Cheap air nailer?

[Monkey Mark]

Come s summer I'm going to put up a new fence in my back garden, side gates and maybe decking.

I'm thinking of getting an air nailer to do this, with the intention that it could also be used in other small projects.

Has anyone tried the cheap ones on ebay? I cant justify the likes of a paslode. I know a cheap one may not last long but at £20 - 30 if it lasts a year or so id be happy.

 

[gregmcateer]

There are some cheap air tools in aldi and probably like at moment .
No idea as to quality, but cheap, yes

 

[n0legs]

I'm not a fan of nails but I do have an Aldi air nailer.
It's Workzone branded and looks similar to loads of others, IIRC it was £20. It came with 50mm nails and some long staples.
I've found it will fire anything up to 30mm length into most woods very very well. Longer than 30mm it struggles badly, often leaving quite a bit protruding. It's a case of you get what you pay for. With the amount of use I have for it, it's fine for me.

 

[memzey]

Hi no legs - I bought the same nailer a couple of weeks ago and was wondering where to get shorter brads and staples for it as I will rarely need the full 2". I see loads of places sell 18g brads but wanted some reassurance as to whether there was some compatibility aspect that I should consider (Aldi do not sell brads). FYI the one I picked up had no trouble firing the 2" nails that came with it all the way in to the pressure treated 4x2s I tested it on - in fact I could even countersink them by adjusting the depth controller. I accept that this is not the same as firing them into a hard wood but even so the impression I got was not one of a lack of power. I have mine running of a 3hp 50ltr compressor.

 

[n0legs]

Hi no legs - I bought the same nailer a couple of weeks ago and was wondering where to get shorter brads and staples for it as I will rarely need the full 2". I see loads of places sell 18g brads but wanted some reassurance as to whether there was some compatibility aspect that I should consider (Aldi do not sell brads). FYI the one I picked up had no trouble firing the 2" nails that came with it all the way in to the pressure treated 4x2s I tested it on - in fact I could even countersink them by adjusting the depth controller. I accept that this is not the same as firing them into a hard wood but even so the impression I got was not one of a lack of power. I have mine running of a 3hp 50ltr compressor.

Hi Memzey, I've been using the Tacwise brads from Screwfix. I've had very few failures or problems with them.
I know they're not the cheapest around but the frustration they've saved, especially I think with these cheaper guns, has been well worth it.
I had some from ebay and I couldn't get them to work. I had trouble trying to separate them with a pliers, so the gun had no hope.
Here's the Screwfix ones:-
http://www.screwfix.com/p/tacwise-galva ... 5000/94239

It seems you got a good one :lol: Mine must just be a little off par.
I've got plenty of air as well so it must be the gun. I would buy another one though, for the amount I use it it's great.

Edit,
Drop me a PM with your address and I'll post you a few strips if you like, so you can try before you buy

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

I got one from Axminster, I think it was about £45 at the time (a few years ago) and it has no problem sending in a 50mm brad into oak. Worth a look for an extra £20 I reckon.

Cheers _Dan.

 

[memzey]

Hi no legs - I bought the same nailer a couple of weeks ago and was wondering where to get shorter brads and staples for it as I will rarely need the full 2". I see loads of places sell 18g brads but wanted some reassurance as to whether there was some compatibility aspect that I should consider (Aldi do not sell brads). FYI the one I picked up had no trouble firing the 2" nails that came with it all the way in to the pressure treated 4x2s I tested it on - in fact I could even countersink them by adjusting the depth controller. I accept that this is not the same as firing them into a hard wood but even so the impression I got was not one of a lack of power. I have mine running of a 3hp 50ltr compressor.

Hi Memzey, I've been using the Tacwise brads from Screwfix. I've had very few failures or problems with them.
I know they're not the cheapest around but the frustration they've saved, especially I think with these cheaper guns, has been well worth it.
I had some from ebay and I couldn't get them to work. I had trouble trying to separate them with a pliers, so the gun had no hope.
Here's the Screwfix ones:-
http://www.screwfix.com/p/tacwise-galva ... 5000/94239

It seems you got a good one :lol: Mine must just be a little off par.
I've got plenty of air as well so it must be the gun. I would buy another one though, for the amount I use it it's great.

Edit,
Drop me a PM with your address and I'll post you a few strips if you like, so you can try before you buy

Thanks for the generous offer nolegs. Typical of the kindness demonstrated on these boards if you don't mind me saying so (apart from when it comes to sharpening)

 

[Monkey Mark]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I'll give the axminsterone a look but its good to know that the cheap ones (excluding silverline!) will porbably be up to the job.

 

[sjalloq]

Before you waste your money on the wrong tool, can you clarify which gun you're looking at? People are talking about 18g brand nails here while your use cases include putting up fencing. You can't use a brad nailer for that job. I haven't got much experience with nail guns but this seems wrong to me.

 

[Monkey Mark]

Before you waste your money on the wrong tool, can you clarify which gun you're looking at? People are talking about 18g brand nails here while your use cases include putting up fencing. You can't use a brad nailer for that job. I haven't got much experience with nail guns but this seems wrong to me.

Ah right. It was the 18g brad nailers. I thought it would be ok if it its capable
Of firing upto 50mm brads?

 

[Monkey Mark]

Just read a little and you are right, too thin a guage. Never mind..
I wonder if a framing nailer can fire smaller nails/brads to be useful for both? Probably not.

 

[sjalloq]

I've posted this before, but with the new eBay global postage scheme you can get stuff from the US really easily without having to worry about the duty/tax implications as it's taken at source. I bought my FinishPro 18Mg from CPO for half the price of the UK version. All I had to do was get the correct hose adapter for the US Industrial Interchange format.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/CPO-Outlets/Na ... 34.c0.m322

PCL in the UK sell a whole range of adapters and you want the ISO B12 one for the US guns: http://www.pclairtechnology.com/Product ... 2ad6ae1df4

If I pick a random framing nailer, say the Senco SN901XP, it's over £600 in the UK vs. £230 delivered from CPO. No brainer.

 

[Monkey Mark]

I've posted this before, but with the new eBay global postage scheme you can get stuff from the US really easily without having to worry about the duty/tax implications as it's taken at source. I bought my FinishPro 18Mg from CPO for half the price of the UK version. All I had to do was get the correct hose adapter for the US Industrial Interchange format.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/CPO-Outlets/Na ... 34.c0.m322

PCL in the UK sell a whole range of adapters and you want the ISO B12 one for the US guns: http://www.pclairtechnology.com/Product ... 2ad6ae1df4

If I pick a random framing nailer, say the Senco SN901XP, it's over £600 in the UK vs. £230 delivered from CPO. No brainer.

Although its going to be too expensive for this one project, I'll certainly be keeping this option in mind for the future. Thanks!

 

[memzey]

I put up a 60ft closed panel fence last year in a couple of days. I used a roofing coil nailer which I hired (cost me £30 or so with all the nails I needed). A framing nailer would also work out as long as it is the variety that fires round head nails. This is important as they hold the feather edge boards in place. Some say clipped head nails also work but I went with the reassurance that a full head provides.