Could this be the only tool in my shop that isn’t working? Anything I say about this gun would be speculation because this unit has never fired a nail. Despite the picture showing a half clip of nails locked and loaded, this Bostitch N70 Framing Nailer never worked. Happy Friday the 13th.

I can’t justifiably rate this tool.

Comments:

I received this old tool new in box. The box was still sealed, it was a new gun, even though the manufacture date was many years prior. Basically, someone gave me a brand new older model Framing Nailer. I hooked it up, but nothing… no leaking air sounds, no action. Nothing. Since then I’ve hung on to it for over ten years even though it doesn’t work. I’m not sure what I’m expecting.

I have experience with the N70/N80 nailers from years using Bostitch Framing guns on General Construction projects. My first ten years as a carpenter were spent Framing and Sheathing with a Hitachi in one hand and a Bostitch in the other.

I have several other Bostitch pneumatic nailers, some listed on this site already. I trust the name for weighty but long lasting nailers.

Links:

The current highly rated Bostitch framing gun is the Bostitch F28WW Framing Nailer.
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others include the Bostitch F21PL.
and the Bostitch N100S

That’s what it says down this side of my favorite air tool hose! Don’t know what kind it is other than, Pneu Flex Polyurethane Tool Hose 200PSI WP Made in the USA. I picked this hose up at a local roofing supply and it’s been my favorite air hose since.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Experience:

I own over 500′ of air hose from various manufacturers. I don’t often need more than 150′ on a job except when I use a coupler and set up a few guns. I’ve been through several different kinds over the years and the PNEU FLEX is the lightest, easiest to coil and most cooperative of them all.

From the old days using 20lb hoses attached together snaking around huge remodels, toting all that hose behind a 1lb brad gun had been a struggle until the Pneu Flex.

I mostly use the new Bostitch ProHoze and they are really nice, heavy duty and flexible but one has a weird twist toward an end that makes the hose curl up bad. I cannot seem to train it into a decent circle when wrapping it up. I’m very precise about my cords and hoses and wrap them into my hand, one twist each length so they lie perfectly flat and unwrap easily. I cannot get the lovely new Bostich hose to behave at all, therefore despite it’s lighter-weight construction I still prefer this Pneu flex hose attached to the tool I am operating.

Links:

This new Bostitch ProHoze is likely the best hose on the market right now!

Bostitch PRO-3850 Prozhoze 3/8 Inch x 50 Feet

Both the Amflo and PUR-Hose listed below look like my favorite kind of air tool hose for interior work.

Amflo 12-50E 1/4 X 50′ Blue Polyurethane 1/4
PUR-Hose PUR-14X050 1/4-inch by 50 Polyurethane 250 PSI Air Hose

Uhm, I’ve been putting this review off. Why? Because this pneumatic nail gun is a Senco and it’s so lightweight and very good looking but there’s something about it’s action and shape I can’t get used to. As the primary means of fastening my work, the finish nailer is my most important pneumatic.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Specifications:

• Sequential Actuation (Restrictive)Tool
• Weight: 4 lbs (3.6 kg)
• Height: 11-5/8” (249 mm)
• Length: 13” (330 mm)
• NailCapacity: 100
• Reg. Operating Pressure: 70-120 psig
• Mode of Operation: contact actuation or sequential trigger mechanism
• Hose Fitting: 1/4″ NPT

Experience:

Read it all over this blog, I’m a trim carpenter. Of all my tools; in combination with my hand tools and a chop-saw, a Finish Nail Gun is indispensable for my trade. I rely on it to function flawlessly but also to feel right, to be a tool I can hook up and go to town with. I’ve used various nailers over the years but I’ve always stuck with my own personal gun, the Paslode 3250-F16 which I’ve archived here on toolboxblog.com. I bought the Senco FinishPro to replace that Paslode.

Comments:

First of all the switch from the thin profile Paslode to this plump Senco nailer is a big one. This is a whole different beast. It does smell of quality. I haven’t beaten this tool up at all and it hasn’t seen a single day as rough as my Paslode had it for years.

I don’t like the 15 gauge nails. I don’t like the bulky gun. I don’t like the way it shoots. I don’t like lifting my finger to fire again, which may be something I can change but needless to say, so far I’m not enjoying what seems to be a really nice nail gun. Yeah, I think it’s partly the 15 gauge round head Senco nails vs the 16 gauge rectangle head Paslode nails. The gun works. I expect it to work. I expect it’s top of the line. I just haven’t gotten there yet.

If you had the chance to pick up my old nail gun and this one simultaneously, I wonder which you would prefer.

