Framing Tools Reviews

I replaced a Porter-Cable RH framing nailer I had used for several years with this Bostitch. The P-C had been in the shop twice and had some occassional jamming problems... not so with this Bostitch. The P-C has been relegated to a 'back-up' position. I have used this Bostitch model and have had trouble free operation for over a year. I would guess I have put more than 20-30,000 3" and 3-1/2" nails through this gun without a snag. I'm not sure why reviewers keep complaining about unavailibility of nails. You can find them on Amazon (for all brands,sizes and angles) if not in your local 'big box' stores in lots of 500 or 4000 count. Perhaps, its the inconvience of shipping/waiting which can be a hassle if framing is your profession (it's not mine, but I do quite a bit of framing). Having no box store nearby, I just keep an eye on the inventory and order more when I start to get low.

There may be a better RH framing nailer out there on the market, but I'd be hard-pressed to figure out how. All nailers nail... power and reputation, balance and weight, reliability and trouble-free use are the determining factors as far as I'm concerned, and the Bostitch N88RH has them all!

Note: Amazon's third-party vendor Grizzly has a nice carry bag that 'just fits' this nailer for around $22 (including the s/h). "Grizzly #H3401 Nail Gun Carrying Bag". It has hand-carrying handles and also a shoulder strap. Great way to protect your tool. Fast delivery, too!

The family had a number of projects to build so we made an investment in the N88RH. Now three of us are completely hooked on this marvelous nailer. In the begining I was suprised at it's size, but the lightness of the unit makes it quite easy to use. We all had carpentry experience, however none of us had ever used an air nailer. The learning curve was very short. Projects can go up very fast.

I bought this nail gun about three months ago to use on a garden shed I am building. I probably didn't need the nail gun just to build the shed, but I thought it might come in handy if I did more projects later. I went through most of three boxes of nails with this thing and it never once misfired. the power is more than adequate and it has made the job much faster. When framing walls with a hammer, everything moves as you swing but with a gun it goes together much better. I give 5 stars because I am completely satisfied with this nail gun.

Rugged, well made. Will twist around today's spiral 2X stock.

I do production framing also called commerical rough framing. Everything has to be done very fast with no time for wasted effort. Ever cut wedges to separate two by 4's? Don't bother with this tool. All you need to do is pound it in till it gets a good bite and twist. A trick we learned from working on trucks is to fit a length of steel pipe over the end for incredible leverage. Also, no more pounding braces off, just twist and take braces of quicker and much safer. On some demo jobs I will walk in with only my Tweaker and take out wmost of the walls. If you frame houses or like taking them apart buy this tool.

Great tool, I've used it several times and it actually does more than I expected. It is a must-have.

for working overhead, or on staging or framing on the jobsite, it's a bit more awkward than a similar stick nailer. Changing nail sizes is a tedious little business, can't be done easily while up on a ladder, for instance, with different coils and different magazine settings while a few clips of stick nails fit easily and quickly in the nail bags. Coils are easily bent or bumped on a busy job, which makes them quite difficult to fit into the nailer. Get the stick version instead.

I purchased this gun about a year and a half ago. I have waited to give my opinion for some time due to the fact that I use this gun constantly, and wanted to see how this gun would preform over an extended period of time before making a recommendation.

This gun has never, ever, let me down. I am in construction and the Hitachi NV83A is my best friend. Sure the gun would periodically jam here and there, open the front loader and remove the nail, end of story. This thing is so durable and honest that it is a pleasure to pick up.

If you are contemplating buying a framing gun... I strongly recommend the Hitachi NV83A.

I work with this gun in South Florida and it is the best gun I have ever used. The specs say this gun holds 2" to 3 1/4" nails, but it also shoots 1 1/2" case hard nails into concrete like a real pro. 2 1/4" case hard nails also work very well. Down here we have all concrete block exterior walls and do quite a lot of furring to attach drywall to. This is the best of about five different makes I have used over the past 20 + years. AAAAA++++ rating.

