This is a great must have tool for DIY wood floors. While every company that's in the tool business seems to make a nailer (Senco, Bostitch, etc.), what sets the Porter-Cable apart is it's balance and civilized look. The look doesn't matter, but if you don't want to mar the wood floors by having a tool keel over and damage the floor, then this is the tool to get.

The "last nail" comment is a very true. If you try to drive that single last nail, unpredictable results may occur. In my case, I had to throw the piece away (actually cut it for the closet), since the last nail went in almpst parallel to the surface of the wood and skimmed the finish off the top. If the wood hadn't been there, it probably would have shot across the room.

Finally, although the pneumatic nailers save you from backbreaking hammering, the nose takes more than just a light tap. A slightly sharp wack will drive the nails perfectly. Too soft and the nails don't get driven all the way. Too hard, and I'd be afraid that the tool would get damaged.

Highly recommended.

Review Update:

After 4 years or so, the tool is still as good as the first day I bought it. My initial personal project was about 800-1000 sf. I'm now past 2500 sf (helped two friends install their floors in family/living rooms) installed and another 1500 sf or so more to go for my own house.

This is a professional tool and the quality shows. I haven't had to have it rebuilt or order parts. Clean it ocassionally and use oil and an air filter and forget about it.

I read another review of the last cleat problem. I had several instances where the last cleat damaged the job before I realized what was happening, the tool also "dropped out" as many as four of the last cleats. One set of four got jammed in the mech. and was necessary to disassemble tool.I called the Porter Cable factory they said, "never heard of that problem, the tool should drive the last cleat".They did reccommend that I take it for warranty repair. I examined the pusher mechenism and could see the reason as the pusher does not go completely forward to push cleat against wall of dispenser. The pusher also hangs up at the last four or five cleats because of the latching arrangement causing the cleats to drop out. A visit to my local tool store showed the same conditions on the same model. I am using the tool to install brazilian cherry which is very hard, there is no problem in that respect it drives the cleats home every time and the tool is easy to use. I have been using Porter Cable products for 20 years and never had a problem before. If they re-design the pusher and refit the tool I will give it a 5 star rating.

Excellent nailer. I have laid over 1,500 feet of flooring with 2 jambs. It takes about 45 seconds to clear a jamb using the provided tool. Also the last nail in a set from Porter Cable seems to eject about 20% of the time which is not a big deal to me. Tells me to fill up. I let someone who used a hammer nailer use this one and he could not believe how fast and how much more power he got from the floor nailer. After using for a few days and since the 2 jambs I have not had any additional problems. Senco nails for me are better than the Porter Cable. Senco nails have a glue that keeps them together where as the Porter Cable break like staples in your pocket or pouch. Overall an excellent tool but for $400 plus what do you expect. If you are on the fence over various brands go with Porter Cable. The nails are available locally and the tool performs well.

Geez, it looks so easy on TV, but I was getting horrible results with 5/8 bamboo. The tool would shift when I hit it, the bamboo was splitting and the nail was hitting on the end of the tongue, so that the next board would catch on the nail.
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br /First of all, order the right cleats. 1 1/2in for 1/2 or 5/8 material, 2in for 3/4 or bigger material.
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br /After studying the instructions again and again, I saw a diagram at the end of the setup instructions, showing the base plate resting flat on the board, and the nose of the tool sitting on the tongue of the board. The diagram wasn't referenced in the instructions. My tool certainly didn't do that -- it looked like it might have been set up for a 3/4 or 23/64 thick material. I shimmed up the base plate (the plastic part that rests on the board you are nailing) with about 1/8" inches of paper, and everything looked great. From there, the tool worked flawlessly, drove the nails just where they should be, no splitting, and drove them deep enough that the next board didn't get hung up on the previous board's nails.
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br /So I hope that PC might add some instructions on shimming up the base plate or better yet, ship plates of different thicknesses. Otherwise, its been a great tool.

