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Craftsman 15 gauge finish nailer

| Posted in Tools for Home Building on January 8, 2002 01:49am

*
Hello,

I’m shopping for a 15 gauge nailer…doing a ton of wood replacement of little detail pieces around front doors of a townhouse complex. I’d pretty much settled on the Senco based on others’ reccomendations…I own a Bostich utility coil nailer that works great, but I saved over $175 buying it instead of the Senco. The finish nailer is only $40 more, so I was going to get it, even though it will never see heavy use.

Well, I was just in Sears today and the have a 15 gauge nailer priced at $149… its an angled magazine and shoots 1 1/4 to 2 1/2″ nails. I really didn’t even know Craftsman had nailers…are they just re-labeled, and if so, who makes them? Has anybody used or heard anything about them? Also, what other manufacturers’ nails will it shoot?

I think its a sale maybe, or perhaps a close-out…but regardless, a $90 savings is enough to make me buy it if it won’t be a waste of money…an if I don’t have to go to Sears everytime I need nails!

Thanks in advance for any help,

Q

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Replies

  1. Phill_Giles | Nov 12, 2001 12:51am | #1

    *
    This would be good information, amongst the junk at Sears you can sometimes find great value.

    1. nigel_martin | Nov 12, 2001 03:15am | #2

      *if its anything like the two inch nailer I have then it will be fine.

      1. jim_"crazy_legs"_blodg | Nov 12, 2001 04:21am | #3

        *I subbed for a week at a local vocational college last month and they had a brand new Craftsman finish nailer still in the box. They didn't have any nails for it, but it sure looked close to the same angle as my Sencos so the next day I brought a few strips in and tried it. They worked fine. The gun itself seemed a little heavier than my 2" nailer (SFN II?), but a little smaller than my 2+1/2" gun (SFN 40?). The feel isn't quite as nice as the Sencos, and it didn't fire quite as smoothly, but it was brand new, and it worked fine for the few hundred nails we fired through it that week. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it is actually made by Senco, it is VERY similar. All that being said, a few years ago I broke down and bought a framing gun. And since I don't do that much framing anymore, I opted for saving 100.00 and getting a less expensive gun. Now, everytime I pick it up, it feels just a little bit clunky and I always wish I'd spent that 100 bucks and got a Senco or maybe a Paslode Powermaster. Spend the extra money. What's 100.00 over the working life of the tool, 20 cents a week?

        1. Tim_Thompson | Nov 12, 2001 01:36pm | #4

          *I bought one of the Craftsman 16 gauge finish guns about four years ago when my 15 gauge Senco was in the shop. It is supposedly made by Paslode. I have had very good luck with it. I thought it would just be a backup gun. I find myself grabbing it before my Senco, unless I need the angled magazine to get in a really tight spot. As far as I know all Sears does is change the color and name of some of the best tools you can get. The Sears 18v. cordless saw and drill combo I used to have was made by DeWalt.

          1. James_DuHamel | Nov 12, 2001 05:09pm | #5

            *My Craftsman framing nailer is made by DevilBiss,and it works very nicely. Just stay away from Sears nails. My 16 ga brad nailer and stapler are lso Craftsman, and work nicely. I also have a Senco (SFN1) finish nailer. I like them all, and would replace them with like kinds if anything ever happened to them. James DuHamel

          2. C._Webb | Jan 07, 2002 11:17pm | #6

            *QualiC,I am not sure but I think that the nailer you are referring to is a clone to the older bostitch finish nailer. I think it also uses the botitch nails.About the same time that Bostitch redesigned their 15 ga. nailer boosted its power to 400 inch pds. and added an inline magazine I noticed that Craftsman was also offering a very similar gun with an inline mag. for the first time.The Craftsman 18 ga. 2 inch brad nailer that I own is identical to the 18 ga. 2 inch Bostitch.I wouldn't run any nail through it though with out trying to find out for sure what fastener is needed.Hope this helps.C

          3. Paul_Zind | Jan 08, 2002 03:30am | #7

            *I just picked up a Dewalt 15 ga 2 inch. It uses 34 degree nails (the porter cable fit). It's a really nice, light and a well designed gun. I bought it as a "rebuilt" through the Dewalt service Centre - there is not a scratch on it. I paid $269 Canadian (about US$170).I've ran a couple hundred nails through it so far and no problems - it seems to be a nice gun.paul

          4. Sandy_Winfrey | Jan 08, 2002 01:49pm | #8

            *Ive been using the craftsman 16 ga. for a few years now. Some "borrowers" have put it through some rough treatment, but its never given a minutes trouble. Never have used sears nails...the nailer I have fires paslodes .......Sandy

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