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Professional contractors want a quality pneumatic nailer that will hold up to heavy use and jobsite abuse. They're also looking for a tool that will save them time and money.

Pneumatic tool manufacturers offer a wide range of features to help contractors do their jobs faster and better. Having a grasp on these features will help you introduce a contractor to the tool that best suits his or her needs.

Maintenance ease

Manufacturers offer a few features that help ease maintenance requirements on pneumatic nailers. Traditionally pneumatic nailers require a few drops of oil each day to keep the tool running its best. But today most manufacturers offer oil-free nailers in their finishing categories. In a situation where a contractor is working with high quality, unfinished wood for trim or cabinetry, this is especially useful since any leaking oil could ruin the wood. However, putting oil into an oil-free nailer by mistake can cause tool damage.

John Castelino, product manager with DEWALT, says his company has taken the oil-free tool one step further with a design feature DEWALT calls Sealed Lube Dual Tech. "If you accidently put oil in the tool there is no detrimental impact to the tool," Castelino explains. "So we've given the user the comfort and convenience of an oil-free tool and the safety measure of a tool that is not affected if you accidentally put oil in it. This is an important feature for users because they tend to share tools with others on their team."

Another unique maintenance feature in the pneumatic nailers category is the maintenance-free, in-line filter. "It grabs dirt or debris in the filter before it gets into the head of the tool, but allows the air and oil to flow freely through," says Chris Salvador with Max USA. Once the air compressor hose is taken off the tool, any debris the filter trapped is blown out of the end of the nailer.

Performance

Several performance features you'll see across the industry on pneumatic nailers include a tool-free depth of drive adjustment and some type of air deflection system that allows the user to divert exhaust air away from a dusty work surface or his or her face.

Another feature you'll find with several manufacturers is a selectable trigger, which allows a user to rotate a knob or button to choose between contact and sequential mode. "This eliminates the need for a contractor to switch out a trigger when moving between single-drive (sequential) mode and the ability to drive multiple fasteners in contact mode," says Dennis Danville, global product manager with Stanley Bostitch.

Most manufacturers include a non-marring tip on their woodworking and finish nailing tools. With its 16- and 15-gauge nailers, Stanley Bostitch offers four different non-marring profile tips. "The tip designs include bead, tongue and groove, groove, and ¼-inch offset. These tips are designed to make a contractor's job easier in these different types of woodworking applications. For example, the ¼-inch offset tip used for window and door frame installation catches the edge of the trim and centers the nail ¼-inch from the edge so a contractor doesn't have to think about it," Danville explains.

Another feature many manufacturers have added to their tools to protect the surface of the wood is a dry-fire lockout. "Our finish guns have dry fire lockouts so there are no extra marks left in the wood. And our roofing tool has a lockout to prevent extra holes in shingles," says John Ronn, product manager with Bosch.

Ivonne Meza, product manager with DEWALT, explains a common problem on the jobsite. She says multiple framing contractors will often have several tools firing off the same compressor, resulting in inconsistencies with air pressure. This can lead to nailers not driving at their capacity and nails standing proud. Contractors then have to finish driving these nails by hand.

DEWALT has two features in their construction nailers to help combat the problem of overworked air compressors. "One is reduced air consumption in the tools so that the air supply in the compressor allows more nailers to run efficiently," Meza explains. "Another thing we've included in all our newer models is a piston catch in the cylinder or motor of the nailer that allows for more consistency between each shot. It allows the nailer to fire with the same speed and power every time." This piston catch feature is current on all DEWALT and Porter Cable models.

Safety

One trend in the pneumatic nailing industry that's consistent with most lines of construction tools is a move toward lighter models. Manufacturers walk a fine line when it comes to giving contractors the lighter tools they look for and ensuring that lighter weight doesn't compromise the tool. In May 2009, Bosch began introducing its line of seven pneumatic nailers. Bosch's engineering team put a special emphasis on balancing the weight of the tool. "Some manufacturers have tried to make pneumatic tools lighter, but that has led to some sacrifices in regards to recoil. When these tools are light, excess energy is transferred to the user's hand and arm," Ronn explains. "We went through a combination of engineering analysis and user feedback through field testing in order to optimize the weight and balance of the tool."

An important safety-minded feature Max USA includes on its tools is a trigger lock. "Safety is a huge concern to contractors," Salvador says. "When a contractor is walking with his tool and has his finger on the trigger, if he accidentally bumps the trigger this feature keeps him from shooting himself in the leg."

Special applications

Contractors can find pneumatic nailers that are ideal for certain applications they're working on. For instance, in recent years the industry has seen an increase in the use of 23-gauge pin nailers on finishing projects. "A 23-gauge micro pin nailer has great holding power, and the hole made by a pin nailer is small enough for most contractors to be comfortable to not go back and fill the holes," Castelino explains.

"Contractors are using 23-gauge pin nailers for fine trim and glued trim," adds Danville. "It leaves a much smaller hole in the wood than finish nailers, and on glued trim projects it holds that trim in place while the glue is drying."

A fairly recent introduction into the U.S. pneumatic nailing market is the 400 psi nailing system. Max USA offers an extensive line of 400 psi tools and compressor. These tools carry 40 percent more power to drive in nails.

"An ideal application for these tools is high-end residential and commercial work where contractors will be fastening to concrete and steel. It is also helpful on materials like manufactured lumbers, composite decking and LSL (laminated strand lumber) because these materials can be hard to nail into with 100 psi systems," Salvador explains.