I own a nr83a and a twin tank hitachi compressor. I will be building a home for my family in Southern Cal this summer. I have a bad back that required surgery and is still not 100%. I have found my framing nailer is the hardest thing on my back these days. Max makes a 5 1/2 lb. full head nailer that uses a high pressure (400 psi) compressor. The gun is $600 and the compressor $1150. Has anyone used or hear anything about this Max nailer? Thanks for any input/ advice
Dan G.
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Replies
Look for Tim Uhler He did a review of the system a little while back.
I've played with it at JLC live and it was much lighter and more compact then a traditional framer, almost felt like a finish gun. They also have a gun that will shoot nails either directly into concrete or steel off the compressor just in case you run into needing to do that on a regular basis ;)
I shot it through 1/4" steel tubing and it went in like butter.
Yeah, Tim is the guy for you. Also check over at the journal of light construction forum, tim posts over there in the rough framing section. Tim had the nailer for the testing/review he did, then it was sent back to the company. If you do a search here and at JLC, there is someone that bought that nailer and compressor. He might give you some info on how the gun is holding up long term. Where you are in So Cal, I don't know if your codes allow 3" nails. If so you could look at the hitachi NV75 coil nailer. Its a siding/framing nailer that goes up to 3". The weight is that of a siding nailer, so in the 5 lbs area. For long term use that gun isn't designed to frame every day but for one house it will more than do the job except possibly nailing into LVL's but its better to use master fasteners for those anyway.
http://www.amazon.com/Hitachi-NV75AG-4-Inch-3-Inch-Framing/dp/B00007ISWV/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-6973908-0736864?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1181521655&sr=8-2
Thanks for the info. I'm in the santa monica mountains just outside of Malibu. It is LA county so I think I need a 16p. gun. My Hitachi will only shoot 3 1/4" I believe. After a few hours of use the other day my back was acting up. I thought I would have heard more info on these hight psi nailers by now. Thanks again for the info.Dan
That Max system is the best system hands down for a framer from the standpoint of operation. The gun is light, is the only gun we've tested that shot into LVL without leaving the nails proud and the compressors is quiet and lightweight.
The cons to the system are that it is expensive. And the compressor probably wouldn't support more than 2 guns without cycling often. Although I think if 3 guns were framing, it'd be fine, just not if one of those guns was nailing off sheathing. It'd be like using 3 framing guns with one of those twin tank compressors. It would cycle about that frequently
I just looked at Max's website http://wis.max-ltd.co.jp/int/muc/pshow.php?productcode=HN91057 and it shows that it shoots a 3 1/2"x .148" nail, so I think you would be ok in CA as long as you could find those coils :-)
It is not a cheap system by any stretch, and to be honest, I'm not sure if the lighter system would really help your back. You would still be framing and even though you could really lighten up your bags, and the gun itself would hold the nails, it still seems like it might not be enough.
But I'm not an expert on bag injuries. I think you would be happy with the system though. The only negative I've heard from an owner, Bjorn over at the JLC forums, was that he felt the compressor cycled too much. Also you can run your regular guns off the other side of the compressor.
Let me know if this helps or if you have any more questions.
Tim, that is exactly the type of info I was looking for. I would love to be able to handle the nailer and see how it feels. I will call around and see if anyone has it around here. So far I have taken almost everything out of my belt to cut the weight and am very careful about lifting anything heavy. Nailing off sheer walls and roofing is always the hardest thing on back. Thanks again for the great advice. Dan
I would think that the tension from the hose would be the worst thing on your back, not the weight of the gun.
As Tim said, it's your back and I am no expert, but would the difference between a 10 lb gun and a 5 lb gun make a real difference when you're framing? There are so many other aspects to framing that have the potential to cause back pain. I'm thinking you'll spend 2K only to find you're still hurtin.
The other advice I can offer is avoid coil nailers. Stick nailers are better balanced and cause less drag on the outstretched arm. And get lighter hose. The new ProHoze and its ilk are a real step forward in that respect, especially up at heights. Or go airless altogether...
Lignum est bonum.
The 400 PSI system has been out for years here in Japan. Makita, Hitachi, Max, Kanematsu, all the big tool manufacturers make the same kind of compressor for the 400 PSI system. Max is the only company who has brought it to North America.
The 400 PSI system was first introduced to run coil framing nailers. Japanese nailers fire full round head, .162" diameter nails, so the extra power in the nailers helps.
Japanese compressors are lighter, quieter, and much more advanced than their North American counterparts, the only con is they are pricey. I have a Hitachi with 4 outlets, 2 reg and 2 400PSI, and its much lighter and quieter than the MAX one being sold in North America.
Now in Japan, you can find 400PSI brad nailers, flooring staplers, drywall screw guns, framing nailers, etc. Everything is turning in that direction. I'd expect the same trend in North America soon. Its definitely the choice of the future.
SS
400 psi drywall screwgun?
Max has a 400 PSI screwgun. It looks like a coil framing nailer, and holds-shoots screws up to 4" long. I've never used one, but I know the concept, my drywall screwgun is smaller, holds plastic coils of drywall screws, and you just point, press and go.
SS
So will it shoot screws into steel? ;-)BTW do you wear this stuff?http://www.pingmag.jp/2006/01/18/construction-worker-fashion/If so what do you like and dislike?
Tatekata,
I talked to a nail salesman yesterday and the company he works for is the only one in this state I think to sell the Max system.
He said the price has come down a little and it used to be 3k for the compressor, hose and coil nailer. Now it is about 2k.
I saw the Hitachi high pressure coil nailer at the IBS show in Vegas a few years back. When we tested the Max, it just seemed so much more "refined" than the stuff we normally use.
I would strongly consider switching over if Hitachi released their product here. That Max compressor was so quiet and light. I loved it.