How to Choose a Brad / Pin Gun?

[Patrick Cox]

I am considering a brad / pin gun for attaching backs to cabinets, cabinet face frames, building jigs...etc.  I think the gauge range I would be looking at would be either 18 or 23, agree?  And then which would be best to start with?  And then finally, I was looking at one of the small air compressors like a 1.5 - 3 gallon model.  This will only be used in my garage and I don't see the need to driving a lot of nails at one time.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[live4ever]

You will likely end up with both 18 and 23g.  They are very different.  18g is going to be more generally useful, in the shop and around the house, so if you were going to only get one or start off with just one of those, it should be 18g.  18g brad nails offer a lot more structural integrity than 23g headless pins, but pins are awesome as "invisible clamps" while you wait for the glue to dry, or in situations where a divot is unacceptable or can't be filled/painted easily. 

18g nailers are relatively cheap.  I have the Hitachi NT50AE2.  Can be had in the neighborhood of $50, especially during a sale.

23g pinners are a little more expensive...closer to $100, and then there are a few premium brands (Grex, Cadex) that cost twice/thrice as much as the others.  My Hitachi has served me well ($90).  I'm sure there's something spiffy about the premium pinners, but when it comes to nailers I've opted to spend on quantity and having the right nailer for the job rather than quality and fewer nailers.  I think if you're not using these day-in and day-out the premium nailers aren't worth it. 

If budget is a concern, I'd take a hard look at Freeman.  Their 18g/23g pair kit is $89 on Amazon.  For casual shop/home use, you can't beat that.  7yr warranty with decent customer service.  I have their framing nailer, flooring nailer, and narrow crown stapler and haven't had any issues.

As for small compressors, there are lots to choose from.  An important distinction is quiet vs. not.

 

[Kev]

21 gauge is also popular.

Lots of options in the 18g space. Long pin 21 and 23 gauge is more limited. I've done a lot of research and I'm about to throw in with CADEX in a major way.

It's also important to get good quality pins.

Also, don't overlook staples for cabinet backs.

 

[mkasdin]

I have an old Hatachi 16 ga. and recently picked up a Senco oil free 18ga gun off of amazon. It's very nice and has good holding power for all but the toughest jobs. I looked it up on Amazon $76 us clams - Senco finishpro 18ga MG (magnesium). For doing cabinetry work it might be sort of large? But for finish work in a remodel it's quite nice. Once I start to do cabinet work I'll purchase a 21ga pinned. The Samurai-carpenter has a YT video on how to sharpen the piece on any 18ga nailer to alleviate the divot, using a hand file. I think if your working with thinner sheet goods then 18mm the 18 gauge is overkill.

 

[eddomak]

At first I used the stapler that came free with the budget compressor I had, but found that it was too hard to control the depth (by controlling the pressure to the tool). For 3mm cabinet backs it would go straight through. Also when I used brads and not staples, the divot would make a much bigger mark than I liked.

So I shelled out for brad nailer (still a cheaper brand) but made sure that it had a depth adjustment knob. It has been awesome, and I have not had the same problems - flush sitting for cabinet backs, and can get it deeper for other applications.

 

[Jeff Zanin]

I find 18 and 23 gauge are each useful in different ways.  Depending on the material and arrangement the 23 gauge are more likely to blow out because they are not very stiff.

You may want to review Rick's article on pneumatic nailers, it is on his sitehttp://www.waterfront-woods.com/.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

The Senco 1010 compressor kit with an 18g nail gun is great apart from the horrible coiled hose. I've had one for a while and it works great and has never let me down at all, it's not expensive either. I think it's brilliant.

 

[Kev]

When it comes to a compressor in a workshop, a noisy little low capacity thing will work, but it's not enjoyable. When it comes to hoses, those coiled up plastic things work ... but they'll annoy the poop out of you.

I firmly believe you should buy the best tools you can sensibly afford - you'll enjoy using them more and you won't go through the junk buying cycle. Also, good tools have good resale ... so if you change your mind you'll typically get a fair portion back.

 

[Woodwork Wizard]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

 

[Patrick Cox]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Senco.  This looks like a good brand tool.  Which gauge of the Senco nailers would you recommend for me starting out?  Again, I will be attaching cabinet backs, securing face frames while glue dries...etc.

I noticed that Senco also sells a 21G nailer that looks pretty nice so that sounds like another option.

Thanks.

 

[Kev]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Senco.  This looks like a good brand tool.  Which gauge of the Senco nailers would you recommend for me starting out?  Again, I will be attaching cabinet backs, securing face frames while glue dries...etc.

I noticed that Senco also sells a 21G nailer that looks pretty nice so that sounds like another option.

Thanks.

[member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member]

Not wanting to push the point too hard .. but you should really look beyond Senco. Senco specialise in the bigger stuff, their offering in the pinner space is a gap fill to their range. CADEX and GREX are the leaders in this space and CADEX have the lead in pinners by offering a unit that'll go up to a 55mm pin (+2").

Buying a pinner from Senco is like buying a bicycle from Ford .. it's not what they do best, they just have a name it the general area.

 

[Patrick Cox]

[member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member]

Not wanting to push the point too hard .. but you should really look beyond Senco. Senco specialise in the bigger stuff, their offering in the pinner space is a gap fill to their range. CADEX and GREX are the leaders in this space and CADEX have the lead in pinners by offering a unit that'll go up to a 55mm pin (+2").

