Haven't a clue which nailer you are talking about but in my opinion..
Harbor Freight = Chinese Junk.

 

you never know, its probly fine. usually the really craptastic stuff from HF is the under $5 stuff. ive had a lot of good luck with them, but gotten a few real turds too.

 

It depends on what you're going to do with it.

If you're going to use it every weekend (or everyday, for that matter) you'd be better off saving your pennies and buying a good one.

If this is for a one-time project, buy it.

I use HF tools only when I wont need it a lot.

I also cringe at the thought of giving those chi-com midget b------s any more money.

 

Probably 90% or so of the stuff we all but is 'Chinese junk'. Heck, look at the parts that go into many 'American-Made' goods.

I've purchased several items from HF and find them just fine for their intended purpose.

 

Im leary of buying staright up cheap chinese junk. Its hard to not do these days, but I dont where ever I can.

Case in point...

I needed tail light circuit boards for my truck. The cheap chinese knock offs (chevy doesnt make them anymore) have a life time warranty and cost 25 bucks. Had to replace one of them about every two weeks like clock work. Finally broke down and bought a couple of OEM ones from a salvage yard (my mechanic found them) for about 40.00 each used but in like new shape and I havent had to replace them in 3 years so far.

Bottom line is often times you get what you pay for...

 

i try to stick with American made tools (pro carpenter) but it is near impossible to find ANY tool still made in USA currently (Maybe Duofast or Spotnail or Max), even the "Name brand" nailers ...Senco, Paslode, Dewalt, Craftsman, Bostitch are made in Mexico or China. Some of the other brands such as Hitatchi and Makita i think are still made in Japan....that being said i own several older USA nailers, Name brand imports and a "Central Pnematic" (Harbor Freight) Framing nailer. With the "CP" nailer once i got the correct wire weld nails at the correct angle (not Senco type paper strip) it worked great and did surprisingly pretty good. If you keep it oiled up it should last for at least several jobs....@ $75 if it lasts 1 year it has paid its dues. I would say buy American but i don't that is an option any longer.

 

As you already know be real carefull about buying from HF...IMO go to Menards get a Bostitch or any other name brand.....

 

I bought one to build a large cabin with. It was the one that uses 3 different angles on the nails. Worked great and nailed off the plywood, beams, studs ect and for the price I figured if it would last till I was done it was OK. I still have it a few years later. A lot of there stuff is plain junk and the compressor died just as I finished the cabin. Nail gun mayby but most stuff is junk from them. Mark

 

buy used old bostich equipment from pawnshop and rebuild with a rebuild kit, if you bargain well you end up with a quality commercial grade tool fo half price.

 

Not sure about the nail gun, but I built an aluminum airplane called a Sonex using one of their air drills and a air rivet gun. I drilled 40,000 holes and popped 12,000 rivets without a hitch. Air tool oil after every use and they are still good to go.

 

Does that plane fly with 28,000 holes still in it??:

 

I have a framing nail gun from HF. It has served me well for the last 2 years and made it thru framing a garage. I bought it because at that time it was what I could afford.

Craig

 

China can/does make good quality these days... Don't be too quick to discount the HF tools as they most likely come from the same factory that makes most of the name brands... Times are changing, japan went thru the same evolution years ago!

That being said, these are not contractor grade build quality tools IMO...

I have had several HF power tools and they dont have any issues for my occasional use! (I have a portable band saw and a belt sander that feel really solid)

 

I hv a HF brad nailer and hv had it for about 4 yrs

I use it about 5 times a yr

If i was a contractor Id buy the more expensive but the HF suits my needs most of the time

hell if it breaks Ill go get another at 19.99

why spend the money if you dont hv to

I also buy used tools all the time

 

Actually you'd be supprized.



