Friday, April 11, 2014

DEWALT D51238K 5/8-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer

DEWALT D51238K 5/8-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer
  • Tool-free depth adjustment assists in locating the perfect depth setting for precise nail penetration
  • Side low-nail indicator window allows user to quickly and easily see when it is time to re-load
  • Overmolded no-mar pad increases visibility and reduces marring on material
  • Tool-free jam clear eliminates down-time from bent fasteners caught in the nosepiece
  • Tool-free 360 degree exhaust channels air and dust away from user;Trigger lock-off allows trigger to be disabled when not in use

Boy I like this nailer. I have owned it for almost 2 years and have no complaints. I've never had a misfire. It drives 2 inch nails with ease. Best of all it's light. I used it for window and door molding and cabinet work. This gun is easy to load, and easy to change the depth of the shot.

Some nice features are:

1. As the nails run low, an indicator appears to show that you have 6 nails left. Then it moves to show a countdown to show when you are empty. It's nice not to have to open the magazine to see how many nails you have. And of course the indicator that appears is yellow.

2. You can direct the exhaust airflow anywhere you want.

3. If the nail jams, which has only happend when I hit something below, the head easily opens so you can extract the bent nail.

I also have the 15 ga. nailer and would highly recommend both of these. I've also recommended this nailer to 2 friends and they have also had excellent results. Way to go DeWALT!!

Update: add another year of use, still working strong. No problems at all.

Buy DEWALT D51238K 5/8-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer Now

I bought a DeWalt nail gun near the end of last year. Since then I've driven several boxes of nails with it, mostly without any hitches. I've used it nearly every day for building cabinets and installing mouldings. This is my third brad nailer. My first one was a Senco SLP20, a fabulous gun. I never had any problems with the Senco other than the safty being on the front side of the driver... that made it difficult to shoot nails at a bit of an angle if needed. My only other complaint about the Senco was its limited capacity in length of nails, 1 5/8". After the Senco was stolen out of the back of my truck I bought a Hatachi brad nailer... the DeWalt was not yet on the market. Overall, the Hatachi was a nice quality gun and had the 2" nail depth capacity I really needed for my work. However, it would often double fire on me because the safty was so sensitive. This problem occurred so much I finally gave it to my son (a weekend warrior) after the DeWalt came on the market. I was real excited about the new DeWalt brad nailer because of the nice features, particularly the design which put the safty behind the driver. It worked flawlessly right out of the box and I almost never looked back. At the time I was looking at the DeWalt gun I was also considering the new Senco gun that shot 2" nails.

Now after about six months I'm beginning to think I made a mistake buying the DeWalt. A recent problem has occurred that's quite troubling: The gun stopped firing and recycling properly. I thought maybe at first it was due to a blown O-ring or something like that. The only way I could get the cylendar to return was to uncouple the air hose. Then, I could shoot one nail before having to uncouple the hose again. Needless to say this was a pain in the rear. Another son, who is also in construction, told me he encountered the same propblem with his DeWalt brad nailer... which was even newer than mine. He was finally able to get his to work by adding oil to the driver and guide after opening up the quick release mechanism. I tried this, but used a super thin lubricant instead of the oil that came with the gun. It didn't work. Later I went back and it fired fine for about 10 shots and then stopped again. I've let it set for a couple of days now and just tried it again. It seems to work fine now, but obviously I'm concerned because I don't feel I can rely on it when doing a job on site... and that could really cost me time and money. So, I'm once again thinking hard about buying yet another brad nailer, the newly designed Senco 2" gun. I've really liked the DeWalt, but am concerned about it's relyability. I'm also put off because it may be necessary to buy a third nail gun in less than two years... this is getting expensive.

