Planning the switch to battery powered nailers. Any suggestions?

[woodbutcherbower]

[member=28223]SoonerFan[/member] You’re most welcome. Some very positive comments from other M18 users above. Hope you enjoy your new tools, and we expect pics in the ‘Non-Festool’ section of the forum once you’re up and running. Best wishes from over the pond.

 

[woodferret]

I’m another Paslode gas user, but I also have a 12v Makita headless pin nailer. Both are excellent. But if I were standing in your shoes, however, the Milwaukee combo kit would be pretty much a no-brainer. They make good-quality tools for sure.

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] your “pretty much a no brained” comment sealed the deal.  Milwaukee nailer combo kit it is.

Thanks all for the input.  Much appreciated!!

Since you're coming from Dewalts, if your M18 nailer jams - it's the brads.  Switch to porter cable - just FYI.

 

[live4ever]

Just noticed today that Milwaukee has a “compact” 18ga coming out on the M12 platform (same as the pinner) with a form factor that’s a lot closer to the pinner as well.  2541 is the model. Looks like the fastener range is limited to 1-1/2” max, whereas most 18ga nailers do 2”.  But they must have had enough requests for it…definitely for me the M18 18ga stands out as being noticeably/unnecessarily larger than pneumatic counterparts and I do feel it when doing a larger trim project.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/2541-20

 

[Cheese]

I purchased the original air operated Bostitch guns and they are great items. With over 30 years of operation I've only had an issue with one of them and after replacing the trigger that issue went away. Very happy...and then Paslode cordless guns came out and that made me reconsider.

I hate cords and I hate hoses so the Paslode offering seemed perfect, that was back in 2004 & 2005.

That adventure was an abysmal failure on my part. The battery packs fail to charge, the guns fail to function and the gas cartridges have expiration dates...kind of like that package of fresh mushrooms you purchased that look great but you later notice that the expiration date is 2 days too late and the package stinks. All you can do is toss it. Gas cartridges having expiration dates?  Really?

With that in mind, I'm all in for replacing the Bostitch items with Milwaukee items. I picked up the first Milwaukee product today, a 2447 crown stapler. We'll see how that works out as I have a lot of insulation and vapor barrier to install.

As far as those Paslode items go...PM me and I'll sell you both guns with batteries, gas cylinders, plastic cases, gun cleaner, battery chargers for $100.

 

[SoonerFan]

I’m another Paslode gas user, but I also have a 12v Makita headless pin nailer. Both are excellent. But if I were standing in your shoes, however, the Milwaukee combo kit would be pretty much a no-brainer. They make good-quality tools for sure.

[member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] your “pretty much a no brained” comment sealed the deal.  Milwaukee nailer combo kit it is.

Thanks all for the input.  Much appreciated!!

Since you're coming from Dewalts, if your M18 nailer jams - it's the brads.  Switch to porter cable - just FYI.

[member=72072]woodferret[/member]  I will take your advice and fully convert to Porter Cable for my inbound Milwaukee 23g and 18g nailers.  No need for the wasted time and frustration associated with unnecessary jams.  Thanks for the heads up.

 

[SoonerFan]

Gas cartridges having expiration dates?  Really?

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] I wanted to stay away from the cartridges since it seemed like a hassle.  I had no idea these expired which is a bigger hassle.  Good luck with the stapler and putting up all the vapor barrier. 

 

[Cheese]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] I wanted to stay away from the cartridges since it seemed like a hassle.  I had no idea these expired which is a bigger hassle.  Good luck with the stapler and putting up all the vapor barrier.

Thanks for that......I'll start to use the staple gun tomorrow for installing ventilation chutes.

Just to be clear...in general, kudos need to go to Paslode for thinking outside of the box 7-8 years ago and coming up with the cordless nail gun. They need to be recognized as pushing the cordless nail gun technology forward which is huge, without which, the battery powered options available now might not be available.

However, they still are responsible for producing gas fired nail guns that were horrific as far as their MTBF is concerned.

 

[SoonerFan]

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] I wanted to stay away from the cartridges since it seemed like a hassle.  I had no idea these expired which is a bigger hassle.  Good luck with the stapler and putting up all the vapor barrier.

Thanks for that......I'll start to use the staple gun tomorrow for installing ventilation chutes.

My first job when mine arrive on Saturday will be to reinstall some quarter-round I had to take up to install a vinyl floor in our exercise room.

Switching to battery nailers reminds me of when we had the addition on our house built.  The last punch list item was in our primary bathroom.  It was all done except for trim and scribes around a linen closet.  The installer somehow forgot his nail guns and nails.  He wanted to come back Monday.  The remodeling had been dragging on and on.  I said I’d loan him my nailers and give him the nails to get it done that day.  So I went to our shop, got the nailers, compressor, hose and nails.  Lugged it into the house and set everything up.  He shot like 12 nailer and said thanks.  Also mentioned that he had not used air nailers in a couple years. 