Buying a pinner from Senco is like buying a bicycle from Ford .. it's not what they do best, they just have a name it the general area.

Thanks for the extra information.  I took a look at these and they both look nice.  I believe they carry the Grex at Woodcraft.  Which size would you recommend for my applications?  Thanks.

 

[jeh]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Senco.  This looks like a good brand tool.  Which gauge of the Senco nailers would you recommend for me starting out?  Again, I will be attaching cabinet backs, securing face frames while glue dries...etc.

I noticed that Senco also sells a 21G nailer that looks pretty nice so that sounds like another option.

Thanks.

+1 on the Senco 21 gauge. I have a pinner and it's not useful for much of anything if you need even the slightest bit of holding power.

 

[Kev]

[member=61142]Patrick Cox[/member]

Not wanting to push the point too hard .. but you should really look beyond Senco. Senco specialise in the bigger stuff, their offering in the pinner space is a gap fill to their range. CADEX and GREX are the leaders in this space and CADEX have the lead in pinners by offering a unit that'll go up to a 55mm pin (+2").

Buying a pinner from Senco is like buying a bicycle from Ford .. it's not what they do best, they just have a name it the general area.

Thanks for the extra information.  I took a look at these and they both look nice.  I believe they carry the Grex at Woodcraft.  Which size would you recommend for my applications?  Thanks.

My personal preference would be ...
http://www.cadextools.com/en/?p=1864

and
http://www.cadextools.com/en/?p=1859

The 21g gives you a fantastic range of pin options (as does the 23g, but obviously with much thinner pins).

for 18g ..http://www.cadextools.com/en/?p=618 and watch the video [big grin]

...

Realistically you'd get away with 35mm pins/brads for you applications, but having the the option to go bigger can alway be handy.

 

[Ajax]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Senco.  This looks like a good brand tool.  Which gauge of the Senco nailers would you recommend for me starting out?  Again, I will be attaching cabinet backs, securing face frames while glue dries...etc.

I noticed that Senco also sells a 21G nailer that looks pretty nice so that sounds like another option.

Thanks.

I bought the Senco 1010 compressor bundled with an 18G brad nailer at Lowes or Home Depot on sale for ~$120.http://www.homedepot.com/p/Senco-Fi...gclid=CIHht-ziy80CFVNqfgod478OOA&gclsrc=aw.ds

It's a good starter kit since the 1010 is a great little compressor and the brad nailer is a good entry level gun.

I then bought a good quality Senco 23G micro pinnerhttp://www.nailgundepot.com/senco-finishpro-23lxp-23-gauge-micro-pinner-details.html

You could go cheaper on the 23G gun by accepting shorter pins:http://www.performancetoolcenter.co...less-pinner/?gclid=CMrB3Izly80CFZFcfgodHVgJmA

And then I bought a Senco stapler. http://www.nailgundepot.com/senco-s...details.html?gclid=CLPp49Dly80CFUZrfgod7ioHxw

I think the Senco brand is pretty good.  I haven't had any problems.

 

[JimD]

I have 16 gauge, 18 gauge, and 23 gauge nailers (and also a framing nailer, staplers, and two flooring nailers).  But my favorite is my Ryobi cordless 18 gauge.  I use it the most including for trim in the house.  In the shop, I use the 23 gauge about as much.  I have a few HF pneumatics and I think they are OK.  My Bostitch are nicer but I don't know if my one PC is really better.  HF nailers are a little crude but the price is low and they usually work fine. 

 

[RKA]

The Senco 1010 is very quiet in use, though I have mine in a SYS-5 and I can hardly hear it when it's charging up. Small, light and quiet yet powerful to thump 50mm brads in all day. I got the kit with the 18g nail gun and replaced the daft coiled hose and I really like it. Great bit of kit and I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks for the suggestion on the Senco.  This looks like a good brand tool.  Which gauge of the Senco nailers would you recommend for me starting out?  Again, I will be attaching cabinet backs, securing face frames while glue dries...etc.

I noticed that Senco also sells a 21G nailer that looks pretty nice so that sounds like another option.

Thanks.

+1 on the Senco 21 gauge. I have a pinner and it's not useful for much of anything if you need even the slightest bit of holding power.

+2 for the 21 ga pinner, however I wouldn't use it to hold cabinet backs, I would prefer a stapler.  I'm not sure how he's planning to use it for face frames, it may not be ideal here either.  I use it to hold small trim like the scribe molding in my kitchen.  I rarely bother with the 23 now.

 

[Acrobat]

My 2 cents..for a home DIYer....Ryobi makes a cool range of Airstrike pin guns and staple gun. You can get either the standard "hook up to the noisy compressor models with damn hoses everywhere", or the their nifty battery powered models with their inbuilt compressor air nailers/staplers, and I think they are rather sweet for any home-DIY use. Runs on their battery and you can get plenty shot before you need any recharge. I'd like it if they could make a battery framing nailer, think I'd get one as well, but their narrow crown stapler and 16g, 18g pin nailers are great. Never had a jam and they drive in fine. Too bad Festool hasn't gotten into this market, if ryobi and dewalt can make battery powered pin guns you'd think they would look into it and see what could be improved.