Read Best Reviews of DEWALT D51238K 5/8-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer Here

I just bought this nailer at Home Depot several months ago for our trim crew. We specifically use 18G bradders for shoe and other small moldings. This unit is the best we've ever come in contact with. The guys tried the Porter Cab tools and they don't seem to have the power to set nails and they don't feel nearly as durable as the Dewalt. The depth setting mechanism on this tool is tops as well

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I recently purchased this 18 gauge Brad Nailer and a Porter Cable Pancake Compressor for Christmas. I waited to write a review until I had time to test it properly and I am still not certain that I am giving the Nailer a proper review. To start with I thought that all of the fittings for connecting to a compressor would come with the Nail Gun but these items were not included. I purchased the necessary fittings, which were very inexpensive, set it up and started testing it. Since I have never used a Nail Gun before, I changed the trigger to the sequential trigger provided in the kit to prevent accidentially shooting too many nails in one place. I am happy with the way the Gun feels, with the depth it shoots brads, how easy it is to change the depth, eveything EXCEPT that sometimes it dry fires for no reason. I have tried doing the things the instructions suggest to prevent this but I was still able to dry fire once about every 15 shots. Other than this the gun is really nice and I hope that I can talk to someone at Dewalt to resolve this problem. As of Jan. 2 I can not get through to anyone at Dewalt for assistance. I will write again as soon as I get assistance and the problem is resolved or if the problem remains I will down grade my review.

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I received this nail gun as a free gift from DeWalt for purchasing a certain amount of products from them. I had previously used only Spot Nails and Omer nail guns, available only through a supplier, but as soon as I tried the DeWalt, I could tell it was superior even to my Spot Nails gun. I've used it for two years now in the cabinet and molding industry, and as my shop has grown, I will be getting a few more of these nail gun for my guys to use. I have recommended this gun to all of my friends in the industry. I do not blindly endorse DeWalt products, but this nail gun really is a good product.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Senco - Finishpro 18 Nailer And Air Compressor Kit

Senco - Finishpro 18 Nailer And Air Compressor KitIt was a nice kit with various sized nails included. were the connectors for th were the connectors for the hose.. The only let down was that the tank for the compressor was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The picture was a little deceiving. Even though it was small it was very convenient to move around the house.

- NorthStar Belt Drive Single-Stage Portable Air Compressor - 2 HP, 20-Gallon, Vertical, 5.5 CFM

- NorthStar Belt Drive Single-Stage Portable Air Compressor - 2 HP, 20-Gallon, Vertical, 5.5 CFM
  • 2 HP 115V/230V 15/7.5 Amp dual voltage induction motor
  • 2-cylinder cast iron single-stage pump
  • Delivers 5.5 CFM @ 90 PSI; 7.1 CFM @ 40 PSI
  • Copper finned inter- and after-coolers provide effective heat dissipation and less moisture
  • Ball bearings on each side of crankshaft for smooth running and durability

The NorthStar Compressor seems to working fine so far. It has been only 4 months. I replaced my Craftsman compressor with this one. The Craftsman compressors are all made in "China." In other words, will not last more than 1 year. Mine stopped working after 6 months. The parts are marked up SUPER HIGH. For example a power cord is $50!! A thin gasket should cost no more than $5 is $22!

Amazon uses a local shipping company here in California. They are terrible. They are unprofessional & refused to deliver the compressor on the specified day. I called them to will call the compressor. They knew I was going to pick it up & I had to wait 1 hour for them to find it.

This is after they said they had NO TRUCKS going in my direction (about 30 minutes from their local)and I would have to wait 3 days.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Campbell Hausfeld HU3510 1.2 HP 20 Gallon Oil-Free Wheeled Vertical Air Compressor

Campbell Hausfeld HU3510 1.2 HP 20 Gallon Oil-Free Wheeled Vertical Air Compressor
  • Operates over 14 air tools so you can sharpen lawnmower blades, rotate tires, perform engine repair and maintenance, inflate car and bike tires, paint furniture, install trim and molding, upholster furniture, build a deck, and more
  • Easy-to-use 2-in regulator knob with soft touch points for easy, more comfortable pressure adjustments
  • Easy-to-maintain tank drain with cup, conveniently located on side of tank (regular tank draining extends the life of your tank)

It worked great for about a a year and a half running a nail gun, airing tires, prep sanders, die grinders... Recently it started leaking air from behind the on off switch. It was very slow to build tank pressure, and once the tank pressure got up to about 40psi if it switched off, the compressor would not kick back on. The motor would just hum. It's about 6 or 7 months out of warranty so I took it apart. The main pressure line from the compressor to the tank attaches to a T & check valve assembly right at the lower port of the tank. That means just about everything had to be removed to get it off. Once apart I verified the check valve was stuck open. The check valve has a service port so I disassembled it and saw a small spec of rust on the valve & mating sealing service. Still not sure why it was stuck open but I cleaned it up and reassembled, now everything works again. If and when this valve gets stuck again I'll figure out a way to relocate that check valve so the compressor/motor doesn't have to be removed to service/clean the check valve.