I just bought this nailer today from Homedepot for $229. I like that it came with the case witch is a big plus. No misfires or jams. nails are pretty eazy to find either at lowes or homedepot.

I have just recently purchased this framing nailer and have been very pleased with it. It is built tough and is very easy to use. I was worried about it being heavy but that isn't the case.

I bought one of these guns back in the beginning of 2004. I have 4 now. It's very well balanced. It drives 3 1/4 nails in lam beams with ease. As long as the preasure is right on the compressor. I like the switch on the trigger for the sequential or bump fire. And then the depth knob on the nose is handy too. I sold off my two Dewalts, two Sencos, and Craftsman framers because I never used them after I got this one. It loads like a Senco from the bottom of slide. Makes for a quick reload. Mine all have cases too which is nice. The only framer I have beside these guns is my Paslode. This gun is the right size with short magazine gets into tight spots. I have only had one problem with one them the drive broke but it was under warranty. If you want a gun that will please and take a beating at good price get this one.

I have a lot of hammers. This is the best. A joy to use. What else can I say.

The art of making a good hammer isn't exactly new. This claw hammer isn't too different therefore from the claw hammers of our fathers or our father's fathers. This hammer does absorb the impact very well, and is very lightweight for its strength. The hammer is made by Stanley, so you know its going to be a good quality construction, but there is really nothing here that is much different from any other hammer. Its not laser guided and doesn't have GPS tracking, but it is reliable when it comes to knocking nails into things.

Amazing hammer. Works like a hot darn. Easy to hold when it gets wet. Packs quite the punch but does not feel awkward. My only complaint is the checkered face on mine wore down very quickly, not a huge deal however. It sure has made the tendonitis clear up in my elbow. Keep up the good work Stanley!

I bought one of these because I dread hand nailing all the nails on a joist hanger. This little palm nailer does the trick!

It's quick, drives all the little hanger nails and the 10 penny ones too. It can even be used to drive that little spike on the hanger to hold the hanger in place before nailing. The unit is fairly light and fits comfortably in the hand. I'll bet I cut the time down to 1/5th verses hand nailing.

The only disadvantage to this tool is the noise. It is loud so you may want to have some hearing protection available.

Well worth the $$$...enjoy!

Bought a N88RH-2MCN and the PN100 came with it (for free).

Works really really well EXCEPT - the manual says it will
drive a 70d nail but nothing close to that size nail will
fit in the tip...called Bostitch a few times - first they
said that tip only comes in a kit (PN100K) and cannot be
purchased separately, then called back and talked to someone
that knew the product - he said that the nose piece for the
larger nails does not exist anywhere and that the engineering
dept was notified and knows of the situation.

This thing will drive any nail that you can get in the nose
piece REALLY REALLY well.

I have driven true 16d (3 1/2 inch long, 0.162" diameter)
all the way into 2x6's and it really works well and is very
quick.

I had a Porter Cable Framing Nailer to build my shop but gave it to Habitat For Humanity when done since I would hardly ever use it in the future. I recently have some little odd jobs to do so thought about a palm nailer. The price on the Bostich is even lower than Harbor Freight's "import". I've only tried it with 6d nails but it works great. You do have to add a 1/4"npt fitting ($0.99). I'm too old to pound nails with a hammer all day so this tool is a great help to me.

I've got a four year old son. I'm confident this hammer will be among his cherished heirlooms.

The "D" shaped head is a great design. With a little practice you can roll the hammer just a touch on that last stroke and set the nail head with the corner. I also get tremendous leverage with the side pull by hooking the nail and pulling forward against the nose as if I were using the claws. This is another place the flat face of the "D" head really shines - That flat edge is a very stable fulcrum.

I hate to admit it but I've driven steel pins into limestone, for concrete forms, with this hammer without so much as a mark on the face to show for the substantial abuse. This hammer is tough!

The balance is just right, the features are clearly designed by and for a real carpenter and Mr. Douglas even managed to make it a work of art fit for a gallery wall. My hat's off to you sir - I believe you may well have arrived at the perfect hammer!

