Pin nailer?

[Ellen Benkin]

After using a borrowed one, I have decided I "need" a pin nailer to pin glue ups until the glue dries. Any suggestions?

[Van Huskey]

Brand? If so I love my Grex.

[Aaron Wingert]

I have a Porter Cable and love it. Great little tool. Rather inexpensive as well, but it has been very reliable!

[Kev Godwin]

Believe it or not, I bought one of those real inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight (Item 95882) and it has been working perfectly for well over a year with heavy use. I think I paid less than $20. for it.

[Don Morris]

Plus 1 for Grex. Little more expensive from what I hear, but absolutly no problems so far.

[Terry Hatfield]

I have a Porter Cable and love it. Great little tool. Rather inexpensive as well, but it has been very reliable!

+1 on the PC. Love it!

[Dar Lounsbury]

I have a Nikle and it works great. Uses same pins as Grex but gun is a little smaller and lighter. With PC, everything is very short. PC brand seems to be headed for the gutter.

[Mike Henderson]

+2 on the PC. Unless you're going to use a pinner a whole lot, the PC is fine.

Mike

[David Hostetler]

Love my HF pin nailer. Tons of pins through it, with only vague activity resembling proper maintenance... Takes abuse and keeps doing its thing.

[paul cottingham]

Anyone have an opinion on the Rigid pin nailer?

[Bruce Wrenn]

The Bostich is only $20 more than the PC. One on my local Lowes actually stocks them-WOW! It will shoot longer pins than the PC. Going to pick one up next week for a job.

[Joe Chritz]

Grex is "the" nailer.

I have a PC and it performs great although it doesn't get a lot of use.

They are handy for what they do for sure.

Joe

[Bill May]

i use the p-c daily with no complaints just use clamps when ever possible those 23 gauge pins can go funky with the slightest twist of grain

[Jim Becker]

Ellen, I have an older Accuset (Senco) and a nice Grex. Frankly, I use them both. LOL But the Grex is much nicer. (and shoots longer pins that I like for when gluing face frames on built-ins in-situ where clamping is impossible)

[Van Huskey]

those 23 gauge pins can go funky with the slightest twist of grain

VERY true, I am usually fine wth 1 3/8 and below but getting out near 2" can send the pin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, the positive is 23ga pins don't usually blow out a chunk like heavier gauge brads can.

[Jim Terrill]

The Bostich is only $20 more than the PC. One on my local Lowes actually stocks them-WOW! It will shoot longer pins than the PC. Going to pick one up next week for a job.

Yeah, but one of the magazines reviewed a number of them, the bostitch came out on the botton in terms of driving power. Too bad, since I like bostitch tools. I ordered a pc on the HD spring black friday deal, since it had better reviews and it was a steal in the combo.

[James Lord]

I usually use a Max 23g but just bought a Harbor Freight 23g pinner. While the HF gun is not as nice as the Max it works extremly well for only costing 24.99. I'm surprised at well it works for the cost.

[Eiji Fuller]

Cadex period

[Matt Winterowd]

+1 on Cadex. Actually, it's almost identical to the Grex, but I got mine a little cheaper, and I actually use and like the blower feature.

[Van Huskey]

Cadex period

Do they still have that strange (to me) trigger safety?

[Callan Campbell]

pin nailers are great, small and light. Try out any that you're thinking about, see how it fits in your hand while in a store if at all possible. The better ones have swivel air fittings built-into the end of the tool where you're connecting your air hose. This helps two ways. One, you get a bit more flexible movement of the tool with the hose connected,since you're allowed movement away from the straight line that a connector/coupler creates normally. Two, it helps change the balance of the tool in your hand while you're using it. Not as free as using an air whip hose which moves the whole coupler a few feet away from the tools themselves, but a nice touch.
Next "almost" must-have for a pin nailer. The ability to NOT fire a pin/the tool once you're out in the magazine. Dry fires, as some people call them are really annoying with a pin nailer since the hole created by the firing pin of the nailer will pretty much look the same whether it actually shot a pin into your material or not. You only find out when that piece of moulding falls away from that cabinet you were trying to quickly shoot a few pins into it while the glue was wet...:rolleyes:
So, if the nailer doesn't cost too much more than one that doesn't have this feature, it's a strong vote for it. Not a deal breaker, but with the very small hole created with these tools, it's nicer than shooting 2 dozen pins only to find the last 15 don't have anything in them....:D
Max length of pins that can be used. Seems like 1" was the old or first max, then we progressed to 1 3/8" as the NEW max or normal spec. Now 2" seems to be the high standard. The price goes up with the ability to shot longer pins usually, so decide how much pin you really need to work with, this can help with your decision process and your wallet.
Hope this helps you out.

