I own 4 Bostitch nailers and they are all great. I like the light weight of the nailer as well as its more than adequate power. You just can't beat the ease of use for a pneumatic nail gun.
I did a lot of research before purchasing the Bostitch and I am very glad I did. It has yet to jam. The toe nailing claw is great. It really digs into the wood and allows you to drive nails at any angle without slipping.
Can't go wrong with this. Bostitch F28WW Clipped Head 2-inch to 3-1/2-inch Framing Nailer with Magnesium Housing
This product is great and it makes framing a breeze. The only problem is that the wire clipped 28 degree nails are not commonly found in a lot of the public building supply stores (Home Depot, Lowes etc.) They can special order them for you but if you need them right away you are out of luck, with that being said once you do get the nails this is one fine nailing machine that will work all day without any problems.
If you want a trouble free framing nailer this is a very fine heavy duty one Bostitch F28WW Clipped Head 2-Inch to 3-1/2-Inch Framing Nailer with Magnesium Housing
I picked this up at HD, and after using the paslode cordless, I really like the Bostitch. For it being as light as it is, it really has tons of power, and holds way more nails than the paslode. Because of it's magnesium construction, it's also lighter than the paslode, and with a lightweight airhose, this thing is versitile. The countersink feature rocks due to it's pushbutton guage, and the cleat it has on the safety works brilliantly for toenailing.
For an airpowered gun, this thing rocks!
Having been in the construction buisness for almost a decade now I've had the opportunity to use 3 different models of the Bostitch 28 degree framing nailer, the N80, the N88, and the F28, I have to say that although this gun has many eye catching features as the rafter hook and shiny buttons, the gun just doesn't perform like its predecessors. We have 2 F28s and they don't seem to fire as well, the safetys seem more finnicky causing erratic firing and dangerous operations. The entire crew prefers the N88 over the newer guns. We have had Bostitch SWAT reps check out the guns and say they are operationally fine. I would trade an 88 for my 28 any day of the week. Its still a Bostitch which means its a great gun, but nothing like its predecessors
being a pro framer, i have used many brands of nailers. hitachis are my favorite, but if you don't have the cash for them, this gun is a close second. lots of power. will nail into engineered wood. the teeth are nice and sharp making toe-nails a breeze. you won't have to pull out your hammer to finish off any toe-nails with this gun. little things about this gun are nice too. like the air exhaust can be moved in any direction without tools and comes with a rafter hook preventing some nasty falls off joists or trusses. good framing gun, not the best, but a good framing gun none the less. worth buying.
just to add to my original review; after using my gun for a few months of constant use on the job site, i have had a few problems. the rafter hook broke pretty easily so now i have to be extra careful nailing joists and trusses. also, every now and then a bit of dirt or sand will get in the housing and just sprays air out of the exhaust. to fix it i have to take it apart and clean it. it's really annoying considering how much a framer counts on his nail gun. it's still a good gun, but i'm just gonna invest a bit more next time.
I have used almost every brand and type of framing nailer over the span of 20 years. this nailer is as close to perfection as i have seen. i was afraid it may have poor durability because of it's extreme light weight, but over the last 2 years, a million+ nails, and a few nasty falls it has crushed all my fears. I can't remember one jamb, sinks nails in lvl and other lam mat. better than any other gun i've used, and i think at this point it's takenthe durability prize. my only complaint would be the smart trigger acts goofy at times since day one. maybe by now bostitch has smartend up the goofy thing. i think i bought the first one they sold. i noticed one reviewer said nails are hard to find for this gun, "special order" i think he said. maybe out west (WA?) where he is, but around here (PA) 28 wire is the standard. They are everywhere. i've even bought them at a back woods mom and pop hardware store.
CAUTION: THIS RATING IS FOR THE 21 DEGREE NAILER; THE F21PL. I would only recommend a 21 degree nailer, NOT a 28 degree one. The 28 degree nails are more expensive and hard to find.
This is the real deal. It slices, it dices, it shoots nails through everything (EVEN WOOD TO MASONRY!), it hangs joist hangers, and oh yeah, it does regular framing tasks too! I love this gun! It's not even that heavy. It feels pretty good in your hand all day. I don't want to put it down. We used to use only Porter Cable FR350A's, which are also wonderful, reliable, tough, and recommendable guns, but I like the versatility of this one better, and the extra power. I can lower the PSI on our compressors with this gun to 80-90 for most tasks.
Pros:
1) POWERFUL
2) CONSISTENT
3) TOUGH (We use this to smash joists etc. into place when we don't have a free hand)
4) GREAT AT TOENAILING!!! (This should be #1, because it sets toenails better than anything I've seen)
5) Lightweight (for its size)
6) 7 Year Warranty
7) Push Button Depth Adjustment (but not as convenient as the Porter Cable's)
8) It works even at lower pressures
9) Easy rotating exhaust
10) It shoots my favorite 21 degree full head plastic collated nails (They're usually the cheapest too)
Cons:
1) Bulkier and bigger than Senco, Max, and Paslode (You can't fit into every crevice and gap)
2) No Dry-Fire Lockout feature like Porter Cable's to prevent damage from chronic dry-firing (firing on empty)
3) You have to let the gun run out of nails before reloading with the common plastic collated nails, or nails may feed incorrectly causing jams and misfires. There is a new brand of nail coming out soon which prevents this problem completely. They're called "Lightning" something or other. They work great, and are cheap - Bostich - Bostitch - Framing Nailer - Nailer'
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