Had to pick between the framing nailer and the old hammer on a budget job

I was working a deck rebuild near Austin last month and my budget only let me buy one new tool. I chose the nail gun over my usual hammer - big mistake. Ended up wasting two hours fixing jams and misfires, and the customer saw me struggling from her window.

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan.charlie25d ago

Nailers are fine if you know how to clear a jam in 15 seconds.

theabarnes25d ago

Seventy percent of jams come from people using cheap nails that don't match the tool, plain and simple. @morgan.charlie is right that clearing jams fast is key, but most folks don't even bother to read the gauge. I've watched guys wrestle a jammed nailer for five minutes when it's just a single bent nail in the feed. Grab the right ones and that 15 second fix is actually realistic.