Air vs. Manual Floor Nailers

[BOB OLINGER]

I need to put down 4-500 sq. ft. of 3/4" oak flooring. The supplier doesn't loan floor nailers anymore. Options look like purchasing a new or used nailer. I've only used manual
(hammer activated) in the past. Do the air activated nailers get the flooring as tight as the manual hammer activated ones? I'm a little old school, only used hammer variety, but sounds like air activated are fairly widely used. Does anyone have any comments on moving to air? Thanks in advance for comments.

[Jason Roehl]

I've installed several thousand s.f. of flooring over the years. I've never used a manual nailer, and I can't imagine using one. You still have to give the pneumatic nailers a solid whack to get them to set the nail, otherwise the striker will just push the nailer off the nail and leave it sticking out. And I've definitely "coaxed" many a bowed piece of flooring into place, sometimes with John Henry-esque swings.

[Martin Wasner]

I've installed several thousand s.f. of flooring over the years. I've never used a manual nailer, and I can't imagine using one. You still have to give the pneumatic nailers a solid whack to get them to set the nail, otherwise the striker will just push the nailer off the nail and leave it sticking out. And I've definitely "coaxed" many a bowed piece of flooring into place, sometimes with John Henry-esque swings.

+1 I've only used the air nailers, specifically the Bostich nailers. I can't imagine doing it any other way. You typically have to nail your first few rows down pretty hard before you've got the room to get the flooring nailer in. I've face nailed where it's hidden, (under cabinets, or under base trim and shoe), and tossed some finish screws in to boot, and if you get over zealous you can still push them around with the air and hammer type if you're not careful.


I can turn a jack, I can lay track, I can pick and shovel too....

[daryl moses]

First flooring job I did I rented a manual nailer. Never again!! Bout wore me out slinging that heavy hammer, sure did pull the boards up tight though.
I purchased a pneumatic nailer for my next job, world of difference.

[Jim Dwight]

I've only done this on my house but I put down around 800 square feet of 3/4 Hickory in the last year with a pneumatic nailer from Harbor Freight. On the starting and ending rows where I had to face nail, I had trouble straightening out boards. I tried to keep shorter pieces and straighter pieces for those areas. Out in the middle of the room, I had very little difficulty using the pneumatic to straighten boards. I used only nails, although the HF is supposed to be able to use staples. I paid about $120 for the HF using a 20% off coupon but I've since seen it for sale around $100. Best place to buy the cleats I found was Lumber Liquidators.

[BOB OLINGER]

Thanks for all the comments. I think I'll buy the HF pneumatic nailer. On sale for about $145 - 20% off coupon. I've always used the nails.

[roger wiegand]

I've used both, you want the air nailer! No question. For a small job rent one, all the rental places have one, for a bigger, multi-day job buy one and then sell it afterwards. Resale value is excellent. The Bostich nailer can be bought for $350 and resold for $275-300 in "like new" condition. Don't know about HF, I'd be nervous. The job is hard enough without marginal tools.

[Tom M King]

I use a manual nailer, just because I've had it for 35 years or so. Before that, the supplier would lend one. I also have a pneumatic one, but only use it on large jobs. The manual one gives much more control with how hard you hit it. If you need to pull a bow up, you can do it. I guess you could do the same with an air nailer, but it's not made for it. We bring the manual nailer out even if we are putting a floor down mostly with the air nailer.

I replaced the handle on the manual nailer hammer with a longer one that has a smooth handle with a flared end. The longer handle means you don't have to bend over as far. The stock handles have big depressions that may give more grip, but also are a lot harder on your hand.

I like the manual one better than the air nailer also because I don't have to drag a hose around. It's funny that people who have never used one say they are so terrible. Handling the hammer is more of a swinging movement than a lifting one, and once you get in rhythm, it's not bad at all. The variation in hit strength is on the down swing.

This picture has my manual nailer in it. It was old when I bought it in the 70s. Especially for a small job like in this picture, it's much preferred over the air nailer. If you set it down like that, you don't have to bend over all the way to the floor to grab the nailer and hammer.

http://historic-house-restoration.co...ec2012_008.JPG

That was before I changed the handle on the hammer. I had used it for many days over the years before I was smart enough to change it. If you set it down like that, you don't have to bend all the way to the floor to grab the nailer and the hammer.

[Jesse Busenitz]

Funny this comes up as today I just put down my first flooring... Did prep work for a hour or so and than set flooring the rest of the day, and I am dog tired... can't imagine a manual nailer would have been easier. I bought a Freeman nailer and so far it's worked great. The only problem is I'm only an 1/8 done if that.... Oh well, I'll call it the exercise program for the week.

[Jim Andrew]

I have done a few floors with a Portanailer, it is manual, with a ratchet style drive, so if you don't get the nail all the way in, you can hit again to finish. I was worn after laying flooring all day. Don't know if I could do it 2 days in a row now. Lately seems like if I hit it really hard for a day, need 2 days to recover.

[Tom M King]

You guys make it sound like that if I didn't do this for a living, I might actually be 64 years old. I didn't say that a manual nailer was easier, just that it gives better control. Fortunately, I do a lot of different things, so I might only nail down flooring a few days a year at most, and some years never. Having helpers to lay out the pieces is a big help. They lay out the pieces for the next row by setting one end down, dropping the other end on a foot, and kicking it into place. Eliminating so many ups and downs is the most important part about making it less work.

Regardless of the underlayment type, we always snap lines on the joists, and nail into the joist rather than the subfloor, but sometimes you need to. Make absolutely sure that the subfloor is fastened down tightly. Squeaks come from the subfloor moving up and down on a nail most of the time.

[bill tindall]

I have only used a manual nailer and never found any reason to upgrade. That said I have only done one room sized jobs. I like the control and once a rhythm is developed I don't find it tiring.

[Ole Anderson]

Most rental places will carry an air over hammer flooring hammer.

[Larry Edgerton]

I use this company's nailers.

http://primatech.ca/Home.shtml

I also use their nails. I tested all the common brands and these hold the best. They have teeth! I switched from a manual to a Bostich, and now the Prinatech air assist. I would not go back to a manual. If you have a piece you need to pull in you can hit a air assist as hard as you want, it won't hurt it, but when you don't need to you can just tap it with the weight of the mallet. They also are a lot easier when you are close to a wall, a lot less dents in the wall.

My 2 cents.....