That got me starting to think about the convenience of converting.  I heard several bad reviews on Milwaukee gen 1 nailers and did not like the “wind up” of the Dewalts so I waited.  Here we are a couple years later, the Milwaukee gen2 nailers are proven.  I am starting the switch after the issues I mentioned in my original post. 

 

[Packard]

A much overlooked “cordless” option, and one that is sometimes preferable to even a battery powered brad gun, is the brad pusher.

I’ve lost about 4 of these over the years, but since the one from Great Neck Saw is still under $10.00, I’ve replaced them.  One day when I am shutting down my shop, I will find that I am a proud owner of 4 or 5 brad pushers.

It is my first choice for cove molding, and for quarter round in smaller sizes.

I think every shop should have one. 

I have a decent variety of headed brads in my shop.  Note that these have real points on them and that makes them easy to drive.

The video below shows how it is used.

Some of the videos show the user modifying 18 gage air gun nails to use with a brad pusher.  That is nuts.  Just buy a package of ready made brads of the size you need. They are packed in small quantities and sold at low cost.

If you have just one piece of molding to install, the brad pusher might  be quicker and easier than any nail gun.

They are very small and can operate where a nail gun might not.

They are very light and if you are on a ladder, you might appreciate that.

They work very well on softer wood and with the newer resin extruded plastic moldings.

They are totally silent.

Not so go for oak or maple, which are hard enough to make installing the brads a bit difficult.

It will drive the brads perfectly flush with no indentation, but to push the head under the surface for filler will require a couple of taps with a hammer and a nail set.

Real brads (not the wire ones that you use for nail guns) have a real head on them and can hold better.

They are available in several sizes.

And finally, I find that there is something satisfying in the feel of pushing a brad into the wood. 

NOTE:  The video is better than the spelling on the title page would lead you to assume.


When searching for these, Google “magnetic brad pusher”.  They also make brad pushers that are meant to be driven by a hammer rather than a manual push.  I have never used one.
https://www.google.com/search?q=magneti+brad+pusher&client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=590900121&tbm=shop&sxsrf=AM9HkKmJqc8zTRKqZyhvxKiiQX3omT6vbw%3A1702561813712&ei=FQh7ZfTuKqGYptQP5e2GgA8&ved=0ahUKEwi0zfSAiY-DAxUhjIkEHeW2AfAQ4dUDCAc&uact=5&oq=magneti+brad+pusher&gs_lp=Egtwcm9kdWN0cy1jYyITbWFnbmV0aSBicmFkIHB1c2hlckizIVAAWJIWcAB4AJABAZgBhQKgAYIGqgEFNi4xLjG4AQPIAQD4AQHCAgcQABiABBgNwgIKEAAYgAQYDRjWBcICCxAAGB4YDRjWBRgPwgILEAAYBRgeGA0Y1gXCAg0QABgFGB4YDRjWBRgPiAYB&sclient=products-cc

Amazingly, this third party seller on Walmart’s site is selling the $10.00 Great Neck Saw version for $32.50 with a $199.00 delivery charge. Chutzpah.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Ne...a&selectedSellerId=1609&action=SignIn&rm=true

 

[SoonerFan]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] well I just learned something new.  I have never heard of, seen or used a magnetic brad pusher.  I have always been the one attempting to use a hammer, nail set, etc.  I will get one of these and add it to the bag I will carry the new Milwaukee nailers in.  In fact I might still have time to get one from Santa.   

 

[Packard]

They work well in suitable situations.  It is especially easy to drive through pine and poplar.  It excels at attaching small cove moldings. 

But to countersink the nailheads, you will need a nail set.  You can easily drive brads by hand to be flush with the surface.  But if you are painting, latex paints don’t adhere to nail heads well.    So countersink and fill with spackle or wood filler.

The nail sets with a cupped end work best in my experience.  You will only need the smallest size.  The cupped end will capture the nail head and keep it from sliding off when striking it with a hammer.

None of the descriptions that I see online mention the end configuration.  So you might want to buy that in a store where you can examine the pieces.

The image below shows the cupped head on one of these punches.

For me, it can be months between uses.  The last time was to install a small quarter round molding to finish off a run of tile.  I was concerned that I would misalign my 18 gage brad driver and accidentally chip one of the tiles.  The brad driver was perfect for that application.

 

[woodferret]

Gas cartridges having expiration dates?  Really?

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] I wanted to stay away from the cartridges since it seemed like a hassle.  I had no idea these expired which is a bigger hassle.  Good luck with the stapler and putting up all the vapor barrier.

