Since nails must be inserted one at a time, this is not the best tool for someone with thousands of a specific type of nail to drive. However, it will serve in place of an array of nail guns for those who must drive a variety of different nails. In addition, it is safer since the nails are driven by successive blows rather than shot out of a gun.pSmall finishing nails go in straight and can be driven flush with the wood surface. Countersinking is not possible since the driving blade is too big and leaves a mark, but it is a simple matter to countersink them by hand. The point of each nail is placed exactly where it is supposed to go, so accuracy is very good.pThe biggest nails in my shop are serrated barn nails about 8" long, and this tool drove them through a 6x6 treated beam like shoving a knitting needle through styrofoam.pThe hammer tip is good for pounding anything you would normally hit with a hammer. It drives wood through my doweling plate fast and I will probably find alot of other things to bash with it.pMy compressor is small and fairly old, but this tool doesn't need much air to run. Also, the case is well designed and holds all of the considerable accessory parts firmly in place when not in use.

I have always used a framing hammer to nail joist hangers and usually on every job I bang my finger once or twice while trying to hold the hanger/nail and hammer. I used this tool for the first time today and was amazed at how smooth it is. It comes with quite a few different accessories for different types of nails and it comes with an air hose connection. I had to nail one hanger with only 5 1/2" between the hanger and the adjacent wall and the palm nailer handled this easily. I was expecting this tool to be rough on the hands but was surprised at it's smoothness and tons of power. This is a tool I wish I had bought years ago.

I am in the midst of building a deck. I and my partner have used this palm nailer from day one of construction. It is easy to use, very controllable.brWithout this palm nailer I would have blown my elbow out with a conventional hammer and nails. Each joist hanger took 6 nailsbrTwo hangers per joist=12 nails. 28 joists x 12= 536 + nails in hangers and all went in straight and without hesitation.brTo date, this is the best purchase I have made that saves wear and tear on my elbow.brI recommended this for anyone who needs to drive an enormous amount of nails, especially through joist hangers where aim is critical through pre made holes..brV.M.Steel, NY

Spikes, brads, coated, roofing... you name, it does it. And with ease! Depending on what you're driving, and how much of a countersink you need, it takes some toying with the air pressure. The unit comes equipped with various adaptors, which is a nice plus. HOWEVER, given the age of quick releases and snap on's, changing driving heads on this puppy takes some time. I'm disappointed P/C couldn't think of a better design. Also, I wish there was a sensitivity adjustment on this 650. When attempting to toe-nail, just when you have the nail in the precise spot and at the precise angle, the 650 doesn't kick in. There's a certain amount of pressure it's set for. You either hit it, or you don't. I'd rather have it as an option, personally.
br /Gave it to my nephew to use... he's not mechanically inclined. I instructed him on safety and precautions... turned my back... he went to town. After he finished fastening the panels, he wanted more. Very often I found him driving in way more fasteners than what was required. Did I say the unit's addictive? My last negative involves the magnet. WEAK!!!!
br /Purchase it, my friends. You won't be disappointed. It's an ASSET. Especially if you're a one-man (or one-woman) show most of the time.

I formerly had a Danair palm nailer and a Senco. The Senco had a leaky gasket that I had to tighten the bejeezus out of and it still leaked a little air. The Senco also came without any accessories. The Danair had a problem with the tip always coming loose. The padded leather grip was the nicest on the Danair. The Senco came bare metal. Without the leather grip it becomes very uncomfortable to use.
br / I use a Porter Cable now. I like that for the price it comes with several tips for different size nails. The leather grip is also standard. I have been using the Porter Cable for about two years now without a problem. I used it to nail 20d HD galvie commons . Using a hammer for such a large nail would likely leave a mark if you missed and all the heavy pounding would have been pretty tiring. I use the palm nailer for nailing tile backer, joist hangers, nailing in tight spots and for spikes. Changing tips is easy with the wrench supplied.
br / I only rated it four stars because the magnetic tip lost it's magnetism early on so now I have to hold every nail to start it. This palm nailer is the best value out there. It has held up to lots of abuse so far.

