Air nailer questions

[johnad]

Hi
I have been looking at getting a used air framing nailer for a large summer house build / studwork etc I do want something of reasonable quality without spending a fortune
I have been looking at some on eBay but after googling the makes available I'm getting more confused so can anyone point me in the right direction
Different guns use different nail angles so started to think about the availability and cost of nails
Screwfix do some framing nails at reasonable prices 34 deg but some of the guns I'm looking at use a different angle should I avoid these guns and stick to something I know I can get the nails for at a good price ?
Is there a list of gun makes and what angle nails they take ?
Can anyone recommend something for me so I know what I'm looking for
And is there any that I should avoid
Ferm/Axminster/ace&k/stanly/etc
Many thanks

A compressor is not a problem already got that sorted

 

[^woody^]

Yes, determine what sort of nails you will be using, and then look for the gun that supports these.

Dipped galvanised, electro plated or bare? Ring-shanked or smooth? And then the size range.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Also clipped head or full head.

 

[johnad]

I'm thinking the clipped head nails at about 75 - 90 mm long should be ok for my needs and in screwfix about £21 for 1100 (firmahold)
These nails are at a 34deg angle so I was thinking easy to get hold of as I have a screwfix near me and I wouldn't be spending a fortune on nails
The problem I have is some of the guns I was looking at uses different angle nails as far as I know paslode uses 30deg Axminster uses 28deg hitach uses 21deg etc are these othe nails not as common ?
I was just thinking that a place like screwfix would stock the most popular ones or are others just as easy to get hold of at a good price
And if I was to say I want a gun that supports theses nail types what air nailers use 34deg nails ?
And how critical is the angle say between 30deg and 34deg ?
I did read that some guns that are made for full head nails will also fire clipped head ones
Advice on a reasonable make and any to avoid would be helpful to
Thanks

 

[Norcon]

Did some work at a pallet manufacturing facility recently and noticed they were using bostitch air nailers.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'm thinking the clipped head nails at about 75 - 90 mm long should be ok for my needs and in screwfix about £21 for 1100 (firmahold)
These nails are at a 34deg angle so I was thinking easy to get hold of as I have a screwfix near me and I wouldn't be spending a fortune on nails

If you have a Toolstation you'll probably find that they are cheaper

The problem I have is some of the guns I was looking at uses different angle nails as far as I know paslode uses 30deg Axminster uses 28deg hitach uses 21deg etc are these othe nails not as common ?

30 to 34˚ will be clipped head (D-head) nails, because you can collate them much more closely than full head (round head) nails. They are also cheaper than full head nails, but don't give such a strong hold as full heads. I use full heads for heavy fencing and roofing - clipped heads for just about everything else simply because they are a lot cheaper. The larger heads of full head nails mean that they are plastic collated as opposed to paper collated (clipped head nails). The angle must be lower to accommodate the larger heads which means your Hitachi 21˚ gun is almost certainly a full-head nailer

I was just thinking that a place like screwfix would stock the most popular ones or are others just as easy to get hold of at a good price

Screwfix aren't a good price and their range is very, very poor, believe me. I get nails from BeA, Spotnails, Selco, the local fencing wholesailers and on occasions ToolStation. They very from much cheaper than Screwed-Up to somewhat cheaper. BTW I'd avoid some of the cheapest nails, like Champion - they can be nothing but trouble

I did read that some guns that are made for full head nails will also fire clipped head ones

I use both and no they won't in my experience - for starters the magazine angles are different.

Advice on a reasonable make and any to avoid would be helpful to

Assuming that you are going down the compressed-air track and not gas nailers (e.g. Paslode, etc) there are a number of top quality nailer brands, e.g. Senco (pneumatic), Stanley-Bostitch (Stanley own Bostitch), Hitachi (pneumatic), Max, Paslode (pneumatic), deWalt (pneumatic), Bosch (pneumatic), etc. Quite a few of these firms also make gas-powered nailers, but they cost more and are more expensive to run, but they don't need compressors and air lines which in construction can be a major plus. These are all "trade rated" brands which will last for years, and will have spares and support available for a very long time. Which you choose can be a matter of ergonomics - for example I have a couple of DW guns although I know others who don't like them at all. There are cheap brands such as Silverline, Clarke and Axminster as well - these are all Chinese bottom of the market models where you get what you pay for and if it ever goes wrong you'll have no spares or support, although for occassional DIY use they should be OK