I bought the Porter Cable nailer based on the reputation of their tools and reviews. It performed very well, easy to use and drove the cleats effortlessly. I put down 5/8 bamboo over about 225 sq feet, on top of 3/4 T&G underlayment. The only times it did not drive perfectly were if I did not tap the button firmly and keep the trigger down. On one occasion I let it run out of cleats, and the last cleat tried to go in upside down. Not good, fortunately it was a short piece that I could pry out and discard.

THe bamboo flooring is somwhat brittle compared to similar oak, and I was concerned with splitting. Some of the cleats did show cracking, but the cleat design holds firmly and I was able to use fewer cleats than I expected.

I can't say yet how well it holds up in production use, but for a serious DIY project with hardwood flooring this tool will do very well.

So far, this has proven to be well worth every penny. It works flawlessly every time, with one exception: make sure you never try to fire the last nail. If it doesn't fall out, it will fire in an unexpected way. I wasn't paying attention to the nail stock, and it fired the last nail just under the finished face of the wood, ruining it. What a pain it was to have to dig out that piece of wood and replace it. I am much more careful now! The foot has a thick teflon (or similar material) layer attached so it never scratches the wood, and even the alignment blade seems to be pretty forgiving when you miss the edge and drag it over a bit of the surface of the wood.

Overall, this is a great product, and I would recommend it to anyone installing wood flooring, although I wish it came with a case...

Porter-Cable's flooring nailer FCN200 is a joy to use. It's well balanced, it stays upright, gentle to pre-finished floors and very trouble free. My one caution would be not to use it down to the last nail, reload while there are a few nails left in the gun, it sometimes has "issues" with that last nail. That said, it's the tool to use for installing a hardwood floor.

I just finished nailing 1,000 s.f. of Brazilian cherry and the nailer worked nearly flawless. Once I had a jam and had to take the cover plate off to remove the nail, but other than that it worked great. I found the Bostitsh nails worked the best with this tool. The last nail left in the magazine drops out with any problems letting you know you're out. Fantastic nailer for the price.

This flooring cleat nailer works very well and is dependable. I like this nailer because of the height it gives you, which prevents you from having to bend too much. You still have to bend, but not as much as if you were using one of the other shorter nailers that are out in the market.

Once you get used to using it ,it's fairly simple. I did had to hit it harder than I thought I would.Simply tapping it won't drive the nail in far enough.This is an excellent choice for the price.

I have been using one of these nailers to install a pre-finished bamboo floor. As observed by many of the other reviewers, this nailer has a definite problem with driving the last nail or two of a stick. The nail usually comes out rotated counter-clockwise and mars the surface of the flooring. Unlike the other reviewers, I saw this problem not only when the nail magazine was about to run out but also when transistioning from one stick of nails to the next. It is very frustrating to have to keep pulling up damaged boards and clearing the jams.
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br /We ended up using Senco nails for much of the project due to the store being out of P-C nails. The Senco nails did work slightly more reliably. It leads me to wonder if the problems are the fault of the nail sticks not being glued together well enough.
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br /This nailer also developed an intermittant air leak at the safety trigger. I didn't affect the operation of the nailer but was annoying.
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br /I would definitely try a Bostitch or Porta Nails nailer before buying a P-C nailer.

I purchased the FCN200 through Amazon. I then installed a 750 sq ft floor using it as the only floor nailer.

I was originally concerned about jams and mis-set nails since this was an expensive pre-finished floor. The PC was excellent.
I did get one jam - as luck would have it we tried to drive a nail directly on top of a metal spike.

Using the power assist sure beats the standard manual nailer.

Dropping the last nail in a strip was initially surprising but it soon became an indication of needing more nails - I'm sure a marketing guy would claim it was a feature but I would not say so.

The only improvement I'd like to see is that it could be used for face nailing.

I used this machine to install about 1600 square feet of 3/4" oak flooring. In over 7000 nails, it never jammed or failed to set the nail all the way. The only thing it does wrong is if you do not keep more than 1 nail in the machine the last nail will fall out. It is easy to avoid this, just fill the magazine periodically. Otherwise, works perfect!

