Delta Brad Nailer / Stapler 58% off at Rockler

[Vaughn McMillan]

In case anyone is looking for a brad nailer/stapler combo gun, I just noticed Rockler has the Delta DBS125 on sale for $39.99 instead of the normal $94.99 price tag. It's the Shopmaster line, so I'd imagine it's a hobbyist level tool, but it's down to about the Harbor Freight price. Oh, and the shipping is free.

Does anyone have this gun? If so, whadda ya think about it?

- Vaughn

[Brett Baldwin]

I picked this up at my local Rockler for that price and so far it had done a decent job. So far I've only made one sharpening jig with it and a few random test shots to see how much grain direction affects it. The depth setter works well and I've driven brads into red oak with no problem.

The one thing that I don't like is that if it misfires (doesn't grab the brad/staple) the depression it puts in the wood is the size of the staple crown. The striking bar is the full width of the crown so the hole it makes in the wood is substantial. Just something to think about if you are thinking of using this in areas where the brad would be visible. A dedicated brad nailer would leave a much smaller hole if it misfired.

[Jim Becker]

Just remember that a combo gun leaves a very large mark when you are using brads, rather than staples. "Separates" are pretty affordable these days and that would be my first recommendation unless your usage is "very occasional" and just around the house or something.

[John Stankus]

An ad insert in today's newspaper (Dallas Morning News) from home depot has a Porter Cable brad nailer kit for $69 (looks like a BN200 (I think thats thenumber) from the length of brads it can use). I did look at the HF brad nailer yesterday... couldn't convince myself to pull the trigger on that even for 7.99 + a 20% off coupon.

EDIT --> stopped by HD and its a BN200A for $69

Regards

John

[Brett Baldwin]

To expand on Jim's comment, as long as you don't countersink with nailer itself, you won't get that mark from the striking bar. But if you do countersink a brad or get a dry-fire, you will end up with a 1/4" by 1/16" hole about 1/16" to 1/8" deep. Of course a brad nailer would also make a hole on a dry-fire but it would be smaller.

I did notice that using it upside-down seems to eliminate the dry-fire issue, at least the few times I've used it since I tried it that way.

[Anthony Anderson]

"Separates" are pretty affordable these days and that would be my first recommendation unless your usage is "very occasional" and just around the house or something.

I agree with Jim on this. Buy the separate guns and you will be glad you did. I picked up the Bostitch 5/8"-2" at Menards (Like HD or Lowes) at their Day after Thanksgiving Sale for $66. Cheap and works great. I had the P-C before and it also worked great, but go with the separate units. Bill