I realize it isn't metalworking, but also that a lot of readers here are Harbor Freight customers.
Here's my question: A current sale flyer has an "18-gauge brad nailer
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" on sale for $20 (reg $50). They also have an "18-19 gauge finish nailer",
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for $40, not on sale. How does a "brad nailer" differ from a "finish nailer"?
More importantly, would it really matter which one I chose for assembling my new kitchen cabinets? Does a "finish nailer" have something extra, maybe a rubber nose to prevent marring? BTW, it appears that at least two part numbers of the nails fit both guns (33206 and 33207).
One is about twice as big as the other, and sometimes the longer nails are useful.
Nope. But the smaller gun is lighter and more maneuverable if you're only using short nails.
There's only one solution... buy the $20 one now while it's on sale. It'll be a bit clunky for the short nails, but the smaller model is probably on sale in one of the three HF catalogs you'll get in the mail this week, so you can have them both. Might as well get a stapler too, they're nice if you're using 1/4" material for the backs.
In the 'real' world, a brad nailer is 18ga and a finish nailer is 15ga, sometimes 16 ga.
The brad nailer leaves a smaller hole, but the brads may not hold as well for some applications.
Also, the thinner brads have a bit more chance of going askew as they pass through the wood, sometimes exiting where they are needed the least The longer the brad, the harder the wood, the more chance for this to occur....
Rule of thumb here is: The smaller the piece, the smaller the nail.....
Both types of gun will have a nose protector, at least the good ones do !
I have both of these nailers, or at least the two I have have the same specs as these two, and look the same. The one on sale is, in my experience, a better nail gun overall. I like the wide range of nails that it can take (up to 2"). My only gripe with it is that the nose is a little too fat to get into some tight corners. The one I bought (for $20 on sale) came with a plastic case and included a rebuild kit for the trigger and a spare piston (!), neither of which I have needed so far.
The other nailer is smaller and can get into some tighter corners. When it has worked, I've gotten some good service out of it ... but the first one I got didn't work at all and I returned it. The second one worked for a couple of years, but has gotten to where it doesn't want to work right. The package includes a rebuild kit for the trigger, and I'm pretty sure that's where the problem is, so one of these days I'll rebuild it (looks to be pretty simple). If that doesn't work, well, I only paid $15 for it on sale. One gripe about this gun is the odd maximum size -- 1-3/16" brads are not exactly easy to find; the more common 1-1/4" brads that you can find everywhere definitely will not fit.
Please understand that I am strictly a hobbiest; I suspect both of these guns would prove unsatisfactory for any sort of continuous use. But for someone who only occasionally takes on fairly large projects, they have been well worth the money. Yes, both of these can use some of the same nails -- any stick of 18 gauge nails in the right length will fit either gun, and you can find them at Lowe's, Home Depot, or your local hardware store. Neither of the guns that I have have a rubber nose; if you are working with soft wood, you do need to be a bit careful not to let the metal nose dent the wood.
One other thought -- make sure that 18 gauge is sufficient for what you want to do with your kitchen cabinets. These are not very heavy nails, and they are fairly soft. You can certainly use them to hold something in place while glue sets up -- with the glue providing the primary holding power -- and they are perfect for applying trim. But if you are wanting to use these as the primary fastener for a structural joint, I'd go with screws or biscuits or something like that instead. Even for attaching face frames, I often will use my 16 gauge finish nailer to provide a bit more holding power.
Good luck -- and if this is your first nail gun, you will immediately be addicted!
" on sale for $20 (reg $50). They also have an "18-19 gauge finish
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, for $40, not on sale. How does a "brad nailer" differ from a "finish
I have the second model, it was on sale at the store for like $10 one time, so I picked it up. It's somewhat limited on the length of nails you can use in it, I usually use the short ones anyway. What I'm mostly using it for is putting together CD and DVD storage crates from thin wood slats and using the nails to hold things together while the glue dries after I remove the finished product from the assembly jig. I got it to help speed up assembly operations, before I was just using a tack hammer and brads. It works but clearing jams is kind of a pain. A lot of it is plastic, this accounts for the light weight. It's probably durable enough for the use to which I'm putting it. As I said at the time, you can't even get a decent tack hammer for $10...
The slight-head brads that it shoots wouldn't be suitable for much more than light molding on kitchen cabinets. If you're looking for something to tack face frames onto the rest of the carcase, these ain't the items to use. If you're looking to hold molding on while glue sets up, they might do.
