Makita 18v Cordless Pin & Brad Nailers - comments please

[Kent A Bathurst]

I cannot use an air compressor in my situation. I have a compressor and a variety of related nailers, all in storage.

I have, in my Condo-shop, various Makita cordless drills, impact driver, etc. with a number of 18v batteries and chargers, and I'm not interested in the $$$ outlay to start with an entire new brand/batteries/chargers. I've never had problems with the Makita stuff - batteries die, and I plumb wore out my first drill after 12 years, but that's all fine.

So - air-driven, and non-Makita 18v cordless, are non-starters. It's either Makita cordless or nothing.

I'm interested in comments/insight on this particular tool: Makita XTP02Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 1-3/8" Pin Nailer, 23 Gauge

Also - the brad nailer: Makita XNB01Z 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Cordless 2" Brad Nailer

And, I guess, on the concept of battery-powered nailers in general

TIA for your guidance.

[Cameron Wood]

The brad nailer gets not-so-great reviews on Amazon, particularly from invested Makita tool users (which I am as well).

I have slight experience with Dewalt one- belonged to former employee, & it seemed good.

I'd consider the Porter Cable- kit with battery for less than Makita bare tool. Good reviews & these don't get used hard unless you're a finish carpenter installing baseboard all day.

My 23g pin nailer rarely gets used- wouldn't miss it much if it was not there.

[Rick Potter]

I am also loaded with Makita stuff. I wanted to try a battery operated 18G nailer, so I bought a bare Ryobi and a battery adaptor from Makita to Ryobi. Works great....no new platform. Might work for you, they make a lot of different model adaptors.

No help on the Makita 23G, except they have it priced pretty high for me.


As an aside, that battery operated 18G weighs a ton, wouldn't want to use it all the time.

PS: In a Condo situation, perhaps a small Senco compressor would be quiet enough? Mine didn't make much noise.

[Kent A Bathurst]

....battery adaptor from Makita to Ryobi....

Did not know such a thing existed. Good grooming point, Rick. Thanks



PS: In a Condo situation, perhaps a small Senco compressor would be quiet enough? Mine didn't make much noise.

Which didn't make much noise? Compressor or spouse? :)

[Robert M Richardson]

I know you said you can't use an air compressor but for the record because my Dewalt pancake compressor was so loud, I sold it and bought a 1-1/2 hp Makita Quiet Series which at 60db is a dream. I'm basically a DYI guy so I don't need to drive lots of nails quickly. I've only used the Makita a couple of times but it's great in the house , you are able to converse standing beside it while it's running. They aren't cheap but are well built and to me well worth the cost.
Robert

[Kent A Bathurst]

Looks interesting. Been out of the market too long - stuff I did not know about is popping up all the time.

Thanks for the clue, Robert.

Kent

[Jim Becker]

There are a number of small, "super quiet" compressors available these days, Kent. In addition to the Makita Robert mentioned, California Air tools, Vevor, etc., have interesting choices. They are great for "on site" install work as well as where there are environmental challenges like you have. You could use standard, less expensive pneumatic tools then of which there are a ton of choices.

[Sam Goldsmith]

I'm with you, I'm also a Makita tool person, my dad's been using them over 30 years, so I started using them, I have a lot of them and have had no interest in changing tool sides.
I have the XNB02Z, a 16g finish nailer. Not sure your application of a nailgun, but I have used mine for finish trim, nailing box bottoms, and tacking drawers and casings. It has been a great performer for me. Reviewers have seemed quick to try it once and bash it, it took a little learning curve to get it's quirks. If you don't press in hard enough and all the way, the gun bounces back and you get a half set nail, annoying, but operator error. There is also a dial to change the depth it drives. It has no where near the speed nor power of a compressor driven gun, but I trade that often for the zero set up to drive a few nails and put it away.
I know it's not the XNB01Z you mentioned, but if Makita is still selling it, you won't throw the tool against the wall the first time it doesn't seat a nail, and you don't drive 100+ nails a day, I think you would be plenty happy with it.

[Cameron Wood]

I have a Makita Mac700 compressor, which is very quiet and also oil bath type, so it will (and has) last. Surprisingly heavy, 'tho... About as loud as the drill press.

Also have the little Senco one. It's not that loud, but so tiny that it cycles often and takes forever to pump up, even if shooting a few pin nails. Annoying, & barely worth the bother.

[Joe Samorodin]

Was in this very position and looked for a deal on the Milwaukee 18 gauge pinner with battery and charger. Best thing I could ever do, I love my Makita stuff but when it comes to nailers
bit the bullet. Now I also have the 12 volt drills and driver as well from Milwaukee as Makita has stopped making the smaller version which as a cabinet maker I used all the time. The Milwaukee
18 gauge has not failed and not having to haul a compressor on site a relief.

