Looking to buy a palm nailer for a ton of Simpson hangers needed on our next job.
Are they worth it? (I would think they are) Do they hurt your hand by the end of the day? Any brand better than the other? I’ve seen Senco, DeWalt, and a few others.
Thanks
Mike
Replies
They work, and they're a pain in the azz at the same time.
If you have a bunch of hangers now and more in the future you might as well shell out for a hanger nailer.
Yes, your hand takes a beating. And those little hanger nails with the S on the head won't stand up straight in the socket.
Joe H
Palm nailers are a blessing in tight places. Not just hangers, but toenails where it's tough to get a decent swing etc. My Bostitch is tougher on the ears than it is on the hands, and I don't have nor do I need the fancy glove they sell in the kit.
I would recomend the Grex. It comes with all the accesories pictured. I would also recomend you get some gloves with gel in the palms to absorb some of the shock. http://www.grexusa.com/hand-tools/pn1k.htm
Ive got a Jamerco kit that's been great and looks identical to the Grex kit, but the nailer is red instead of green.
Go for the Senco - it has a replaceable driver for either commons and finish nails. Not fast for the J/Hs, but excellent otherwise - especially for inside formwork or places where you can't swing a hammer.
ps - I calculate justification of buying tools (as if I ever need to!) upon the price of a tank full of gas. The Senco costs about a tank and a half. See - it's worth buying!
All the best...
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
Very handy to have!! Use reg nails and great for tight spaces!!
A decent carpenter is faster hand driving than a laborer with a palm nailer. But, I'd rather have my wood monkey putting on JH's than someone who could be doing something a little more productive.
I do a lot of decks with alot of hangers,use up 5 gal. bucket full of JH nails every 6 months, and the crew would milk it w/o palm nailers.
I bought 4 made in China POS nailers at some fly by night travelling tool sale 2 1/2 years ago, but at 15 bucks apiece they were worth every penny.
I say stay away from the Senco. Mine blows diaphrams. If I had it to do over again, I'd probably get a china cheapy to start with. I might use mine more if it didn't break so often.
What ever you do, don't flip the red switch on the dashboard, Gunner.
http://grantlogan.net/
Grant, I used mine for all those copper nails in the clips on the roof. Worked great, wish I'd bought the deluxe edition with the copper magnet though.
It's the red cheapo, Jamerco. Whole kit with a bunch of o-rings, changeable noses for finish & 16D.
Joe H
Which Senco? I've had no problems with the old discontinued A-9, but heard that the A-20 is not as good.
-- J.S.
Got the Bostich free with my framing nailer.Works okay for hangers but watch it cuz it will drive the head right off the hanger nail.
I'd have to go look, but it's close to 10 years old.
What ever you do, don't flip the red switch on the dashboard, Gunner.
http://grantlogan.net/
Second vote for a hanger nailer. We've been using ours for two weeks straight and it consistently makes money. Also have a palm nailer and rarely use it, although it will go in ridiculously tight places that the hanger gun won't. Driving JH nails by hand is insane unless there's only a few.
From an amateur building own house - the palm nailer is a blessing (we have Bostitch). I didn't find it to hard on the hand, although in some areas it took a bit more wrist strength than I had (especially by the end of the day) to initiate the action. With good tico nails, it never failed me. It is quite loud, I agree.
But, I figure if I could do all the hurricane clips on the TJs, plus strapping, in 1/2 day, that's pretty good (considering I'm just a homeowner and not too strong in the upper body department). I really liked that I could toe nail with zero problems.
Saved my manicure, too :)
Tico Tam
If you really have a bunch of hangers to nail on, consider a hardware gun. My personal favorite is the Hitachi NR65AK. I have four of these gems, including one with the short magazine. Most of the major nailer manufacturers offer a hardware gun or two. If you must have a palm nailer, Danair made the original one many years ago and it is a real quality unit. The knockoffs are good if you don't need one for the long haul, and you can really save some money. My guys wear a heavy leather glove when using a palm nailer, it seems to help with the vibration. My advice is for you to at least try a hardware nailer. Good luck.
For the hanyman/homeowner...get the palm nailer, it is worth every penny.
For the pro carpenter...get the palm nailer and the positive placement nailer. they both work great. the PPNailer is limited but will save time, money, and most importantly your aching arms whenever able to be used. The palm nailer (especially when bought with accessory pack) is like a secret weapon in the tool arsenal; a real problem solver!
gk