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Bostich, Bostich, Bostich. State of the art easy to load, easy to clean, easy to work on. Also available at home improvement centers. The first Paslode I bought lasted 4 years. The second I never drove a full coil thru without a jam. Max is supposed to be it now, but the loading of coils is a two part system.
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I'm ready to spring for a pneumatic roofing nailer, but wanted to get some opinions from users first. What are the advantages of the coil models? Is it that they are just more compact? Does anybody have any opinions regarding which brands and models work best? It seems that the prevailing sentiment out there is that staples are an inferior method of nailing down a roof, and the full round heads are better. Can anybody substantiate this? Also, are copper or stainless steel coil nails availble? I've currently got my eye on the Senco SCN40R coil nailer, if for no other reason than the 3 guns that I have now are all Senco and I seem to be pretty happy with them so far.
*I think senco is also a good name, my framing nailer is a senco. About a month ago, I bought a porter cable coil nailer. Took it back three hours later, thing jambed, double fired, was terrible. Spent the extra $50 on a Bostich. I've gone through almost two cases of nails in the past couple of weeks so That's almost 15K nails. I bet it's jambed three times and double fired maybe five times. I keep it pleanty oiled but I'm thrilled with the way it performs. As for the copper or stainless, sorry, don't know.
*I have a beat up abused Max which has worked perfectly for years, and many people think they are the best. Staples have their supporters, but when you drive around and see shingles blown off a newish roof- that is a roof that was stapled. I've not seen those specialty nails in a coil.
*The new Sencos (I don't know the model #) have a unique snout. They have little tapered jaws that open as the nail slides through and this is supposed to help drive the nails straight, even if you are holding the gun at not quite the perfect angle. All the other guns I've seen simply have a hole the nail comes through.A couple years ago we rented three guns from the local yard for a 40 square rip and reroof, an older Senco, the new Senco, and an old Makita. The new Senco did seem to drive nails straighter, but then again, it was new, too. I don't do 100 squares a year so when I had to start reroofing the buildings here at the home place last year I went down to that same rental yard and bought that old Makita from them. You should have heard those guys groan that I was takin' the only roofing gun they had that never needed repairs. You can learn a lot about tools from guys at rental yards.
*We do less than 500 sq a year, and we always set up with 3-5 guys.. using two or three guns, two Hitachis and a Bostich, haven't noticed a pattern yet, which gun gets grabbed first, once every one gave the new Hitachi a shake-down cruise.. seems like they grab either one...both are coil guns...One thing we do is use only Paslode Roofing nails, my research shows they have the best galvanize on the market (not quite up to par with a hot dipped and nail.. but close)We have a lot of Bostich guns... so that was natural..we bought the Hitachi based on other roofer's recommendations..Senco sounds like it may be a good one. too...Ask Steve Hazlett, roofing is his bread & butter, we're a GC who do our own roofing...now , i'll ask one..b what sidewall gun do you use.. we do Fiber Cement, Red Cedar Shingles, White Cedar shingles, Red Cedar Clapboards, and lots of othre wood siding...
*We have been using the senco sn 40 for years. Coil naler. Had one that jambed a lot and took it back and got another (warranty). No problems with it yet. We also use it for hardiplank siding. Our senco 60s and 65s for LP and cedar when blind nailing. Used to use Duo-fast guns. Switched to Sencos about 6 years ago and havent tried anything else. I use two different roofing subs if it is a bigger job then we want to tackle and they both use senco.
*I used a Bostich gun for years.It rarely jammedor mis-fired and I could run just about any coil through it(including some reaaly cheap generics).The pawl would wear out every year but that was about the only problem.I am currently using a Pasload which works well----IF---you keep it VERY CLEAN.( The Bostich I could run at times when it was unbelievably filthy,but my Pasload must be kept really,really clean.The Pasloade also does not seem to like the colder temps.A lot of generics don't run well through it.Using 20/20 hindsight I should have bought another Bostich but I got a deal on the Paslode(roofed a couple of garage roofs in payment for it ---New,still in box).Mike ,I agree that the Paslode nails seem to run best through both guns. The Paslode collating wire seems thinner and the gun cuts it off easier.Of course that softer wire means the coils get damaged easier(currently trying Prazi coil cadddy to help that problem out)Does anybody know where I can order Paslode nails in bulk---say a skidfull or two at a time by phone or internet.Would buying them by the skidfull bring the price per box down to the range of generics?I can generally get generics around $25-28/box,buyin a box or so at a time.Stephen
*Stephen...In reading your own post above, the simple answer for you is to pick up another Bostich gun and get rid of the Paslode....Just do it!...near the stream,ajps...Still running two air staplers and two slap staplers!!! though someday I keep saying I'll pick up a nailer for customers that prefer them....My staples have never failed me and I think all the hoopla against them is bogus...at least it has been for my fifteen years of roofing on odd occasions...
*Bostich, Bostich, Bostich. State of the art easy to load, easy to clean, easy to work on. Also available at home improvement centers. The first Paslode I bought lasted 4 years. The second I never drove a full coil thru without a jam. Max is supposed to be it now, but the loading of coils is a two part system.
*AJ, you are ,as usual correct. I was planning to pick up a Bostich and relegate the Paslodde to a Backup role,primarily used by my helper.Problem is that when operating properly the paslode is clearly superior to the Bostich.The Paslode is just to tempermental.Bostich no longer makes the same model,so maybe the new ones aren't as good.I would still like to buy the Paslode nails in bulk if I could find them competively priced.Not only are the nails better,but even the boxes are better.
*I have two Max coil siding guns...They are supposed to be the best and also the manufacturer of many other guns under different labels...My guns are OK..siding is not easy to air nail as the depth of nail is difficult to control...do to different densities of the part of the stud you are driving into...near the stream,ajmy staplers go miles farther than anything per load, per jam, per dollar...I love em.
*AJ,I also have a duofast stapler that I like better than anything. I don't use it on roofing because of all the bad publicity but sure would like to. I'd be interested to hear more about your success with the stapler on different types of roofing.MD
*Mad doggy dog....All success...100%...I wouldn't know what a failure would look like.near the stream,ajOh and the worst roofing nightmares I have ever seen were with a roofing nailer...nails high and in the wrong place (above the seal strip), tilted nails, missing nails, and missing shingles because they skipped nailing the end under the over shingle when stacking vertically up a roof and working on a home that was in the middle of a windy field....All nail problems and all caused by the operator of the gun...