Replies

1. 
   rnsykes | Aug 28, 2009 06:10am | #1

   I have the m111-fs. I haven't had a staple stuck in it yet. It has about 4500 square feet under it. Not a ton of flooring, but there still isn't a scratch on it. I love the pre-finished flooring foot. I can usually get about 30% more done it a day because of it since I don't have to keep picking it up and moving it. You just roll it along.

1. 
   JulianTracy | Aug 28, 2009 07:08am | #2

   As a side benefit - the finish foot also keeps the stapler a lot more stable, no worries about it tipping and damaging the floor.JT

1. 
   rnsykes | Aug 28, 2009 07:12am | #3

   Definitely. And upgrading from a manual nailer, you'll wonder how you ever got by.

2. 
   Virginbuild | Aug 28, 2009 05:26pm | #4

   I purchased the air powered Porta Nails model "Porta A Matic Nailer 421" I laid 2,000 sq ft of red oak. A really great machine, no jambs. I used the 2 " "T" nails, about 15,000 nails.

   Virginbuild

3. 
   mack9110000 | Aug 28, 2009 05:53pm | #5

   Hand nailing in my youth,I was able to lay 360' of 2" hardwood flooring,3¼ would have been much more,figure it out,it's easy enough.You young guys have got it too easy heh heh.

1. 
   mikeroop | Aug 28, 2009 06:40pm | #6

   youre off topic lol

4. 
   NYFLOORGUY | Aug 29, 2009 02:57am | #7

   You can't go wong w/ either, but I hear the prefin./ foot setup is the sh*t. For hard (brittle ) species wood, you'll need nails. The staples are ALOT cheaper though. I have a Bostich air nailer & an Ebay brand stapler. They BOTH work great. You don't need a huge compressor. I have a Porter Cable "job boss". Big mistake unless you run 4 guns every day. Hope this helps.

   
   

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   Edited 8/28/2009 7:58 pm ET by NYFLOORGUY

1. 
   borealbuilder | Aug 29, 2009 05:13pm | #8

   I have 670 sq ft of soild 5/8 bamboo that looks similar to psl beams and was thinking that a nail would split the flooring.  I am kind of stuck here, I have always had great luck with the Porta-nailer but I am done swinging that mallet 3 times as much as needed.

    

1. 
   mack9110000 | Aug 30, 2009 11:53am | #9

   I had mine set on two hits,at the end of the day you knew you had been working.Still it was better than lookin at a busted thumb after hitting it with a 24oz hammer!

   Regards,mack.

1. 
   gordsco | Aug 30, 2009 03:00pm | #10

   Saw a guy on TV a few years back, he designed and installed custom medallions in hardwood. 6' diameter geometric paterns, coat of arms, that kind of thing.

   First he would lay the hardwood, pre-drilled and handnailed. Then they would sand the floor. The circle or whatever shape he needed to inlay the medallion was cut with a router. 

   IIRC, he was charging around $50k for a foyer.

   The first guy I layed hardwood for had us do it the same way, pre-drill and handnail. I don't know if I'd like to try that again, I was a lot better with a hammer 30 yrs ago.  

1. 
   Jercarp | Aug 31, 2009 01:18am | #11

   Pre drilled? Guess I never heard of that. I used to hand nail with the cut nails some years ago. The squared off ends used to push the wood through and not split it. I would set the nail with the head of the next nail. I know, that was old school, but I was taught that by a guy who was in his late 60's back in '78. You knew you had done a days work, especially your poor hands.
   When I first tried a manual floor nailer, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
   I don't do that many floors anymore, but I have the Bostitch stapler. It's a wonder.

2. 
   rnsykes | Aug 31, 2009 05:06am | #12

   I pre-drill and hand nail a decent amount around the edges, but part of the benefit of using a flooring nailer is the mallet knocks the boards tight while driving the nail/staple. It's not as important with site finished flooring because it's grouted before finishing, but getting a whole load of pre-finished flooring that is straight as an arrow is almost impossible. there are always a few hockey sticks.