Monday, 6 October 2008
Finish Nailers
I bought this gun sight unseen (usually I go "touch" tools at the H--- D---- first, but they didn't have one) and am so far very pleased. When I took it out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how light it is. It's amazing. Here's my comments:- The nail magazine is plastic and the housing is magnesium making this thing feel like a toy in your hand. I'm still a little skeptical about the plastic magazine and wonder if it would withstand the daily pounding of professional use (I'm only a heavy duty homeowner).The good:- The oil free engine is fantastic. No oil on your work and no need to remember to oil it.- Easy to use and maintain.- Pretty much jam free (I've shot plenty of nails through it already).- VERY light.The bad:- Only shoots Stanley nails (PC and Senco shoot a different type of nail). Not a problem as I see it - [One home improvement store] sells them in boxes of 5000 (PC sells their nails in boxes of 1000).- Plastic magazine - Not sure how long it will last. Bostitch N62FNK-2 15-Gauge 1-Inch to 2-1/2-Inch Angled Finish Nailer
I have been shopping for a 15 or 16 gauge finish nailer for about six months. This Bostitch is the only 15 gauge angled nailer that I have found to be priced in the straight 16 gauge price range.This is the best 15 gauge gun at any price. Just hold this gun in your hand and you will be convinced that you can't buy a better gun, period.I had narrowed my choices down to the Bostitch, Porter-Cable and the new DeWalt.The PC was nice, the price was right and I have had great success with my PC 18 gauge brad nailer, but the 15 gauge PC was way too heavy. Almost twice the weight of the Bostitch.The DeWalt fit my small hands like a glove, was very light weight and within my budget (if I stayed with the straight nailer vs the angled model). However, I shyed away from the DeWalt models because the contact trip assembly had too many bends which didn't seem to operate as smoothly as the PC and Bostitch. The display model at a local hardware store already looked like it was on the verge of having problems. I'm not hard on my tools, but one nasty bump, or a fall off of the workbench and you might be out of business.Finally the Bostitch!At less than 4 lbs. it's the lightest in it's class, yet still packs the biggest punch of them all! 400 in./lbs. It only weighs about 1 lb. more than by Porter-Cable brad nailer.The finish and quality are second to none. It just plain ol' feels good in your hand. It's balanced so well it feels like an extension of your hand.I am on a major budget (per the wife), but this gun is definitely worth every penny of the MSRP of $.... So why is it selling for only $...? Either A) it's a "typo", or B) Amazon and/or Bostitch has gone loco. Whatever the reason, my advice is buy this nailer before they discover that they are practically giving it away. I'm sure this gun will be the standard by which all other finish nailers will be measured against. You will not regret this purchase!"TEN Stars....Final answer"!
From the sound of these reviews, the gun seems to work pretty good for homeowners & such. I've been a carpenter for 40 years. I've been using finish nailers for about 20 years. My last nail gun was a Duo-fast. I finally retired it recently, after 17+ years of service. Since the local lumber yard carries Bostich nails, I went with Bostich. I've had the gun 18 months & the piston rod has broken 3 times. Replacing it myself still cost me $35.00 a pop. Anybody who has trimmed a door or window or installed baseboard, knows it's immpossible not to hit a screw head or sheetrock nail once in a while. Well, everytime I hit one, the piston rod breaks. It breaks in the exact same spot. It appears to made of cast aluminum or something, instead of hardened or stainless steel. I like the gun & am thinking about getting somebody to manufacture a functional rod for me, since Bostich doesn't know how.
I am in the process of remodeling my "old" house. The walls are plaster which have become very brittle and delicate over the years. Hammering to install new molding was out of the question. I needed a gun that was light, powerful, easy to operate, and didn't require oiling so as not to make a mess in my home.I purchased the Bostitch N62FNK-2 nailer (my first nailer) based on the customer reviews and manufacturer information. This gun is absolutely amazing! It delivered everything I wanted in a nailer. I saved money because I didn't damage any of the existing plaster walls, all nails held firmly the first shot...hammering would have been a nightmare!! I was a little apprehensive about using a nail gun since I had never owned one before. It was so easy and so fast!! My only improvement idea would be that the manufacturer offer variety nail packs, so you don't have to buy such large quantities of only one size nail... BUT... Have No fear...Go for it...perhaps the best tool I have ever owned!
I just bought this as my first nailer. Overall, it's great. The design, operation, and fact that it's oil-less make it super simple to use. My first trim project would have taken forever if I had to nail it by hand, thankfully I didn't, I had the Bostitch N62!The only reason I didn't give it 5-stars is I was dissappointed to find that you can only buy FN-style nails in quantities suitable for contractors. Bostitch needs to get with the times and realize that air tools are not just for the trades, but serious enthusiasts as well. The competition is ahead of the game in this respect.
Wow! This nailer is so light I thought it was fake! Despite the lightweight, it packs a serious punch. Oak over oak is no problem. The store even said it would drive through concrete. It smokes my Senco tools. It is so much lighter, and so much more powerful. I used to have 12 Senco's but now I am going to switch all the crew over to this nailer.
I am a cabinet maker, and have been for more then 20 years, I bought a new bostitch T-36 finish nailer in 1983, to this day that gun has never failed to work, it has never been to a shop for repairs, of any kind. And I am very demanding of my tools, but I also take real good care of them and I do all of my own maintenance on my tools. I bought the new N62FNK-2 a few months ago because of carpo tunnel in my hands, and I needed a lighter gun to work with. All I can say is it is the best finish nailer to date that I have ever used, some of the things I really like about the N62 is it has low recoil in my hands when I shoot a nail, and the weight of the gun, and the balance, it's just perfect. when I'm shooting face frames on cabinet boxes the rubber nose really helps to stabilize the gun. I also like the power that it has, I can shoot a 2 1/2" nail thru 2 1/4" of solid oak and counter sink it a 1/6" at only 80lbs of air, and at a low counter sink setting using a 25' hose, so just think what you could do at 100lbs of air and a heavy counter sink setting, big oak crown mouldings, casings, it's endless what you could do. And for those who say they can't find an asortment of nails for the N62, I can tell you I have not had any problem finding and buying 1" all the way up to 2 1/2" nails for my gun. For me, it's the only finish nailer to have, and over the years I have used alot of different finish nailers out there, because most of my friends are contractors to. So I will keep my T-36 for shop backup, but with my new N62FNK I don't think I will ever need to use it. Thank you bostitch, you have done real good with this one.'
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