Been using various brands (full-sized and newer compact) pneumatic palm nailers for years. Based on 2 days of use - I don't think that this tool is a substitute. As another reviewer noted - it does not appear to be able to start driving nails straight. If you can get the nail started - then this tool will continue to drive it. I've been able to get it to drive flush with some plates and hangers - when using short nails and cc sinker nails - but have yet to be able to fully drive regular common nails. At $99 for the full kit (from Amazon) - I thought to give one a try - not likely to purchase another. Milwaukee M12 Cordless Palm Nailer Kit, 2458-21, red lithium battery
The Milwaukee M12 cordless palm Nailer came just a few days after I order it. I had some very tight areas to nail off on my new patio cover which I tied into the house right under the eves. It worked like a charm. I finished what I thougt would take hours with a small hammer in about 1/100 of the time. It took me about 3 to 4 minutes to hammer (1) 8 penny nail with a conventional hammer. I used the palm nailer and finished ths job in which (about 30 nails) in about 1/2 the time it took to nail the orignal one. The area I had to nail had about 8 inches of room. No problem for the palm nailer.
I would recommend it to anyone. It even drove the 16 penny nails I had to nail as well.
I was waiting to dive into Milwaukee's M12 Red Lithium batteries came out to start buying these small little cordless tools. I currently have most of Milwaukee's M18 cordless line (just don't have that jigsaw yet). While Milwaukee's cordless tools do break very often (compared to my Bosch set which was actually not made in China), Milwaukee is good at fixing them and shipping them back to me in about a week. With gutting a house I end up using my Porter Cable palm nailer frequently for installing all of the hangers needed for leveling a floor or a ceiling. I was really hoping to let that great little nailer sit in its box some days by whipping out this Milwaukee. I mean come on, no air compressor to lug out and set up. This sounded like a good idea. Now I was not expecting a battery operated nailer to be faster than one that runs off an air compressor. The problem with this Milwaukee could also be an easy fix. The huge problem is that I cannot get anything from an 8d to a 16d to actually be able to get nailed and even semi straight. The cradle that the nail goes into just has nothing to hold it steady and when the hammering starts happening the nail goes insanely crooked. This simple aspect makes this nailer useless. Also it cannot flush nail any size nail into a 2X so don't expect that either. It will hammer it consistantly right up to the head of the nail but not flush, not close to flush, but I will say sunk.
The tool does seem well made but it is made in China so I do not think it will last even 6 months with very light usage. Sorry, its just the way it is with China made tools, even the China made tools that have some of the best construction grade names on them. It is heavier than an air powered palm nailer and is not comfortable to hold. Being heavy and not as comfortable do not matter as much because its not like I am going to frame something with this nailer.
To sum everything up. If you want to nail something quick use a hammer. If you want to put a nail in a small spot, this thing is too big anyway and you would be better off just using a screw. I cannot comment on battery life with the new Red Lith battery because I stopped using this tool after 20 practice nails. It is a shame because I was going to buy most of the M12 line now that Milwaukee released the Red Lith batteries. The M12 line is gigantic in cool looking tools that could come in handy from time to time and I do have an endless budget to buy tools with. I just think that I am going to have to skip Milwaukee's M12 line. I do wish it would have worked out. The biggest thing that makes me skeptical is that every China made Milwaukee tool that I have bought has broke on me and that is about $2,000 worth of tools. The old American made Milwaukee tools are great ( I still have them and some are 15 years old). I gave this nailer 3 stars because it is not a piece of junk and maybe Milwaukee can get something figured out. I did not off the 2 stars because it just doesn't function with a purpose in how it currently conducts itself. I mean I am just not going to be in a situation and think that this tool will do any job correctly at all.
I did feel out the new DeWalt 12v line over at Lowes and they do feel great in the hand. I sold off all of my DeWalt tools 2 years ago after getting a bad customer service one time. Since DeWalt got bought out by Black and Decker their longevity and customer support went horrible. Now that DeWalt is owned by Stanely I think that I might be able to give them another try. The now DeWalt 12 volts are made in China but the batteries are made in Japan and Japan builds great great stuff. I started switching over all of my tools over to mostly Milwaukee there for a time before every China made Milwaukee broke very quickly. Now I do prefer Bosch and Makita. Some Makitas are still made outside of China and most Bosch still not made in China. I know its hard to find a tool that is not made in China. While the tools still feel the same, the China ones just do not last a year with light usage and that makes me want to cry.
Product was hard to find for the holidays. Sell promised one and it arrived very quickly. As Advertised. Product is kind of gimmicky. Will not drive small nails. They get stuck in tool. Takes some getting used to. I wouldn't plan on building a house with it. The problem is in the part of the tool that holds the nail. The nail gets attracted to the side of the opening instead of the center. You must "steer" the nailer to get the nail driven correctly.
This product was instrumental in re-nailing the thick metal roof on my turn-of-the-century barn (that is the 1900s not the 2000s...:-)) It allowed me to drive the rubber-gasketed nails thru the metal without having to drill holes first...And yes I know the product is manufactured in China.'
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