I recently purchased, and ultimately returned this nailer after I discovered a design flaw - not a manufacturing flaw but an honest to goodness design error. Specifically, Porter-Cable's design of the nail magnet is poorly done - A real suprise in light of the marvelous adapters, integral glove and carrying case accessories, all of which are excellent. The problem is that PC chose to use a small rare earth magnet in the side wall of the nail holder. The magnet is so weak that upon placing an 8 penny nail in the tool and turning it over, the nail will fall right out. I had the tool repaired by a factory authorized repair center and when I picked the item up, I showed the technician that the unit still had the original problem even though they had replaced the magnet. His reaction was, yeah, we noticed how undermagnetized the nail holder was even when replaced. I've used other brands of palm nailers and never experienced this problem. I compared it to the Senco PC 0781 I found at the Home Depot and the Senco unit has a magnetized cylinder that firmly holds the nail in place. By comparison once the 8 penny nail was inserted into the Senco, no amount of shaking would dislodge the nail. This is an important point because when you are up on a ladder trying to hold things in place, you don't need to be worrying if the darn nail is going to fall out. When I called PC support, I had to spend 10 minutes explaining to the clueless phone person that I wasn't talking about a nailgun but a palm nailer because she kept insisting that I was loading the "nails" (plural) in the gun the wrong way. After, I cleared that hurdle, the end of her support "script" was soon reached and since PC could offer no other remedy, I decided to return the unit for a refund. This really pains me because my other PC tools are great, this item had the whole feature set, but the execution of design is lacking. My suggestion is if you don't need the ability to drive oversize nails, buy a different palm nailer - Who knows, maybe PC will fix the problem in the future.

This tool is a great labor saver, fun to use, and well packaged. I am notoriously bad at driving nails by hand, and this tool has prevented untold amounts of bent nails, bruised thumbs, and sore wrists. I don't know how I ever got along without one. My only complaint: I'm not crazy about the screw-in collar that secures the nailing head to the tool body. As shipped, the collar was screwed in so tightly that while trying to remove it, I damaged one of the included wrenches. Once it finally came off, I had no further problems. However, I'm always worrying that I'll overtighten it again, or that I won't tighten it enough, causing it to vibrate loose during use. Porter-Cable should reconsider the design of the collar mechanism; otherwise, great tool.

The PN650 Palm Nailer Kit comes in a plastic case that has everything you need neatly packaged for use or storage. I like tool cases. Cases keep parts from getting lost, and tools from picking up excess dust and dirt while not being used. Nailers have small, interchangable parts that need safe storage. The PN650 does its job, and does it well. My first use for it was between deck joists and stair stringers where my framing nailer would not fit. Porter-Cable has a good reputation, and you won't go wrong with this kit.

I thought I would add a recent review so that folks know this little guy is still fabulous. I have real wood siding and the nails tend to back out with the hot and cold, wet and dry expanding and contracting. I had many 10's of nails backed out 1 half inch or so. So this was a lifesaver - there is no way I could have done as good a job pushing so many existing nails back in with a hammer and nail set and not make a mess. Since the nails are set just below the surface level this really helped where the nail head was tilted or warped from the original nailing - a nailset would have been impossible. It's easy to control in terms of depth and quickly and easily put my old nails back where they belong.
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br /Using it in new construction, I find that getting nails started straight takes a little practice. If the nail is not angled right, the tool makes short work of getting it driven in at the wrong angle. For precision work, starting the nail with a small hammer would help. A glove helps a lot to steady nails at the start. If you've got a lot of repetitive work (finish or framing, etc., an conventional nailer may be a better choice. But for occasional use, you can't be the price with this one.
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br /It's also a bit noisy - like a giant woodpecker! But it's not louder than hammering nails conventionally, it's just a lot faster.
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br /It's easy to hold and easy on the hands. I don't do a lot of work, and when I saw this I just had to have it, considering the price of finish and framing nailers. I've been really happy with it. It's perfect for the do-it-yourselfer.

I didn't know what to expect when I bought this thing, but have but have since become very attached to this pint-sized powerhouse. It's surely not as fast as a framing nailer on bump mode, but it's much faster than anybody pounding away with a hammmer. Plus, you have a levelent of control that you don't obtain with either of the other methods of burying nails. Sort of makes you feel like you're Superman just pushing nails into the wood with your hand.
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br /I have enjoyed it so much that I recently picked up a second one to keep from having to change heads so often. Now I can use the finishing nail head to get everying in place, then come along with the hammer head attachment and my nail set to countersink everything. It actually makes countersinking nails fun, while reducing the chances or marring your work with an errant hammer blow (watch you fingers though - one little tap on the nail set creates a powerful whack from this thing).
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br /Unless you frame or run trim for a living, this nailer is probably most of what you'll need in pneumatic nailers. Versatility and delightfully compact dimensions make this thing a pleasure to own. Now if they'd come out with a "hoseless" version...

I bought this after trying it at a tool show. I was surprised at how easily it drove nails into hardwood and softwood. I initially thought that it would make my hand "buzz", but it never causes vibration induced paresthesias. My 14-year old son used it to secure all the joist hangers on a 37 x 25 foot deck we built. I have no complaints.