Generally with many things in the past it was true , but here's the deal .
Buy the tool for the job at hand even get the extended warrentee , they are good for it believe me,. Use the tool ,take care of it proper oiling and dry air pressures and nails. If you have finished the job successfully and are putting things away..
Any air tool no matter how much you pay for it is susseptible to water from the compressed air , so when you put it away make sure it is dry inside ,and stays dry. and oiled . water lifts oil away. I've done repairs on all kinds of tools. Air nailers do not like to be dry fired played with. part of their longjevity is the drivin of the nail . dead bottoming out is the killer.
A little advise on air ,
Fillters put on the tank is a waste of time and investment . Compressed air loosess it's moisture as it cools, either by refridgeration or by the drop in pressure. I've let the air out of tanks with large vaklves and watched ice bullets fly out being formed right at the tip of the valve .
Minimal effeciency, put a 20' hose from the tank to the filter, then your working line. "The more oppurtunity you provide the air to cool in the line the more water you will harvest out of the air. simple as that.
Humidity levels in your area change so will the water in the line, coastal area are the worst.
I do not like automatic stuff , it often fails , and if you are not in the habbit of checking things , bigger dissappointments are ahead. All of my air tools still work very well . I have both expensive IR and cheap HF , both have their place . As far as nailers go harbor freight has he best price on nails if it the size you need , Nails are NOT genaric, Just keep that in mind choosing a gun.

 

even i remember when people said "dont buy cheap japanese junk."

 

My experience with harbor freight tools is that they are higher value tools than anything I have ever used.

Sure they suck, but they work!! I bet you could break 5 of those nailers before it would add up to a bostich or a dewalt. For non professionals HF tools kick all out ass. I have 5 times the tool diversity because of HF. If I break any of them I dont care. I will just go buy another.

Their hand tools have a lifetime warranty that is easier to use than sears.

I actually have a tool set in my Xterra that I paid about 150 bucks for that would have been 5-700 bucks in craftsman tools.

 

You know you can go to thier web site and read reviews of the products. With that said., I recently bought a ton of stuff from them to work on my IH Scout.
Paid 93.00 for a throatless shear. A US made Beverly Shear would have set me back over 400.00!!!!!!
For the DIYer HF will suite your needs just read the reviews.
Another note. I recently picked up an electric 1/2 drive impact gun from them for about 30 some dollars. I found basically the same thing at autozone for 70 some dollars. Funny thing is they are both made in China and look exactly the same.
I was at sears yesterday and saw a paint gun that looked just like the HVLP one that I picked up from HF for 9.00. The craftsman one was made in china too and was just like my cheap HF one but cost well over 4 times as much

 

i have used Porter-Cable FR350 professionally for the last 10 years and love them, rebuilt ones are not that expensive and most PC dealers have them.

 

I have a HF clipped head framing nailer that I bought over 10 years ago. I haven't had any problems with it.

 

I have the framing nailer and half the time it shoots out two nails at a time and they only go in 3/4 of the way. Not sure if its the gun or the nails i bought from HF.

 

Check your air pressure and make sure you put a few drops of air tool oil in the end of the nailer before you connect the hose. Double feed can mean it's dry. Improper depth can be because the pressure is too low.:thumb:

 

Sometimes the Craftsman product looks the same as the one at HF. I use HF tools for light work. I never depend on them. Buy good tools, sometimes used older american made tools can be had for garage sale prices, if you look.
Never sell your tools. They can make you money doing handyman work. No tools=no work usually.

 

HF air tools and most of there tools are not bad at all i have two air nailers they work great have had for 3yrs.

 

I use to take my guns to be repaired at Nations Rent. One time while I was there the repair tech told me that almost all the guns he repaired were because they were not oiled. He said he just took them apart and oiled them. After telling me this he said he always just packed my guns up and sent them back to the factory to be refurbished because they were just plain wore out. I oiled every time I used them and usually brought them in with some broken metal part. Moral is oil your guns when you use them and they most likely will keep on working.

 

I put up a 300 ft fence using one of their nail guns. No problems with it at all.

 

I got a HF 4-inch grinder and an air drill that's worked well for a few years... and that's about it. I had sheetmetal shears, an air chisel, and a few other tools that came apart after very little use. I had two hydraulic jacks; one was okay, the other would bleed down. Their quality control is nonexistent, so it's a crapshoot. I still get things like welding clamps and other odds and ends from them, but when it comes to real tools, I keep learning over and over again they're like quality guns and field gear: you pay more up front, but you buy it once and it lasts forever.