 

[johnad]

Thanks for that "JobAndKnock" very informative
I have seen a couple of ferm nailers and a rockworth any thoughts on these
I have looked at the price of nails at tool station and to be honest there is not much in it but it will be clipped head nails
As I said this will mainly be for building a large summer house 3x2 studwork with osb then clad with shiplap then it will also be used for the odd stud wall fencing etc but I would rather not get something that's absolute crap
I did have my eye on a Axminster nailer but you mentioned about them being at the budget end and when I was looking for the nails (28deg) even the Axminster site some are no longer available so I'm wondering if they will become hard to get hold of ?
Also when I was serching the Internet although paslode has a 30deg magazine the 34deg nails are sold as suitable for paslode so I'm assuming a few deg makes no difrence ?
I only mention screwfix for nails as it would be nice to be able to pop in to get what I need rather than having to order from the Internet and then have to wait for delivers etc

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have seen a couple of ferm nailers and a rockworth any thoughts on these

Oddly enough the Ferm nailers I've seen seem to be slightly better finished than the run of the mill Chinese tools and at least there is some spares backup with their stuff although personally I have no experience of using them. Rockworth on the other hand appear to be a B&Poo house brand and are just plain cheap. I used to have a 16 gauge brad nailer of theirs as a backup and it was a downright horrible, but I can't say about the bigger nailers. My difficulty here is that as a tradesman I daren't take the cheap option lest it fails in the middle of a paying job. Call me risk averse, if you like.

I did have my eye on a Axminster ailer but you mentioned about them being at the budget end and when I was looking for the nails (28deg) even the Axminster site some are no longer available so I'm wondering if they will become hard to get hold of?

Possibly. 28 degrees is an odd angle. It's safest to stick to the paper collated 34 dgree stuff for longevity - they've been around since before WWII I believe (and certainly for more than 30 years during my working lifetime), so I think theuy'll be with us a while longer

 

[johnad]

Thanks for all the advice I'm now looking for a good used bostitch air framer
They come out one of the best in all the online reviews I have seen and the wire weld nails are easy to get hold of and are supposed to be better than the paper or plastic collated ones.?
How much should I be paying for a good used gun ? And is there anything I should look out for with a used bostitch ?

Also one last question about nails I'm intending to use plain smooth shank nails for the studwork and boarding on my summer house Will this be ok ?
(I say summer house it's going to be a home pub but don't tell the wife)
And I'm assuming I would need the galvanised nails on the timber floor timbers ?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'm now looking for a good used bostitch air framer
...the wire weld nails are easy to get hold of and are supposed to be better than the paper or plastic collated ones.?
How much should I be paying for a good used gun ? And is there anything I should look out for with a used bostitch ?

I don't use wire weld nails, just the plastic or paper collated depending on the head type required, so I can't say about pros and cons. Good used pneumatic nailer? Is there such a thing? Basically pneumatic nailers are industrial tools (very few building sites in the UK even permit pneumatic tools - they therefore tend to be a workshop tool, and hence scarcer secondhand), so they lead a very hard life as a rule. I most certainly wouldn't buy one on eBay sight unseen and untested - you really need to check the tool is in good working order before committing and especially that there are no fine cracks around the inlet. TBH I think you'll really have to look around very hard to find one which isn't "fubarred". If it looks old and worn, it probably is!

Also one last question about nails I'm intending to use plain smooth shank nails for the studwork and boarding on my summer house Will this be ok ?

I don't like plain nails. They pull out too easily IMHO, so I prefer ring shank nails although you do need to get it right when you use thembecause trying to rip them out of softwood can leave an awful mess. For exterior use galvanised is good, but if your timbers are treated the treatment will cause the nails to rust quite a bit faster

 

[Dave54]

Just to say I'd agree with J & K about industrial type tools bought secondhand. You might get a bargain, but odds on the tool will be well worn and will end up costing more than new in repairs.
If I was determined to get an air nailer, I'd buy a decent one new, and then sell it on when I no longer had work for it.
Having said that I've built a couple of large sheds, and any number of smaller things like chicken coops, with just a decent hammer and nails.