Have
you seen the July issue of Fine
Homebuilding magazine? If not, you’ve got to check out the “Tool Test”
article on cordless finish nailers because the Paslode 16 gauge cordless angled finish nailer receives the Author’s
Choice Best Overall tool award, if you’re a subscriber you can also check
it out online at www.finehomebuilding.com.
(Also check out the “How It Works” column in this issue, we provided the writer
with a cordless finish nailer as visual aide to his explanation of how a
fuel-powered cordless nailer works.)
Associate
Editor Patrick McCombe put thirteen cordless 15- and 16-gauge finish nailers to
the test, and we mean to the test. He
tested nailer power by making a sandwich of 5/4 white oak, 1/2” drywall and 2x4
studs, he mocked up white-pine molding to test visibility and splitting, and
milled strips of pine and white oak of 1/8” to 5/16” thickness to test the depth-of-drive
adjustment.
He
tested both Paslode’s straight and angled 16g cordless finish nailers and had
this to say: “Paslode has had 25 years to perfect its cordless nailers, now in
their third generation, and it shows. Both versions can easily handle the
densest materials used in my testing. The depth of drive is consistent and
sensitive, making it the best countersinking tool in the group. This isn’t the
lightest nailer, yet it’s well-balanced and easy to handle. I also really liked
that Paslode fuel is available at every lumberyard and home center I checked.”
Finally,
when it came down to picking the winner, Patrick put it this way: “The Paslode
has a better depth-of-drive control, and its fuel is widely available, making
it my top pick.”
Why
did Paslode’s angled finish nailer win out over the straight one? Author
preference. As Patrick writes: “I prefer angled magazines because they provide
a better line of sight to the business end of a nailer. This is especially
noticeable when you’re working overhead or in tight locations.”
That’s
one man’s opinion. We’d love to hear which you prefer angled or straight?