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Freeman PFL618BR 3-in-1 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer

Freeman PFL618BR 3-in-1 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer
  • Shoots three types of fasteners without changing magazine rail T-cleats L-cleats and staples
  • Anodized aluminum and oil-less parts for extended wear
  • Durable plastic carrying case
  • Interchangeable floor plates for different thicknesses of flooring
  • 7-year limited warranty

I am a flooring contractor and after using $480 flooring nailers for the past 7 years, I can say this is well worth it. My previous nailer bit the dust in the middle of a job and I rented one from "rip off Depot" and after spending $70 on a day and a half rental I figured I would order this one to at least get me past this flooring job and then cross my fingers for the next. I can honestly say that this is as good or better than both of my Bostich staple nailer and cleat nailer (each over $450!!!). Also, keep this in mind, all these nailers are made in China, none are made in the USA anymore. Bostich or aka Stanley used to make their nailers in the USA and it was worth the price but they have since fired all they american laborers and have not lowered their prices dispite the 1/4 cost of building the nailer since being built in China, now they are made in China for about 1/4 the cost and the rest is now in the wallets of CEO's of Stanley/Bostich so it really doesn't matter anymore( damn shame to). Stanley /Bostich is simply riding on their name. All the brands are pretty much the same now a-days unfortunetly. The 7 year warranty caught my eye and is key. This is definetly a no brainer. Here are a few obvious perks ...

Freeman Nailer ($190) 7 year warranty Bostich ($470 +) 7 year warranty

Freeman Nailer T, L & Staples ($190) Bostich Staples only! want L cleats? Spend another $470 ($960+)

Freeman Made in China Bostich Made in China

Freeman Decent durable plastic Carrying Case Bostich Cardboard Box & some used tape

Freeman Parts Aluminum Bostitch Parts "aircraft grade aluminum" i.e. ...um, Aluminum!

Freeman Rubber Mallet, Oil, wrenches Bostich Rubber Mallet

The bottom line is this: If this Freeman nailer gets me past 5 years of service then It did the job and I made an Excellent investment. If it gets me past 2 years than I still made out. Not to mention they also have a seven year warranty and I did call their support before hand and tell them I had a broken one and they said they would send me a new one with shipping sticker to send old one back ( I always do this with expensive tools), so they seem to be standing behind their warranty. Also, this nailer shoots three different type of nails! So save your $280 for something else nad buy the Freeman. Only thing they need to do now is make the damn thing in the USA then I would REALLY be impressed and give the 5 stars! Also, "Aircraft grade Aluminum" is like saying my tshirt is made of "aircraft grade cotton" ... there are 15 grade types of Aircraft aluminum and guess whateven Harbor Frieght tools are technically "aircraft grade Aluminum". Once again Bostich/Stanley is trying to screw with our heads, banking on hte name and robbing you blind.

Buy Freeman PFL618BR 3-in-1 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer Now

Invested about 1/3 the price of a name brand pneumatic flooring nailer and installed about 3500 square feet of hardwood flooring without a hitch. No miss fires, jams and worked to perfection. Light weight, easy to load and built solid. Would recommend with no problem

Read Best Reviews of Freeman PFL618BR 3-in-1 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer Here

Great price, beats renting that's why i got it obviously.

Did about 1,200sqf on the first job with a few jams (probably not oiling enough) but that wasn't a problem.

Very nice finish on the gun, handles great.

