Tool test: pin nailers

Craftex #CT119
Price: $80
This tool has a good handle that's easy to hold, thanks to an inviting, soft grip. “This thing is lightweight, with good balance,” Shervill said. Dalrymple found the grip to be good, although overall she thought the shape was less manoeuvrable than others.

The Craftex is unique in that it has no safety lever or nose-piece; you just pull the trigger and shoot. It's a simple arrangement that we all liked, and it's no more dangerous than models with safety levers that automatically get depressed every time you hold the tool. The magazine requires adjustments before you can load pins of differing lengths.

One drawback with the Craftex is its particularly wide tip, which makes it more difficult to direct pins with absolute accuracy. Also, this model can only handle pins up to 1" long, making it useful for just the smallest work. Shervill didn't like the tool's top-mounted exhaust, although he did like that the tool did everything it was asked, including jam-free, rapid-fire operation.

Rating
In your hand: good
Depth control: good
Tip shape: fair
Reliability: excellent
Magazine operation: poor
Overall rating (out of five): three
Fastener lengths: 1/2" to 1
Weight: 2 lbs. 7oz.
Warranty: 2 year


Paslode #HP100
Price: $125
This tool is the only one in the group with the traditional, movable nose-piece lockout safety feature like those that you find on finishing nailers. Pushing the tool down against a surface so it can fire is sometimes less convenient and less accurate than working with a non-movable nose-piece. Shervill found the nose-piece lockout got in the way, although there's an advantage to this system.

Without the presence of a lockout lever on the grip, the HP100 has a large grip surface. The magazine opens easily too, with a push button on the back. “It has the easiest magazine to load,” Shervill said, “although I found this tool was outperformed by most others.”

“It was louder than others, too,” Dalrymple said, “and I found it too tall. Also, even at 95 psi, it wouldn't countersink into hardwood or MDF. I usually like Paslode, so all this was a disappointment.”

Our test unit came with the wrong instruction manual.

Rating
In your hand: fair
Depth control: poor
Tip shape: fair
Reliability: excellent
Magazine operation: good
Overall rating (out of five): two
Fastener lengths: 1/2" to 1 1/2"
Weight: 2 lbs. 11oz.
Warranty: 1 year