I currently run five Hitachi, three Senco, and two Max finish nailers. The Hitachi NT65MA2 is the best nailer I have. It is very light with minimal recoil. It has enough power to sink nails in maple effortlessly. It is stone cold reliable- it has never broken a driver after five years of fulltime use (bought my old NT65MA in 98). The safety works well without marring. It shoots the Senco DA series (also UA) nail which has become the defacto industry standard. Hitachi appears to have spared no effort in designing and building the best 2 1/2" finish nailer.

i bought this nailer several months ago. great finish gun. the little button near the top/side of the gun is an air blower. great to have available when doing base, to blow away the crumbs from falling plaster or debris that is in the way. just push and it blows it away, nice added feature that the others don't have. have had no problems and would recommend this highly

I initially bought the Milwaukee 15 Gauge Nailer and was very impressed with the lightness, style/looks, cost, reputation, warranty, included nails/oil/goggles etc. However, I'm a guru, and one feature of the Hitachi really impressed me. That was the very narrow nosepiece/safety mechanism. It really allows you to see where you are placing the nail. The Milwaukee nosepiece is very capable but quite wide. Upon trying the Hitachi out, I was further sold by how solid it feels when firing a nail. The Milwaukee has a descent bounce, and leaves a mark on soft wood without the bumper (which I prefer not to use). Further, the Hitachi has come down in price and has the same warranty. The Hitachi brand nails are available at Lowes and much cheaper than the Porter Cable nails at Home Depot. The blower is a nice touch, but honestly not important too me. I prefer simplicity and execution more than features.
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br /I went with the Hitachi, my first tool from this brand and am very satisfied. That said, if I was a contractor and wanted nailers that were tough, cheap, lighweight, great warranty; give the Milwaukee lineup a serious look. The Hitachi came out of the box very oily, yet looks like a real quality piece of equipment. It's aluminum vs Milwaukee's magnesium, yet they are very similar in weight.
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br /I am not a fan of Hitachi's new "Terminator" look in the box stores. Makita pulled out their the lower quality tools in the box stores and went back to producing high quality tools that truly represent their brand. I think Hitachi is drifting away from professional towards goofy with their new look (especially in nailers where they are highly regarded).

As a custom homebuilder, I love high quality tools. I've had the opportunity to use many 15 gauge finish nailers throughout the years, and my hands down favorite is the Hitachi, for several reasons. It's by far the most reliable 15-gauge I've used. I run some HItachi's that are over 5 years old, and I've never had a problem with any of them. The balance of this gun is exceptional. To me balance of the gun is one of the most important features. I've run Bostitch, Senco, and Porter Cable, and I believe this gun is balanced better than any of them. The built in dust blower is also a great feature.
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br /If this gun cost twice as much, I'd still use it, but the fact you can get it cheaper than most other 15 gauge nailers is just icing on the cake. If you're looking for the best 15 gauge nailer, this is it.

I've been using the Hitachi NT65MA for over three years now on remodeling jobsites. The only difference between the NT65MA that I use and the newer NT65MA2 is that you can bump fire the NT65MA. I suppose the Hitachi people felt that bump firing a finish nailer was uncalled for or dangerous, but I think it's great in some situations.
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br /I've used Senco and Bostitch finish nailers on various jobs, but I think the Hitachi is superior because it has the best combination of balance, reliability, and power. It can easily handle all trim (from fir to rock maple) and light framing (door and window setting, drywall backout framing) applications, and never misfires. The only times I've had to clear nail jams have been when nailing trim to an old plaster over brick wall, and even then, only if the backing brick was very dense or hard.
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br /At first I thought the air blower was a gimmick, but I've found it to be very helpful when I've had to blow away drywall or plaster debris and dust. This happens surprisingly often, especially if the drywallers didn't do a great job and I've had to bash out places where they've put on too much mud or have encroached on rough openings too much.
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br /I've modified my nailer by attaching a circular saw rafter hanger to it by drilling through the magazine and cutting out the case to accommodate the hanger. Recently it has started to leak air a bit, but this is to be expected after 3 years of continuous use and abuse (it's been kicked, dropped 10 or so feet multiple times, thrown about, left in very dusty locations, rained on, etc.). A sealing rebuild is easy enough to come by anyway.
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br /As for the choice of nails, I've never had any trouble with any brand of nails in this tool (unlike another reviewer mentioned), but I prefer to use Senco's 2.5 inch long galvanized ones.
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br /I wouldn't hesitate to buy this nailer again.

