Woodworker's Journal 2004-28-4, страница 42

1

Have Nail Bun, Will Travel

Choosing a Nailer

To plumb the possibilities. I got 10 brands of brad nailers in hand and tried them on a variety of projects I had going. No formal testing per se, but a fair workout. In the end, it's difficult to single out just one. The plain truth is, they are remarkably similar.

Every one arrived in a plastic case. Some included sample brads, safety glasses, an Allen wrench or two if needed, and oil if needed. Ilie DeWalt wasn't supplied with a coupling for an air hose, which seemed a cheesy omission.

All are similar in size and weight. All accommodate 18-gauge brads from 5/B" to 2" long. All have a tactile handgrip. Only the Bostitch and the Craftsman are oil-less: all the others need a drop or two of oil in the air plug before each work session.

Fasteners: You need special brads for a nailer, of course. They are 18-gauge (like hatr.mcr-ablc ones), have square shanks and T-heads, and are bonded together in strips (called clips) of 100. The tips are chiseled, so they art unlikely to cause splits.

As a side note, I got a couple of units— one from Craftsman, one from Campbell Hausfeld — that drive brads and staples. This combination is attractive, since siaples are better than brads for some common applications, such as fastening plywood cabinet backs. The tradeoff is that neither tool will shoot fasteners longer than IV.

leading: Think of an ordinary office stapler. Slide open the magazine, drop in a clip, and close it up. Every magazine latch is a little different, but I can't say that any I tried was difficult to use.

Maklta AF503

Hitachi UT 50AE

Senco Finish Pre 18

Craftsman 351.181720

Griuly G607

Paslode T200-F18

Porter-Cable BN125A

BOSTITCH

Bostitch BT200

The magazine cover should have a viewport or indicator '.o let you gauge how any brads are left Beware of the models with a port that's loo small or poorly placed.

Adjusting set depth: A good brad nailer should be

adjustable, so you can set the depth you want, regardless o.' fastener length or material density. Nailers made by Bostitch, Craftsman, DeWalt. Paslode, Porter-Cable, and Senco all have a depth control, either a thumbwheel or a slide. To adjust the others, you have to alter the air pressure.