Electric Brad Nailers - Any good?

[J. Z. Guest]

I'm thinking I'd like to have a brad nailer, just to occasionally "hold it together until the glue dries." :)

I don't really want to also have to buy and store an air compressor, as I don't have any room for it, nor would I have any other use for it.

So I have kind of been eyeing the high-end Arrow electric brad nailer that Menards sells for about $60.

Has anyone used these? They have a giant solenoid instead of a pneumatic piston. I'm wondering if there is any reason folks don't use these.

Do they not enough power, or folks just decide they will find other uses for a compressor?

[Eric Gustafson]

Do they not enough power, or folks just decide they will find other uses for a compressor?

I have not used the one designed for brads alone, but I have tried a couple that also use staples, since that was what I was doing at the time. I have since canned those in favor of pneumatic. The power is just not there for the electrics I tired. Maybe someone has had better luck than me.

[Pat Germain]

I tried using an electric brad nailer for awhile. The results were inconsistent. If I was able to line up the "shot" just right, if the wood wasn't particularly hard, and if the stars were in just the right alignment, the nailer would work OK. If any of those situations were different, I'd get a partially inserted brad, a bent brad or some weird protrusion.

Although, I was using a Sears model electric brad nailer. That may have been a big part of the problem. The nailer you're eyeing at Maynard's could be a much better tool.

[Bob Noles]

Jeremy,

They are nothing but junk in my opinion. Save your mioney and get a pneumatic if possible.

[Jim Becker]

General historic commentary on electric nailers is not good...underpowered...even for very basic jobs.

[Homer Faucett]

I'm thinking I'd like to have a brad nailer, just to occasionally "hold it together until the glue dries." :)

I don't really want to also have to buy and store an air compressor, as I don't have any room for it, nor would I have any other use for it.

So I have kind of been eyeing the high-end Arrow electric brad nailer that Menards sells for about $60.

Has anyone used these? They have a giant solenoid instead of a pneumatic piston. I'm wondering if there is any reason folks don't use these.

Do they not enough power, or folks just decide they will find other uses for a compressor?

Junk. Go to tractor supply and buy the 2 gallon compressor/brad nailer combo for the same money. It's not that big, and you can use it to air up your lawn mower/car tires and blow sawdust off your tools and woodworking projects.

[Dave Lehnert]

Save your money. Air power is the only way to go.

[Dewey Torres]

Don't buy the electric nailer.

It is a complete waste of money for woodworking. They are very good for extremely light duty projects but don't even think about using one with a hardwood or even a semi-soft wood. Soft pine (or softer) is about all the nailing power will handle.

I bought one and found that I got a lot of practice with my nail punch!

Dewey

[Joe Scharle]

Check with a carpet installer. The ones they use fire staples and one fellow told me thay run about $150.00.

[Jerry Olexa]

Don't waste your $. Get a compressor and a gun...IMHO

[J. Z. Guest]

Well, this could be a record, for the percentage of folks that agree on something.

Thanks for the tips fellas. I guess I'll see if I can find room for a small compressor.

[Matt Ocel]

I had a passlode 16g 18v trim nailer. Broke. Didn't even run it very hard.
It was handy though.
I run all pneumatic now.
In the future I might switch all my trim nailers to Passlode Impulse.
The only reason I don't do it now is that I like using the 23g pinner and Passlode does not make an impulse 23g. So no matter what I still have to drag out the compressor.

[Ed Peters]

I guess I will be the lone positive for electric brad nailers. Though I only use it for attaching solid edging to veneered plywood, I get absolutely great results with the Craftsman electric. I use it to nail through 1/4" thick red oak into plywood with no complaints. Each brad is et sufficiently deep to allow for filling.

Ed

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,

I don't really want to also have to buy and store an air compressor, as I don't have any room for it, nor would I have any other use for it
I'd wager you'll find a ton of uses for a small compressor once you take the plunge & go pneumatic.
Nailers are simply so handy, it's hard to imagine going back to not having one - or in my case - several.

[Douglas Brummett]

I have both an electric and a pneumatic. The electric is prone to jamming and not punching the brads to full depth. So I guess I am in alignment with the community here. I will likely garage sale it and just stick to the pneumatic. Only time the electric was handy was when living in an apartment and didn't have room for a compressor or in cases where you need to take to tool into the house (don't really want to lug my 80lb compressor around).

[Dewey Torres]

I have one of these and if it is really room you thirst for you can buy this and hook it to you belt. No charge up wait, no plug, and it will drive a LOT of nails before you need a new cartridge. I would recommend at least considering this even if you get an air compressor. You can click on the demo for more. Try and get the kit that comes with a cartridge and use a Lowes discount if you can find one.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=166441-61735-J-6901-100

Dewey

[Neal Clayton]

Well, this could be a record, for the percentage of folks that agree on something.

Thanks for the tips fellas. I guess I'll see if I can find room for a small compressor.


those little porter cable pancake compressors are great if all you need to power with them is a finish nailer or two. and they have discount bundles that include the gun.

everyone has room for one of those, just put it under your bench or something, they're only 12"x18" or so.

[Douglas Brummett]

Dewey, that is pretty cool. Costs as much as a small compressor, but very portable. I hadn't seen one of those before.

[Greg Hines, MD]

I have a little Arrow electric stapler/brad nailer. It will shoot 5/8" brads, but is really inconsistent. Sometimes it will shoot two or even three brads at a time. Before I got a compressor, I would use it for stapling fabrics and carpeting occasionally, but that was about it.

There have only been about a dozen compressor threads in the past few weeks. Choose wisely.

Doc

[Jim Broestler]

They're junk. I have the Arrow brad nailer, and it may be the first time I actually toss a tool in the trash that isn't 'broken'.

[Douglas Brummett]

They're junk. I have the Arrow brad nailer, and it may be the first time I actually toss a tool in the trash that isn't 'broken'.

Yep, that's about how my electric makes me feel. My pneumatic drove about 100 brads yesterday. It jammed once. My electric (craftsman) jams every 10-20 brads.