitachi finish nailers. Price is pretty good too. I'd definitely go 16g or bigger for hanging crown though.

 

[bcradio]

This is an air gun. Not looking to get into another rechargeable system

You don't currently have any cordless tools?

 

[Fbmoose48]

+1 for the Hitachi 15ga nailer. I also have the M18 Fuel 15ga, can't beat the cordless convenience.

 

[PelicanPines]

Several Senco nailers here... SFN40 is about 15 yrs old. Two kitchens, ten bathrooms, two islands, three large door openings, dining room crown, a hundred misc projects... still going strong... pulled it apart five yrs ago to grease the rings...

 

[gmcromp]

I have the HF, Hitachi, and Dewalt nail guns in 15 and 18 ga. All work fine for DIY in my opinion. I finished a couple homes basements with these three and they all still work. My hobby is woodworking but you don't use a finish nailer near as much as a pin nailer. If you going to do light use, anyone will be fine. If I were going to buy just one that i wanted to last for a long time i would rule out the HF one, they are cheaper made but still work great and has served me well for many years.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have a PC framing nailer, roof nailer and a Bostitch brad nailer. If I was going to buy another air nailer, it would be from one of them.

 

[dw1]

I have a Bostich framing nailer, a hitachi angled trim nailer, they both are quality nail guns and have held up well. I bought a smaller Porter Cable straight nail gun, it crapped out pretty quick (even without much use) I went to buy a replacement and seen that HD says it has a 3 year warranty. I think I gave $69 for it, it was going to be $29 to ship it back to be rebuilt. I threw it away and bought a Dewalt, it seems to be pretty good so far. My buddy is a GC and has quite a few Hitachi nailers, he really likes them and they holdup well. He quit buying PC

 

[kctyphoon]

Here, got your name all over it.. it's in the front of the store at home Depot near all the holiday deals.. price will likely drop on Black Friday too.

 

[cbacres]

Just bought the Ridgid 15 gauge angle nailer. It shots 1-1/4" to 2-1/2" nails. I run Senco nails through it as I read reviews the Porta Cable nails jammed.

It's oiless, tool less clearing of nail jams.

Just finished running trim on my eaves and its a great lightweight gun.

It's also covered by Ridgids lifetime warrenty. $139 at HD.

 

[ItsNemo]

I've got the Dewalt 15g and 18g precision point nailers...quite pleased with them, especially the 18g since it's rather quiet, no kick at all, and very light. The 15g has a blow gun built in too, pretty neat.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I own 16g, 18g and now recently bought a 23g headless pin nailer. I like the 23g because there is no hole filling before paint. The pins seem to hold just as good as the 16 and 18g do. But....this time I ended up shelling out for high quality. First I bought a "ROK" brand cheap gun [shoots 2" pins] for about C$60. 2 out of 4 pins jammed out of the box. Took it back and bought a "Cadex" [also shoots 2" pins]for about C$300. The Cadex was worth the extra.

 

[Flatsbroke]

Thanks for the input. Any ideas on which gauge is best for me? Current tasks is crown molding through plaster and sheet rock walls but do want some versatility in different uses

 

[scottybk]

Avoid the Paslode cordless, as the little air canisters for it expire and are expensive. For non-pro use they'll expire before you use the gun again.

 

[PelicanPines]

I'm going to say... there is no ONE gauge that will fit the bill for every task. Look for a 2"+ minimum max length gun to start if you are doing crown.

I have a straight fire, angle fire, pin nailer, brad nailer, two stapler widths... several of a few...

My first gun was the angle fire, which is helpful on crown molding... the clips of nails are at an angle... the gun allows you to noodle the correct firing angle into the wall. Also remember... if you are doing crown... sometimes you NEED BACKER strips that you attack to the walls... then fire into those thru the crown...

Straight fire is great for table top work... bird houses and a ton of things I just can't think of...

Pin nailer is for finish work that you don't want to deal with patching the holes much. BUT they don't fire long nails

Straight and pin would definitely not work "great" for crown but you may need them later. So keep an open mind.

 

[IndyGarage]

I have an older Bostich 16 gauge angle nailer - been using it for 20 years or so. It nails up to 2 1/2 inches. Works fine for most exterior nailing jobs. A few years ago I had to put a new diaphram kit into it - I think that cost about $25. It was pretty expensive new as I recall.