I've completed approximately 1,000 SF of 3/4" Ipe (also known as Brazilian Walnut and the general term "Ironwood") floor using this tool, a 6 cubic foot compressor and both 1.5" (90 PSI) and 2" (95 PSI) Bostitch cleats. The floor was installed over a 3/4" plywood sub-floor. Two inch cleats were fine for upstairs but 1.5" cleats were the answer for downstairs.
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br /My few experiences reaching the last nail was an occasional dropped last nail, but the tool never jammed. I wonder if there is a difference in dimensional quality of the various cleats out there?
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br /The tool has an excellent balance in spite of its weight. The tool places very easily on the edge of the tongue without worry of marring the wood. I'll have to qualify that statement as Ipe is the hardest wood available (Janka scale) for flooring that I'm aware of so that may play a role.
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br /The tool is large but the only the first starting row needed to be face nailed, i.e. I could nail the second 2.5" row. Unfortunately, I had to hand toe-nail the last 2 of 3 rows and the last row had to be face nailed - part of the point of whacking the actuator is that the tool helps set the row you are nailing flush to the previous row.
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br /It is fairly loud, so expect to wear hearing protection.
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br /Very impressed by this product so I highly recommend it.
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br /Tip: Test the compressor pressure required for the wood you are using (simulating wood over sub-floor) and the acceptable variation in pressure before you start. I found with Ipe for example that anything less than 85 PSI resulted in less than set cleat heads (next row doesn't seat completely causing uneven rows if you don't fix it) and more than 105 PSI caused the tongues to crack.
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I'm a contractor in South Jersey who strives for perfection. This floor nailer will give you professional looking hardwood floors whether you're a seasoned pro or a beginning DIY'er. Besides the much ado'd last cleat problem,this tool performs flawlessly. I've put over 15,ooo sqft of 1/2 to 3/4 hardwoods and bamboo down without the gun jamming once!! As another reviewer mentioned, a piece of cardboard glued or taped to the base will take care of thickness issues. Other bases should be made available to make this a complete flooring nailer. But, all in all, can't complain. This tool has made me lots of money and will save you lots...

I have installed 1200 square feet of 3" red oak hardwood flooring. The FCN200 2" cleat nailer has worked just as I expected--shooting every cleat without a hitch. It does drop the last cleat if you run it out without reloading before you get to it. If you remember to reload before the last cleat is shot, there is no problem.
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br /I like the balance of the tool and would definitely purchase it again.

We used the FCN200 to lay down over 1000 sq ft of 2 1/2" x 3/4" solid oak hardwood. The cleat nailer performed flawlessly. We used approximatly 12 boxes (12,000) of cleats and only had one jam while we we nailing the last cleat in the clip. Normally when we ran the down to the last cleat it simply fell out. This nailer worked best using a 12 gal 125 psi air compressor. We tried a 3 gal ultra-porable 125 psi compressor but it struggled to keep up and we had to stop to let it catch up. We did use a moisture filter and oiled it daily - before use and then at the midday break. Lastly - this nailer requires a firm hit to sink the cleat - not hard but firm. GREAT PRODUCT!!!!

I really enjoyed using this tool. Since I've never put down a hardwood floor,I didn't know what to expect. I layed over 400 sq.ft. of Bamboo flooring and the tool performed great. Although the Bamboo is 5/8" thick and the nailer is designed for 3/4", I noticed two indentions on the flooring caused by the slight angle of the nailer, so I taped a piece of cardboard to the bottom to level it out and that took care of the problem. If the tool is supposed to work on 1/2" to 3/4" flooring, it should come with interchangeable pads to make it level when nailing. I had read other reviews about the nailer so all I had to do was make sure I didn't run out of nails and it worked great.