[Greg Quenneville]

I entered into the DeWalt world 7 years ago purely because they had a battery powered framing nailer. I disliked it so much after a while that when the time came I bought a Paslode fixing fun which I like, but it isn’t very quiet.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I am also loaded with Makita stuff. I wanted to try a battery operated 18G nailer, so I bought a bare Ryobi and a battery adaptor from Makita to Ryobi. Works great....no new platform. Might work for you, they make a lot of different model adaptors.

As an aside, that battery operated 18G weighs a ton, wouldn't want to use it all the time.

I'm thinking I like this approach, Rick. Low-volume, low-freq useage. Just for when I need to hold stuff together [like to let the glue set when clamping is a pain] and a counter-sunk screw is not needed, but my only other option. $150 all-in, Ryobi bare tool + adapter.

Thinking about it, I don't have any near-term plans needing the 23g headless pins, so the 18g nailer would seem to be the ticket.

Thanks everyone for your insights. I don't need a compressor except for nail gun[s], and I won't have a high-volume use anyway.

Cameron - i just cannot bring myself to put $$ into today's P-C stuff. I have 3 @ 690 routers that cannot be killed, and the 314 trim saw, and the 152 bayonet, also bulletproof. All from "back in the day" when P-C was the gold standard for me. May be unfair to them, but I'm not going there.

[Cameron Wood]

I'm thinking I like this approach, Rick. Low-volume, low-freq useage. Just for when I need to hold stuff together [like to let the glue set when clamping is a pain] and a counter-sunk screw is not needed, but my only other option. $150 all-in, Ryobi bare tool + adapter.

Thinking about it, I don't have any near-term plans needing the 23g headless pins, so the 18g nailer would seem to be the ticket.

Thanks everyone for your insights. I don't need a compressor except for nail gun[s], and I won't have a high-volume use anyway.

Cameron - i just cannot bring myself to put $$ into today's P-C stuff. I have 3 @ 690 routers that cannot be killed, and the 314 trim saw, and the 152 bayonet, also bulletproof. All from "back in the day" when P-C was the gold standard for me. May be unfair to them, but I'm not going there.



I hear you about PC tools.

I've found them to fill the need for temporary & semi-disposable tools. The power plane, in particular for processing salvaged lumber- have several & been through more. Also nail guns for light use have worked out.
Just think of it as a different color of Ryobi.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I hear you about PC tools.

I've found them to fill the need for temporary & semi-disposable tools. The power plane, in particular for processing salvaged lumber- have several & been through more. Also nail guns for light use have worked out.
Just think of it as a different color of Ryobi.


Gotcha. The 20v backs me away because I have 18v Makita batteries + chargers - assume no adapter from M18 > PC 20. Don't need the $$ nor hassle of second battery set-up.

I do like the idea of the semi-disposable power plane, though. There are occasions when that would be handy.

Thx

[Jim Becker]

If I'm not mistaken, most, if not all, "20v" setups are actually 18v...but I could be wrong about that. ;)

[Donald G. Burns]

If I'm not mistaken, most, if not all, "20v" setups are actually 18v...but I could be wrong about that. ;)

Yes. Same number of Li Ion cells in series, just different methods of rating the output. Amps will vary with the amp Hr cell rating used in each battery. Adapters to convert from one brand to a second brand battery terminals solves the issue of having to purchase chargers (and batteries) for each brand of tool.

[Rick Potter]

Careful Don,

Do not expect to charge batteries with one of these adaptors. All that I checked out, including the one I bought are adamant that you do NOT charge batteries with them. You still charge with the charger you already have for your battery platform.

Just sayin'.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Rick -

H Depot Father's Day promos.
Ryobi -20+% - inbound and adapter & brads from Amazon.

Will see soon. Makita batteries charged and ready to go.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I've been following this since I'm in the same boat - everything I have 18V cordless is Makita.
This is sort of a tough call here because - for $199, I can get the Ryobi nailer as a freebie if I buy the Ryobi battery/charger "Performance Pack".

I might just spring for the extra and get the pack.

Good luck Kent with the adapter. Let us know how it works out.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yeah Rich. I just don’t have any interest in a 2d battery system for low usage. 2 chargers and 4 batteries and 4 tools. Uncle

[Rich Engelhardt]

Kent old buddy..
I bit the bullet and bought the Ryobi Performance battery package for $199 and got the free Airstrike 18ga nailer.