My wife and I recently purchased the Victorian house of her dreams and my nightmares. The goal is to restore the house within 2 years of purchase. We are 16 months into the effort. In bad weather I work inside and when nice outside. The Porter-Cable palm nailer could be the perfect tool for me to drive roofing nails, siding nails, three sizes of finish nails, 16d sinkers, and galvanized twist nails (3 ½ to 2 inches long) along with assorted pounding tasks. The pounding tasks include chiseling wood, electric wire staples, and a copper kettle from a flat copper sheet. That's my situation.
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br /I purchased the tool and immediately put it through a series of tests including air demand. I have a 1.5 horsepower, 3-gallon tank, $99.95 el cheapo air compressor from Walmart. My biggest concern was how it would sink finish nails because none of the reviews here covered them. My second concern was the complaints about the magnet holding the nail before you start driving it. I wasn't born with a third arm and it would be nice if I didn't have to hold the nail to get it started while trying to hold the work too. Lastly, the Victorian we are restoring was a church parsonage so when missing nails or hitting my fingers with a hammer I've really had to watch my language. In this preventive function, the nailer could have great redeeming value.
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br /My results and comments in item format:
br /1. I drove 4 sizes of finish nails at various angles and straight in. No problems.
br /2. I drove (10) 3 ½" nails as fast as I could and the compressor kept up without a problem.
br /3. Other reviews expressed disappointment with the magnet holding the nails. I only had problems holding 3 ½" galvanized sinkers. I was very relieved when it did a good job of holding finish nails, siding nails, and roofing nails. Magnets do not like impact and weaken over time. When I'm done with it for the day, I'm going to stick another magnet to it to charge it, so to speak.
br /4. Hardi-Plank is a 100 year guaranteed concrete impregnated fiberboard replacement siding. I have several hundred square feet to put up when the weather breaks. The nailer drove a siding nail through it like butter.
br /5. I used the hammerhead to pound in several electric wire staples. The locations of those things never give you a clear hammer blow. The nailer put them down just fine except I'll have to make sure it does not push down too hard against the wire.
br /6. Using the hammerhead attachment to bend flat metal will be wonderful. I will be making a large copper bowl for a deck fire pit from a flat sheet of copper.
br /7. I found the unit to be of quality construction and worthy of the asking price. I'm glad I purchased it.
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br /Disappointments:
br /1. I read where the distance you want the nailer to drive a finish nail is adjustable. I don't think it is. There was nothing in the manual about it nor could I figure out how to do it without modifying the tool.
br /2. A sleeve is shown and provided to place over the nailing ram for the hammerhead attachment. However, once in position the hammerhead could not be assembled even when the ram was in its fully extended position as required in the manual. I assembled the hammer without it and it worked fine.
br /3. The small dimple left by the finish nail driver is a bit larger than I would like. However, it is much smaller than the marring I leave behind every time I miss the nail.
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br /Recommendations:
br /1. I can recommend this tool to people who have a need to do a lot of nailing once in awhile. I'll use it intensely for the next year and then only every once in awhile.
br /2. I can recommend this to people with wrist or arm injuries that find it painful to swing a hammer.
br /3. I can recommend this tool to people who hit their fingers as many times as they hit the nail.
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Let me preface this by saying that I am a relatively novice DIYer. My 26X16 basement, plus hallway, is my first larger project, but I could not have done it without this tool. I basically never touched a hammer during the whole project. I thought about buying/renting a framing nailer, but the cost to buy and my limited time to use a rented one kept me from doing that, so after reading the reviews here I decided on the palm nailer, and I have not been disappointed. The nailer is so simple to use that even my wife has used it. It is safer than the framing nailer and not nearly as intimidating.
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br /Pluses - Easy of use, 10 times easier and faster than using a hammer, able to nail in very difficult spots and angles (great for the basement where there were a lot of obstructions). Drives nails quickly and accurately once you get used to it.
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br /Minuses - Loud. I would wear ear protection b/c the thing is pretty loud. The magnet is not very good and you need to position the nail by hand, but once you get used to that, it is really easy.
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br /Tip - For toenailing I would hit it 2X with the Palm Nailer and then bend it up from there and then zip nail it in. Worked like a charm for me.