First, thank you for all the reviewers for they let me know that there is issue with the last nail. Here, I would like to expand a little bit about this issue.
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br /When there is only one nail (occassionally, two) left in the gun, half of the times, the nail simply drops out of the gun. This is good, as it does not cause any harm. Other times, the nail does not drop out. In those cases, the nail may penetrate the floor properly, penetrate partly, or misfire (hit the wrong spot). If the nail does not penetrate fully, time must be spent to fix that. If the nail misfires and damages the wood, the wood needs to be removed and discarded. This is time consumming and wood wasting.
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br /The last nail issue is more annoying than I first thought.
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br /The best way to solve this problem is to add nails when there are some left in the gun. Unfortunately, it is easy to forget to do so. Furthermore, the gun can hold only about 105 nails (which is not many), and thus constant attention is required.
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br /Others...
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br /You must hit the gun firmly in order for the nail to properly set.
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br /For 2.25" width wood, only 3 rows at the staring wall need to be finished-nailed. However, at the ending wall, about 7 rows need to be finished-nailed (the reason is that room is required for swigging the mallet).
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br /Besides the issues above, it performs very well.
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Well, I just completed 500 sq feet using this nailer. It was terrific! The issue with the last nail straying never occurred. I was surprized to find that the remaining nail just dropped out without any problem. As for the use, it was very user friendly. I give this a thumbs up with delivery and quality.

I have used the floor nailer to install flooring in one room (224 sq. ft.) and will be doing a second room approx. 320 sq.ft. in size. The nailer performed flawlessly. No problems with the "last nail" that I read about in other reviews. I was a little anal about that and so I marked the slide with some "White Out" or "Liquid Paper" to show when the magazine was getting close to empty so I could reload. I also marked the "center line" to make it easier to line up the nailer with my chalk lines, and the side of the nailer where the shoe fits into the groove of the hardwood. This made the tool even easier to use. The whole process was made much easier with the pnuematic nailer and I highly recommend it.

The nailer performed well. The cost was about the same as renting a pneumatic nailer (for the amount of time I needed it) and I get to keep the nailer. I didn't experience the jamming on the last nail that others have. Mine just ejected the nail and I added more. Overall, a very nice tool for the non-professional.

I've used this nailer for about 2000 sq ft. of 3/4" solid. It works beautifully and I couldn't think of a better investment if self-installing hardwood floors. Just be careful not to let the nails run out....it will eject the last nail at a weird angle and often ruin the piece of wood you are nailing. I used Bostich nails...they work just fine.

I'm installing 800+ sf of Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors. I originally bought a manual floor nailer tool from Bostich. Brazilian Cherry is a particularly hard wood and the tool required very hard hits with good precision. I was missing the target so often and having nails that were not driven through that I decided to invest in this FCN200 tool and a compressor. What a great investment. The tool consistently drives nails all the way in and is very easy to use. It is also built so that you can get closer to the wall you start on.
br /At a local tool rental shop I was told that this tool is not for the professional contractor because some internal components are plastic but I don't foresee a problem for the DIYer.
br /As for the last nail, mine just falls out. It may be a quick fix made by the good folks at PC.
br /Enjoy...
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I rented this same hammer for a week in Nov '06 when I started my project of laying about 1900 sq ft of 3/4" Brazilian Cherry. The rented item worked flawlessly. But since I'm not a professional and doing it all myself, various constraints prevented me from finishing in a weekend. So, I just bought one so I could take my time.
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br /This hammer has been awesome. I keep it lubed per the manual and, per previous posts, I don't let it run down to the last nail. I have no complaints and highly recommend this nailer. The price was right given eBay demand for slightly-used (where I planned to sell it when I finished). But who knows... maybe I'll hang on to it so I can 'hardwood floor' my next house.
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I installed over 1200sf of oak flooring and this nailer made the job a lot easier. Never jammed, and if I wasn't paying attention, the last nail nearly always will just fall out. My only complaint is that the last 5-6 rows had to be face nailed, because you can't get close to the wall with this nailer. I am a DIY, so obviously I am not familiar how professional installers handle that, but for me face nailing wasn't nearly as satisfactory as the cleat nailer. Definitely worth the money and is one of the few tools I don't regret buying.

Have had no trouble with this nailer; it is best, however, to load a fresh clip of nails before completely running out, as often the last nail will fall out or not drive correctly.

Easy to use and load. Would rate it 5 except the last cleat falls out and you have to
br /watch for this or you may damage your floor with it

I just finished my living room floor using this nailer. I did not experience a single jammed nail, and performance was great. The nailer is well balanced. The only nit to pick is that the nailer is advertised to handle either 1/2" or 3/4" flooring. However, the shoe of the nailer is set for 3/4" flooring, with no adapter to adjust it for 1/2" flooring material. I removed the plastic shoe and put a 1/8" spaver between the foot and the shoe. That did the trick, but tool should have come with an adaptor for 1/2" flooring.

