HF brad nailer quality?

I got the $20 HF 18 ga on sale yesterday. It's the version that
handles up to 2" brads. Works great when hooked up to my 14 galllon
air tank and no noise from the compressor! It came with 2000 nails
(1000 1-1/8" and 1000 1-1/2") in the box, which I hadn't expected. I
picked up another 1000 2" nails and it shoots them all just fine.
Sure can't complain for the price. HF also had a brass quick coupler
set on sale for less than $2, which makes connecting and disconnecting
a snap. Going into that store is like going into a toy store for
adults!!!

TT

Jay Hahn <[email protected]> wrote:

>I have the HF 16 ga nailer. 3/4" to 2" nails. My first one jammed
>regulary then the cast iron piece that covers the nail feed slot
>broke. Got another one no questions asked. I have paneled a 12'x16'
>room and it has worked great. I'm sure it will not last like a Senco
>etc. but it is fine for my use. Looking at the HF site it seems the
>$20 one is 18-19 ga up to 1 3/16 brads. I bought the extended warranty
>after the first one died............Jay
>

TT wrote:

> Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
> Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
> wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
> to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
> to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
> about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
> Comments?
>
> TT

I have the cheap brad nailer and the 1/4" crown stapler. I love them
both. They are almost, not quite as good as my dad's Senco nail gun, but
they cost 1/10th the price. My next planned purchse will be the HF
equivalent to the Senco LS-5 which shoots finish nails up to 2". I'll be
buying it as soon as I see it on sale.

Mike Patterson <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 15:22:02 -0500, TT <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
> >Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
> >wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
> >to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
> >to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
> >about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
> >Comments?
> >
> >TT
>

I bought one about 9 months ago, used it some. Works fairly well, but
about every 10-15th shot, doesn't fire a brad. Not a big deal, would
complain if it was more expensive

tim

On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 02:07:48 GMT, "Joseph Smith"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>I have the 1/2 - 2" version. Got it on sale for $19.95
>and am ecstatic with the results. Used it for almost 9
>months now with only one jam. Get it! For this kind of
>low cost, if it falls to pieces in a month or two you've
>got you're money's with.

Same here, I paid $25 for the 2" brad nailer. It haven't jam on me
yet. It even came with a spare piston. Why pay over $100 when you can
it for almost free. Last week I picked up a set of hole saw (8 sizes,
I think) for $1.99. Can you believe $1.99?


>
>Joey
>"TT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Thanks for all the comments. I'll give it a shot. We've got a local
>> store here, so I'll go by on the weekend and get one to try.
>>
>> TT
>>
>> On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:03:23 GMT, "Larry C in Auburn, WA"
>> <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >It seems they keep changing the version they sell, sometimes they sell
>> >several versions at once. I have one of the $15 versions from a few
>years
>> >ago and it's been a super buy, but I don't know about the current
>version.
>> >Based on my positive experience plus others I keep hearing that have had
>the
>> >same experience I'd say give it a try.
>>
>



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On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 11:00:45 -0500, TT <[email protected]> wrote:

>I got the $20 HF 18 ga on sale yesterday. It's the version that
>handles up to 2" brads. Works great when hooked up to my 14 galllon
>air tank and no noise from the compressor! It came with 2000 nails
>(1000 1-1/8" and 1000 1-1/2") in the box, which I hadn't expected. I
>picked up another 1000 2" nails and it shoots them all just fine.
>Sure can't complain for the price. HF also had a brass quick coupler
>set on sale for less than $2, which makes connecting and disconnecting
>a snap. Going into that store is like going into a toy store for
>adults!!!

For the price, you just can't beat it. I wouldn't get any precision
tools at HF, or anything I had to rely on to produce perfect corners
or cuts, but it isn't like an air nailer is the most
precision-critical tool in the shop or anything. So long as it shoots
where you aim it and you can adjust the depth, the HF works just fine
for most woodworkers. Why pay for a Senco when you don't need to?

Ya know....that just may be an excellent idea. Considering how easy cedar
panels can split so easily if not pre-drilled, using an 18ga. nailer should
eliminate that and make the job easier. If it only lasts for that one job,
then you got your money's worth.

Bob S.


"TT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
> Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
> wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
> to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
> to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
> about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
> Comments?
>
> TT

I have one and it works great. I wish it would take 1 1/4 brads,
but they are plentiful around Atlanta. I also have the
brad/stapler kit that has never failed me. It takes 1 1/4 brads.
You might want to see if that deal is still on too. I think it was
around $25. I paid $14 for the other one when they were on sale.

"TT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
> Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
> wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My
plan is
> to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I
figure
> to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs
will take
> about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular
nailer.
> Comments?
>
> TT

I have the 1/2 - 2" version. Got it on sale for $19.95
and am ecstatic with the results. Used it for almost 9
months now with only one jam. Get it! For this kind of
low cost, if it falls to pieces in a month or two you've
got you're money's with.

