I was sceptical on the purchase of a brad nailer for only 29.00 but must admit that the product quality and capabilities are well worth the price... I had been shopping for a nailer for quite some time but didn't want to spend close to $100.00 for a tool that would only see occassional use at most... weekend projects and home repairs from time to time.. I used a neighbors 16 guage Stanley nailer before and found it adequate for my needs but too costly for my wallet... Then I deceided to give the Grizzly a try.... 29.00 is more my price range... What a pleasent surprise, The Grizzly nailer is just as functional as the Stanley... How can they make one for just 29.00 and keep pace with the other brands... Well all other brands are so price inflated that's how.. Grizzly isn't makeing any money on this item but they are making a name for themselves with this fine nailer... Excellent nailer for hobbiest and furniture maker... Have found Craftsman nails and off brand nails all work in it.... Hope this review helps.. Grizzly H5527 18 Gauge Brad Nailer Kit
A woodworking buddy of mine bought this brad nailer and this weekend I had a chance to put it through its paces while helping him on a project. I can easily attest that this nailer is not only worth the price, but I would venture to say it is an out and out good tool. I was as skeptical as everyone is about this tool, but honestly it performs as well as my own brad nailer (which I paid twice as much for). I was also very surprised at how little the tip marred the workpiece. Even though it does not have a padded tip, there was not much more marring on pine than I see from my padded-tip nailer. There were no power or nail feeding issues, all of the fasteners were driven home, the exhaust is directional, and the tool just felt like it was in a higher class than its pricetag would indicate. I have no idea why some reviewers have had such problems when the one I used was so good - maybe there are some quality control issues... In any event, based on my test I would rate this as a good tool at a great price.
I didnt hold out much hope of a quality product. However when the package came I was most suprised that this tool is worth far more than the $30 I paid for it. It is rugged and well designed with plenty of power and features to get the job done. No reason to pass this up.
Ive had limited use of this product as of yet, but my initial impressions....for the price, there is no reason not to buy it.. it is solidly built, comes with oil, wrenches, case, well written manual and already has the fitting on the nailer. Feels very well put together.as far as performance.. so far having run about 200 1 5/8" brads and 200 2" brads into 3/4" mdf... it does occasionally misfire or not drive naisl all the way in, but rarely enough so as not to be annoying. the switch is a little screwy at times, but is easy to pop back..if you are looking for a cheap or starter nailer, this thing is perfect.. for any repetitive or long term use, i would go ahead and get a porter cable or dewalt model
My husband replaced the moldings on 10 windows in the house as well as built 4 bird houses. He had no, I emphasize No Problems with the nailer. He has used 3 sizes of nails so far with it, 5/8, 1 3/4 and 2 inch. It is light weight and easy to handle and change nail sizes. No problem with it double hitting. He had to keep the air pressure at 70 lbs. or higher.
[UPDATE 7-31-09: About a year and a half now and no problems whatsoever. Just finished my daughters chest of drawers and the gun never missed a nail. No air leaks, no miss-fires. This is a great gun.]
[UPDATE 8-8-08: Gun in use for more than 4 months now with no problems what so ever. Certainly has been a great value!]
It's only $30. Can't be that good can it? I mean, how can you compare it to a major brand like a DeWalt or a Hitachi? I have used em all, and I can compare it very well thank you. After using this gun for only a few days I can tell you that while this may be my first Grizzly tool, it will certainly not be my last.
Basically, this review can be summed up in two short sentences: This gun is green. This gun works.
First this is not a Paslode or DeWalt. There is no fancy contoured grip, selective trigger, padded tip, or variable depth adjustment. No frills, no bells, no whistles. No big price tag. The Grizzly is a basic tool that does the basic job, period. Just bangs nails in wood. Flawlessly. All day long. For 30 bucks. If you just gotta have a contoured grip, look elsewhere.
So, what is good about the gun?
It is light weight. Very nice at the end of the day.
The tip is metal, but doesn't appear to mar any worse than the plastic non-marring tips on more expensive guns. If you push too hard, they all make a dent.
The grip is simply a vinyl sleeve around the aluminum housing. Nothing fancy. But easy enough to hold onto.
The nail rack is released by pressing a spring loaded latch just like other guns. But it is a two handed job to reload. It takes both hands to latch the rack back into place. No big deal.
The exhaust is adjustable. Just like on the expensive guns. So if you are feeling inadequate by not having all the fancy stuff, you can make a big show of adjusting the exhaust to blow blasts of air all over your coworkers when the opportunity arises.
You need to adjust the operating pressure at the compressor to adjust the nailing depth. This gun will slightly countersink 2 inch brads through bead-board into construction grade pine at about 65lbs, and can be set as high as 90lbs before you notice they are getting too deep. Not as convenient as having a depth adjustment on the gun but once you get set you will not need to make further adjustments unless you change nails or material.
So should you get a Grizzly instead of a more expensive gun? It depends on your budget and what you want to do with the gun. If you spend every day with your gun, then things like a padded grip and depth adjustment may be worth more money. If you can afford it. However, if you are on a budget and need a good gun to keep you in beans and cornbread, there is no doubt in my mind that this gun will hang with the big boys for a while, no problem. If you are a hobby type carpenter or do-it-yourselfer then you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal than this gun.
I haven't used the Grizzly for very long and can't speak to the longevity, but the reason I tried this one is one of the guys I am working with has had two Grizzly nailers for over a year and they are still going strong. So far I have had no problems at all. No jams, no miss-fires. Five years from now who knows.
Downsides? Nothing critical. The case is cheap, but it will keep the gun clean while it bangs around in the tool chest. And the included oil bottle and goggles are really worthless. Throw the oil bottle away and get one that doesn't leak. Give the safety goggles to your grandkids to play with and get yourself something better. I mean you only spent $30 bucks on the gun, you can afford a $5 pair of safety glasses. Oh, yeah. Take out the hose connector fitting and wrap the threads with Teflon tape before you use it. That will keep it from hissing while you work. The gun will dry fire, but I haven't found that to be a big problem. My older DeWalt does that also.
So it isn't perfect. And for looks it certainly cannot compare to the neon racing stripe looks of a Hitachi. But just remember that you are shooting the same nails with your $30 gun that your buddy is shooting with his $90 Hitachi. That makes this a 5 star gun any day! Buy it, try it, then decide. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised at what your $30 can buy. - Grizzly - Brad Nailers - Dont Waste Your Time - Brad Nails'
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