This tool works extremely well; I hooked it up, loaded the clip, and fired away! Reccomended 100 PSI worked excellent for 3/4" boards. Just as in other reviews, you need to make sure nails are in the clip as the the last single nail will fall out. The base is set for 3/4" and non-adjustable. Would give 4.5 stars if available due to the two issues.
br /Overall highly reccomended for 3/4" flooring.

We used the nailer for our first 1200 sq ft floor and it worked perfectly. I see no need to spend the extra money for a Bostich Brand nailer. I am very happy with the tool purchase.

Very nice. on time delivery. quality product. $105.00 cheaper then bosticks.Just as fine of a product. Get this if you need to do flooring. worth the extra bucks you pay over the manual hammer.Works fine with a small pancake compressor. A real arm saver.Your body will love you for it.
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Best price and service on the net here at Amazon! Excellent ergonomics, not too heavy, allows you to get pretty close to walls before having to manual nail/use a finish gun. The "last nail" issue was not a problem for me, it worked everytime. I would save yourself alot of money and buy this gun and install the floors yourself, for the price the "pros" get for installing hardwood just buy this gun, its ridiculously easy to do. Connected right up to my air compressor fast and slick and I was rolling.
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br /Installed Bruce flooring easy as pie, fit perfectly. The rubber mallet included makes perfect contact with the gun to drive the nail, I also noticed these types of nails worked WAY better then staples driving the nails in and cleaning up the gap you sometimes have between the pieces of wood. With this gun don't even worry about the gap too much cause you can really drive them together with this gun and make your floor look perfect. This gun is WAY better then the compareable Bostitch model..I have used both.
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br /Only a few nitpick negatives..why not come with a case for storage/carry? Also can get kind of loud in a room that is hollow with cathedral ceilings like my house, more of a nuisance than anything so I just wore earplugs. Make sure you make good contact with the gun too otherwise the nail misfires and you need to pull it out. Also make sure your perfectly in the grove otherwise if you misfire with these types of nails you will hit the top of the flooring and not the groove. None of these are "game breaking" and I wouldn't worry about it too much.

I purchased the Porter Cable FCN200 to replace a Grizzly brand flooring nailer that died on the second day. The Porter Cable is a much better product. I have my compressor dialed in at 85psi and it never fails to seat nails properly. The issue that several people have mentioned about the last nail not firing properly is true, but I am keeping an eye on it and refill early to avoid the misfires. I put down 2800 sq feet of 3/4 oak in the first week with no problems at all. The hammer force needed to fire the gun is very light compared to some other nailers I have used.

I have been fortunate enough to experience this nailer while installing 1200 sq ft of natural select red oak 3 1/4 w 3/4 thick..... It has performed as expected. No issues of "the last nail" saga other then the last cleat falling out of the clip.
br / However, I do wish the actuator pad was a little more sensitive....As I near the walls wanting to squeeze in the last row, I try not to mark the walls with the mallet... and needless to say, I cannot hit the actuator pad as hard as needed...hence leaving me with a few half shot cleats....which are near impossible to extract from the board.... Other then that being the minor drawback chaulked up to my impatience of going old school on the last couple of rows, I find this product to be invaluable to my flooring project....I hope this leads you towards the purchase of this product ...As I am happy with the decision to go with Porter Cable.

This Porter-Cable has so far worked as intended. Previous reviews said not to let the nail count go down to one, so I have followed that advice and haven't had any problems with wayward nails. This is my first floor nailing project and with this nailer, it has been very easy.

