opinions wanted, on framing guns

[larry merlau]

just lost my old paslode 312 framing gun and need to replace, my choices are either hitachi or senco? any input on model and brand prefered and reason for such choice would help me in the purchase. have got 3 other hitachi and one senco air guns now. the hitachi have held up well but snco has been around a long time and so that is why i am asking for help thanks for the wisdom that any of you have to offer// sore thumb ;)

[Mark Singer]

Hitachi is very popullar the framers love it!

[larry merlau]

Hitachi is very popullar the framers love it!
thanks mark any particular model?

[Ken Garlock]

Hi Larry, the framers that worked on our house would only use Senco, and they used them at about 140 psi. They claimed that the Senco was the best they had used, and these fellows do use them, 8 hrs a day, 5 or 6 days a week.

Good luck on your search :)

[Alan Turner]

Larry,
I have no framing nailer, but did oveerhear a discussion at a party recently among some contractors. The discussion concerned full head vs. clipped head nails, which I think need diff. guns, and one was saying that in one local township, full head nails were now required by code. I don't know if this is nonsense or not. Also, they were talking about the new pressure treated wood, and saying that probably stainless steel nails was the best way to go, even though horribly spendy. So, you might want to think about these two isseus if you need a new gun anyway.
Alan

[larry merlau]

Larry,
I have no framing nailer, but did oveerhear a discussion at a party recently among some contractors. The discussion concerned full head vs. clipped head nails, which I think need diff. guns, and one was saying that in one local township, full head nails were now required by code. I don't know if this is nonsense or not. Also, they were talking about the new pressure treated wood, and saying that probably stainless steel nails was the best way to go, even though horribly spendy. So, you might want to think about these two isseus if you need a new gun anyway.
Alan

as of right now my state, doesnt require rnd head nails, they are more for the storm belt areas i have been told. but i was thinking that in the future they might change there veiws. and so ican get the old one fixed and have as a back up, and get a new full head one for the future. thanks for the repsonses of you folks.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Get the Hitachi hands down. The Senco is not a bad gun (I've had two), but the Hitachi is a much better quality tool.

[Jim Becker]

Larry, I bought a Senco gun last year for my kitchen project and it works as advertised. I do need to make a change to it to force it to "single shot" mode before I use it again...being only an occasional user, I had a bit of trouble with double and triple firing, but that's "me", not necessarily the gun. That said, Senco, PC, Hitachi, etc., all make nice guns.

I'm inclined to recommend you go with a full-round head nail version just to insure you are in compliance with code wherever you are. It is true that the requirement for these fasteners is accelerating and going with the round head unit up front will preserve your investment. The downside is that round-head nailers hold less nails per stick, but unless you're installing thousands per day, that will be less of an issue. These things shoot so fast that a few more nails per stick will be almost unnoticable to most of us!

[larry merlau]

[QUOTE=Jim Becker]Larry, I bought a Senco gun last year for my kitchen project and it works as advertised. I do need to make a change to it to force it to "single shot" mode before I use it again...being only an occasional user, I had a bit of trouble with double and triple firing, but that's "me", not necessarily the gun. That said, Senco, PC, Hitachi, etc., all make nice guns.

thanks for the input jim and i have pretty much decided to go with the full head gun. and as for the thousands of nails goes been there, done that, and still am :) i do fair amount of building and with the job outlook now, i wil be doing more of it. but hey i started out doing that and now i can go back to it. that is one thing about the trades. they cant build without people to run the guns or hammers. oh by the way jim if you have some free time sat i would like to talk with you on the wagner hvlp and the tricks you use to operate it. havnt ordered it yet but am going to. thanks fo rthe reveiw and the link to the site. the guy is very good at helping with the sale or questions.very prompt and informative thanks again jim

[Joe Scarfo]

Larry,

I know Bostitch wasn't on your list ... I just wanted to share that's what I have. it's a "coil" nailer that shoots full round heads. I really like it as it's a slightly smaller "shorter" foot print and has been very reliable for me.

I used a Senco coil framer once. It was a new gun I rented when my bostitch was loaned to a friend across the country. I wasn't happy with it... I do have other Senco guns I think are outstanding.

Good Luck w/ your choice.

Joe in Tampa...

[Michael Ballent]

My suggestion would be to visit the local borg and take a look at the nails they are selling. Nothing worse than buying a tool and the only supply you can use has to come in the mail/UPS. Take a look at the available supply of nails then look for the nailers that meet your requirements. Personally I would only look at the full round head nailers, why take a chance meeting the minimum requirements for the local code and then need to buy something else, if the code changes.

If you are a member of Costco, they usually sell the PC Magnesium full head nailer for about $240. I do not own it but if weight is an issue then it maybe something you want to look at. I have had a lot of luck with the PC nailers I have.

[Robert Tarr]

A buddy of mine is a framer and loves his Hitachi...He said he has used all of the guns on the market (I too have an old Paslode that I love). His reason was that he shoots thousands of nails and the Hitachi will shoot almost all brands of nails and the Senco, while being a great gun, gets a little finicky about what you feed it.....and suprise, it runs best on the more costly Senco branded nails.

We got into a good conversation about nailers and he said that he only does framing and usually subs out to other firms and uses whatever materials (including nails) that the particular sub-contractor provides. If however you do rough framing on new installation or basement remodels, you might consider the Senco SN-70 (If my brain is working correctly), as it has a hardened steel drive piston. It will fire hardened nails into green concrete and/or cinder block walls, saving the need and cost of using Tapcons etc. It and the nails are a bit more spendy, but it does save tons of time.

Hope this helps.

Robert

[Dan Mages]

I have a rather beat up used Bostich nailer. It is a brute and works well. Good luck with the purchase.

Dan

[Dar Lounsbury]

Hitachi full head nailer is NR83A2. About $310/315 at several tool sites. Coil nailers are smaller, maybe lighter but the nails cost more and fewer stores carry coil nails. This nailer has a little touchy trigger and takes a bit to get used to. I find it easier to bump fire rather than put it place and pull trigger. I work for a school district maintenance department and we use a case or two of nails a month on portable classroom stairs and ramps. We have had this gun for 6 or 7 years with only a few o-rings for problems. Clipped head nails are NOT allowed here, by code, for anything structural. Given time, I think they will not be allowed anywhere.

Hitachi is the best gun available in my opinion.

Dar

[Mike Palmer]

Larry, I guess I will be a little different from the rest of the group. Here in the Southeast Duo Fast is king. I have shot several guns but none seem to have the power of Duo Fast FWIW.