Joey
"TT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for all the comments. I'll give it a shot. We've got a local
> store here, so I'll go by on the weekend and get one to try.
>
> TT
>
> On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:03:23 GMT, "Larry C in Auburn, WA"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >It seems they keep changing the version they sell, sometimes they sell
> >several versions at once. I have one of the $15 versions from a few
years
> >ago and it's been a super buy, but I don't know about the current
version.
> >Based on my positive experience plus others I keep hearing that have had
the
> >same experience I'd say give it a try.
>

It seems they keep changing the version they sell, sometimes they sell
several versions at once. I have one of the $15 versions from a few years
ago and it's been a super buy, but I don't know about the current version.
Based on my positive experience plus others I keep hearing that have had the
same experience I'd say give it a try.
--
Larry C in Auburn, WA

"TT" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
> Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
> wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
> to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
> to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
> about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
> Comments?
>
> TT

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 15:22:02 -0500, TT <[email protected]> wrote:

>Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
>Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
>wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
>to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
>to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
>about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
>Comments?
>
>TT

Mine works well, though it's sensitive to the pressure used. I run
mine about 80 PSI. Much less and the nails don't fully seat, much more
and they go too deep in the piece.

I mostly use it for fastening trim molding to plywood pieces.

I do wish it would use larger nails, but then again i got what I paid
for...

Mike
Mike Patterson
Please remove the spamtrap to email me.

The question isn't "are there weapons of mass destruction?",
the question is "who has them now?"

http://www.strategypage.com/iraqwar/testimony/default.asp
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my first nail gun was a taiwanese pin nailer, probably an earlier
generation if HF's current maachine. it was miserable... if you drove
nails longer than about 2/3 it's rated length the driver would bend.
the aluminum magazine developed a wear pattern from the slight heads
on the brads that caused the stick of nails to not feed. I pitched the
POS and bought quality guns from there out.
that said, the taiwanese guns have come a long way since then.
Bridger



On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 09:59:30 GMT, Brian Henderson
<[email protected]> wrote:

>On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 11:00:45 -0500, TT <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>I got the $20 HF 18 ga on sale yesterday. It's the version that
>>handles up to 2" brads. Works great when hooked up to my 14 galllon
>>air tank and no noise from the compressor! It came with 2000 nails
>>(1000 1-1/8" and 1000 1-1/2") in the box, which I hadn't expected. I
>>picked up another 1000 2" nails and it shoots them all just fine.
>>Sure can't complain for the price. HF also had a brass quick coupler
>>set on sale for less than $2, which makes connecting and disconnecting
>>a snap. Going into that store is like going into a toy store for
>>adults!!!
>
>For the price, you just can't beat it. I wouldn't get any precision
>tools at HF, or anything I had to rely on to produce perfect corners
>or cuts, but it isn't like an air nailer is the most
>precision-critical tool in the shop or anything. So long as it shoots
>where you aim it and you can adjust the depth, the HF works just fine
>for most woodworkers. Why pay for a Senco when you don't need to?

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 15:22:02 -0500, TT <[email protected]> wrote:

>Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
>Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
>wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
>to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
>to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
>about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
>Comments?

A friend of mine has one and it works well, but the metal in them is
pretty low quality. He had a nail jam and it broke the plate at the
front of the nailer. He just made up a new one out of a piece of steel
and it works fine, but it did make me wonder a bit.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

I have the HF 16 ga nailer. 3/4" to 2" nails. My first one jammed
regulary then the cast iron piece that covers the nail feed slot
broke. Got another one no questions asked. I have paneled a 12'x16'
room and it has worked great. I'm sure it will not last like a Senco
etc. but it is fine for my use. Looking at the HF site it seems the
$20 one is 18-19 ga up to 1 3/16 brads. I bought the extended warranty
after the first one died............Jay


On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 09:30:55 GMT, The Other James <[email protected]>
wrote:

>TT wrote:
>
>> Harbor Freight has their 18 ga brad nailer on sale for $20 until
>> Christmas Eve. Granted, 20 bucks is not much to risk, but I was
>> wondering if anyone had any feedback on how well it works? My plan is
>> to use it to attach some cedar paneling to closet walls and I figure
>> to get thru the paneling + sheetrock and into the wall studs will take
>> about a 2" brad, which I think is the limit of this particular nailer.
>> Comments?
>>
>> TT
>
>I have the cheap brad nailer and the 1/4" crown stapler. I love them
>both. They are almost, not quite as good as my dad's Senco nail gun, but
>they cost 1/10th the price. My next planned purchse will be the HF
>equivalent to the Senco LS-5 which shoots finish nails up to 2". I'll be
>buying it as soon as I see it on sale.
>

Thanks for all the comments. I'll give it a shot. We've got a local
store here, so I'll go by on the weekend and get one to try.

TT

On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:03:23 GMT, "Larry C in Auburn, WA"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>It seems they keep changing the version they sell, sometimes they sell
>several versions at once. I have one of the $15 versions from a few years
>ago and it's been a super buy, but I don't know about the current version.
>Based on my positive experience plus others I keep hearing that have had the
>same experience I'd say give it a try.

It's only $20, it wont break the bank
I have one of these nailers and it works great for me. But I don't use it
every day. Just make sure you keep it clean and use oil, it should be fine.

I don't know what brand theirs is, but I recently bought the "Task Force" 18
ga. nailer--so far, real pleased with it!
Wish I'd seen the Harbor Freight deal--paid almost $50 for mine from Lowe's

--
In golf, it's not the score that counts--it's the company!