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For this room we used a Bostitch pneumatic stapler. My technique was to use a lighter hit intially to get the nail started. It would seem to splinter the tongues on the hardwoods every once and a while. This caused the staples to not go all the way in. Also, there were no damaged tongues, every nail was set at just the right depth.
The other issue we ran into with the pneumatic stapler was damaged tongues. This did not work so well. They could not be set with a punch after either. I did use a little WD-40 after every 10-15 rows to keep it lubricated though.The only issue was with the handle on the hammer. The first room we did was a 330sq foot dining room.
Two good hits after that and the nail was seated. I am so happy we bought the Porta-Nails manual nailer. It took less time to lay the floor with the manual nailer as we didn't have to stop every row and fix a staple. This happened at least once per row.
I'm not sure if it was because of the staples or the stapler though.For the kitchen we purchased the Porta-Nails Manual floor nailer based on the reviews here. I wore a pair of gloves for the process though and remained blister free.I give this nailer 5-stars for what it is. We recently put down hardwoods in two rooms totaling 700sq feet. This job went from stressful to easy.Because it is a manual nailer you do have to swing alot more than a pneumatic nailer. However, if you let the weight of the hammer do the work for you it is not all that tiresome. The ratcheting mechanism worked great, no issues with jams or it failing to return after seating a nail. For the entire 370sq foot kitchen, there was only 1 mis-nail. It cost me $100 to rent the pneumatic stapler for a weekend.
The main issue was the stapler would bounce off the floor when the actuator was hit with the hammer. For the $200 the Porta-Nailer cost me I got a stress free hardwood floor instalation, and I get to keep it for other nailing projects. The difference was unbelievable. That mis-nail was due to the nail hitting the top of one of the underlayement nails. The polished wood surface was a blister waiting to happen with the extra nailing required because it is a manual nailer. I highly recommend this nailer.
This is a rock solid floor nailer. I strongly recommend it.The company has an excellent support staff. When my nailer needed maintenance, I emailed the company, and very quickly got a phone call from a person who diagnosed what repair parts I needed, and shipped them quickly. A great tool, from a great company.
I bought the face nailer accessory to help with that. I bought this to install tongue and groove solid oak hardwood flooring in my dining room. After using this for a week, I can say I am thoroughly satisfied and proud of the job I did. As anyone who has done this can tell you, the toughest part is the first few rows an last few rows. The price for professional installation would have been double what I spent on the materials. Using the nailer is not too difficult, but it takes a little practice to get in the groove.
It is hard to hold the nailer steady to do the face nailing. It was a trial to see if I want to tackle more of the house on my own. It worked pretty good, but took some time and practice. I like the fact that when you pound the nails in, you do not have to do it all in one swing. The plunger does not come up until you drive the nail all the way into the wood. Overall, I am pleased with the purchase, and look forward to doing more and saving money.
If you don't mind putting in a little sweat equity, this is a great way to add value to your home.
HOWEVER. I used this hammer to lay 400 sqft of 2-1/4" T&G oak flooring. The face nailing shoe doesn't really work, because the nailer bounces off the nail after the first blow. I had no problems with the tool while blind nailing. The finished floor is nice and tight, no gaps. I recommend using a pneumatic finishing nailer instead for face nailing. The plastic case is really flimsy and won't last a week.
We are remodling an old farm house, and have already installed over 900 sq. ft. of 3/4" solid oak flooring with this nailer and we still have more to go.
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