This was a tough call - but - the situation presented itself today where I could charge off the tool and battery pack as an expense item to one of the rentals, so, I decided to just be done with it and accept the fact that I'm now running, Dayglow Green, Red, Yellow and Teal batteries. LOL! This is from a guy that 12 years ago decided to go all corded and just forget about cordless!

Whatta ya say we revisit this thread in about a year and see how things are working out?

[Kent A Bathurst]

Sounds good except Amazon went down a rabbit hole and my adapter has been delayed twice. Maybe by Saturday but they say don’t worry, it’s in the hands of the USPS.

At which point I went and ordered another from a different source due later today. Will return the first one when it gets here in July

I will tell you this though: I guess i simply hadn’t given it any time with the ponder cells. The gun is huge- compared to my old pneumatic Bostich. But of course it has to be - it’s housing a compressor in there.

Just something to get used to. NBD

will check back later

[Jim Becker]

Yea, that's the one thing that's "turned me off" around a battery powered nail gun of any kind, at least for normal woodworking...those suckers are big. LOL Many, if not most, of the current generation of pneumatic guns are downright "dainty". My Grex 23 gauge pinner is a good example! The only place that the larger size will be an issue is if you need to work "inside" of a tight space, however.

[Dave Sabo]

Yea, that's the one thing that's "turned me off" around a battery powered nail gun of any kind, at least for normal woodworking...those suckers are big. LOL Many, if not most, of the current generation of pneumatic guns are downright "dainty". My Grex 23 gauge pinner is a good example! The only place that the larger size will be an issue is if you need to work "inside" of a tight space, however.

well, that may be true with the small nailers like pin and Brad nailers , but the current crop of finish and framing nailers are just as compact and often weigh less than the pneumatic equivalents.

[Jim Becker]

well, that may be true with the small nailers like pin and Brad nailers , but the current crop of finish and framing nailers are just as compact and often weigh less than the pneumatic equivalents.
No argument, and if I was going to be doing construction work and even finish carpentry, I'd absolutely opt for "hoseless". As you say, those type of guns are "about" the same size as traditional tools with current generation. But with brad nailers and pinners, there's a big "size and weight tax" to pay for battery power which was the point I was actually making. Sorry I wasn't clear about that.

[Donald G. Burns]

Careful Don,

Do not expect to charge batteries with one of these adaptors. All that I checked out, including the one I bought are adamant that you do NOT charge batteries with them. You still charge with the charger you already have for your battery platform.

Just sayin'.

Never suggested charging with the incorrect charger. I charge my Makita batteries with Makita chargers and then put my DeWalt adapter onto the battery. Otherwise, there's no point in buying an adapter, because if I had the correct DeWalt charger, I'd also pick up the correct battery to go with it. But since I have 3 Makita chargers and a stack of Makita batteries, to go with a stack of Makita tools, that seemed buying an adapter was the way to go. I bought this adapter to use with a DeWalt portable hand vacuum since everything I've read about the Makita vacuums when compared to the DeWalt model made me not want to buy any of the Makita ones. The only other charger I have is for 12v Ryobi batteries for my 20+ year old, but still useful, lightweight teal blue 3/8" Ryobi drill and there's no way to adapt to that beast.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Its a poor thread that does not generate good info which is off-topic.
[reference: "It's a poor blaster that won't point both ways" - Hober Mallow]

FWIW - got my Makita battery-to-Ryobi tool adapter last night.

Just plugged a battery into the adapter; and the adapter into Ryobi; Fired 3 test nails right off the bat. I'm good.

We now return you to your previously un-scheduled program.

[Jim Dwight]

I think you'll like the Ryobi brad nailer. I have had one for around 10 years and it drove almost all the nails when I totally retrimmed my current house (it has a mixture of trim and I didn't like any of it). It is heavy but the flexibility of being able to just grab the gun and go overshadows the weight. I use pneumatic for 23 gauge pins and staples and larger finish nails. I'm sure a battery powered one would work but they aren't cheap and I don't use them as much. I have a battery powered air compressor (also a Ryobi) that I use with it sometimes. I has a one gallon tank so it will drive even one large framing nail or flooring staple (I tried it). But then you have to wait. It is noisy which I gather is your issue. The $100 Senco I use in the shop is pretty quiet and has more power - I think the motor is only rated 1/2 hp. For finish nails it is as big as I need. I've pretty much converted to Harbor Freight pneumatics. They're cheap and work fine.

I also have a Milwaukee battery powered framing nailer. It's really heavy but then so are the pneumatics. Works great. No problem with capability in the cordless nailers. Only drawbacks are size, weight, and price.