Air Nailer – 16ga. or 15ga. Or 16/15ga. Combo. LONG!

[Doug Sloat]

New into the air nailing area since I just got my first compressor a month ago. I have a Porter Cable 18ga. Nailer and am in the market for a 16ga. or 15ga. nailer. I am a weekend at best woodworker since I have a 19 month old boy and he is keeping me very busy plus working on another one. Because of the past statements my funds are limited. Back to my questions.

If I already have an 18ga. nailer what would be the next best size nailer to get 16ga. or 15ga? Also is an angled magazine any benefit over a straight one?

Anybody familiar with the 16ga./15ga. combo units like the Woodtek ATF-0350K ($215.99) from Wood Workers Supply or the Grizzly G6048 ($159.99). Would be nice to have a nailer that did both but these both have straight magazines and by the looks of it straight magazine 15ga. nail sizes are limited. Plus both of these are just out of my budget but if they are worth it I could hold off for a couple more months.

Some retailers are selling a lot of remanufactured nailers. Should these be avoided since they could be very heavily used units?

Nailers I have been looking at:

Porter Cable FN250B 16ga. – price is right, around $142 and free shipping. Lots of good reviews. Moderate amount of ReCons out there. Nails readily available.

Paslode 403700 16ga. – price might be a little out of my range, around $170. Looks great. Some mixed reviews, some great and a few with fit/finish issues plus and one stating that there is no depth set control. The NO depth control worries me! Have not seen one ReCon for this model!!!!!!!!

DeWalt D51256K 16ga. – price is a little out of my range, around $180 but the prices on this model look like they have been coming down lately. DeWalt relatively new to the air nail field. I have seen a LOT of bad reviews on this unit plus the market has a LOT of ReCons out there. Is this why the prices have been coming down? And is this one I should run away from?

Bostich SB-1664FN 16ga. – price is right at about the $150 range. Again some mixed reviews must bad ones referring to o-ring failure and not driving nails to correct depth. Also there is a LOT of ReCons out there. Nails are readily available.


Senco FP32 FinishPro 16ga. – Price is right at about at my limit of $150. Not much for reviews out there for this one. One complaint about the foam grip disintegrating after a few uses. Never seen a ReCon for this model.

Grizzly G7578 16ga. – Price is great at $119. nail limitation with 2” max. Most others have max. of 2 ½.

Grizzly HP2910 Pro 3 in 1 16ga. – Price is right at $139. 3-in-1 wood, metal & concrete nailer, shoots 3/4" - 2" 16 GA nails and 1.83mm diameter steel concrete nails up to 1". Again 2” nail max. and what would you need the concrete nails for with only a max of 1”?


Craftsman cat#351.184310, model 18441. A few of these listed as NEW on ebay for around $100 - $129. Craftsman list price of $179.00.

Please help shed some light on my choice.

Thanks,
Doug

[Jason Roehl]

I have the Bostich SB1664FN. I've shot a couple thousand nails through it with no problems. And, there haven't been any situations I can recall where I would have needed the angled magazine. As with most nailers, depth control is by setting the air pressure to the minimum that gets the job done...I've set it as low as 65psi and as high as about 85psi.

[Jim Becker]

IMHO, your next gun should be a 15 guage angle nailer. The 16 guage gun is nice, but it's really just a slightly larger version of what you already have. The Angle gun is great, not only for it's original intended purpose putting up finish carpentry, but it's also wonderful for carcass construction as you can get it in some tight spots when you need to toe-nail a shelf or partition in, etc. It also shoots a fastener that is much closer to a "real nail" than the 18 or 16 guage brad guns.

Of course, you'll also want a narrow crown stapler and a pinner at some point, too...

[Steve Clardy]

would also be my recommendation like Mr. Becker. I really like the angle feature, plus it has a real nail head, not a T head like the 18 and 16 gauge nails. I find myself using the 18 and 16 most in the shop, but when on the job putting window and door casing and base down, I really like the 15 gauge porter cable. Works well with Pine with the actual nail head and the depth adjustment will keep you from driving the nail in way to far on this skinny pine molding we have to buy these days. Also has enough power to hang hardwood moldings.
As far as recons, I wouldn't have a problem with them. I have several other tools that are recons, and most are look like new, same warranty.
Have to watch the prices on recons though, as sometimes you can get new for a little more. Try Ebay, there are some fantastic deals out there sometimes, and a lot of those deals are from tool companies that sell name brands. Steve

[Jason Roehl]

Jim and Steve---there's another reason I don't like the 15-ga. nailers: I'm a painter--I've often got to fill those darn nail-holes behind trigger-happy "carpenters." And, the 16-ga holds plenty well--I've pull lots of trim put up with them--not always easy to get off.

[Steve Clardy]

Jim and Steve---there's another reason I don't like the 15-ga. nailers: I'm a painter--I've often got to fill those darn nail-holes behind trigger-happy "carpenters." And, the 16-ga holds plenty well--I've pull lots of trim put up with them--not always easy to get off.

Maybe I'm the only trimmer that fills the holes. I understand your side perfectly well on the hole filling. I've seen some pretty nasty trim work out there. I feel like my jobs not done till I fill the holes, so painters don't singe my ear hair.
Steve

[Jason Roehl]

Maybe I'm the only trimmer that fills the holes. I understand your side perfectly well on the hole filling. I've seen some pretty nasty trim work out there. I feel like my jobs not done till I fill the holes, so painters don't singe my ear hair.
Steve

You're a diamond in the rough, then, Steve. I've even had "carpenters" tell me it's the painter's job to SET THEIR MISFIRES!!! The better ones will at least come back and do it when I call them on it. And you all know how tough it can be to set a pneumatically mis-fired nail.

[Jim Becker]

Jim and Steve---there's another reason I don't like the 15-ga. nailers: I'm a painter--I've often got to fill those darn nail-holes behind trigger-happy "carpenters." And, the 16-ga holds plenty well--I've pull lots of trim put up with them--not always easy to get off.

I certainly can't speak for the "pro" finish carpenters 'cause I ain't one, but I just use a little spackle to deal with the holes in my pre-finishing prep work. But then again...I do all my own work, so no matter what gun I would use, I'd need to fill those holes! Obviously, this applies to projects that are going to be painted. For those being left "natural", I just try to avoid the fasteners to begin with.

[Steve Clardy]

You're a diamond in the rough, then, Steve. I've even had "carpenters" tell me it's the painter's job to SET THEIR MISFIRES!!! The better ones will at least come back and do it when I call them on it. And you all know how tough it can be to set a pneumatically mis-fired nail.

Well, my reasoning on why I do this is that my job looks better to me and also the customer. Especially when I miss the stud, the base hasn't pulled in to the wall, and I end up with three nail holes instead of one. So I "cover my tracks". ha.
Also most of my trim work is hardwood, which I prefinish in the shop, so I am the last man in the tub. Gotta clean up to the tub when everyones out. Steve