Have a need (HA) for a 23 gauge pin nailer. Anyone have info to share on which one to get. I won’t use it much, but one needs to keep the economy going, so I won’t be wearing it out too soon. I was thinking Bostich or PC??
James
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Replies
James,
I purchased the Grizzly a year or so ago due to price and the fact I wasn't going to use it much. Haven't had any problems and used it more that I thought I would.
Good Luck
DS..... I can't find any pin nailers on Grizzly's site or on Amazon.com?? Where did you find yours? & how much was it?
Thanks, James
James,My mistake. I purchased the one from Harbor Freight. Mine cost $60 2 1/2 years ago. The one Moksha points out looks nicer and only costs $25!Good LuckDean
I have used one of these for some time and it hasn't even
jammed.. seems to be good value for money.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=93656
Is a pin nailer the same as a brad or finish nail nailer? I bought a Hitachi brad nailer the other day from Lowes and I think I am disgusted with it. It works fine for about a dozen shots then it misfires three or four times in succession. It doesn't make so much of a dent in the wood but I think it is unreasonable to make four or five dents to get one good brad in. I'm putting all new door and window trim in my house.
If it's going to work this way, I think I'll take it back. What kind should I get
Edited 2/21/2008 10:55 am ET by Tinkerer3
Tinker I have a Bostich 18 gauge brad nailer, maybe 7 years old, works great! A pin nailer uses a headless pin, & being 23 gauge is a lot smaller & is supposed to leave almost nary a visable hole (dent). I want to use it on thin/small trim pcs. Just ordered the PC from Amazon.com, about 1/2 price.
Thanks to all for your input!!!
James
Tinker... By the way, are you keeping the oil going into it if your doing a lot of brads?
James
I haven't't thought of oiling it yet. And for that matter I should try it out a little more before returning it. I have only tried nailing the trim on two windows and a door. As a matter of fact I need to nail at least one window better because I notice that most of the brads are missing. I think the pressure runs about 75 to 90 lbs.
Edited 2/21/2008 9:52 am ET by Tinkerer3
Edited 2/21/2008 11:01 am ET by Tinkerer3
A pin nailer is a totally different animal than brad or finish nailers.
I bought the pc and have been very pleased, I didn't think I would use it much but I am using it alot. The main reasn for going witht the pc is that you don't have to manually change the gun to accomodate different length pins the senco and maybe the bostitch you had to fiddle with. And of course it has to be good Norm uses it (lol). I am kidding I like Norm.
Angled finish nailers shoot 15 ga. nails up to 2.5"
straight finish nailers shoot 16 ga. nails up to 2.5 "
Brad nailers shoot 18 gauge brads up to 2"
Pinners shoot 23 gauge pins up to 2" in length.
All oiled nailers need 2 or 3 drops of oil before using. Oiless nailers do not require oil.
Webby
Edited 2/21/2008 10:14 am ET by webby
Edited 2/21/2008 10:21 am ET by webby
Try different brand of nails. People will buy generic nails and then jam the tool with only to blame the gun. I'm not sure if Lowe's sells Hitachi nails but try Bostitch or Senco and see if your problems go away.
"Try a different brand of nails" This Lowes store did not have Hitachi nails. I asked him about that and he said all their brands fit the Bostich brads so that is what I got. They seem to fit but I get a lot of misfires.
hmmm.. I know the majority of 18 gauge nailers will fit each others brads but sometimes the way the manufacturer measures the length of the brad can vary. Some measure the length of brad from the top of the head to the point. Others will measure the length from the bottom of the head to the point. That little difference in size can cause jamming in different tools. I know this can be a problem with generic nails made overseas. Look on the box of your Bostitch nails and see if they list Hitachi as a tool they'll fit. If it does then the problem may be the feeder spring in the magazine. If it is the tool, then take it back.
