Boys,
I need some advice on a pinner or brad gun.
Pros. Cons.
I’m getting tired of pounding little tiny nails with a little hammer.

John, just about any 18 gauge brad gun will do, go for the cheapest. I have several, from $29 specials to top of the line makes. They all do a good job afterall they are only driving a small ‘brad’, don’t need a high tech 'machine.
My 2 cents

Pinner is headless and works for our detaik\ling work, but use with glue for lasting hold. Pins are as small as 1/2".
Brads are headed nails great up to 2" and down to 3/4" glue is optional but recommended.
I use both. Mine are a 16 guage brad gun and a 23 guage pinner.

John, you might want to invest in an 18 gauge brad nailer. Sort of in between the 16 gauge and the pinner, lots of them on the market for dirt cheap and most of them work well. They will 'shoot anything between 5/8 and 2"

I have both, and use them both. Trestles, track and stuff I use the brad nailer. Smaller things like cars and buildings get the pinner.

…winking…

I have both but if I could have only one I’d choose the brad nailer. The pin nailer is great for tight little places and to hold things in alignment while the glue dries but has virtually no permanent holding power on its own except to provide shear strength for a glued joint. If the glue fails the headless pins won’t hold things together.

The brads in the brad nailer have heads on them and can be used for jobs both with and without glue. Much more versatile that way. The brads are usually 18 gauge and available in lengths as short as 1/2" depending on the particular brad nailer you get. Be sure and check the size ranges on any you contemplate buying to be sure it’ll do what you need.

I disagree on buying the cheapest tool available in any category. Long run and on average you will get better service and longer life from a quality tool. Note that quality doesn’t always mean the most expensive but cheap is seldom ever anything but…cheap. My brad nailer is a Porter Cable and I’ve never had a regret buying it. Senco is an excellent brand also but a bit more expensive than a similar Porter Cable and I don’t believe it’s any better. Of course you might get lucky now and then off the bargain counter. Take a chance…it’s up to you.

I use a Grex 23ga pinner, a Craftsman 18ga brad nailer, and a Senco Accuset 18ga stapler. The pinner shoots fasteners from 3/8" to 1 1/4"; the brad nailer shoots fasteners from 3/8" to 1 3/8"; the stapler shoots fasteners from 1/2" to 1 1/2" long. Each of these tools has specific uses, and I do not consider that they are interchangeable.

As to buying the cheapest, that’s fine if you are not building much precision into whatever you need to fasten. The major difference between more expensive brand name nailers and the cheaper Harbor Freight variety is both in the length range, and (especially) in the accuracy of where and how the nail is placed. For modeling work, it’s critical to know exactly where the nail is being driven, and that it’s not going to come out the side of the joint or be driven into your fingers that are holding the target items.

My Grex pinner is the most accurate, and gets the most use on models. While the headless pins do require glued joints, they require very little in the way of finishing. The brad nailer is a good general purpose tool, but the headed nails usually need some finish work to hide them. The 18ga nails also tend to split the wood more than the 23ga pins. I use the stapler for fastening larger, rougher use items like carrying cases and infrastructure items where the accuracy and appearance are not so critical.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

I’m a sucker for air nailers…

From Senco I have a framing nailer, a 16 gauge brad nailer, an 18 gauge brad nailer, and a 16 gauge stapler. The two brad nailers and the stapler came in a special package from Home Depot 3-4 years ago. I picked up a Grex 23 gauge headless pinner at ECLSTS about 3 years ago and the framing nailer last spring for a major repair job on the house.

I use them all and agree with everything said here except the “go with cheapest” advice. Senco is a good economy brand that can often be found on sale. They each have a specific purpose. Once you’ve used a nailer of any sort you’ll never go back.

BTW, the framing nailer scares the crap out of me - but not quite as bad as the Ramset gunpowder fired nailer

Thanks for the info.
I picked up a Grex 18 gauge brad gun.

I use cedar, for the most part, on my buildings. Including individual board and batten. They are glued and then nailed with tiny nails. I use a dremel to pre drill a hole for the nail so they won’t split.

How do I keep from splitting these pieces with a brad gun or pinner?

talking about brad guns…

how much pressure does one use with them?

John Bouck said:
Thanks for the info. I picked up a Grex 18 gauge brad gun.

I use cedar, for the most part, on my buildings. Including individual board and batten. They are glued and then nailed with tiny nails. I use a dremel to pre drill a hole for the nail so they won’t split.

How do I keep from splitting these pieces with a brad gun or pinner?

John,

I’ve never had any problem with splitting when I use my pinner, but my pins are in the neighborhood of 20-22g.

John with the 18 guage brads you shouldn’t have much splitting if any the brad drives so fast it’s not like driving one in with a hammer. Experiment with pressures and materials before you start on a project

Korm Kormsen said:
talking about brad guns...

how much pressure does one use with them?

Korm,
Just grab a piece or two of scrap wood and try it out. For cedar siding of about 1/8" thick into a backing start with around 65# and adjust from there. Also you’ll get a “feel” for the gun. Try to hold the gun with consistent pressure and take your time. You’re not on a high speed production line, it’s a hobby.

Richard Smith said:
[i][/i]Try to hold the gun with consistent pressure and take your time. You're not on a high speed production line, it's a hobby. ;)

Back when we actually built houses at my work (now we buy pre-fab modules) the project managers always complained about the framers and their nailers. They would shoot so many toe nails into a stud that it would all but disintegrate. When the sheet rockers came through, half of the studs would push right out :(

Most nailers offer either a rapid fire trigger or a single shot. For both safety and accuracy all of mine are set to single shot.

Richard Smith said:
You're not on a high speed production line, it's a hobby. ;)

Yep!

thanks, Richard.
i bought that thing about four months ago, and am shy to use it.
but now i’ll have to. itst time for trestle-building.

18 gauge brad nailer is the way to go. I have built a tressel and several buildings with it and did not use any glue. These have held up for several years without falling apart. If you mind the small holes the nail heads leave just fill them up with any type of wood hole filler and give them a light sanding. When you paint over them they dissappear.

Big John

When it comes to glue, I’m very anal.
Use a good quality and lots of it!
Then use the fasteners after that.

My new gun is on the way.
Now I have to get a small pancake compressor and a hose.

Who makes the quietest oil-less compressor?

You do when you put it in a seperate area. And unless you oil your new gun through the air connection on a regular basis it will rust inside from the moisture caused by the compressed air. They do make inline oilers for this reason.