This is a very nice nailer. I was not expecting all that much. I purchased this to do some close quarters nailing and to nail some joist hangers. After driving the first 16d nail, I was blown away. It works MUCH better than I thought it would. Very smooth, very accurate. The kit is nice and included multiple tips, a hammer head and a nice plastic case. I'm in the middle of doing a bathroom remodel and when I framed up a wall tonight I didn't even run for my full framing nailer - I just used this thing because it works so well. This is one of those tools that everyone should have. It's nice to people who don't want to buy an entire range of nailers. While I have about every nailer you could ever need - I think I'll be grabbing this more often than not because it's light weight, uses a variety of nails and it just works and works well. The only negative I came up with was the magnetic head. It works well - however the magnet is really crappy. Great idea - but poor execution.

I wanted a tool for home use that could handle all my nailing needs without me going broke buying different nailers for specific jobs. This tool is great! Used it to build two rooms in my basement and it will adapt to many more needs as well.

I've only used this little critter for driving 10d and 16d nails, so I can't remark much on its versatility, but after renovating a 22x24 garage into a shop, including constructing a center beam to suport the attic floor above, and triple-sistering all the joists of that floor (1974 construction is exciting to bring up to code), I really like it.
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br /My Campbell Hausfeld HL5501 8-gal air compressor powered it pretty easily. The compressor cycled often, but didn't need any catch-up time; I could keep nailing at 100psi until I finished the joist I was working on without any noticeable decrease in performance. It put 16d nails through frozen, ice-caked 2x6 (construction work in the Sierra in February is chilly) with no problem at all.
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br /It's small and light enough that it wasn't any bother to carry around. Putting up collar ties, it just hung by its hose over my shoulder while I, atop the ladder, got the collar tie into position and leveled. Sistering joists, the palm nailer fit easily into the spaces between floor joists, even an inch above the ceiling drywall where I wouldn't have had any room to swing a hammer. I could wriggle it around and hold it from any weird angle I needed to get the nail driven.
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br /I learned, however, that it didn't have the oomph to spring a warped 2x6 flat against the 2x6 I was nailing to. I'd have to drive in the nails to set the new 2x6 into place, then go back and whack it into place with a hammer. I don't think this is any fault of the nailer so much as my inexperience combined with the crummy, corkscrewed 2x6s I was working with. Anyway, on the 2x6s that weren't warped, it sure set them into place well.
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br /The work went quickly principally because the nailer worked beautifully. I look forward to using it on more delicate projects, and can recommend it --for ease of use and general utility-- unreservedly.

[...] Cost aside the tools strengths are: 1) small compact size - great for tight spots 2) ease of use - after about 20 nails you get comfortable with it 3) very light - minimal fatigue 4) hammers nails w/ ease 6) runs w/ as low a PSI setting of 50 (MNF recommends 60)- I set my compressor at 100 for framing nails 7) will work with a very small compressor as my 25 gallon's engine hardly goes off (comparison is against my exp with my air ratchet)pIf you are a DIY and find yourself wanting to tackle a project that needs driving a large volume of nails, this is a no brainier. The product pays for itself in labor savings easily; you will thank yourself for getting it once you are into your project.br.

I have looked at other Palm nailers and chose the Porter-cable for a number of reasons...
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br /There were cheaper ones out there that appeared to come with all the same accessories, but don't be fooled. Some are VERY cheapyl made (plastic case body, no case, etc.). Others are less expensive, but are just the nailer, and a glove, nothing else.
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br /The PN650 kit stands above the rest with it's solid and very durable steel body, complete kit of accessory heads, and very well designed carrying case.
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br /Now that I have used it to build a patio enclosure, I can comment on it's performance. I used the standard magentic head for all the nails which were between 8d and 16d sized, and this thing pounded them in so quickly and easily, I may never use an old fashioned manual hammer again! No arm/wrist stress whatsoever and dead on accurate every time. I ran into trouble right off the line, but not with the nailer, but with the 15' coiled nylon air hose that came with my also new Craftsman compressor. Those silly things suck and are only useful on a bench, so I quickly ran out and bought a 50' rubber hose on sale at Sears and by the end of the day, I had finished up the enclosure and drove some 8 pounds of nails in one day and had hours to spare before nightfall, so I went out, bought some 1x stock and some finish nails and trimmed up the interior of the enclosure to make hide the strong-tie connectors and still finished up with enough time to sit and enjoy my handicraft with a drink before dusk! What a time-saver!
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br /If I could go back 25 or so years and start all my projects over again with one of these, I would, and probably would have done 10 times as many projects over those years as well!

mostly i work with metal and in fact i'm awful at driving nails with a hammer. i bought this versatile tool for miscellaneous homeowner/handyman tasks around the house, because i couldn't justify buying three or four different nail guns for the amount of wood work that i do.brafter about a dozen practice nails of various sizes, i'm nailing like a rock star after an arena concert. so far, i've built a couple picture frames, framed in an attic staircase, and built a new workbench, all with ONE great little tool and many different sizes of regular old nails (no pricey nails on strips!).brthis is the perfect tool for the amount of work that i do, and i think i could do a lot more before biting the bullet for a gaggle of specialty nail guns.