Interesting discovery. I bought three lengths of brads - 2", 1 5/8" and 1 3/8". On the package of the 2" and the 1 3/8" it reads "Fits all 18 gauge brad nailers." On the 1 5/8" package, it lists several models of different brands but doesn't list the Hitachi. Does that make sense? I was trying to use the 1 5/8" brads. I will try one of the others to see if it works better.
the common sizes of nails ex. 1", 1 1/2", 2" will all fit eachothers tools for the most part. The problem is when you get in uncommon sizes like 7/8", 1 1/8", 1 5/8" etc.. That's when you'll start having jamming problems. If your box of 1 5/8" don't claim they fit Hitachi, then they probably don't as the manufacturer would have tested them out before printing the boxes.
mike
Thank you. I shall try the proper sizes out before returning it. I still think they should have included an owner's manual with that gun.
You didn't get an owners manual???? That is strange.. All tools come with owners manual and warranty cards. When you bought it, did it seem like someone else used it first? Did the tool come wrapped in plastic? Were there any stckers you had to peel off first? Was there a zip tie that hed the case together before you could open it? These are things that are normally there with new tools. You may have bought a customers return and they threw it back on the shelf.
Fyi, I found that no matter how good the gun there are times that due to an air pressure fluctaution or when I am in a hurry that the pin fails to set, or for what ever reason, knot in the wood etc, can be a real pain.
I bought a dasco brand 1/16 inch pin punch and smoothed the tip off, there was a little nib from mfg. process, worked great. Luckily I only had to drive it about a 64 th of an inch. Don't know how well it would work if you had to drive much more than that. Four something at ace hardware.
Ohh the reason I am advocating the pin punch is it does not taper. Trying to drive a small pin with a tapered nail set can often leave you with a bigger set mark than you wish.
Webby
Edited 2/25/2008 12:19 pm ET by webby
Tink..... I believe one needs to keep puting oil in the air line hole periodically. Maybe thats what causes the jamming?????
James
Very true. He'd have to see exactly what the manual for his Hitachi says, but my Bostitch wants a drop of oil at the start of the day.
-Steve
"keep putting oil on it"
I have probably put thirty to forty brads through it, an additional ten to fifteen misfires. I would have thought it would have been lubricated when I got it. Can't imagine it needing lubricated in that amount of use. Anyway, when I put the brads in it, it didn't look dry at all. I can't find the operators booklet in the case - it must be in the carton, out in the shop.
The manual from Hitachi says 2-3 drops twice a day. They prefer that you use an inline filter/regulator/lubricator.
I can't find the manual where I opened the package. So it makes me think that possibly it was purchased and then returned earlier without the manual. Either that or that manual just upped and vanished.
Tinkerer3 I don't think you can see the oil where the brads go, the oil is in the "innards", where the working parts are.
James
"I don't think you can see the oil where the brads go"
Yes, I'm sure that is true, but I wouldn't think it innards would be all dried up and crusty if the rest of the tool looked nice and cleaned and oiled. I could be wrong. I'll see if I can find the manual tomorrow. I would need to find all that stuff anyway if I were to return it. It came with a nice pair of goggles that I am ashamed to say that I didn't use. This old feeling that "I've never been bothered yet so I should be safe for another day is a dangerous feeling.
Edited 2/21/2008 11:40 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Keep in mind that A) it may or may not need oil (we do have oilless nailers) and B) if you put to much oil in most nailers will spit it out and that is not good if you are nailing into unfinished wood or if you are nailing near painted work. The oil can/will stain.
SO I guess in truth this is RTFM time. IF it does not say to oil then return it. If it says to oil I would put in what it says run it a bit (Say 20 or 30 times) and try it again (to get it past any issues of not being oiled to begin will) and if it still did not work I would return it.
I have a Senco, that I have never had a misfire on and I have done and entire house of trim with it. Before that I had an Elcheapo Sears Craftsman from back around 91 or so and it lasted until I replaced it with the Senco and between the two of them I do not think I have had as many miss fire as you have had in the short time you are using the new nailer.
Personally I think it is an issue with the gun. I do not think that in as few a shots as you have done with it the oil would matter one way or the other. Keep in mind the main point of the oil is to stop it from trashing itself with the friction of the firing. I doubt that in this few of uses it would have worn out already.
So in short, take it back.
