Advise me on which Paslode nailer

[doctor Bob]

I'm due to do quite a bit of outside rough and ready work, field shelters, lots of featheredge board to fix.
I want to buy a Paslode nailer, I'll be in a field with no power. Which one should I get, I also want to fire a range of nails, happy to spend whatever is the best option.
Also do they sell stainless nails?
All advice/ pointers to where to buy, appreciated,

 

[AJB Temple]

Do you really want Paslode Bob? Lots of cleaning. Battery ones are very good now. I had Paslode gas but I now use deWalt first and second fix. Stainless brads are readily available. I use angled. Pretty much only use stainless. 5ah battery lasts all day easily.

 

[doctor Bob]

Just assumed Paslode were the best, point me towards which one you use Adrian.

 

[AJB Temple]

My tool supplier and repairer sells Paslode, DeWalt and others. He reckons that DeWalt is currently the best so I went with that. In the last couple of years I have had exactly one misfire. Amazing. I held off on the first fix as that was a bit unreliable originally he said, but I bought that (improved version) early this year and it has not missed a beat. Both came in a case with two 5amp batteries and a charger.

The only thing that bugs me about them is that the angled carrier will only take two strips of nails. You can get through nails at quite a pace as you know. Reload is easy. Depth setting is fantastic (flush, below, raised - dead easy to adjust). Head clearance is very simple but I get zero misfires. My Paslode did not like cold weather.

https://www.toolden.co.uk/power-too...fix-nailer-2nd-fix-nailer-kit-with-2-x-5-0ah/
I bought mine separately obviously so I ended up with two cases and 4 batteries. I use 2nd fix most. I have run through a box of 63mm stainless brads today as it happens, doing endless cladding of exposed trusses.

You can set them to continuous fire or single fire. Much the same as using Paslode but a lot less fuss.

Adrian

 

[owen]

For feather edge you'll probably want the first fix nailer rather than brads, if I'm fixing roofing battens a fully charged 5ah just about lasts me a day, sometimes have to change it for the last hour or so. I use the dewalt and it's brilliant, you can get a twin pack, brad nailer, first fix, two 5ah batteries, charger and box for about 550-600 quid

 

[doctor Bob]

Thanks chaps, I think you are right, just need first fix as around the house I use an air nailer 18g and 23g.
I'll have a look at dewalt, are the angled ones best?

 

[murdoch]

Hi Bob, during our house build we used dewalt 1st fix as mentioned above, heaps of crap, please don’t get one. Out of the 3 we had they all broke down multiple times. Ended up with paslode im350 guns. So much better and all nail boxes come with gas so it’s not much hassle. You buy nails in boxes, nail strips should be angles 30 degrees. The timco brand are good and well priced and they also sell boxes of stainless 50mm nails for cladding ect.

 

[Trevanion]

I don’t get any use out of a nail gun that’s over 16G, but from being on sites I can tell you a lot of lads have swapped over from Paslode to battery powered guns, Thank Jesus too as they’re so much quieter now especially in a building!

 

[AJB Temple]

Murdoch, the DeWalt original first fix were rubbish. Current model is fine. The issue with Paslode is the damn cleaning!

No gas is cheaper and less hassle. Each to their own though.

 

[murdoch]

You could be right, bought them about 18 months ago, off the top of my head they were brushless 692 models.

 

[AJB Temple]

Yep. Been upgraded since then. My local tool guy (not the one in the link - that is just FFX online) said the same as you when I bought the second fix. But a year later when he said they have fixed them, I bought one. He supplies all the local trades around Maidstone because he has an in-house service and repair man who is very good. He relies on repeat business so does not tell porkies.

 

[owen]

Hi Bob, during our house build we used dewalt 1st fix as mentioned above, heaps of rubbish, please don’t get one. Out of the 3 we had they all broke down multiple times. Ended up with paslode im350 guns. So much better and all nail boxes come with gas so it’s not much hassle. You buy nails in boxes, nail strips should be angles 30 degrees. The timco brand are good and well priced and they also sell boxes of stainless 50mm nails for cladding ect.

Mine must be the newer version then because mines been absolutely spot on. I must have fired 15-20 thousand nails with it over last few months, and many more before that and I've had one jam which was easily cleared. My previous gas nailer was a nightmare in cold weather.

Milwaukee have just brought out a new first fix nailer I believe but I have zero experience of those.

 

[owen]

Thanks chaps, I think you are right, just need first fix as around the house I use an air nailer 18g and 23g.
I'll have a look at dewalt, are the angled ones best?

Yes angled, pretty sure this is the model I have...
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-d...sQYZb0WH3eQtmfRpHpxoCxqoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
You could probably get it for better valur elsewhere as a kit with batteries and charger

 

[doctor Bob]

Yes angled, pretty sure this is the model I have...
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dewalt-d...sQYZb0WH3eQtmfRpHpxoCxqoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
You could probably get it for better valur elsewhere as a kit with batteries and charger

Ok, but I want to fire ring shank nails not brads.

 

[TJC]

We're using the them in a slightly different work context, but use the DeWalt in our jobs all the time, sometimes quite intensively in a day, they seem reliable and good battery life.

I'm working in the live events industry so lots of fixing of stage fascia, backdrops, etc. Mdf, ply, softwoods. From various different companies the DeWalt is the only battery unit I ever see, its that or airline.

 

[Lons]

I had a Paslode 350 and fired a lot of nails but it was a real pita, as said cleaning required far too often, was fussy with nails other than Paslode brand, didn't like cold weather but still better than a hammer.

I was offered one of the first DeWalt 1st fix guns to trial and keep before they were introduced into the UK and must be lucky because it has been faultless ever since, batteries last a long time, rarely get a jam and if so a quick flip of a lever and it's cleared, easy depth adjustment. and not at all fussy which brand of nails you use.

I sold the Paslode very soon after aquiring the DeWalt and wouldn't swap back.

 

[MikeG.]

I'm due to do quite a bit of outside rough and ready work, field shelters, lots of featheredge board to fix.
I want to buy a Paslode nailer, I'll be in a field with no power.......

Careful what you build in that field, Bob. You'll start attracting the attention of the Planners.

I reiterate what the others have said about Paslode: buy something else. Not liking the cold was the big deal for us, but having to buy their expensive nails, bundled up with gas that we didn't need was also a pain.

 

[owen]

Ok, but I want to fire ring shank nails not brads.

It does fire ring shanks not brads, no idea why it says 18ga on the screwfix website because it's a first fix framing nailer, think it fires something like 2.8mm-3.3mm angled nails, ring shank or plain, 50-90mm long

 

[doctor Bob]

Careful what you build in that field, Bob. You'll start attracting the attention of the Planners.

We have achieved a change of use, so everything so far is cool and in keeping with the planning permission. Next step, I bought an old trailer and intend to make a mobile field shelter.
I also intend to make a small shed for the front of the house under the willow. Building at the back will be taken further in due course, just need the madness to die down.

 

[doctor Bob]

It does fire ring shanks not brads, no idea why it says 18ga on the screwfix website because it's a first fix framing nailer, think it fires something like 2.8mm-3.3mm angled nails, ring shank or plain, 50-90mm long

Thank you, I'll check it out.