Thanks very much for the detailed and informative "road test". Yes, this is my first nail gun.
I'd like to get one of the framing nailers later this summer, as I am wanting to build a storage shed in the backyard. Harbor Freight has quite a selection of those, always on sale for around $100. Not sure how I will choose between the six or so models available there. Who would care whether the magazine is at 28 or 32 degrees? Do these guns use standard nails that you can get at Home Depot?
On 26 Apr 2005 11:32:40 -0700, the inscrutable "Martin" spake:
The 19ga is sometimes called a pin nailer, with tiny pins vs. the thicker brads/nails. the smaller you go, the less the nail holes can be seen. Since most people fill the holes anyway, you could use most any nailer. I got their 42528 on sale for $15 and it's one of their most widely sold units. Of the two you suggested, I'd go for the 46309 due to its longer capacity, 2". It's beefier, too, at 4.5 vs. 2.5 pounds. I suggest you look at all of them before deciding, though. It' your arm.
None of the guns I've seen at HF had rubber noses. The safeties are all metal wire.
Martin, I use their 40072 18ga stapler and their 42528 brad nailer with only 1 problem: I bought 1-1/4" brads for the 42528 and it accepts only 1-3/16" brads MAX. Luckily I have a belt sander and it took a couple minutes to grind down a couple sticks to put my soffit facia up. I now have more sizes and it works well from 55psi on up to 110 with my spare 5gal portable tank.
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20-22 degree full round head, plastic collation - Hitachi NR83A and PC FR350 use this nail
28 degree clipped head (or D-head) - Bostich and others
30-34 degree clipped head and Roundrive - Paslode F350S, PC FC350 and Hitachi NR90AD
Rather than get a HF framer, I recommend getting either the Paslode F350S (for clipped head nails) or the Hitachi NR83A (for full round head nails) from Ebay. They can be had brand-new for about what you want to pay, are extremely durable and parts are plentiful since they have both been around for a long time.
These nailers will outlive you and nails for either one are plentiful.
A framing nail gun is an awesome thing -- I have an old Duofast that I picked up at an auction with a bad trigger for $20. I rebuilt the trigger, spending approximately 40 cents on an o-ring; now it works fine, except that it is really designed to run at 110 psi, and my compressor tends to drop below that before re-starting. I have wondered whether the HF framing nail guns work at a lower psi, but I haven't needed to use the framing nailer all the much so far. In any case, in use it is quite heavy, and when it fires it creates an impressive recoil ... and it punches a 3-1/4" framing nail right through the wood.
In addition to the information Thomas provided below, I have heard that in some areas clipped head nails are not accepted in the building code. I don't know if that's true, but it might be a reason to choose the round-head nailer over the others.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I just bought the $20 brad nailer and a pack of the 1-9/16" 18 gauge nails. In my testing, I was amazed at how the thing works. I tried pressures from 70 to 90 psi with no apparent sensitivity of results.
The first time, I had the work pieces pinned solidly under my foot, no idea what might happen. When the nail struck, nothing even moved. After a few more shots I realized the beauty of such a device. I could actually hand-hold the pieces with only one end leaning on the floor, and shoot a nail in while feeling almost no disturbance. Perfect for nailing something together without disturbing the alignment.
Also, I was able to shoot brads at a slight angle to the work surface, with the heads still being countersunk a little. Very impressive for $20!
On 27 Apr 2005 12:05:54 -0700, the inscrutable "Martin" spake:
A word of caution from one who has the scar to go with it (teeny, but a scar and a memory) keep your hand well away from the area you're shooting. They can and do go sideways, stabbing right into your finger or hand. Goggles are a must as well. One brad could easily take out an eye.
The nice thing about them is you can build small stuff - bird houses as an example with glue and nails that can't be built with a hammer !
The effective zero force exerted upon the wood is most useful. I've paid for my finish nailer, used it for many a job as a tack nailer until the wood glue dries. Put in flooring in friends house and my attic. Uses pressure not much volume.
Yes, they are wonderful that way with no jarring impact to knock things apart, HOWEVER, they go through hands/fingers etc even faster than the wood when you are "hand holding" (no, I have not done that ... yet). It is real easy to forget when you are holding something in place just how fast they shoot that nail !!
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