Doug Meyer
Doug Meyer
just a note about oiling.....I have lent some of my guns to trusted others over the years. On return, they have told me they "oiled them", and after years of nary a misfire, they misfired- for about 2 wks.So, once upon a time, I needed some parts from one of the local air tool folks, so I asked em about oiling.....Well, their answer was no different from my experience....They service about 8x as many guns where the problem is over-oiling as they do from under-oiling....I got 18 gauge nailers that has only seen a drop of two of oil in 10 years.The topic was about 23 gauge nailers. My TOL nailer is an omer, cost me about 400 bucks. Run of the mill 23 gauge nailers is imports at about 1/10th the cost, but they typically only go up to 1" at that price. A few bucks more and you can push 2", but you gotta ask yerself if the # of times you might need a 2" 23ga brad is worth the few dollars more it costs (for imports.I have 3 bostich 18ga nailers around the shop which will handle up to 2", but when it comes to smaller pins, they show a tendency to jam/misfire in inverse proportion to the length of the brad, so all the shorter brads are driven by import nailers (low cost)and they never seem to fail. 25 years on one of em, oiled it maybe three/four times. Cost me 29$ back then. A buck and a bit a year. Seems like a definition of economic operational costs eh? 23 gauge nailers, well some of the posts in the past has said that some of them leave a mark, and you might need to grind the tip a tad to make a lesser mark. (never done it) but I ain't likely to take my omer gun to the grinditational modification work-station. Simply cost too much. But I would take either of the imports there if I felt they needed it.23 ga pins, driven straight in, don' have much mechanical fastening ability, but drivin in at a slight angle, well that's akin to toe-nailing with a finishing nail, and the mechanical fastening strength can increase dramatically if you alternate angles. (warning- too much angularity and you'll be reaching for a really fine nail-set (which you may have to grind down from the smallest size) and yer suddenly back to filling nail holes...)The 23 ga pin is one of those things that suddenly I find I cannot do without. I do buy my pins in small packages. Bought one size in a large box, and I swear that there's gonna be half of it left when I die. At 50 bucks a pop per size for large boxes, I ain't doin that agin. Buy small boxes. If needed, it is affordable to have a box in the shop and a box in the truck (20 bucks) vs 1 huge box in only one location at more than twice the cost.....Just my thoughts.Eric
In Calgary
Note to self: never loan this man a gun.
note to self...never lend this guy a gun...If you ask yer local service folks, you might get the same story as I did...Eric
True, most consumers are clueless and think they are entitled to a machine that works flawlessly regardless of their lack of research or stupidity.
Edited 3/1/2008 2:16 am by rsaunders
Some finish guns like the Senco SLP20, SFN40, FinishPro 42, etc.. require no oil. Oiling these tools only damages them. The primarily objective of oiling is to keep the orings from drying up and cracking leading to air leaks. Only a few drops are necessary. Over oiling can gum up the insides of the piston causing jamming and driver malfunctions.
Brad nailer's are 15 or 16 gauge, pin nailers are 23 gauge. That's a big difference in size. The 23 gauge leaves a hole so small that most finishes or paint will cover it. It is notfor putting up heavy trim because of the very small pin size.
I haven't used the Hitachi nailer but I have a DeWalt that I like a lot. I also have a, gasp!!!, Harbor Freight, that only cost about $20 and it works fine. I've never had it misfire or jam yet and I've used it quite a bit. It was my first air nailer. I would take it back as I expect a new tool to at least function correctly and reliabily out of the box. Make sure you are oiling it occasionally and using the correct air pressure. Maybe you got a lemon, but at least exchange it for another.
Bruce
Edited 2/21/2008 9:31 am ET by Wingdoctor
I just bought a Bostick 16 gauge brad nailer and it seems to misfire quite often. I am ready to take it back. It looks good and is very light, but as you say, it leaves dents without nails. My next choice would be a Ridgid or Paslode. I have a 15 gauge Paslode for over 4 years and has never misfired yet.
Oh, woe is me. I had sort of forgotten your post and after a three week hiatus down in Florida I, just this afternoon, took the Hitachi back to Lowes and picked up a Bostich four piece kit. It consists of a compressor, a 16 gauge finish nailer, probably like you got, a staple gun and a brad nailer that handles only small brads. I keep thinking that maybe the only trouble with the Hitachi might be the lack of oiling and since it came with no manual, how was I to know. The length of the finish nailer is okay but I'll have to return all the brads I have gotten as they are 18 gauge instead of 16. Hope I have better luck than you. Did you take yours back? What is the difference between a brad nailer and a finish nailer?