Gas cartridges have a shelf life due to the seal breaking down.
The M18 has a reusable sealed nitrogen cartridge, which sadly has also had issues with the seal breaking down.  Not as bad as dinky consumable cartridges, but if it ever stops firing - that's probably why.  I've seen people refill their framing nailers with air as a stop-gap fix.

Kinda why my bigger boys are Airstrike - it's not under pressure/load at rest. 

 

[SoonerFan]

Just noticed today that Milwaukee has a “compact” 18ga coming out on the M12 platform (same as the pinner) with a form factor that’s a lot closer to the pinner as well.  2541 is the model. Looks like the fastener range is limited to 1-1/2” max, whereas most 18ga nailers do 2”.  But they must have had enough requests for it…definitely for me the M18 18ga stands out as being noticeably/unnecessarily larger than pneumatic counterparts and I do feel it when doing a larger trim project.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/2541-20

I noticed this was “coming soon” as well.  I decided to move forward with the m12/m18 combo mostly because I need nailers now.  A combo with the pinner and this new m12 18 gauge would be sweet.  Since I have no m12 or m18 tools now I will need to order an extra battery for each. I will use both for a while and then decide which capacity to get. 

 

[gunnyr]

Check out Grex.  I've had their brad nailer for a number of years, I find it to cycle much faster than the battery only powered nailers.  They also have a 23 ga pinner available.  I also have the M12 pinner and I find it perfect for small trim work. 

You can't beat the power and speed that the pneumatics provide though! 

 

[Lbob131]

I have  the  Milwaukee  framing  nailer  for  about a year now.
It  failed  about  a month ago.
My  supplier (not online)  takes  care  of  any  warranty  issues  and hastily  had it  repaired.
Never  found  out  what the problem  was  but I  think  the  gas  cylinder  dropped  in pressure.
The  cylinder  filling  port  is  inside  the  gun  so you have  to strip  the  machine  to gain  access.
Some  people  have  the  filling  attachment  to  add  the  nitrogen  or  check  the pressure.

The  Hikoki  gun  has an  access  panel  on  the  side  so  they have made it easier.
The  problem  with  the  hikoki  is  it  turns  itself  off  after  30  seconds  if  you  dont use  it.
What  a  bummer.
I also  have  the Milwaukee  narrow  crown stapler  for  about a year  now  and  no  issues. 
Its  basically the same gun  as  the  brad  nailers  with a  different  magazine.
Just  purchased an  Apach  air  nailer  which  fires  brad  nails  or  narrow  crown  staples.
Which is  a nice  touch. [smile]
I also  have  a senco  gas  nailer  for  about  4  years  which has  been  quite  reliable. With only  the  micro switch  on  the trigger  failing  thus  far.

 

[Bencan]

Personally use all paslode, buying the gas cartridges can be a nuisance but they are really reliable, light and compact. I have the m12 pin nailer and it’s also excellent. I used the m18 brad nailer and found it to be too bulky

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I looked at Paslode but did not see battery powered 23 gauge unless I missed it somehow.

Ya run the m12 23 guage and it works well. For the primary nailers I just love the paslode, it’s light and reliable. I’ve got the 16,18 and framing gun and I really think they can’t be beat. I’ve tried the Milwaukee 18 guage and framing nailer and the both weigh a ton. Seems like no big deal, a few pounds, over time it’s a lot. I’m working on the tools every day though, so anything to reduce fatigue is critical

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SoonerFan]

Well I got my nailers and have used both.  I used the 18 gauge to install quarter round and used it to hold boards in place while the glue dried on store room shelves I built. I used the 23 gauge to attach maple edge banding while the glue dries.  Both work great.  The 23 gauge will be a game charger when my workflow requires hard wood edge banding.  And I did as [member=72072]woodferret[/member] suggested by starting fresh with Porter Cable nails.  Not a single jam yet.  I am very pleased so far.

 

[SoonerFan]

Quick Update:  I have been using the Milwaukee nailers for about 8 months now.  I am very pleased.  Easy adjustment to set nails to the proper depth.  Easy to properly place the nails.  Good battery life.  Never had a jam. And I absolutely do not miss lugging around air hoses or the noise from the compressor.  So far so good

 

[live4ever]

Quick Update:  I have been using the Milwaukee nailers for about 8 months now.  I am very pleased.  Easy adjustment to set nails to the proper depth.  Easy to properly place the nails.  Good battery life.  Never had a jam. And I absolutely do not miss lugging around air hoses or the noise from the compressor.  So far so good

Nice!  What’s next on the list?

Personally I’m eyeing their new roofing nailer which has been announced but not yet available, though I have only minor justification for it.  That’ll be their first coil nailer.  Would love to see a coil siding nailer, metal connector nailer, and cap stapler too.  [big grin]

 

[woodferret]

If you don't need it right away, always wait for Gen2 in team Red.