What a time saver! Hung 12 foot pieces 15 feet off the ground solo!
Very well built. Clip them on the already nailed siding pieces and place the new piece of siding on the Solo siders,adjust alignment & nail. Once you get in the swing of things it can go quite fast and these free up your hands to nail comfortably. One thing to be aware of is to remember to re-adjust the Solo siders from the 12 o'clock position (remove position)to your desired reveal position before nailing otherwise they are hard to remove after nailing. Glad I found them before starting my siding! SoloSider Siding Tools For Fiber Cement Siding And LP Smartside 3/8, Fully Adjustable Siding Gauges
First a little bit about myself. I'm very old-school and I hate change. I am the type of person that gets angry when Hitachi changes the color of their nail guns and I am willing to spend money on good tools so I don't have to buy a replacement down the road.
I was almost certain this tool was going to disappoint me. I mean it's bright green and has plastic parts which seems like a sure recipe for disaster. I figured I'd buy it based on the positive reviews and I could always return it to Amazon if it turned out to be worthless crap.
Now that I've used the SoloSider I have to say that it's one of the best purchases I've made during the past year. I used these gauges to put up several hundred square feet of 6.25" Hardiplank by myself. The design is simple and elegant. It's trivially easy to adjust the reveal to within 1/16 of an inch. Set up time is super fast and the gauges hold the siding very securely while nailing.
In short, this is a great tool. If you are fretting over the decision between this and the Malco gauges I'd strongly suggest you give these a try. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.
I picked up this tool to help me side my home alone. It is easy to use and make the minor adjustments you need to make your job line up nicely. I found it saves a lot of time and I didn't have to put two nails under every piece of siding to hold it in place. The solo sider holds the siding nicely while you check the end alignment and the level. It even comes with a handy set of charts so you can set the lap fit your space.
I got these at the same time as I bought PacTool SA903 Gecko Gauge Hardie Board Siding Gauges NEW and by far the Pactool siding gauge is much faster and easier to use. The Solosider hook is on the top so you have to lift it up after the top board is on, which can be time consuming at times. Pactool hooks on the bottom and then you lift a lever that clamps it down very easy and quick. Plus, I have seen Hardie siding vary in size up to 1/8". With Pactool it does not matter. The only problem with Pactool is that it doesn't work with Hardie colonial which is 8" wide instead of 8 1/4". Why Hardie does this, I don't know. But Pactool gauges work with 6 1/4", 7 1/4", 8 1/4", 9 1/4" Hardie Plank.
I own both the SoloSider and the PacTool gauges. Both have their advantages.
-- the SoloSider is more versatile
-- the PacTool is a bit easier and faster for simple runs of standard exposure
-- the SoloSider will work when you're siding above a deck or other obstruction, when you can't get the PacTool under the first row
-- the SoloSider holds the plank more securely than the PacTool, no slips
You do need to stay alert, and be aware of which "o'clock" position you're on at all times, or you will put up a slanted plank.
If it's in your budget, buy both. Otherwise, consider what your normal work is, and buy either the simple PacTool or the versatile SoloSider, as appropriate. They are both good tools.
I have a 60 year old beach cottage with tongue and groove wood lap siding. I decided to reside the cottage, adding insulation and housewrap to improve energy efficiency and decided to use 8.25" Hardie plank. I can perform almost any DIY task around the home but have never taken on a project of this scope. With 2000 sq ft of siding, insulation, housewrap, all new window and door casings and trim - I was a bit concerned.
These Solosider are the most amazing tool I have ever owned. I cannot imagine hanging siding without them. They make the job almost idiot proof. Allow you to hang every board perfect - any length - any hieght - without the help of a second person. No need for scaffolding. You can also use them to make up for "out of whack" walls - adjusting up and down 1/16th" to make an even width board at last row.
I cant beleive they are not stocked at every Home Depot and Lowes across the country or that James Hardie hasn't bought the company who makes them and sell them with every job of Hardie Plank.
I found this shopping for a nail gun on Amazon and saw that working alone it was the best solution to hold the planks. What really sold me was that it adjusts to less that 4" exposure which is what I needed. Works simply and is very accurate and repeatable. With two people one was cutting and with this one was hanging and we had a very even pace and got a lot done quickly. Greate product.
I used the soloSider in combination with a qual-craft pump jack/work stand combination and sided a 1400 sq ft, 2 story garage by myself with no problems . Could not have done it without them. They show up on time every morning, you dont have to buy them beer. Fantastic product.
I was skeptical when I purchase this product...low expectations. Am I plesantly supprised! This guage works exactly as stated in the instructions. The fine tuning adjustments are perfect, and it appears as though the materials used to make the guages are very durable and will last for years. I had to let my siding installers go, and pick the job up my self. This tool made my life easier and removed a trememdous amount of stress over the siding job. "Wish I'd thought it up!"
Great tool...worth every penny. - Siding Tools - Recommended - Siding Gauge - Fiber Cement Tool'
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