I purchased this nailer to put approximately 400 square feet of hickory flooring in our family room. Though competent doing woodwork, I had never installed a hard wood floor prior to this project. The nailer worked great and did everything it was advertised to do. Two tips: 1. Make sure you strike the nailer sharply, not necessarily real hard, or you will occaisonally get a cleat that does not set properly. If the cleat is close to going in all the way, a nail set can be used to hammer it in the rest of the way. If the cleat is out more than about 3/8", I found it easier to score it close to the wood with a set of Klein pliers and then bend it side to side until it breaks off. The cleats tend to bend rather than drive when they are out more than 3/8". 2. Pay attention to the amount of cleats left in the nailer. The nailer throws out the last cleat but will sometimes miss set the next to the last cleat. I tried to always reload before emptying the nailer.

Other than these two items, it is a very good, quality tool. A case would be nice but I don't believe there is one available at this time.

I purchased this nailer to install a 3/4" prefinished hardwood floor. It worked very well. I put about 1500 nails through it and it never gave a problem. The only issue is it does not have a case. All my Bostich guns have a case and it would have been nive to have one for this to store it in.

This nailer is pretty light, powerful, and built to last. Unfortunately, some of the light weight metal used in this nailers construction can be damaged easily. The first time i used it i was moving on pretty fast and hit the base plate with the hard end of the hammer a few times. When the job was done i got to looking at the base, and a little bit of grease was coming out of the split casting of the base. It still works, but i'm just worried that my absent minded bashing has reduced the life of this tool. There may not be another way of casting the base, but i think it should have been made of tougher stuff. Still, if you avoid hitting the base plate you'll never have the problem anyway. I don't hit the base plate at all anymore, i just carefully smack the wood to bring the joint close then the nailer tends to pull it tight. If i had to, i wouldn't hesitate to buy this tool again.

water vapor from the compressor mixed with the oil applied to the air feed caused the two problems. The piston which drives the nails became fouled with the water-oil mix and would not retract fully and prevented the next nail to feed properly. I first tried more oil, but that caused the unit to spray excess oil from the top of the unit (causing a light oil mist on anything in the area of the floor). I think I fixed the problem by cleaning the unit (it had about 200 sq ft total at this time) and adding an inline filter to the compressor. Other than that, I am very happy with my unit and "field stripping" it is not difficult...

This was my first flooring nailer used on 3/4" red oak and it performed flawlessly. I didn't have any issues with the last cleat but I was careful to fill the nails before they ran out most of the time. I put down 3 1/2" planks and I had to face nail the first two rows and the last 3 rows against the wall. Installing the flooring is not difficult as long as you are careful making your cuts and take your time for a quality job.

I received the Porter-Cable nailer within a week of ordering. I have used the nailer (do-it yourselfer)on approximately 700 square feet of 3/4 inch maple flooring with 500 yet to go. It has been a life saver and have 0 problems with the tool. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for such a tool.

I'm in the construction business and just finished putting in a very large hardwood floor with this product. I'm very pleased with it's performance. It worked great and is very easy to use. The safety trigger on the handle is a pain, but you get used to it. Just remember to oil it on a regular interval and it will continue to deliver for you. Pnumatic compared to manual is like comparing a motorcycle to a bicycle. The price was also very reasonable through Amazon considering no tax, free shipping and a $50 off coupon on tools over $300.

The Porter Cable FCN 200 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer is a phenomenal tool! We used it to lay a new maple floor in our adjoining kitchen and family room -- over 500 sq.ft. -- and this nailer performed flawlessly. Not a single misfire, no jamming, each and every cleat perfectly placed. Having laid wood floor in the past with a different flooring nailer, this product was a real treat -- though your back will still know you have engaged in hard labor. If you are thinking about laying a new wood floor, I highly recommend this tool!

The nailer worked great.

I read a few reviews and made sure it didn't run out nails. Had no problems

This tool works very well for the price. The sleek design allows you to place the nail closer to the edge when nailing adjacent to a wall. The other reviews are correct in stating that it jams on the last nail, but as long as you keep the magazine filled, this device is near flawless.

I bought my nailer to install 3/4" solid maple hardwood. So far it has been flawless. As described in other reviews the last nail of a strip falls harmlessly out. No jams, little cracking of tongues unless you nail too close to an end. This is the one... After I hit the sweet spot for air pressure (a little over ninety) I have had no trouble except for when I was'nt paying attention and put a cleat through the top of a board (my bad):) I reccomend it very highly.

