Framing Guns

tysonroxy

any one know anything about the dewalt framing i like dewalt but im a hitachi guy when it comes to my guns. but i know dewalt makes good cordless they have done everyjob or task i have ever put them to but have never used any of their framing guns just wondering they seem pretty cheap in price are they cheap in quality??????????????????????????????

DrewD

I'm totally a Dewalt guys as well, but I have heard from many proffesionals that the framing guns are junk, cheap Korean knockoffs or something. Every carpenter I know as spoken highly of the older style Hitachis, not the new Lime green Alien looking things that Cheapo Depot and Blowes sells. I personally prefer Max over any othe gun, a little more money, but more features. Plus someday I'll buy that 400psi Powerlite system.

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BreyerConstruct

I went from a Senco 701XP(or 702, can't remember) to the new "Alien" Hit's; It's worked well for us, and the guys like it. It's very powerful and does a good job of sinking 16d's in wet PT, and has done well in Lam's as well...

only missing a rafter hook!!

~Matt

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TempestV

I've seen more relighablity out of the green cheapo hitachi's than most of the NR83's I've used. Those things work quite well.

I worked on one job where there were two max guns, and both of them were horrably unrelighable and annoying to use. Recently however, a guy I'm working with has a Max, and it doesn't seem to have any problems. And that 400psi system seems pretty nice as well!!

As for dewalt, no experence on the framers, but my dad has a dewalt crown stapler that he is very happy with.

wallmaxx

I still own a DeWalt clipped head. I have owned the Paslode 350, the Rigid full round head, and a Senco "pro" framer. (pro - yeah right) When I moved up to WA state, they required full round head. I bought the Hitachi NR90AC3.
Then someone on this site told me that Paslode makes a full round for clipped guns - - RoundDrive.

2 of the Sencos quickly lost the screws that hold the magazine to the gun. The Rigids held up pretty good if you didn't let the guys use them as hammers.

The nail "advancer" or whatever, is plastic, and when you allow it to slide forward and impact the clips, to advance the nails, it can shatter in cold weather.

My DeWalt held up well, but it maxes out at 3.25" .131 ga. My Hitachi can shoot a true 16d (3.5" .162 ga.)

Stick with Max or Hitachi IMO

Mike

BreyerConstruct

We've also got the full-head Ridgid as a back-up.

All of my guys hate it for the plastic strips- they fly back at you & can get a bit painful. It's a real disappointment coming from paper taped nails!

If we move to 2 crews this coming year, I think we'll be adding another Alien Hitachi.

(And the Ridgid will stay in the shop as a back-up).

~Matt

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KentWhitten

I'm an old Hitachi guy. The new alien ones have a guard around the clutch connector thing so you can't pull it and shoot a nail with one hand without the clutch pushed in. Those damn safety features! Sheesh!

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mdshunk

I moved a guy's framing gut out of my way the other week, and it was surprisingly light. I didn't look at the brand, but it was silver-ish in color. The thing felt like it only weighed 2 pounds. Do they make them out of magnesium or something now?

DrewD

The guns for the Max 400 psi system are crazy light, too bad the compressor is around $1300 and the guns are like $400+. After I get a new miter saw and rotary hammer drill I'm buying the whole shebang. I just need a place to hide it from my gf and mother.

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jiffy

I used my Hitachi for years and it never let me down, but then a guy I worked with just bought a new Makita framing nailer. That thing is light and it has a 3 selector switch where you can have it on safety, one nail, or rapid nail. I'm trying to find the best price on that gun for a christmas present to me.

badassdak20

the dewalts ive used have been nothing but trouble when it comes to jamming.seems to be common w/ all plastic rack nails but more so w/ the dewalts. i would avoid at all costs

john5mt

I dont know if the alien green hitachi's are getting better but i had one out of the box die and then one die framing its second house. However my other one that i bought at the same time is still going strong a year later. When they work they real powerful and super comfortable but if this third one dies i think i am going to the new max.

FramingFanatic

thats not expensive at all.

Then again i live in canada, the land of the overpriced tools.

The green goblin (alien hitachi) is a very reliable gun. We are hard on our guns up here. I have dropped one from a second storey roof onto a poured slab and wouldnt you know it it keeps going and going and going. The only thing i dont like about this gun is the kick it has.

Now he other Hitachi gun, the new silver one, NR something or other is by far my favourite gun. It has excelent ballance, great power, great reliability, and little kick.

Dewalt is crap, everything with that name is crap now. They used to make good tools but now they are just laying back and letting thier name do th selling for them.

Bostich framers are garbage from what ive seen. They fall apart with little to no effort.

woody74n

I have 2 senco guns a paslode a hitachi and a bosh and a porter cable
the senco guns work nice but they way about 12lbs and after they were a year old they will jam if I don't use senco nails
the paslode is a great gun but it has cheep rubber seals that go bad and I have to wait about 2 weeks to get parts
the hitachi I have had for about a year I think it is what you guys are calling the alien and when I work a job that I have to run a nail gun the hitachi is all I will use
the bosh is a piece of crap
the porter cable has been a ok gun I keep it on hand for when the paslode blows a seal

Bill

I use a .45 ACP 230 grain FMJ round...
Oh, sorry, wrong gun, Stanley Bostitch. The 2 I have been used for about 6 years now and still going strong.

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ownerbuilder

I go with the old faithful Hitachi. I have 3 of them and use them for many reasons. Like the previous writer, I can index finger the safety, and shoot with one hand. And I have ground the driver on one of my guns to make a flush nailer. To this day, I haven't found another gun that can out perform on roof nailing and shear nailing with consecutive consistency. I just have to use the big compressor, to keep enough air flow!

better building

The best of all is the Hitachi NR83A2. You can really feel and hear the differance. The only down side is that you need to adapt a hook and it cant shoot 16 common nails which is needed for baring walls.

-- Steve

HallisseyDesign

Do none of you guys frame with coil framers? I have 2- one bostich that fires up to a 4 inch nail 20d. I also just bought a porter cable 350mag coil framer for a 145 bucks too. Steal of a life time. I have framed with a stick nailer for a couple of years and found out that coils are so much nicer! Give then a shot.

healdman45

I run two bostich n89 coil guns as well. I love them and I paid less than 300 each. I used to run n80 coil guns back in the day before the n88 came out and I'm glad the n89 came out. No problems whatsoever in at least a year.

TempestV

not quite- my Hitachi NR90ac (step above the nr83) was $66. I got really lucky on Ebay.