Howdy,

Is anyone here familiar with Framing Nailers? I'm getting ready to finish my basement and have conviced the wife it will make the job go much faster. The only thing I know for sure is that I want a full head instead of a clipped head nailer. It helps to eliminate the code issued between the 2 types of nails.

I'd love a Pasload that is cordless, but the price is a factor. I've tried to do some research on the web for reviews and whatnot, but not much comes up.

I was looking at a Porter Cable full head nailer for about $200 and wondered if anyone has any experience. I've always had good luck with the brand, but I'm just not familiar with nail guns. I will only be doing the basement and some light work, nothing heavy like contractor work.

I have also heard that Senco makes a very good gun, but the price is reflected in that. Any other ideas?

Thanks

 

I have had a Porter cable for about 3 years, I do not use it for work every day but I love it when I need it. I got mine at Lowes for about the same price.

 

I have a dewalt and it is a nice gun but I only use it for light work. Most of my framers use Hitatchi full head nailers.

 

The Paslode is a tight stack nailer. They have what's called "roundrive" nails in which the round head is offset all the way to the front of the shank. If you're just finishing out a basement it might do just fine. I use one for pickup work and like not having to setup a compressor and drag around a hose. But the capacity is too small for serious framing.
You can find refurbs @ the big Orange Box sometimes for much less than retail.

I have (and like) a Senco FramePro 650 for a stick nailer. Other framing stick guns seem to long to maneuver in tight places and you will be working up against a basement wall.

The Bostich coil guns are short and hold a lot of nails but the toenailing teeth are too small. I weld them up, grind and file more aggressive teeth on them.

I used a Porter Cable for a while a couple of years back, but it didn't seem up to the task and after fixing it a few times I just moved on.
I think for what you want to do with it it may be a good value for you.

Just my 2c

 

I like my DeWalt stick nailer better than my Bostich coil. It drives 16D's easily. My bostich has trouble with 16's so I only use it for 6's or 8's. Plus when I got my DeWalt I got a free Matt Kensith hat....

 

Whatever I bought I would buy something that could easily do 16Ds. That way you can use it for other things later such as fencing. Plus, squirrel hunting !

 

I've had a Paslode Framer gun and used the daylights out of it. I used to build mini barns and sheds for a living. The Paslode was going thru a stick or 2 every day. Most of what I used was the .131" 3.25" framer nails(The BIG nails!) Most of the nails I got were the D head nails. The only thing with the Paslode is using it inside, you'll have to vent the room and wear ear protection. Heres a photo of what I built.

 

Out here in Ultra Violet land the framing gun of choice is the Hitachi NR83A. I own ten of these gems, one of which is over 20 years old. As common as a Ford truck on most construction jobs. Used ones are readily available on Amazon, or about $269 at your local Home Desperate.

 

Guys, thank you all for the input. My choices are really limited to the big boxes in my area. I've been to the orange store and the blue store. The gun that seems to feel the best in my hand and that seems to have the smoothest loading action is the Hitachi from the blue box store. I think it is the gun designed for DIY'rs as it has the new wild green graphics and not the chrome casing. Interestingly enough, as I was looking at the guns, a guys walks up unsolicited and says "get the Hitachi--it's the best, Paslode is second, and the the Bostich. Trust me I frame for a living".

The price is about $50 more, but if it is the better gun, I can live with that.

 

One thing I found out about Hitachi is that the roof nailers were able to take "generic" nails better than others.

 

We use a hitachi and a Makita that are a few years old for framing at work. The Hitachi is a better gun and will hold up well. As for the cordless guns, my boss and I have Dewalt finish nailers, he had a Pasload and got fed up with needing to have spare batteries and fuel cells. With the Dewalts, you simply grab the battery in the radio and your back at it.

 

porter cable have 3 types all are great

 

you may have already made your decision, but if you haven't i'm a framer and everybody in our group has a hitachi. they are the easiest to use and will stand up to all the abuse of everyday work, rain, snow, mud and an ocassional two story fall.

we also have paslode and bostich guns but almost everybody seems more confortable using the hitachi's, but they all do the job and work well, but if you want one that will outlast them, in my opinion get the hitachi... good luck

 

I have thew Porter-Cable framing nailer that uses full head nails and it works great. I've used on all sorts of projects including adding an addition on my In-Laws house. The only problem I had with this nailer is I almost shot my wife twice with this gun and I missed :-) Just kidding, I actually love my wife, but I did almost hit her twice with some stray nails. Make sure people are out of harms way when using any of these air powered nailers. My wife is an OR nurse and actually saw some one die as a result of framing nailer accident. The story was that two guys were working close to each other on a job site and one was using the framing nailer and was holding the trigger, so all he had to do was bump the tip on the work surface. Apparently the guy had his figure still on the trigger when the other guy stood up from below and bump his hard hat into the buisness end of the nailer. The nail went right through his hardhat and into his skull/brain. He was alive when they got him to the hospital, but when the nail was removed he died. Sad story, but if by telling it I save someone else, then it was worth sharing. The scary truth is most power tools can be dangerous and when sh)t happens, it happens real fast!!!

 

I got a returned Porter Cable at Home Despot for around $190, then got $20 off with their never-to-be-repeated turn in a tool for $20 credit program. Works ok for me, homeowner work.

I would strongly suggest hearing protection, especially since you are in a closed off area (basement, right?)

And eye protection, even two layers. Don't get the "framers trigger" where you hold down the trigger and it fires when you push it against the work. That's good for some things, but if you are in a tight area, you can shoot one nail right on top of the other and then the fun begins at is pings around the room or into your forehead....

Get the finish nailer too, as there is nothing more fun than having a tee set up in your air line with two coil hoses and using both at the same time...two gun construction... (yea, I know, what would you be working on that you needed both at the same time...) Well, it's because you can, you see.
Actually, I used this set up when putting blocking in the walls so I have solid wood behind the drywall all around some rooms between 5 to 7 feet, so I can hang pictures or other junk and actually hit something solid with the hangers. (this may be catagorized as nuts, but it's MY house and I'll nail wood all over everywhere if I want to.)