Very pleased with nailer. Easy to use. Complete and easy to understnd instructions allowed us to beging using nailer within minutes of receiving. Paid for next day delivery due to having our old nailer die on us, leaving us in the middle of laying new hardwood on the first floor of our home. Nailer arrived next day as promised. We have put down 900 square feet of wood flooring with the Porter and have no complaints with the nailer.

I read all the reviews, did a lot of shopping and research before buying this nailer. I am glad I made this purchase. I just finisher 300 sq ft of Maple 3/4 inch and the gun worked very well. BEWARE, ALL THE PREVIOUS STORIES ABOUT THE LAST NAIL ARE TRUE. It falls out and / or damages the floor. Not a big deal, just pay attention .

Great product; Very heavy duty. Have put down about 1000 sq ft of oak so far, and no issues. So far, hasn't jammed yet. Great nailer. "Standard" shipping arrived the next day...

After laying 480 square feet of bamboo and about 250 square feet into a 900 sq ft oak project, this nailer hasn't had a single mistep. I've assisted in putting down hardwood before, but this is my first personal project. I'm not able to work straight through to completion (to many interuptions)so renting a nailer would have rapidly cost more than purchase. Nobody I talked to recommended a manual nailer, especially considering they aren't exactly cheap either. However, the prices on many of the recommended power nailers seemed very high for something I may only use for about 2000 square feet of floor; and I never sell tools, no matter how seldom they're used. After reading the reviews here, I decided to go with the Porter-Cable and am very glad I did. I used 2 inch Bostich nails and 75 PSI. I never let the tool run out of nails and have had zero problems.

I have purchased this nailer to install 3/4" Bruce hardwood in my house and have had a good experience with it. It will accept Stanley Bostich cleat nails which I found to be very convenient. The only problem I had was it wouldn't always drive the nails all the way in. After I turned the pressure up to about 85 pounds, I haven't had that problem since. If you do run into this problem, the best way to remove the nail is to grab it with plyers and swist it back and forth until it breaks off. I would recommend this nailer to anybody.

I purchased the nailer recently and have had an opportunity to use. I am extremely pleased in every way with it. I have let the nailer run out of nails and have had no problems at all.
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br /It is an excellent product and I recommend it 100%.
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Last week we installed about 1600 sqft of 5/8 bamboo flooring. As others have noted, the foot is designed for 3/4" flooring, with no provision for 5/8 or other. I feel this is the only shortcoming with the nailer. We tried a variety of spacers, and eventually came up with a plexiglass (~1/8"?? it was a scrap we had about)spacer that shot nails perfectly into our test pieces. I agree with others that P-C should provide a shim adapter, as many floors are not 3/4".
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br /The last nail problem was non-existent. On way too many occassions, I would look back and see a loose nail on the sub-floor, and realize I was out of nails. In the entire process, we probably ran out ~15 times without ever having a nail go where it was not supposed to.

Great Nailer, work very well.
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br /Stainless Steel CLEATS for the nailer are not carried/stocked on a normal basis. I suspect this is due to the cost of Stainless Steel.
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br /Stainless Steel CLEATS can be obtained from " Swan Secure Products, Inc. 410-360-9100.

The product works as advertised and arrived in two days with super saver shipping. The only problem I have is that it doesn't come with a case.

Great nailer. Installed 350 ft. of maple flooring without any problem. No nail jams as some have said.

This floor nailer worked great, no jams, no problems what so ever. Easy to use, it did the job that it was supposed to do.

I ordered this for my husband. He installed bamboo flooring we got from Costco. The flooring was less than the cost of the nailer but couldn't have done as nice a job without this great tool.

After 700 sq foot of 5/8 inch engineered floor I have to say that this is one great tool. I did add a few shims to get the nailer to sit properly on the 5/8 material, but it has worked flawlessly since. I second the advice to make sure you don't fire the last nail as it may go askew. Give it a good whack and just keep on laying the hardwood.

