Porter-Cable Reviews

I bought a new Bostitch N80CB framing nailer from Amazon, then had difficulty finding a local source of coil nails here in Silicon Valley. So I ordered these nails from Amazon also.

The nails come in two coils of 200 nails each, in a corrugated cardboard box. There is no other packaging, and my coils were a bit squashed after shipping. I had to unwind the full 200 nail coil and rewind it to fit smoothly around the spindle of my nailer.

How did the nails work? Very well, after recoiling. I had no jams; no problems at all. A couple of cardboard cores to keep the coils from getting squashed in transit would help a bunch. I might well have had some feed problems if I hadn't straightened out the connecting wires before loading, so I deducted one star. But the price is decent, and Amazon's free shipping can't be topped.

These galvanized roofing nails really did the trick on my roof. They fit exactly in the gun and fired cleanly into the roof.

I've purchased quite a few reconditioned tools, and had excellent luck. This item brings one point to my attention. These items sometimes do not come in the original manufactures shipping carton, and possibly these items can damage themselves due to there size and weight.

Another thing to note, the replacement saw (again a reconditioned one) runs perfect.

This is a great drill for serious DIY. It has enough power for all but largest hole drilling using hole saws and more than enough for driving tasks. The battery charges very quickily and last a long time.

Air cooled engines like this one aren't necessarily designed to last forever, so if it is indeed reconditioned, I would want to know how many running hours the generator had, and what warranty exists or remains.

This generator at Amazon has the prefered Vanguard series engine, while not quite as good as a Honda GX series, there is nothing wrong with the Vanguard series engine. Lowes and Home Depot sell only the lesser model Briggs engines. This might be a good deal but be aware of what it is you are getting.

Also find out if the wheels are included, and understand any potential shipping restrictions as well.

First read the reviews for the new version of this gun! Then realize - (from the functionality of the tool's design) -there's no difference between new and reconditioned.. so the tools should work virtually the same.. And practically speaking, i assume Amazon.com is gonna stand behind either..

So the real question is: "is it a good gun?"

From the reviews you will get the idea that some people loved it, and some hated it.. depends on the user.. you're not going to find rave reviews on this thing.. but My goodness, it's not also supposed to slice bread, brew coffee or do your job for you!! it is just a finish nailer!!

Yes, in my opinion, it is a good gun. It is a basic gun, some say it is not as smooth as the Senco FP32 FinishPro (though i have never used that Senco), but for the DIYer what more do you want? Toolsofthetrade.com rated it "best" in the straight-magazine catagory. It clears jams easy (yes, if you drive a nail into a metal hard object it will bend it back into any gun) it is easy use, balanced, light, strong, and dependable.

After a couple years, I have shot thousands of nails through it, without trouble. I haven't noticed the variability in depth as others (i think that it is more dependent on wood density rather than the gun deciding on its own to shoot stronger or weaker regardless of the setting) The nails hold good enough for me and they get countersunk good enough every time. I typically only shoot a couple dozen nails and then put it away. So for me i am glad i didn't invest the money into another gun. Yet, i can't say that it is the best finish nailer and that you can't get one better or cheaper.. but it works good enough.

So, if you are just going to use it occasionally on a project every once and a while, then spend the money on the tools that matter to you and save the money on this nailer by getting it reconditioned or getting the new PC FN250 in the compressor combo kit. If you buy the PC FN250 new, compare it to the Senco FN32 and i think the Senco has an edge on the PC (other than the stupid crumby grips that Senco puts on their tools)[and what's up with that?]

However, if you are looking to have the gun in your hand 4+ hrs a day or hang trim for a living you might as well spend the money and get the Max NF 550, Hitachi NT65AA, or Senco SFN 40K.

I have been shopping around for a good framing gun lately, and came across this beauty. My priorities were, in order; round head nailer, lightweight, good features like adjustable depth of drive, etc. and of course, price. if that seems like a good list of priorities for you, this is a great gun. Espescially reconditioned at this price, and it ships for free! After three weeks of use, it is doing great. A co-worker has one that he has been using for a few years that he still really enjoys.

the only drag to it is the somewhat cumbersome overall size. But it is lightweight and the allen key for the depth of drive is onboard (safely).
Overall a great gun for the money, even at the regular price.

For years I have been using P-C biscuits in my woodworking projects. Since I work with alot of 3/4" - 5/4" wood, I use #20 biscuits more than the smaller #10 and #00, but I have found that these #10 biscuits excell at reinforcing mitered corners.

I have not had any significant amount of "bad" biscuits from Porter-Cable. There is an occasional thick one - meaning it either didn't get compressed as it should have or it swelled from moisture - but these are few and far between.

Basically, I have had nothing but good luck with these so I highly recommend them!

For years I have been using these P-C biscuits for building tabletops and panels in various furniture projects. Since I work with alot of 3/4" - 5/4" wood, I use these #20 biscuits more than the smaller #10 and #00.

I have not had any significant amount of "bad" biscuits from Porter-Cable. There is an occasional thick one - meaning it either didn't get compressed as it should have or it swelled from moisture - but these are few and far between.

Basically, I have had nothing but good luck with these so I highly recommend them!

I have owned a Porter-Cable "Bammer" for over 5 years now and I remain well pleased with its performance. I am a do-it-yourselfer primarily using the nailer for basic home remodeling and woodworking in my garage shop. I have used mine to hang all types of moldings and casings throughout my house and friends' houses, as well as to attach moldings to furniture projects in the shop. The worst "problem" I have ever had with this nail gun is a feed/jam, which was easily cleared (it has only happened once or twice).

As for the fuel cells: They are a great value for the benefit they afford - portable power nailing without a compressor. The only drawback I have found to these fuel cells is that you must remove them if you will not be using your Bammer for an extended period of days/weeks. If you do not, all of the fuel will slowly seep out and your fuel cell will be empty when you next need it!

Bottom Line: If you read and follow the instructions, and take your time with this tool, I see no reason why you cannot have as much success with it as I have.