[Jerome Hanby]

Believe it or not, I bought one of those real inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight (Item 95882) and it has been working perfectly for well over a year with heavy use. I think I paid less than $20. for it.


Ditto, I shoot grex pins through it

[Greg Portland]

Anyone have an opinion on the Rigid pin nailer?I run one and have zero complaints. It can push full size pins into MDF or hardwood without any problems. Although the Grex is supposed to be the best I have a hard time imagining what the improvement might be over the Rigid.

[Ellen Benkin]

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll start serious shopping now. The Harbor Freight and Ridgid are front runners due to the cost and the fact that people seem satisfied with them. I've used the Grex and it works well but the awkward safety is annoying -- and it is relatively expensive. I won't be using it a lot so saving money is a good thing.

[Larry Browning]

Several years ago I asked the same question and got pretty much the same response. Not a single "don't get brand x, cause it it a piece of junk" Everyone said, "I've got brand y and it works great." So, my conclusion was, that you really can't go wrong with any brand, so look for the one that on sale at the cheapest price and go with it. I got the one from Harbor Freight and it has worked well for me. However I did find that it puts a small dent in the wood unless I drive it thru a pad of some kind, like a thin scrap of wood or a piece of heavy cardboard.

[Brent Ring]

Believe it or not, I bought one of those real inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight (Item 95882) and it has been working perfectly for well over a year with heavy use. I think I paid less than $20. for it.

+1 here - great deal

[Pinwu Xu]

I used a 18g brad nailer, PC or some other name brand brads. It deflects in
the trim (wall frame) I was putting together.

How about the 23g pin nailer? Will the nails be able to keep straight?

Regards.

Pinwu

[Neil Brooks]

Just on the off chance that his friends call him "Pin," I'm going to put a little extra stock in the comments of Pinwu ;)

[Callan Campbell]

I used a 18g brad nailer, PC or some other name brand brads. It deflects in
the trim (wall frame) I was putting together.

How about the 23g pin nailer? Will the nails be able to keep straight?

Regards.

Pinwu
I would think the smaller 23 ga pins would be worse for you, with even less effort from the wood or defects in the wood deflecting or bending the pins. Could be the species you're working with, needs a different approach or some allowance for bent/misdirected nails/pins coming out at odd angles. Like the difference between soft Poplar and some harder Oak.

[Callan Campbell]

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll start serious shopping now. The Harbor Freight and Ridgid are front runners due to the cost and the fact that people seem satisfied with them. I've used the Grex and it works well but the awkward safety is annoying -- and it is relatively expensive. I won't be using it a lot so saving money is a good thing.
Ellen, the two stage safety trigger on the Grex pin nailer is because they're worried about a misplaced pin going EASILY through you or your hand. So, as it was explained to me, Grex approached the issue of making it a bit harder to just shot a pin accidentally with a single pull trigger by going to a 2 stage set-up. Picture also a gun that's being laid down and the trigger catches something and fires the gun when you least wanted it to. That's the mindset of the 2 stage prevention set-up, a pain to use, but makes it harder to hurt yourself or anyone near the firing tool.
I own a Grex, and agree that the trigger is something that takes getting used to.:o

[Ellen Benkin]

I understand the safety issue but regular nail guns solve that by requiring the nose to be depressed while the trigger is pulled. I think that works much better than the awkward two stage trigger. But that's my opinion and I'm not a tool engineer. Either way, I can use the device.

[William M Johnson]

I seem to be the only one using the Senco pin nailer. It shoots up to 2" pins. Works great. I made up several newall posts last night and pinned the sides instead of clamping. Got up this morning and they we just as i left them glueing up overnight.

Teh 1.5" and 2" will deflect. I have found no way to pull them out if they do. They will snap off before they pull out. This creates a major problem on the finished surface as well as with your brand new Lie Nielsen low angle jack plane.

Always angle the pins away from the finished surface.

Bill

[Callan Campbell]

I understand the safety issue but regular nail guns solve that by requiring the nose to be depressed while the trigger is pulled. I think that works much better than the awkward two stage trigger. But that's my opinion and I'm not a tool engineer. Either way, I can use the device.
Okay, I hear you. I'm not sure why the usual nose device set-up isn't used, it's a good question for the tool companies though. Good luck with whatever you end up with and enjoy your new pin nailer.:D

[Mike Archambeau]

+1 on the PC. Love it!

I like my PC pin nailer as well. Very handy tool...no more splits!

[Neil Brooks]

Couple months into using it, I'm pretty darned happy with my Harbor Freight pin nailer, too.

Is it comparable to a Cadex or a Grex ?

Oh ... I can't imagine.

