Experience with 23 gauge pin nailers?

[Esteban]

I am considering buying a 23 gauge pin nailer to make building my teardrop and its cabinets easier. I like that the small pins are nearly invisible. I think many times they may be used when gluing parts together instead of multitudes of clamps. The pin nailer I'm considering buying is a Hitachi np35a for $89.99 from Amazon.com. It will drive pins from 5/8" to 1-3/8" long. I may use the short pins to attach 1/8" plywood. I'd use longer pins for cabinet work.
amazon.com/Hitachi-NP35A-23-Gauge-Micro-Nailer for $89.99

Amazon has more affordable pin nailers too:
amazon.com/Freeman-PP123-Gauge-1-Inch-Pinner for $53.10
amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-PIN100-2-Inch-1-Inch-23-Gauge for $69.99
amazon.com/NuMax-SP123-Gauge-1-Inch-Pinner for $27.95

What is your experience with pin nailers? Good, bad, indifferent? Is there one you would recommend? I want one that is better quality than a typical Harbor Freight tool. Highly rated Grex pinners, OTOH, are way too precious for my needs.






I want one that is better quality than a Harbor Freight tool...which might be "good enough" for short term use.


edit: I already have a Hitachi 18 gauge brad nailer and a Milwaukee 1/4" narrow crown stapler. The 1/4" stapler is very good for attaching things that will get covered up later. The staples are too unsightly for exposed finish work. I like that a 23 gauge pin nailer can be used for finish work where the tiny pins become "invisible" to the naked eye. I will use the 18 gauge brad nailer where more strength is needed and seeing a small nail head would be OK.

I have a home remodeling project coming up in the future with plenty of finish trim work so I want to buy a good quality tool for both projects. For the teardrop project I think a pin nailer will be very helpful to attach 1/8" (or 1/4") plywood that will be fully exposed and varnished.

[Gary and Cheri]

I personally own Rigid (Home Depot) pin nailers in 23 and 18 gauge. 18 gauge is more versatile with a wider range of nails which are not that much more visible than the 23 gauge. 23 gauge is a finishing nailer ans is less visible, but if I were buying only one nailer it would be an 18.

I own 3 18 gauge pin nailers of various brand names and there is a big difference between cheap and the $100 nailer. That said they both work. The pricier nailers don't jam as much and cause less %#$@%*&!

Gary

[coop74]

I have both sizes of the Riged on as well and the work fine... just dont go nailing happy... it makes the work quick however.

[Esteban]

just dont go nailing happy... it makes the work quick however.

Yes, I did very happily entertain myself by using far more 1/4" staples than necessary to attach 1/4" plywood for the outside walls, I later fiberglassed and will paint, to my structural framework. Quick, easy and VERY FUN.

[kayakdlk]

I have not had good experience with finish nail guns on 1/8" plywood. They usually pull right through, especially if there is any slight pressure or warp in the panel. The 2" nails in either 16 or 18 gauge work great to hold together 1x2 face frames for cabinets while the glue dries. I own a Sears 16 gauge and Bostich 18 gauge both work fine.

I ended up using the Kreg screws for most of my cabinet face frames and hatch spars on my teardrop build, and I think they were more sturdy and held in place better than the nails

Dan

[Esteban]

I have a Kreg kit too. Used them extensively. If I were to buy a new pocket hole tool I would buy the less expensive Harbor Freight one made from aluminum which gets very good reviews at LumberJocks.

Getting off topic, I may buy pre-made cabinet doors and drawers. Not big box cr@p, but ones from a quality specialty cabinet shop. The cost is somewhat higher but the quality control is much higher than I can achieve at home and it may save quite a bit of time and the added expense for tools I may not have an ongoing need for. This is still to be decided. I have a lot of work to do to "finish" my teardrop in time to go to IRG this summer. So I am looking for prudent shortcuts that do not diminish quality. One short cut I have definitely decided on is to buy Frank Bear doors instead of making my own.

Now back to 23 gauge pin nailers...

[halfdome, Danny]

I've had a Senco 23 gauge headless pin nailer for about 10 years and got tired of all the problems.
I now have a GREX that shoots from 1/2" up to 1 3/4".

It'll set you back about $275 but I feel it's worth it because of all the features it offers.
One feature I like is you don't have to select what size pin your inserting into the gun, just put the pins it in.
I also like the swivel air fitting for getting the hose out of the way to get into difficult spots of a project.
The safety release is right at the trigger.
It has parts that protect you projects from dents and nail gun evidence, a very well thought out gun.
It has a spot to hang it on a belt too to free up your hands while climbing on a ladder etc.
GREX has other gauge guns too.

Nail guns aren't what they use to be.
My U.S.A made paslode 16 gauge nailer and narrow crown staple gun I bought in 1974 have never been repaired and still work great.

Both SENCO & GREX are made in Taiwan but the GREX has had great reviews in a lot of the woodworking magazines I check out from my local library.
The general rule is your fastener should be at least twice the thickness as the material your nailing so get the one that will work for your use.
23 gauge pins will make shiners more than a 18 gauge gun so keep that in mind when shooting so a shiner doesn't get a finger.
When there is a chisel end on a nail point, the nail will shine the way of the chisel point, position the gun so it will go into adjoining material and away from your fingers.
The nail is only a temporary means to hold two pieces together until the glue sets so don't machine gun your project.
Danny

[Esteban]

Danny, you are a dangerous influence dangling the best tools in our face. The Grex is too pricy for my needs. Do I WANT one, sure why not, if money were no object. You're a pro and buying pro quality tools makes sense because your time is money and breakdowns lead to lost time. My needs are a step or two lower. I want a good quality tool that will last for years of medium to light duty.