Great floor nailer just wish you could buy a case for it

I am very satisfied with this product. I read the other reviews before purchasing this nailer. I put down approximately 600 square feet of flooring and used 3000 cleat nails. The "last nail" syndrome ruined a couple of pieces of flooring but you learn to watch how many nails you have left and refill appropriately. Good product and highly recommend it to other potential customers.

This nailer has worked awesome so far! I am working with 1/2" Engineered Brazillian Cherry 3 1/2" wide and was able to use this nailer after the first row was face-nailed. Because of all the reviews about the last nail, I have been ultra-paranoid about spitting out the last nail. That being said, this nailer works like a dream.

Amazon is "TOPS"...shipping was extremely fast. The FCN200 came in the box today took it right down the basement grabbed some 3/4" hardwood and tested the tool using 2" Bostitch cleat nails...this is the first time I have ever used the tool or any hardwood nailer and I must say it is so easy my 10 yr. old could use it. I fired maybe 15 nails nd they all set perfect everytime. I have a 320 sq. ft. install coming up and can't wait to do it....beats doing ceramic tile thats FOR SURE!! I highly recommend the Porter-Cable FCN200 from my first experience.

I bought this nailer this month for a 1200 sq./ft. floor job. The nailer was delivered within 4 days from purchase, even using the free shipping option. Inspecting it revealed a 'made in canada' sticker, which to me is a confirmation of money well spent, too many tools today are manufactured in China.
br /As far as performance goes, for the three long days we used the porter cable, there was nothing but perfection. We installed solid, pre-finished, oak flooring in 1x6" dimensions. This stuff will scratch if you look at it too long, but the nailer never left a mark. When the rack of nails is finished the last nail will fall out. This indicator worked well because it will halt the rhythm and stop the person from continuing on down the line shooting air.
br /Basically I would buy this tool again.

I purchased and used the Porter Cable FCN200 Pneumatic Flooring Cleat Nailer and found it to be an excellent tool for the job. I also used the Pneumatic Porta Nailer. In comparison, I experienced no jams or miss fires with the Porter Cable but several with the Porta Nailer. While I prefer the nail design of the Porta Nails over those of the Porter Cable, I expect little or no problem with them holding the floor. They were, however, difficult to find and wound up using Bostitch 2" nails. The Porter Cable Nailer allowed me to nail through the tongue at least one board closer to the wall than the Porta Nailer. It is less bulky and requires less clearance. The face nailer attachment for the Porta Nailer is convenient but the nails created a lot of surface splinters and chipping.

I am very satisfied with this nailer. I laid about 450 square feet of 3/4" floor and had zero problems. Other reviews mentioned concerns with the last nail firing erratically...Several times I fired the last nail with no problem, other times, the last nail just dropped out before I had the chance to nail it. A carrying case would be nice, but, if you're not using it on a regular basis, it's just as easy to store it in the box it comes in. Overall, I am completely satisfied with the product and would definitely recommend it to others.

Very good product. No problem with jamming. Easy to use nailer. No splits in the wood using the floor nailer. I would recommend this product.

works great. came through the mail quickly and Lowes or Home Depot do not sell it

Laying almost 1000 sq feet of hardwood seemed like a good idea. It is a relatively simple job--especially with this tool. This nailer has comprehensive instructions, is easy to load, and provides consistent results. You get a feel for its power and how much muscle to apply with the mallet pretty quickly. The mallet is a good size and weight and its angled design is really helpful when setting boards before nailing.
br /My only concerns with this nailer are its weight and its size. The weight proved tiresome when doing such a large job. The arm swinging the hammer was just as tired as the one lifting and placing the nailer. I'm 5'7" and I found the realtively short handle on the nailer caused me to stoop over it more than I would have liked causing some pretty serious lower back pain.
br /One last thing, as other reviewers have mentioned, look out for the last nail--you must let it fall from the nailer and don't try to nail it in. You will mar your floor and/or have a misfired cleat that takes a while to remove, slowing down your progress.
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It is excellent tool never jamed and made you like a pro hardwood floor installer.

This is an outstanding floor nailer. Very easy to use, very easy to set into place and then without hesitation, the nail is set into 3/4" oak.

Haven't used the gun yet but it arrived in great shape new with all parts and manual.