Partsman41953 Posted August 27, 2012 Report Share Posted August 27, 2012 Hello,I am new to the forum and am tackling a job which should not be over my head as I am pretty decent when it comes to handyman work. I am going to be installing hardwood flooring in 4 bedroom on the second floor of our house and need to know which nail guns I should purchase. I would rather get a cordless nailer if at all possible. I am also in the process of putting up Wainscoating in a half bath and would rather nail that up as well with the molding. I know I will need to blind nail the first couple of rows so I will need a nail gun for that, a nail gun for the rest of the wood and a finsh nailer for the moldings.Please let me know what you would recommend.Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PutnamEco Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 When you install flooring the first thing you have to decide is whether your going with nails or staples From there you can decide if you want a manual (they are cordless ) or pneumatic. Me, I like nails(or cleats as they like to call them in the flooring biz) they seem to hold a lot better, at least when you end up having to take out a floor they seem to. My usual flooring nailer would be the Bostich, I really like the Powernails 445 better though. They have a really nice manual nailer as well, the 45 As for nailers for doing you trim work I have nothing but praise for my Hitachi NT65, it is one of my go to nailers. I don't really use 16 gauge nailers enough for a worthy recommendation, but the Bostich FN1664K I prefer oiless trim nailers in the smaller sizes as there is even less chance of any contamination to make finishing more of a challenge. For my brad nailer I really like my Milwaukee 7150 it has been as reliable as a rock. I can't seem to find it on Milwaukees website,so here is a link from Amazon. I don't think you will need it but a pinner can be handy as well, especially if you are doing any fine work. I like the Nikle 2340. I can't really recommend going cordless if your working someplace with power. the hassle of waiting on charging batteries and the extra weight of the cordless tool negate any benefit of losing the leash. Cordless nailers are nowhere near as fast as pneumatics either. With the gas powered nailers the cost is what will get you in the end. Cordless nailers aren't really meant for the constant use of a bigger job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 I'm with Eco on the Bostich flooring nailer. They're top notch. You'll not be disappointed with a Bostich nailer of any type. I use Senco guns but I can't say they're as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 As I read over this again I get the impression you don't want a dedicated flooring nailer and would prefer a more versatile finish nailer. If you insist on a cordless nailer I like the Senco Fusion. It's not going to come cheap, but it'll save you money in the long run by not having to buy a ton of fuel cells like with a Paslode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 The Senco Fusion F-15 (FN65DA) retails for $399. Depending on your frequency of use you could break even in less than a year versus buying fuel cells. If you're going to cut the cord this is the way to go but as the price tag suggest, cutting the cord isn't cheap if you do it right. They also offer 16 and 18 gauge Fusion models but since I doubt you'll feel like dropping a grand on nailers, I'd go with the 15. It offers the most versatility for the type of work you're looking to do. But, as Eco suggest, unless you have a real need to go cordless I don't suggest it. There are less expensive cordless nailers out there but they either require fuel cells that cost a bunch over time or they are so far below the performance of a pneumatic that they aren't worth stealing for many jobs. The Fusion is the best cordless option by far and at $400 you can tell Senco is quite proud of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conductor562 Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 If you do decide to stick with a pneumatic nailer you can't go wrong with a Bostich or Hitachi. Milwaukee and Senco nailers are nice, but from experience I can tell you the Senco's are not always as user friendly when it comes to depth adjustments and things of that nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayneburgess Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 Hitachi all the way for me, Bostich is basically the same cordless nailer but the Hitachi comes with 2 lithium ion batteries so if it is a while before you use them again they won't be nackerd the next time you want to use them.Gas is not as smelly when using them either, in my experience Paslode stink in more ways than one so my recomend is a pair of hitachi gas fired,lithium ion battery, first and second fix nailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PutnamEco Posted August 28, 2012 Report Share Posted August 28, 2012 If I was only doing a few smaller rooms and wasn't planning on doing any others, I would definitely consider renting, especially with a dedicated tool like a flooring nailer. They go for around $100 a week around here and would be worth that for a few rooms if you could get it done in that time frame. Most Rental companies will let you have a long week as well, pick it up Friday evening and return it the next Monday. this can also be a learning experience, to try out a tool to see if you really want to purchase one. You may be able to try a few different brands if you have a few rental yards in your area. Probably a lot better idea than shelling out $500 on a tool you'll use on only one job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diane Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I have a nail gun you can see here :I have purchased from oneclicktools.co.uk, here are lots of Power tools and electronic products available........I think it's useful for you....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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