18 Guage Brad Nailer

RussellF

My Craftsman 18 ga. brad nailer just quit on me(new in 97' without any servicing)..........figuring that it might cost me as much to get it fixed as it will be to get a new one......I have decided that I would get a new one. I looked at the Dewalt nailer(brad;18ga.) and it looks pretty good to me(Model D51238K).....anyone have this one or used one? I guess it is a fairly new model from what I know. I went to Lowes and they had it for sale for $79.....of course they did not have any in stock......I went to Home Depot and they did not have it out on the shelf. I have to stick witht he 18 ga. because I have about $100 in nails to go with it.......and the old one. I want quality......weight is not really a concern. I do not use them that often and certainly not all day long. Just checking to see what might last as long as my old one. Thanks for any and all replies.

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS...glo.0&MID=9876

Bella D

Russell,
Consider the Hitachi from Lowe's. Out by me they are $ 44.97 on clearance because they are getting the new model in soon. I have one and I love it. Pretty much give it a little oil every other day and let it rip. It shoots up to an 1 1/4 nail. Just a thought.

Dave

Blackhawk

I like the two inch brad nailers ..the exstra length comes in handy..and dont get the 2in1 nailer for finsh work they leave big foot prints..bostitch is nail gun of my choice ......

King of Crown

I second the not getting the 18gauge 2in1 stapler and nailer. I know that the hitachi is crap though. I tried using it, and about 3 nails in I had to take it back to Lowes because it wouldnt fire anymore. I also second getting the a gun that has longer than 1 1/4" brads. I really dont have any recomendations though. I do everything 16 guage that can take 1 1/4" and then I use a 23 guage wire nailer for everything else.

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Real nice guys

RussellF

My craftsman handled 5/8" to 2"...........it is very handy with that range...........I want the same diversity and like I said.........I got lots of nails in that range. Not really interested in the stapler..........or a combination of the two. Thanks for the replies.

PrecisionFloors

Bostich makes a great pin gun.

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karma_carpentry

Bostitch Magnesium - thought I haven't used it for a whole year it's been good so far.

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john5mt

that dewalt is a good gun. It shoots nice and doesnt leave much of a foot print. We've had one for over a year using it daily with no probs.

Scott Young

i also have a craftsman 18 ga brad gun. it was a gift from my grandmother. i wouldn't have bought it, but it has been a great litte gun. i have shot literally thousands of brads through it. the only time i have had trouble was when i had purchased some senco 5/8ths. the head wasn't right to keep the brads secure in the magazine. went to shooting bostitch and pasload brads and have not had any problems.

when it dies i will either get a senco like my other gun is or another craftsman. who knew it would be so good.

BCULP2

I haven't used a lot of different brands but I've been happy with the preformance of the Porter Cable and Paslode brad nailers.

I have a Craftsman 18 guage brad nailer. While working a job not too long ago I let a co-worker borrow it to do a little finish work. He hooked it up to a compressor running twice the psi the brad nailer was rated for and after about 25 nails it jammed. Instead of trying to clear the jam he showed me it wouldn't fire by trying to shoot more nails with it. I managed to get it open with a lot of force and clear the twisted cluster of nails in it. It works great now except I had to remove the safety because a part of it broke when he jammed it.

RussellF

I ended up with the DeWalt(18ga.)..........seems to be working nicely.

BlenderWizard

Yep, I've had one for over a year and I love it.

Ted W

Just curious, do the nails fit the DW nailer?

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RussellF

I am doing a small remodel in a livingroom and have used both 2" and 1" nails with no problems so far..........I still have the baseboard to install. My craftsman had a real small footprint to the end of the gun, but the Dewalt is a little bit larger.......I am still getting used to it.

ApgarNJ

I bought the paslode pneumatic 18 gauge finish nailer about a year ago and love it. actually, when it comes to doing a lot of interior trim, i end up using that instead of the 16 ga. cordless impulse gun.
i have never had a problem with any of my air or cordless paslode guns. I would recommend that one, or get a porter cable 18 ga. brad nailer. i'm now in the marker for even a smaller 23 ga. pin nailer for doing trim on hardwood cabinet/kitchen jobs. even 18 ga splits the molding sometimes.