Links:

There’s an in depth review of the Senco 41XP at OnlineToolReviews.com

Senco FinishPro 42XP 15-gauge Finish Nailer at Amazon.com

Find 41XP product data at Senco.com

A cheap tool in a pinch. That’s what I considered my Porter-Cable FR350A when I bought it in 2005. Since then it has proven to be a solid performer despite it’s awkwardly large frame.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Description:

• 2-inch to 3-1/2-inch round head pneumatic framing nailer with 64 nail capacity magazine
• Selectable trigger — restrictive or contact actuation mode
• 70-120 PSI operating pressure
• Measures 19-1/2 inches long and 14 inches tall; Weighs 8 pounds
• Includes carrying case, 1/4-inch air fitting with dust cover, and oil

Experience:

With my Bostitch Framing Gun in need of repair I bought the cheapest stick nailer I could get my hands on within an hour’s time. Since then I have used my Porter-Cable FR350A for the heavy demands of house framing. Maybe it’s because it came with a carry bag that my P-C FR350 looks so clean and new but it’s hammered home a bunch of nails.

I don’t really know what to say about this Framing Nailer other than:

1. It wasn’t expensive
2. I don’t prefer this to others
3. It’s big and heavy and unwieldy.
4. It works!

Here’s a picture of it next to a full sized 23oz framing hammer. It’s a big nail gun.

Links:

Porter-Cable FR350A at DeltaPorterCable.com (Product Data)

Porter-Cable FR350A Round Head 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer at Amazon.com
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The Bostitch N64C is a pneumatic coil nailer specifically for designed for fencing and siding nails. 15-Degree Wire Collated Hot Dipped Galvanized Ring Shank Coil Nails are grippy little bastards that aren’t likely to bend when misfired. The N64C is one of my better pneumatic nailers and my favorite siding nailer of the bunch.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Features:

• Magnesium housing for job site durability
• Quick-release canister for fast, easy loading
• Adjustable depth control for flush nailing
• Rubber grip for comfort
• Adjustable deflector conveniently directs exhaust
• High-impact composite canister survives falls
• Large coil capacity holds up to 350 nails

Experience:

I picked up this particular Bostitch nailer at the Depot because I needed a third gun on a larger siding job. Since then I’ve stashed the others and carry the N64C. Over the past five years I’ve owned this nailer it was only required a few times a year, unlike my finish, brad and pin nailers that are in use almost every day. The Bostich N64C has been a good performer despite issues I’ve had with a Bostitch Framing Gun. I have owned 4 large Bostitch guns, one of them was a dud.

As far as experience, I’ve installed more than 20,000 feet of siding with the N64C firing a dozen+ boxes of nails. It’s an easy gun to operate that leaves no mark when fired. It’s arguably lightweight and doesn’t jam like some guns but the coil type nails can and will get hung up in the cylinder.

Comments:

When siding, setting the nail just below the surface is a close tolerance. Too far and you risk the thin material of modern siding but too shallow and the painters will be pissed. Attaching your nailgun to someone else’s compressor means a change in operating pressure and likely a change in nail depth. I’ve had to use a few different compressors, all to fine results. It takes a method not to double shoot with the N64C but once you’ve got it, you can keep the double-taps down to a few per roll.

As with all coil nailers you’ve got to protect the coils before they make it into the gun to insure the smoothest feed possible. The most common issue with this gun is the coil getting hung up. Other than properties inherit to the design of coil nailers, I like this tool for it’s light footprint and smooth shot. (It’s hard to qualify ‘smooth’ in pneumatics but the Bostitch N64C seems to be a pretty smooth operator!)

Links:

N64C - Industrial Coil Siding/Fencing Nailer at Bostitch.com (Product Data)

Bostitch N64C-1 Industrial Coil Fencing / Siding Nailer at Amazon.com

Bostitch N66C-1 1-1/4-inch to 2-1/2-inch Coil Siding Nailer with Magnesium Housing
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BTW: Nails are a lot cheaper at Amazon.com than they are at my local store.
B & C Eagle Round Head 2-Inch Hot Dipped Galvanized Ring Shank (5,400 per Box)

One day I needed a brad nailer and bought an Airy because it was least expensive and I’d heard it would be ‘good enough’. I’m pretty sure the sticker on this one says AMT-6232S though a Google search reveals the same nailer with different numbers like ATA 0232S. I can shoot 18 gauge brads or staples and do often enough with this versatile Airy pneumatic nailer.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Specifications:

• 18 Gauge Nail/Staple Kit (2-in-1)
• Staple: Crown (5.7mm) Length (16-28mm)
• Nail: Length (16-28mm)
• Max 95 PSI / 7BAR

Experience:

I’ve owned and used this Airy Nailer for over 10 years and it still works great. I have used it extensively. Installing thin trim pieces, stapling lattice to frames, stapling 1/4″ backing on cabinets and more. It’s a versatile tool accepting either staples or brads. I carry a case with boxes of staples in 5/8″ and 1″ and brads in 16mm, 3/4″ and 1″. More often than not, this airy brad gun is in my truck toolbox and for years as a sub-contracting carpenter I put this gun to the test day after day and it hasn’t failed yet.

