Tool | Weight | Fastener Range (length and guage) | Magazine Capacity | Tool Height (from nosepiece to exhaust plate) | Tool Length (from tool body to end of air inlet fitting) | Depth of Drive Adjustment | Collation Angle | Street Price |
Hitachi NR65AK | 6.2 lbs. | 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches (.131, .148, .162) | 44 nails (2 strips) | 13-3/16 inches | 17-5/8 inches | No | 34-degree | $389 |
Comments: The NR65AK is a sleek, streamlined, downright good-looking tool. It’s a breeze to fit into a 16-O.C. joist bay. Its nail-probe hanger-hole locator is excellent. The optional short magazine really makes it compact, but reduces your magazine capacity by half. It’s the lightest tool in the category, is well balanced, and feels good. Hitachi thought this tool through and engineered it to set the standard for this category. On its own, I love this tool. Throw in the color-coded Tracker nails and I think it can’t be beat. 800-829-4752. www.hitachi.com/powertools | ||||||||
Tool | Weight | Fastener Range (length and guage) | Magazine Capacity | Tool Height (from nosepiece to exhaust plate) | Tool Length (from tool body to end of air inlet fitting) | Depth of Drive Adjustment | Collation Angle | Street Price |
Paslode 5250/65S PP | 9 lbs. | 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches (.131, .148, .162) | 44 to 48 nails (2 strips) | 13-5/8 inches | 12 inches | Yes | 30-degree | $399 |
Comments: Paslode’s probe-style hole locator is the best in the group. The probe is very visible, which means that even in awkward positions you can still place nails easily and accurately. It’s a well-made, low-maintenance tool and worked perfectly; however, it’s the heaviest tool in the group, which can make it somewhat tiring to use. Its code-stamped nails are a big plus. 800-682-3428. www.paslode.com | ||||||||
Tool | Weight | Fastener Range (length and guage) | Magazine Capacity | Tool Height (from nosepiece to exhaust plate) | Tool Length (from tool body to end of air inlet fitting) | Depth of Drive Adjustment | Collation Angle | Street Price |
Senco SN60MC | 7.7 lbs. | 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches (.131, .148, .162) | 30 nails | 12-13/16 inches | 14 inches | No | 18-degree | $499 |
Comments: The SN60MC is solidly built and mechanically dependable. Working head on, it fired nails well; however, its nail probe system didn’t support the nail well: If you pushed on it too hard the nail would shoot in at an angle, which concerned us in the field. Its body is compact, but it’s hard to see the nail probe, especially in awkward positions. 800-543-4596. www.senco.com | ||||||||
Tool | Weight | Fastener Range (length and guage) | Magazine Capacity | Tool Height (from nosepiece to exhaust plate) | Tool Length (from tool body to end of air inlet fitting) | Depth of Drive Adjustment | Collation Angle | Street Price |
Stanley-Bostitch N88RH-2MCN | 7.9 lbs. | 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches (.131, .148, .162) | 61 nails | 14-3/4 inches | 19-7/8 inches | Yes (with framing nose) | 21-degree | $399 |
Comments: Stanley-Bostitch is on to something with this dual-purpose nailer. Built on a framing nailer’s body, switching nosepieces makes it a hardware nailer in seconds. The tool-less nosepiece exchange works smoothly. A framing nailer is a lot of tool for joist and rafter bays, though, and, although it’s light, it can be tough to move around. I wish they could slim it down and find a way to dummy-proof it a bit better, because I’ll surely lose a small nosepiece. The tool went into full production in September. 800-782-6539. www.stanleyworks.com | ||||||||
Tool Test: Pneumatic Nailers
Four new nailers make it faster and easier to install joist hangers and other framing hardware.
10 MIN READ
Pneumatic Nailers for Framing Hardware