This is a great tool. Has different heads to drive common nails, finish nails, and roofing nails. This kit also includes a hammer face to do anything you can do with a traditional hammer, without the arm fatigue. Drives nails quickly and I had no problem with bent nails, even driving them at angles. Kit includes a plastic case and all the wrenches to change heads and maintain tool.

I got this for doing a seismic retrofit in my crawl space and retrofitting my deck with Simpson ties. So far I've done several of the Simpsons on the deck and where it would be torture to reach between a 4x4 and the house to drive a nail, this is a cinch! I first used a 1 gallon compressor and it would drive one and a half 16d nails before I had to stop so I got a 4 gal. compressor and I haven't outpaced it.
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br /I was feeling kind of bad when I saw the Senco at Home Depot for half the price, but what the heck - I love this tool. The Senco's glove looked pretty cheap and it didn't have the hammer and finish guide. When I first tried the tool it didn't work, but the manual said the internal valve could be moved if the tool was dropped and to whack it's back on some wood. I whacked too weakly for fear of hurting it but finally really whacked it and it worked fine.

We do sesimic retrofits in the Seattle area and use these to drive thousands of 1 1/2" hot dipped galvanized nails into Simpson strong tie applications, some requiring 30+ nails each. It goes very fast with this palm nailer and it just needs a little squirt of oil every so often to keep it happy and running. With a different head (supplied) it will drive 10" x 1/4" spikes with ease.

I bought this tool back in the summer with only one project in mind - since then it has earned its keep in several projects. I first saw it on HGTV and the host was showing a homeowner how to use it as they constructed a pergola; I thought the concept was pretty cool and was sold on it after watching the show. Now that I own one I can't say enough good things about it. I have numerous Porter-Cable tools and all have served me well!
br /This palm nailer assisted me in the construction of a 12'x16' shed, my daughter's playroom, the extension/remodel of a hallway wall and I'm sure it will be involved in many more projects throughout the years to come.
br /It's extremely easy on the hands (even let my 3-year-old drive a few nails (with supervison of course) and she just kept coming back for more!) Because of it's small size it fits just about anywhere and worked great with my porter-cable pancake air compressor.
br /Has a great little carrying case and enough bays to fit it's additional accessories.
br /The strap on the back side of the nailer combined with the leather case make it extremely comfortable and adjustable to fit well in your hand and allow for hours of nailing with minimal fatigue. Even used it in the rain and all it took was a simple wipe down, stored it, and it was ready for the next day's task.
br /They say the right tool can make a job a pleasure and this nailer is definitely the tool that should be in any DIYers toolbox!!
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If you ever need to nail anything, this tool is a must. I built steps in no time and it took about two nails to master the technique. If you are doing more precise work where a nail gun won't do, this is the perfect tool. After using it for an extended period of time I was amazed at how little fatigue there was and how easy it was to nail 12d 16d nails!

This unit works very well and is especially suited to those tight spots where you can't swing a hammer. Works on nails of all sizes and is especially good for those who can't drive a nail straight - this will do it for you.

Since my divorce I have had to learn to repair and maintain my home on my own. I recently decided to try my hand at building a few things, and decided to try this palm nailer. What a great product!!! I built a 55 ft. arbor in my yard, and this nailer was a life saver. It is extremely easy to use and very lightweight. I was done with my project in no time! I would recommend this nailer to anyone with small OR large projects. It's also a great bargain. I've also been asked to borrow this thing several times. Everyone loves it!!

I'll admit... I don't use this tool very often. I have three other nailers that do a better, and much faster job at setting nails. But every once in a while, I find myself in a situation where this is the ONLY tool for the job. When the space is tight, and I don't have the room to swing a hammer (much less fit a framing nailer), this tool is a lifesaver. I'd definitely put it near the top of my list of favorite tools to own. It's relatively inexpensive, easy to use, built very well, and comes with a bunch of attachment which I'll probably never need, but somebody else might. It came in especially handy for changing out or adding studs in the basement. You can drive nails down through the top plate and into the stud from between the floor joists above. You won't be disappointed in this tool.

It works great. I was surprised to see how fast it will drive a nail. The only improvmement I can see would be to make one that is even smaller to get into even smaller spaces.

I've got one, had it for 3 years. It works great. The Bostich is only $39, why would you buy this. If I had to do it again now I'd buy Bostich 1st.