Comments:

I’ve pinched my finger in the double trigger more than enough but my Airy brad gun has been a good tool with only a few drops of oil there’s been no maintenance for over ten years. From freezing cold to scorching hot, it’s never failed to shoot brads and staples. I can’t even recall this gun ever jamming which seems exceptional. If I could read past the reviews I came across so far, I’d buy the same gun again. I’m pretty sure this is an archived tool. I expect my Airy 18 gauge brad nailer to keep shooting for a good while longer.

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Links:

Airy ATA 0232S at epinions.com

Expensive Senco FP25XP 18-Gauge Brad Nailer

Popular Hitachi NT50AE2 Brad Nailer at Amazon.com

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A 1 HP, 8 Amp compressor with a 1.5 gallon tank delivering maximum 135psi the Husky Air is admittedly not the quality of tool I put to the test at work. I left my Fini compressor on a jobsite and wanted to pin nail a weekend project together. I picked up the sub-$100 Husky Air Scout for my ‘homeowner’ tasks and, for what it’s worth, I like it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Features:

•    1 Running HP, 135 MAX PSI , Oil Free
•    2.0 SCFM at 90 PSI , 3.0 SCFM at 40 PSI
•    Portable Lightweight Design with onboard storage
•    Simple controls and convenient carry handles
•    MFG Model # : 41214

Experience:
I set the Air Scout in my shop and nailed my project together. When I was done I used one of the included nozzles to dust off some machine tools. Since then I’ve been using this Husky compressor for pins, brads, stapling and the occasional dusting. I’m surprised how well this simplified compressor has taken on my modest ‘shop’ demands, for less than $100.

Comments:
This little tool isn’t designed for constant-run and with only a 1.5gal reservoir you’ll have to stick to appropriate tasks but still it comes with some great features. For one, I love it’s simplicity. There is an on off switch and a giant air pressure adjustment knob. Adjusting the output is so simple that it’s something I’ll actually do. I don’t intend to move this from job to job but it has large wheels and a collapsible handle for wheeling around like a suitcase. It’s lightweight and easily moved. There is a carry handle on top. Noise in the shop is standard but this compressor is easy on the ears. There is a built-in storage compartment where you will find the included hose, fittings and tools for inflating, dusting, etc. The included tools are low quality but might be nice to have in a pinch. It even comes with a roll of teflon tape. I wouldn’t bother with the impossible flex hose it comes with, instead get yourself a Pneu Flex or Bostitch Prozhoze for half the price of this compressor.

Links:
Husky Air Scout at home depot (Product Data)

The Porter-Cable PIN100 is one of my favorite pneumatic tools. It’s a very handy nailer and saves a lot of time assembling. I use it for that third hand I always wish I had.

Cabinetmakers take notice, It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford the Grex P635 Pinner, you should have a 23 gauge nailer in your shop.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Description:

• Uses 23 Ga. micro pin nails from 1/2″ to 1″ long similar to Senco® models
• Tool automatically adjusts for different fastener lengths. Easier loading and less problems with pins out of spec
• Rear exhaust port channels air and tool oil/condensation away from work
• Bottom load magazine holds 170 pin micro nails
• Dual trigger feature
• Nail reload indicator
• Rubber comfort grip on tool handle

Experience:
The 23 gauge pin nailer is a relatively new tool in my collection. I needed one to install some prefinished kitchen moulding. Now it’s part of most of my glue-ups. A single pin can hold a corner while you set-up for a larger fastener and they are tiny enough that you can still manipulate the joint for adjustments. That is until you shoot ten pins into a glued miter. They are nearly invisible in wood. I alternate between the 1″ and 5/8″ pins constantly.

If you’ve ever done cabinets supplied with pre-finished trim then you’ll appreciate the 23 gauge nailer. Most often it’s shoot and leave it. No touch up necessary.

Comments:
I love this tiny nailer and have since kind of forgotten about my brad nailer which leaves remarkable holes in comparison. The oil supplied in the carrying case leaked. The nails in the case got oil on them and when shot in dry wood leave a spot. Even with new ‘dry’ pins I am still getting a spot of oil marking the otherwise nearly invisible hole. I don’t know if this is unique to the P-C tool since this is the 1st and only 23 gauge pin nailer I own.

Links:
PIN100 at Porter-Cable.com (Product Data)
Porter-Cable PIN100 23-Gauge Pin Nailer at Amazon.com (Better price than I paid!)