I'll add my own recommendation to the chorus: the Douglas hammer is wonderful. One thing no-one seems to have mentioned is the side nail puller feature. It allows the pulling of nails that are fully clinched! If my Douglas ever breaks (and I have seen one broken head, apparently from misuse), I'd buy another.

I have tried other hammers, Stilletto, Stanley (UGH!), Vaughn, etc. The Douglas is a work of art let alone an well designed tool. The Traction Face is stellar and won't mushroom after repeated wailing on a nail puller. The center nail pull is nothing short of amazing, talk about leverage. Magnetized nail set is very handy, and most of all the polished steel is just sexy. I also have a waffle face for demo work, and an 18 oz finish that is just as nice. American made, and well made at that.

Received my Porter Cable FR350AR framing nailer today. I've been looking a while for a nailer, but didn't want to spend $400-$500. So I thought used would be OK for a tool that would be used for the now and then weekend project. I did the 2 day delivery and it was here at noon the 2nd day (pretty good). When I opened the box the nailer came in a new case which is very nice. What I didn't expect was to find a new nailer! If this nailer was used I couldn't find a scratch on it any wear. It did have a reconditioned label on it. So I kinda feel like I got the full meal deal-----$400 plus nailer for $159 plus some change for shipping. Thanks Amazon

Was a good deal and worked as good as new. Built a 8 x 12 shed from floor to roof and it worked great and saved hours and hours and hours of time. Not to mention several smashed fingers.And I didn't nail my self as my wife feared. I have used it several times sence I built the shed. I didn't realize all the uses for it.

Came with nice case

As advertised, works well. I like it. A great bargain.

The first nailer I recieved didn't work properly, the driver wouldn't retract. I followed the instructions for oil, and used the proper nails but no luck. Amazon's return policy worked flawlessly. They sent me a replacement via FedEx 2nd day and I received a perfectly working nailer that looks as if it has never been used. The price was excellent and I was able to build 85 feet of fencing without a single problem. I think, based on previous reviews that receiving a gun that didn't work was certainly an exception and Amazon did an awesome job of correcting it.

This reconditioned nailer like all my past reconditioned tools that I have brought (22 in all)is Brand New! not a mark on it!
It pays off big time too buy these tools, I shouldn't tell anyone this for fear these tools will sell out too quickly.

I recently purchased the FR350R framing nail gun from Porter-Cable and have found the gun to perform wonderfully. My only complaint was how the reconditioned nail gun arrived with major scratches and no labels. I know this product was reconditioned, but it looked like it was used on a job site for many years performing heavy labor. I would have preferred to spend the extra money to have bought the new tool. I also bought a reconditioned finishing nail gun from Porter-Cable that performed perfectly as well, only that the finishing nail gun appeared brand new upon arrival.

About 6 mo. ago I bought the A-Square to remodel my basement. With the first room I framed I quickly found that the A-Square made the process so fast and easy to that I can not believe it. The A-Square completely eliminates the need to have a helper. It also makes my work more accurate.

If there is only one tool you purchase for your remodeling jobs you need to get this one. It will pay for it self the first time you use it!

This tool was so great I recently bought their folding framing square. Not only is it COOL but it is the best saw guide I have ever used!

Every book I have read for pointers on building a deck told me to use a 3,4,5 triangle to square my deck. Well, if you have ever tried to do a 3,4,5 with two tapes you would find it is impossible to do with any accuracy, let alone any speed. I found the Asquare made this incredibly fast, easy and accurate. It was also helpful in the layout of the jogs I designed into my deck. As far as I'm concerned, the quality and appearance if my new deck is largely do to the Asquare (Thank you Asquare!)

Best of all the Asquare folds to a stick to easily store for my next project! I can't speak highly enough about it.

As novice diy'ers, remodeling our bathroom was a major undertaking. However, with the help of the Asquare the "frustration factor" was minimal. The Asquare made it easy to measure and place floor and wall tiles! It also came in handy as a straight edge for cutting wallpaper and aligning measure markings. It's big enough you can't loose it, and it folds small enough so it can be stored out of the way!