On the second job the piston or whatever is inside just wouldn't return the actuator and is audibly leaking air. I think i was just hitting this thing to hard and it couldn't take the abuse. Not sure what broke down. The website says 7 years limited warranty.

I would love a replacement but now i have to ship it to the company (not Amazon, which sucks) so not sure if it is worth the time and the fees involved. It already cost me time to drive around and rent a replacement, then drive to return it. Probably spent double already with all the stoppages.

If you are doing a small project (a room or two) then this is definitely your tool.

If another job comes about i will be probably considering something more heavy duty. Still undecided if I will go through with the repair process.

Reliability is more important then an eye catching price. That applies to all products, doesn't matter if it was made in China or say Ohio.

-update

Very, very, very good customer service. Got the tool replaced in 3 days no hassle whatsoever.

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I purchased 900 sq. feet of hardwood flooring to replace some worn carpeting in our house and decided to try installing it myself. Since I was doing the job over several weeks, renting a flooring nailer at $30/day was not practical so I decided to purchase one. I purchased the Freeman based on the reviews, reasonable cost, warranty and availability of replacement parts. The gun arrived in a nice case with a sturdy hammer and an easy to understand manual. I never had a nail jam and the gun worked great but about halfway through the first room the driver blade failed to retract after firing a nail. This happened a few times despite making sure the tool was oiled before operation. It could sometimes be remedied by pulling back on the magazine spring, but I did have to remove the drive guide a couple of times to correct it.

I called Freeman's 800 number and spoke with a very helpful person who suggested I try a test involving my compressor and call back with the results. Unfortunately, the problem persisted. When I called back again I was told that they were very sorry I experienced problems with their product and they would replace the nailer and send me a return shipping label for the defective tool. I was expecting to get the label in the mail, return the defective tool and then get the replacement as that is how most companies operate. I was very surprised to have a brand new nailer arrive a few days later with the return shipping label enclosed. This is clearly a company that stands behind their products with outstanding customer service. The other reviewers of this nailer reported trouble free operation but problems can occur with any tool, even the most expensive. I can recommend buying any Freeman tool with confidence because of the 7 year warranty and a company that truly backs it up with great customer support. I gave the tool 5 starts despite the glitch because of my positive experience with customer service. I also purchased a Freeman PFN64 Finish Nailer for my project that has performed flawlessly.

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I have been using Stanley Bostitch for years. I recently needed to purchase a new nailer and didn't want to purchase a tool that cost almost 600 dollars. I looked up the tools on Amazon and came across this Freeman nailer. I have used it professionally for several jobs and find that it is not only comparable to my old guns, but surpasses them in these categories: Price!!! How can you beat paying less than 1/3 the price of my old nailers. Quality!!! This tool is exactly what I get from my other nailers. The Freeman nailer works great and comes with its own carrying case that stores hammer, cleats, and nailer. This is just an added bonus. Keeps my nailer from being banger around at the end of jobs when it gets tossed in to the back of a truck.

Great tool.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Ingersoll-Rand 2340L5 Type 30 Two-Stage Air Compressor

Ingersoll-Rand 2340L5 Type 30 Two-Stage Air Compressor
  • Base Model

I have had this compressor for a little over a year now and it seams to operate fine. The instructions for installation are in my opinion vague. If you have never installed a big machine take your time. It is quite top heavy and you will need 2 people to manuver it around. I put isolation feet at the mounting legs and it does help considerably with vibration isolation. A booklet should be included with the compressor showing different airline hookups and hardware required. Overall a decent machine.

Buy Ingersoll-Rand 2340L5 Type 30 Two-Stage Air Compressor Now

Ingersoll Rand Air Compressors are not what they used to be. I purchased this compressor, brand new 11 months ago for home use (April 2011). It powers a tire machine, and a few air tools for approx. 8 hours use per month. After 40 hours, the valves went in the first stage head. After 11 months, the pressure switch went, and the oil started leaking from two head bolts on the first stage head. If I would have known Ingersoll Rand Air Compressors had this poor of quality, I would have purchased something else.

