I always figured that the day I stopped using a Hitachi NR83 framing nailer would be the same day I quit framing houses. Last spring, however, my tool supplier came to my job site to drop off some very late repairs, which he apologized for by giving me a free Hitachi NR90AE framing nailer. I looked at this new nailer as if he had just handed me his dirty sock. “Bill, you can’t buy me off with these toys that you guys can’t sell,” I said. With a smile, he replied, “Give it a try. If you don’t like it, you can give it back.”

Competitively priced ($180) for its feature set, the NR90AE includes toolless depth of drive and an easily accessible switch to flip between sequential-fire and contactfire modes. It handles 2-in. to 3-1⁄2-in. full-round-head, plastic-collated stick nails.

I decided pretty quickly that its grip size, balance, and vibration-suppressing pads mounted behind the nose-piece made the NR90AE the most comfortable framing nailer I had ever worked with. At 7-1⁄2 lb., it’s not the lightest tool in its class, but its balance and proportions are near perfect.

Still, comfort on a framing site is a luxury; durability is a necessity. The NR90AE proved itself in that department, too. In my experience, the main reason that framing nailers go to the repair shop is a damaged magazine that no longer feeds nails correctly. The NR90AE’s magazine is protected fully by anodized aluminum; its only opening is in the tail end, where you load the strips of nails. This magazine is lightweight and remarkably strong—capable of withstanding a blow from a dropped 2x or a clumsy boot.

In the six months since I rolled my eyes at Bill as he handed me that nailer, I’ve used the tool every day. Whether you’re looking for your first stick-framing nailer or just replacing an old, tired model, it would serve you well to put the Hitachi NR90AE on your short list of options. I just put in an order for 10 more to outfit my whole crew.