I also have straight 18 gauge nailer - I think up to 1 1/2 inces. I think it's a Senco - it also works fine. It works better for cabinet type work and was much cheaper than the 16 gauge.

Personally if I were a DIY user I would buy a used nailer. New ones are expensive. My local Pawn shop tool section has racks and racks of nailguns. I'm sure you could find one that is in relatively good shape.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I like nailers from Bostitck, Hitachi, Maxx, Paslode, and Senco. I have an older Senco about 20 years old angled 15 gauge finish nailer. I've never had to do anything to it and I've gone through around a half dozen boxes of nails in it's time. I like the angled design to get into some tight spaces. 15 or 16 gauge is fine and they allow you to shoot a nail from 1 1/4" to 2 1/2" long. Take a look at the Bostitch BTFP72155, Hitachi NT65MA4, Maxx NF665, Paslode T250A, and Senco FP35. All great nailers that preform well and well last a long time.

 

[Den69rs96]

I have a porter cable framing, brad, and a 15 gauge finish angle nailers. The brad nailed is the newest one and shoots 18 gauge brads up to 1 1/4. It’s great from smaller pieces and this nailer doesn’t require any oil. I like the angled finish nailed for trim work. It takes up to a 2.5 inch nail. It’s also great for different projects since it can shoot a good range of different size nails. It’s also easier to get into right corners because it’s angled. I haven’t had any issue with either gun.

 

[larry4406]

Keep it coming.

I have a Craftsman 2" straight 18g brad nailer that is giving me fits. I'm using Porter Cable brads.

Jambs about every 2nd clip of brads. Need to take a hex key to then take it apart to clear the jamb. Unit is about 15+ years old but not a lot of use. Currently doing cornice work on a detached and need to get a new gun.

CBAcres mentioned Ridgid has a "tooless" feature for clearing jambs?

 

[Flatsbroke]

Thanks guys. Guess ill see what the Black Friday sales bring and go from there

 

[ford33]

I have all Porter Cable nailers and have been using them for about 5 years in a DIY environment. They work well. One thing to consider is what your local store carry for nails. Don't buy something with an odd size nail.

 

[rnscustom]

Probably the 16ga is most versatile . I used it for everything trim wise inside the house . Sold it one day because I was using a 15ga and 18ga more often in the field . There are times I wish I had it back but I just continue with the two others and work fine . I had the porter cable and it worked good but it hammered hard and didn't seem to pull tight like the softer hitting senco . Kinda why I got rid of it .

 

[volksnick]

I'm in the midst of a home renovation and just got on this side of finishing the floors. I was not excited about having my small compressor shaking around on my new floor since it left little rubber tracks where it vibrated before the floors were finished. Since I was doing a whole house and didn't want to keep moving the compressor and floor protection, I elected to go for a battery powered cordless nailer instead of using my 16 ga straight hitachi.

I shopped the Dewalt 15 ga angled cordless 20v. I already had dewalt battery powered tools so it was easy. Bostich had a near identical tool, but couldn't confirm that it was the same battery. I went with 15 ga because I had read that it has slightly more holding power than the 16 ga without much more hole patching. I will caution you on the two different 15 ga angled nails (FN vs DA nails). I bought the wrong ones first and it bent them into hairpins. DAs work with dewalt. Works like a dreams and none of the hassle of dragging a hose around. Very very satisfied.

 

[larry4406]

My Craftsman 18G 2" brad nailer finally died.

Yesterday I bought the Rigid R213BNE. Was thinking about the Porter Cable linked above but the reviews scared me off.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-2-1-8-in-18-Gauge-Brad-Nailer-R213BNE/204207188

So far I have shot 4 clips of nails without hiccup. Using Porter Cable nails. Bought a pressure regulator and set it for 95PSI (mid-span of recommended pressure range).

Some of the features I like are the see-thru magazine to assess amount of nails remaining, the tool-less jam clearing (hope to never need it...), ability to position the exhaust port, reasonably light weight, good grip, comes with tool storage bag, and it comes with a swivel air attachment. Also a lifetime warranty so I need to figure out how to register that...

 

[Flatsbroke]

I see that lowes is going to have the 16ga Hitachi on sale for $100 for black Friday so looks like I will be picking that one up. Next question, what length nails should I get for crown molding, 2 or 2.5"?

thanks