Coilhose Pneumatics PFE41004T Flexeel Reinforced Polyurethane Air Hose, 1/4-Inch ID, 100-Foot Length

Coilhose Pneumatics PFE41004T Flexeel Reinforced Polyurethane Air Hose, 1/4-Inch ID, 100-Foot Length with 1/4-Inch MPT Reusable Strain Relief Fittings, Transparent Blue
  • Straight air (pneumatic) hose for use with air tools in indoor or outdoor applications
  • Braided polyurethane for reinforced resistance to kinks and abrasions
  • Male NPT ends for connecting to fittings, attachments, and air tools with female NPT end connectors
  • Strain relief fittings preinstalled for reduced stress at connections
  • 200 pounds per square inch (psi) for maximum working pressure at 70 degrees F

This hose is a MUST for anyone who uses air tools on a regular basis. It is super-light and flexible, making it much easier to carry around attached to your nailer. Try using a standard rubber hose hooked to your nailer while nailing above your head all day. It is so easy to drag around and use while on a ladder or pick. Cold weather doesn't affect these hoses, they stay flexible. If you get a hole in the hose, just cut off the bad section and use a repair coupler or re-use the removeable end fitting, it is very easy to do and it's leakproof. If you're still using the old-fashioned rubber air hoses, try a Flex-Eel, you'll love it!

Buy Coilhose Pneumatics PFE41004T Flexeel Reinforced Polyurethane Air Hose, 1/4-Inch ID, 100-Foot Length Now

I needed a long, lightweight, and flexable airhose for running nailers and for odds and ends like filling tires. This fits the bill nicely! It's 100' and even with the couplers (not included) comes in under 3 lbs or so I would guess. It's flexible and yet resists twisting. It wants to retain it's "strait line" so as long as you take your time to roll it up properly it will store nicely and reasonably flat. It will also resist the tendacy to tangle. However should you get it tangled it does become a pain since the PVC likes to "stick" to itself. Not in the litteraly sense but it does a kind of "tackey" feel to it so getting it unbound can be a challenge. Also due to the regiity of the sidewall and the thin iniside diameter, this hose seems VERY kink resistant!!! Impressive because as I said this is still quite flexible.

On to the technicals... It's 100' long with a 1/4" inside diameter. At either end you have a 1/4" male NPT connection. With a little plumbers thread tape and a couple of quick disconnets, you're all set to use. The connectors also have about a four inch plastic guard that protects the hose from binding at the coupler and prolonging the life of this hose considerably! The hose itself is rated at 200 psi. Unlike my 3/8" rubber hose I didn't notice where te PVC seemed to expand any once charged to around 90psi. Once pressurized the hose is still very flexible but even less resistant to tangles and kinks. With it attached to my nailer it was light as a feather! Even when using a 18ga brad nailer I didn't even notice it was there. Freedom of movement was unparalled especially when working from ladders. I will be buying again!!! I think any DIYer or contractor will be very pleased with owning and using one of these!

Read Best Reviews of Coilhose Pneumatics PFE41004T Flexeel Reinforced Polyurethane Air Hose, 1/4-Inch ID, 100-Foot Length Here

I needed a longer hose than my current 50 foot Goodyear hose. I thought I would be getting a simular type (rubber) hose, because like most people I was sure the slim plastic hoses were cheap and fragile. Maybe most are, I'm not sure, but this is a very nice, well built hose. I only bought it because of all the great reviews and Amazon offered it at a good price. The rubber hose is now hanging on the wall gathering dust. This hose does not kink up and I can't tell you how many times I've stepped on it (380 lbs per step). Great hose!

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Excellent hose, very light weight and easy to use. Stays flexable in any type of weather.

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When using this hooked up to a large air compressor, I and a friend crawled all over my attic, installing radiant barrier insulation, stapling to the rafters. This tube made the task much easier than expected. I had been told by an acquaintance previously to get a tube that was light and easy to maneuver, and this one DEFINITELY fit the bill. Also, it doesn't seem like it would kink or snag very easily, which is a plus when you're going through a window with it, and up a ladder into an attic, and all over the attic. I'd definitely buy it again if needed. I cannot speak to longevity, really, as I don't have many projects that require such an item.