Air nailer

[cabinetman]

The only time it misfires and no nail comes out is when it's out of nails

That happens to mine too.

.

[Bill in Buena Park]

If you set the gun to put the brad below the surface then it does. The hole is as deep as the top of the brad, if the brad is just flush then there is no hole.

Good point Bill. I am reminded that I use mine to set flush, but only in areas where the brad head won't be seen. I use a straight-up 18g nailer when I resort to setting exposed brads.

[LCHIEN]

Isn't this issue correctable by reducing the pressure to the gun? My HF combo nailer/stapler doesn't have this issue with the pressure adjusted.

usually though, when using brads you want the head slightly recessed to hide the brad and/or be able to put putty to cover it prior to finishing.

So using a combo nailer this is nearly impossible as you get the long indent which counters the fact that you are trying to hide it and want as small an indent as possible. I suppose you could manually use a nail set to sink the brads you set at the surface to avoid a big dent, but then that would sort of remove the incentive for using the nail gun inthe first place.

[eezlock]

air nailer

I have a couple of HF nailers (1) 18ga and the other is a 23ga pin nailer.
Both of these do the job pretty well for their intended purposes, but the secret to them as with any others is,
keeping them oiled regularly and a clean, moisture free air supply. This helps to cut down on the problems more
than about anything else it seems. As to HF vs. any other brand, theirs are ok if you don't try and use them
in a production setting/professional shop, they will last a lot longer in a small hobby/craft type shop.
I have had mine for 4 years or more and they are still working fine for me.

[cabinetman]

I have a couple of HF nailers (1) 18ga and the other is a 23ga pin nailer.
Both of these do the job pretty well for their intended purposes, but the secret to them as with any others is,
keeping them oiled regularly and a clean, moisture free air supply. This helps to cut down on the problems more
than about anything else it seems. As to HF vs. any other brand, theirs are ok if you don't try and use them
in a production setting/professional shop, they will last a lot longer in a small hobby/craft type shop.
I have had mine for 4 years or more and they are still working fine for me.

Proper maintenance goes a long way with any tool. I don't find much of a difference in a HF brand or Duo-Fast, or Senco, in heavy continuous use other than a leaky "O" ring. The cost doesn't justify the means, as I can't get an estimate (bench fee) on a repair to a Duo-Fast for what a new HF gun will cost.

.

[LCHIEN]

I have three 18 ga. brad nailers which i use.
one is a older 2" craftsman - similar Sears units were $90 when I got i used on ebay for a lot less. Another is a 1-1/4" Bostitch which I picked up at one of the box stores for around $20 from a tip here. When the craftsman broke, I bought the $18 2" HF unit which worked well. In curiousity I broke apart the craftsman and found a broken plastic piston and replaced it for around $12 parts and shipping so now I have two good 2" brad nailers. So with three brad nailers I don't give any of them a workout to death so I expect they will last a long time. I really haven't had trouble with any of them (except for the broken piston). The only time it misfired was when I put the 16 ga. nails in the Craftsman. Duh!
I also have a used (eBay) narrow crown Craftsman stapler which has always worked fine and a HF wide crown stapler which has outlived two hand staplers and a 23 ga. HF pinner. I also have a 16 ga finish nailer - Craftsman from ebay again.
I don't use them heavily but they have all worked fine so I sort of presume this this technology is pretty mature and you won't have any trouble with any brand for ocassional use. I always put a few drops of oil into the inlet before use (except for one which is oilless) and that's about it.

To me my usage is every couple of weeks I'll fire off a few dozen brads from one of the guns. Staples, and pins and 16 ga. I use quite less frequently. I'd avoid the 1.25" brad nailers - the 2" ones are not much more and quite a bit more flexible.

[cabinetman]

Isn't this issue correctable by reducing the pressure to the gun? My HF combo nailer/stapler doesn't have this issue with the pressure adjusted.

I leave the air pressure setting for the gun s to seat the head, whether it will be seen or not. I don't want to waste time changing air pressure just to have the nail head flush in areas that aren't seen.

.

[greenacres2]

Maybe this should be a fresh topic--but i recently picked up a 3 gun set from a Sears (the "Magnesium" body 16 finish, 18 brad, stapler--$93 or so, for a distressed box). All 3 are "oilless", yet the kit included container of oil. Got a Bostitch pancake compressor and brad nailer from CPO, both "oilless", also included oil in the kit.

So--is that a statement that it's okay to add a drop or 2 at times? Or just tradition that won't die???

By the way, all seem to work fine and i'm gaining confidence as i use them. I do need to pick up some shorter brads--2" sample brads are tough to drive into 3/4" ash and hickory, another lesson from the weekend.

earl