I think the Hitachi pin nailer self adjusts to pins from 5/8" to 1-3/8". That is all the range I anticipate needing. I most likely will buy Grex pins.

One of the reasons I want a pinner is to cut down on glue set up and clamping time. Another is to be able to pin and glue 1/8" plywood to my framework and have no visible nail heads showing through a varnished finish. I think a pinner will save me many hours of time. It might help me complete my teardrop weeks earlier than I otherwise would.

[KCStudly]

I have a cheap Husky stapler/pin nailer. Don't. It is horrendous in that it does not regulate well at all. In order to reliably shoot pin nails or staples it must be set to bury the anvil into the wood leaving a big wide dent.

Granted I don't have any experience with a nice pin nailer, but what little experience I have indicates that the clamps do a much better job of getting nice secure joints, wheres the pin nails don't seem to do much more than align. They are not clamps and have little clamping effect, in my brief experience.

I do have a much nicer Bostitch finish nailer, but it shoots bigger ammo.

[doug hodder]

On the last trailer, my 16 year old Bostitch died so I got a new one. I picked up one of those deals that you can get at Christmas at Home Depot. I knew I needed a stapler, but then when the brad nailer died I needed 2 tools. I got a nail gun, brad nailer and a stapler all for something like 90$....had to send the stapler back as it died on the first load of staples, but they did get me a new one really quickly. The new one works fine. LIke the above post, it's a Husky. I went cheap, ....hope they all hold together at least till I feel I got my moneys worth out of them. I've maybe run 1K staples through it. I'd just cough up the dough and get the good one if I had it to do over. For a tip on shooting staples into 1/8" luan. I cut up a load of sacrificial strips of the same material and place them under the gun and then shoot the staple. The extra 1/8" gives the staple some cushion and it won't blow through the substrate you are trying to staple.

A pin nailer is a great tool, I just smear a blob of epoxy on the piece and whack it with the nailer, at least for the unseen items. Doug

[Esteban]

A pin nailer is a great tool, I just smear a blob of epoxy on the piece and whack it with the nailer, at least for the unseen items. Doug

Doug, for unseen items my 1/4" narrow crown stapler works very well. The crown (bridge?) keeps the staple from blowing through 1/8" plywood. It does leave a divot. If I am going to cover it with another layer of plywood that is fine as the divot will be hidden. With the pneumatic stapler I could attach nearly a whole sheet of 1/4" plywood quickly while glue was wet. The narrow crown staples had a considerable clamping force to secure the plywood and glue to my framework. After a lot of slow tedious work to get to that point it was very satisfying. With staples there was no need for an sacrificial strip of luan to nail through. After the glue dried I fiberglassed the wall which filled in most of the divots. Any that were not fully filled I filled up with a mixture of epoxy and micro balloons. My walls are to be painted so the beauty of the plywood did not matter much.

I am leaning heavily towards pulling the trigger for the Hitachi pin nailer for finish work. Have wanted one for a long time. Will try to have some self restraint for a few more days.


With a pin nailer, a brad nailer, and a narrow crown stapler I will have most pneumatic tool bases covered. The Kreg pocket hole tool and a biscuit joiner nicely round out my options for joining wood.


Edit: I ordered the Hitachi pinner and a combo pack of Grex pins. Celebrate

[halfdome, Danny]

Danny, you are a dangerous influence dangling the best tools in our face. The Grex is too pricy for my needs. Do I WANT one, sure why not, if money were no object. You're a pro and buying pro quality tools makes sense because your time is money and breakdowns lead to lost time. My needs are a step or two lower. I want a good quality tool that will last for years of medium to light duty.

Not trying to pick on you, but this reminds me of the following quote I use to see on the wall at Baskin & Robbins 31 Flavors.
BTW: I'm retired and money is tight but I've always tried to buy quality over a cheap price.
I have 2 ,six dollar, Harbor Freight 3" pneumatic cut off tools that are proof of "junk at a cheap price". Danny

There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey.

John Ruskin

[Esteban]

Danny, the Hitachi NP35A pin nailer gets very good reviews at Amazon and elsewhere. Many from professionals, some of whom have shot (many) thousands of pin nails. With Grex brand pins I anticipate no jamming, or at least it will be very rare. It seems like a good value for a well built tool that I expect to use for many years. I think it will save me a considerable amount of time and money (because I can do more of the finish work on the house renovation myself).

[Woodbutcher]

I have been using a Porter Cable for about 15 years with no issues and at least 75K pins driven with the same driver. All the rest of my pneumatic tools are Senco. Great tools also.

[Esteban]

The Hitachi pinner was delivered today. I also bought an assortment of Grex 23 gauge pins. The tool looks nice and seems well built. Probably, by this weekend I'll try it out. Really want to see how well it works with 1/8" birch plywood. Hope the pins work well and are as "invisible" as advertised. I'll make a sample board and may try varnishing it too. I'll share my results after the test.

edit: don't know how a thumbs down icon got included in my (first version of my ) post. It was not intentional. I removed it and added a thumbs up in its place.