hitachi nr83a2 vs bostitch f21pl

[tucker]

I am looking at selling a bunch of my old bostitch wire weld nailers to upgrade to some newer guns with quick depth adjustment and something that shoots 21 degree collated nails. I prefer the wire weld for handling, but the collated nails are considerably more cost effective from my local suppliers. I am not going through another year of using a tool for depth adjustment.

Either way I am looking at these 2 guns.

http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-NR83A2...tachi+nail+gun

vs.

http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Bostit...=bostitch+21pl

No local stores stock these guns so I have to order them without picking them up in hand. Does anyone use either one of these guns and have any pros or cons they can share? The bostitch bosts that it can shoot hangers or strapping...can this hitachi be used for hangers, metal strapping, etc?

Thanks.

[dlhunter]

When I was framing we had nearly 30 framing guns, Hitachi and bostich. Stick and coil of both brands. The hitachi guns were preferred by all of the guys by far. The bostichs were used when all the hitachi's were out. The pile of broken guns was a majority of bostich. Take from that what you will.
As far as the bostich claims to shoot hanger nails, make sure you're wearing safety gear.

[joseph]

http://bigskytool.com/Pneumatics_Nailers___c468.aspx
I have had bostich and senco framing guns .The bostich I believe was cheaper or is cheaper .I preferred them over the senco . Do not recall anymore why .But the hitachi have a great reputation . This bigsky outfit has offered some great deals .

[newman]

I don't care for the plastic collated nails - too much sharp plastic bits flying around. I use Paslode and PC guns and paper collated nails.

[Dutchman]

The gun choice depends on nail choice. Plastic collated stuff is a bummer but they are all round head, which is a better nail according to my engineer.

Beside that, the Max guns we have are beautiful. My favorite one is the little short guy.

My other favorite was the Senco frame pro, which was stolen off the job, but I got over that because it was heavy. My recent arm spasms and rotator cuff issues keep me wedded to the small Max.

[newman]

The gun choice depends on nail choice. Plastic collated stuff is a bummer but they are all round head, which is a better nail according to my engineer.

Beside that, the Max guns we have are beautiful. My favorite one is the little short guy.

My other favorite was the Senco frame pro, which was stolen off the job, but I got over that because it was heavy. My recent arm spasms and rotator cuff issues keep me wedded to the small Max.

Paslode nails are offset FULL round head

[Bldrbb]

Hands down Hitachi. Maybe not as powerful as the Bostich when it comes to engineered lumber, but otherwise no comparison as to design, balance, longevity.
Put a skyhook on it for framing and you won't look back.

[J Paulsson]

I have used most of the guns by now, originally as an employee I used Bostitch n88ww guns, then later on Bostitch F21, Hitachi NR83 series both with and without depth control and with the Supco rail, Max superframers both the old big one and the newer compact version with the extruded rail, duofast NSP 350 series and the paslode version of the same, as well as the old paslode powermaster clipped head nailers.

Of these the Bostitches are probably the hardest hitting and best for toenailing because of the fully barbed nosepiece and extreme firepower. If you are into shooting 3.5" nails this might be good. These are bulky guns, don't fit well between studs and the barbed nosepieces don't drag and slide well for rapid smooth bump firing so if you are into production framing and rapid bumping it is IMO not a good option.

The NR83 series is established as the #1 gun among US contractors for a couple main reasons in my opinion. Above all, the head assemblies are extremely durable, the endcap is super tough and can be used for smacking boards into position, sledgehammer bashing, the top of the head is likewise good for smacking and striking and punching, it takes a beating and withstands the abuse dished out by employees who abuse tools and don't much care. Also the NR83 is medium firepower, not super good for toenailing but plenty good for endnailing and facenailing, and in its favor it uses less air per cycle than the Bostitches and Duo-fast/Paslodes, and as such puts less demand on your air supply- another good thing on a production framing situation. This last winter in Montana the NR83 proved more reliable than the Paslode/Duofasts for fast cycling in freezing temperatures because it uses less air and was OK regardless of how congested the hoses were in the cold and how much the compressor was lagging. Also, the Hitachi nosepiece has only two barbs and more of a glide design so it generates less friction and drag in production bump firing if that is your thing.

Myself the next gun I will buy will be the new Duo-fast df350, it's the 21 degree FRH version of the new Paslode which has been getting the highest ratings, it is US made according to the ITW rep that I spoke to, it seems like Paslode/Duo-fast has finally taken a page from Hitachi and designed the head for brutal abuse with a slam endcap and reinforced ribbed top, and it should have the heavier firepower and toenailing capacity that I expect from Paslode and duo-fast guns, and the rail seems to be thicker and more robust than the Hitachi NR83 rails, which are of thin steel and prone to deformation.

[Nate E]

Hitachi hitachi hitachi. I've had 5 or 6 hitachi framers for about 7 years now. I can't seem to kill them. They are well balanced and easy to handle. I can't remember the last time I've had one in for service...maybe I haven't.