Bostitch HP118K 23-Gauge Reviews from Members

[Rob Tolentino]

I am interested in a 23 gauge pin nailer. I do not want to spend a lot on a top dollar gun (although I've seen glowing reviews from members about the Grex), but want one that will consistently set the pins below the surface. On the cheap end I've used the HF, but it kept shooting the pins either flush or proud regardless of adjustments.

Amazon currently has the Bostitch for $95, which seems like a good deal. I've researched reviews on the net they seem mixed about this tool. I would like to read some real responses and reviews from members on this forum. Thanks.

[Bill Ryall]

I have one. Love it. Never a jam, never an issue.

If I had to find fault with it it would be the trigger and safety configuration takes some getting used to.

If mine was lost/stolen I would buy another in a heartbeat. My use is semi-pro doing mouldings and picture frames in my shop.

[Barry Vabeach]

Rob, I got mine last night and was going to post a mini review after I used it a little more over the weekend, instead, here goes.


Background - I owned the Senco FP pinner for 2 years, looked at the specs for the Porter Cable, and just bought the Bostitch. I will just hit the features they advertise
Length of pin. Bostitch says this gun will handle a 1 3/16 pin - and that is longer than many other guns which top out at 1 inch. IMHO, that feature is not all that significant, mainly because it is hard to find 1 3/16 pins . Most combo packs stop at 1 inch, and there are a number of manufacturers that make pins of 1 1/4 - but very few make 1 3/16 - when I looked into ordering some, with shipping it costs between $15 -$20 which I don't think is worth the extra 3/16 length.
The Safety, in contrast to Bill, I found that in the few minutes I used it, I didn't even notice it had a safety - the rear trigger was so large I instintively held it closed when holding the gun. The Senco had no safety at all, but with these guns, the risk of injury should be quite low.
High low switch. The Senco left the pins level with the surface. The BS does the same on the low setting, on the high power setting it consistently set the pin just below the surface which gives you the option to fill the hole if you wanted it. To me, this justifies a premium over nailers that don't set below the surface
Side loading. This feature is nicer than the bottom loading on the Senco - because with bottom loading you have to hold the gun upside down or sideways so they don't fall out when you close the gun, not hard to do, but the side load is very easy.
Handling different sized pins without resetting. I have a number of nailers that accept different length fasteners and have never loaded more then one length at a time and can't think why you would do it. OTOH, if I shot some 3/4 pins in the Senco, I would need to manually change a setting if I wanted to reload with 1 inch pins - so not having to change the setting is convenient. I think the PC is automatic also.
To me, this gun is much better than the Senco, and slightly better than the PC, mainly due to the high low switch. When I was looking, I found a reconditioned PC for around $70 which I thought was a good deal.

[Paul Ryan]

I can't comment on the bostitch 23 guage pinner. I have been using their finshing nailer for 12 years now, and it still works like it is new. I have remodled 3 kitchens, 2 houses, and a bunch of bathrooms and other jobs with it, plus use it for woodworking. It ran me $59 when I bought it, I will surely buy another one if it ever dies. I also own the bostitch roofing nailer, have had that for about 10 years. I couldn't tell you how many roofing jobs it had done, but it has been plenty. It is showing its wear but still works great. The only other nailers I would consider would be the paslode guns due to the cordless nature. But they are expensive.

[David Perata]

I have a Bostitch 23 gauge pinner and love it. The only issue I had with it was that it can leave a slight impression in the wood. It does not come with a rubber nose piece.

However, I was in Menards and saw that their cheap 23 pinner did have rubber nose guards. I asked the fella if I could get the guards and he ordered me a few. Free!! They seem to fit on the Bostitch tip and solve the problem.