Edited 3/22/2008 11:11 pm ET by Tinkerer3
Most of my nailers/staplers are PC .. but for a pin nailer I purchased the Grex. Wonderful gun ... a real pleasure to use. Highly recommended ...
Barry in WV
I have the 23ga. Grex and it is a very nice pinner. I have had no jams, fires everytime, and my model, P650, shoots up to a 2" pin. I really don't have much need to shoot 2" pins but I have tested it with the 2" and it will fire into red oak and bury the end of the pin with no problem. Looking at the pinner it is obviously a very well designed and made tool. Everything has a nice finish and it really looks like a quality product. I haven't used the other brands mentioned by I did read some reviews before I bought mine and I was, and still am, convinced that it is the best available.
Bruce
James. I have the PC and a -ha ha ha- cambell housefield. The PC is fine for 95% of my work and the pins are available everywhere. Shop the price at amazon, tool king even the factory rebuilt-full warranty- at cpo porter cable. If you will pound the socks off it day in and day out you need one of the trade types like grex etc. at bigger bucks. Paddy
Edited 2/21/2008 10:35 pm ET by PADDYDAHAT
I have the PC and it works well. It's compact size comes in handy. About the only negative is that you're limit to 1" pins ........ that may not be an issue for you. I do a lot of cabinet installs and the longer pin length would be nice for crown. Went through two Bostich pinners; they worked well at first but after a few clips it would not sink the pins. Brought it back- same thing again. Could be they were from the same batch but I didn't want to find out a third time. As for HF I don't trust anything from them that uses electricity or air- I haven't had good luck but others have.
Cadex is recognised as the best of the pin nailers
Put your money into a Cadex and you won't regret it. Well worth the extra bucks. Mine is used a bunch and never misfires. Easy to adjust pin depth by a little variation in pressure and rearely leaves any mark on the surface.
The class of the breed are Grex and Cadex, which look like they come out of the same factory. They set their pins ever-so-slightly but leave no driver marks and they shoot longer pins than the others. You don't want to limit yourself to 1" pins.
Brucet9 I have an 18 gauge brad gun that goes to I think to 2". I want the 23 gauge for using short pins in small moldings & only occasionally.
James
You'd be surprised how often long 23ga are useful; picture frame repair, glue and pin a short crown return or baseboard return before installing, temporarily tacking one end of trim in place while you go to the other end to start nailing with 18ga brads, etc. Why deliberately limit yourself to 1" when you can have a gun capable of 1 3/8", 1 3/4" or even 2".
BruceT
Bruce: I already have a Bostich 18 gauge gun. Want a 23 gauge for smaller stuff, leaving a smaller pin hole to fill. One never has enough tools you know.
James
I had had problems with certain brands of nails in certain guns (18 gauge for me). I have 1 3/4" Portercable nails and 1 1/2" Bostitch nails. One gun will not consistantly shoot the Bostitch nails but will fire Portercable nails every time. The Bostitch get hung up in the slide.
I have another gun (15 gauge) that will fire Senco nails every time, but not Portercable nails, again the nails get hung up in the slide. All the same angle same brad size, same length (2"). ????
James-
The Grex line are truly the bomb. Not only do they shoot headless pins, but also slight head brads which increases the holding power exponentially. But, as with all 23 ga. guns, be prepared to replace drivers with greater frequency than with 18 ga. guns.
Regards, Sean
Thanks to all for your helpfull input. I ordered a PC 23 gauge from Amazon.com, was 1/2 price. Should have it by this Tues. By Wed. I'll think of something else I'll "need".
Thanks Again All
James
James - Just bought the PC 100 this afternoon. Expect it will work well, but will find out later today. Good luck
woodctr........ I recieved my PC pinner Wed. p.m. Works like a charm. I pinned some cherry stripps to the edges of 1/4 plywood (.200 thick), didn't blow or crack the cherry at all! And you can hardly see any holes. When I put a coupla coats of shellac on, can't see any holes!! I won't use it much, but it does what I thought it would.
James
Edited 2/29/2008 11:27 pm ET by JamesS
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