Pin nailer?

[Jim Terrill]

The Bostich is only $20 more than the PC. One on my local Lowes actually stocks them-WOW! It will shoot longer pins than the PC. Going to pick one up next week for a job.

Yeah, but one of the magazines reviewed a number of them, the bostitch came out on the botton in terms of driving power. Too bad, since I like bostitch tools. I ordered a pc on the HD spring black friday deal, since it had better reviews and it was a steal in the combo.

[James Lord]

I usually use a Max 23g but just bought a Harbor Freight 23g pinner. While the HF gun is not as nice as the Max it works extremly well for only costing 24.99. I'm surprised at well it works for the cost.

[Eiji Fuller]

Cadex period

[Matt Winterowd]

+1 on Cadex. Actually, it's almost identical to the Grex, but I got mine a little cheaper, and I actually use and like the blower feature.

[Van Huskey]

Cadex period

Do they still have that strange (to me) trigger safety?

[Callan Campbell]

pin nailers are great, small and light. Try out any that you're thinking about, see how it fits in your hand while in a store if at all possible. The better ones have swivel air fittings built-into the end of the tool where you're connecting your air hose. This helps two ways. One, you get a bit more flexible movement of the tool with the hose connected,since you're allowed movement away from the straight line that a connector/coupler creates normally. Two, it helps change the balance of the tool in your hand while you're using it. Not as free as using an air whip hose which moves the whole coupler a few feet away from the tools themselves, but a nice touch.
Next "almost" must-have for a pin nailer. The ability to NOT fire a pin/the tool once you're out in the magazine. Dry fires, as some people call them are really annoying with a pin nailer since the hole created by the firing pin of the nailer will pretty much look the same whether it actually shot a pin into your material or not. You only find out when that piece of moulding falls away from that cabinet you were trying to quickly shoot a few pins into it while the glue was wet...
So, if the nailer doesn't cost too much more than one that doesn't have this feature, it's a strong vote for it. Not a deal breaker, but with the very small hole created with these tools, it's nicer than shooting 2 dozen pins only to find the last 15 don't have anything in them....
Max length of pins that can be used. Seems like 1" was the old or first max, then we progressed to 1 3/8" as the NEW max or normal spec. Now 2" seems to be the high standard. The price goes up with the ability to shot longer pins usually, so decide how much pin you really need to work with, this can help with your decision process and your wallet.
Hope this helps you out.

[Jerome Hanby]

Believe it or not, I bought one of those real inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight (Item 95882) and it has been working perfectly for well over a year with heavy use. I think I paid less than $20. for it.

Ditto, I shoot grex pins through it

[Greg Portland]

Anyone have an opinion on the Rigid pin nailer?

I run one and have zero complaints. It can push full size pins into MDF or hardwood without any problems. Although the Grex is supposed to be the best I have a hard time imagining what the improvement might be over the Rigid.

[Ellen Benkin]

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll start serious shopping now. The Harbor Freight and Ridgid are front runners due to the cost and the fact that people seem satisfied with them. I've used the Grex and it works well but the awkward safety is annoying -- and it is relatively expensive. I won't be using it a lot so saving money is a good thing.

[Larry Browning]

Several years ago I asked the same question and got pretty much the same response. Not a single "don't get brand x, cause it it a piece of junk" Everyone said, "I've got brand y and it works great." So, my conclusion was, that you really can't go wrong with any brand, so look for the one that on sale at the cheapest price and go with it. I got the one from Harbor Freight and it has worked well for me. However I did find that it puts a small dent in the wood unless I drive it thru a pad of some kind, like a thin scrap of wood or a piece of heavy cardboard.

[Brent Ring]

Believe it or not, I bought one of those real inexpensive ones from Harbor Freight (Item 95882) and it has been working perfectly for well over a year with heavy use. I think I paid less than $20. for it.

+1 here - great deal

[Pinwu Xu]

I used a 18g brad nailer, PC or some other name brand brads. It deflects in
the trim (wall frame) I was putting together.

How about the 23g pin nailer? Will the nails be able to keep straight?

Regards.

Pinwu

[Neil Brooks]

Just on the off chance that his friends call him "Pin," I'm going to put a little extra stock in the comments of Pinwu

[Callan Campbell]

I used a 18g brad nailer, PC or some other name brand brads. It deflects in
the trim (wall frame) I was putting together.

How about the 23g pin nailer? Will the nails be able to keep straight?

Regards.

Pinwu

I would think the smaller 23 ga pins would be worse for you, with even less effort from the wood or defects in the wood deflecting or bending the pins. Could be the species you're working with, needs a different approach or some allowance for bent/misdirected nails/pins coming out at odd angles. Like the difference between soft Poplar and some harder Oak.

[Callan Campbell]

Thanks for all the great advice. I think I'll start serious shopping now. The Harbor Freight and Ridgid are front runners due to the cost and the fact that people seem satisfied with them. I've used the Grex and it works well but the awkward safety is annoying -- and it is relatively expensive. I won't be using it a lot so saving money is a good thing.

Ellen, the two stage safety trigger on the Grex pin nailer is because they're worried about a misplaced pin going EASILY through you or your hand. So, as it was explained to me, Grex approached the issue of making it a bit harder to just shot a pin accidentally with a single pull trigger by going to a 2 stage set-up. Picture also a gun that's being laid down and the trigger catches something and fires the gun when you least wanted it to. That's the mindset of the 2 stage prevention set-up, a pain to use, but makes it harder to hurt yourself or anyone near the firing tool.
I own a Grex, and agree that the trigger is something that takes getting used to.