But ... if it's a moderate use tool, for you, and you're looking to economize ... the darned thing works !

[William M Johnson]

I seem to be the only one using the Senco pin nailer. It shoots up to 2" pins. Works great. I made up several newall posts last night and pinned the sides instead of clamping. Got up this morning and they we just as i left them glueing up overnight.

Teh 1.5" and 2" will deflect. I have found no way to pull them out if they do. They will snap off before they pull out. This creates a major problem on the finished surface as well as with your brand new Lie Nielsen low angle jack plane.

Always angle the pins away from the finished surface.

Bill

[Eiji Fuller]

+1 on Cadex. Actually, it's almost identical to the Grex, but I got mine a little cheaper, and I actually use and like the blower feature.

the Cadex has the ability to shoot slight headed brads. A major plus IMO. the slight head brads hold alot better but you can hardly tell the difference in the size of the nail hole.

[Callan Campbell]

I seem to be the only one using the Senco pin nailer. It shoots up to 2" pins. Works great. I made up several newall posts last night and pinned the sides instead of clamping. Got up this morning and they we just as i left them glueing up overnight.

Teh 1.5" and 2" will deflect. I have found no way to pull them out if they do. They will snap off before they pull out. This creates a major problem on the finished surface as well as with your brand new Lie Nielsen low angle jack plane.

Always angle the pins away from the finished surface.

Bill
Yeah, once they're in there, they're IN there:D Seems to work best for me to use an End Nipper and try to cut them off, then tap the slightly proud pin down below the surface of the wood I'm working with.

[Curt Harms]

I have an Air Locker pinner. It has the typical nose safety setup. The potential problem is that the "muzzle" is larger than the 2 trigger guns because of the ring. If you want to get in tight spaces, the safety mechanism may get in the way or hold the gun away from molding profiles. Here's a refurb unit for $50 including an extra driver.
http://www.toolmarts.com/airlocker_p630r.html
The only problem I had with mine is the pin feed would occasionally hang up. There was a slight burr where the magazine joined the driver housing. A little sandpaper fixed that and it's been fine since. The tiny holes are handy in that for instance I tacked a piece of molding over some wires to protect them from bunny teeth. I can remove the molding at a later date and the holes will be virtually invisible.


I understand the safety issue but regular nail guns solve that by requiring the nose to be depressed while the trigger is pulled. I think that works much better than the awkward two stage trigger. But that's my opinion and I'm not a tool engineer. Either way, I can use the device.

[Eiji Fuller]

I have mine taped to the handle

[Brian J McMillan]

I've got a bostich and an Omer. The Bostich is ok, sometimes it doesn't set the pin completely in oak for example but a nice feature is the adjustable power setting which is real handy for turning down the power when firing in to thin soft material preventing the pin from going all the way through.

The Omer will shoot both pins and 23g brads up to 2". No problems firing into hardwoods. I do have issues with the design though. I am a southpaw and the gun has a so called "handy" hanger on the handle. It just gets in my way and if I remove it I will have to make up something to keep the back of the handle together. Also the gun has a device in the magazine that will prevent dry firing. That was the first thing I took out as it prevents the firing of about the last 3/4" of pins. Very annoying if your in an awkward spot and it won't fire and you know you still have pins in the gun.

Other than that it is a very well made gun with lots of power, light weight and very pricey.

[Dan Clark]

+1 for the Cadex

[kenneth kayser]

My Grex 635 (I think that's the number) drives max 1 3/8 pins and leaves such a neat hole that I sometimes have to use a magnetic finder to see where I put it. My 650, which will drive a 2 inch pin, leaves a more ragged hole.

I find that the best way to "remove" an errant pin is to bend it back and forth until it breaks. Every one I have tried this with has broken under the surface, leaving a very tiny hole.

One more tip, after changing pins, fire a few into the trash because one or two of the wrong length may stay behind in the driver.

[Cary Falk]

I have an Air Locker pinner. It has the typical nose safety setup. The potential problem is that the "muzzle" is larger than the 2 trigger guns because of the ring. If you want to get in tight spaces, the safety mechanism may get in the way or hold the gun away from molding profiles. Here's a refurb unit for $50 including an extra driver.
http://www.toolmarts.com/airlocker_p630r.html
The only problem I had with mine is the pin feed would occasionally hang up. There was a slight burr where the magazine joined the driver housing. A little sandpaper fixed that and it's been fine since. The tiny holes are handy in that for instance I tacked a piece of molding over some wires to protect them from bunny teeth. I can remove the molding at a later date and the holes will be virtually invisible.

I have the Airlocker also. The safety kept getting in the way so I disabled it and removed the ring. Other than that it works great. You can't really beat the price unless you go HF.