I had a 15 ga. Bostich that mysteriously took flight from my job site. I'd heard good things about Hitachi so I bought this one even though it was $50 more than the Bostich. I also took a hit because my Bostich nails won't work in my Hitachi. I didn't realize that when I bought it. However, I really like the Hitachi better especially the nails because they have slightly bigger heads and less glue stuff on them. Both nailers performed flawlessly. I like that little air valve on the Hitachi. Sometimes, I hit it by accident when reaching for the nailer and get a plast of air in my face. Other times, I use it to blow off my saw and tools and to empty my air tank before loading them up. I'd buy it again and really wish my framing nailer was an Hitachi.
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i've used several finish nailers, and this is the best one. it's light, smooth, and the unique hitachi features (air blower and switchable fire modes) really add to its functionality. the senco--the venerable competitor--just can't compare.

This is a quality gun. I needed a 15 gauge nailer for a big job; my P/C 16 gauge just wouldn't do it. I read all the reviews on Amazon and narrowed it down to a couple. I wanted a quality gun but really did not want to spend more than $200. I originally was going to go with a Senco but they were on back order so I "settled" for the Hitachi - I am SO glad I did. I checked out the big chain stores - Home Depot was the only one that had it (at $219 plus tax); and with the $20 special discount Amazon gave it was a no-brainer. My Brother-in-Law is a professional and he has two Hitachi guns loves them.
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br /I've only used it for about 40 hours so far but it has worked flawlessly. I've been working with 1 inch Pine red oak effortlessly. It is light weight wonderfully well balanced. It is very compact I'm able to get in tight spots that my larger PC gun would never allowed me. Senco nails fit perfectly are readily available. The air blower is a great feature! I first thought it was a useless frill, but it really is useful. If there was anything negative I could come up with is that the depth adjustment is a bit funky. However, once set it is very consistent.
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br /I own four finish nailers and this by far my favorite.
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I purchased this finish nailer about 2 years ago. I have since used it to install thousands of feet of trim (not to mention every other job under the sun) with no problems. I have dropped it, kicked it, hit it, and it still performs flawlessly, day in, day out. I think I may have had one jammed nail in the time I've owned it, and that of course was easily remedied thanks to the excellent design of the gun. I can't give this tool enough praise - just fantastic! Don't think, just buy.

I have used the Senco 2.5 finish nailer for about 10 yrs now. My buddy showed up with his new Hitachi. I was surprised how good looking it was and even more surprised wen I picked it up, really light. I plugged in the air, wow the power, but man is it loud. Doing crown moulding on a ladder next to the ceiling u should be wearing hearing protection and also in closets nailing off base or shelving it was really loud. Along with some ear plugs an getting used to the recoil it is a nice gun, but honestly, as a trim carpenter with over 30 yrs experience I wud pay an extra 50 bucks and go with the senco.

I have had this gun for about 2 yaers now and not the first jam or mis fire .I shoot senco nails and it has never jamed.this gun is lighter then
br /the senco or any other and it is well balanced.It will set nails in 5/4
br /hardie and never mis a beat.I think this is the best trim gun you can buy . I will never waste my money on another gun.
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so that I could buy it again at Lowes. For $199 Lowes sold me the NT65MA2 and promised to mail me a Hitachi 18ga nailer for rebate.
br / This nailer is quality all the way and is one of my favorite tools. It is well balenced and fits my hand so nicely. The case holds it with a few small boxes of nails, safty glasses and hex keys. After using some of Hitachi's products I know how they get away with making some of them look so stupid, like something out of Buck Rogers. BECAUSE THEY CAN!
br / It took several months for Lowes to send me the NT 32AE(s) for rebate, but the price(free)was awsume! Another fine tool from Hitachi.

This worked really well. Depth was consistent once set. We did not have to nail set many nails. Good gun.

The Hitachi 15 guage finish nailer is a wonderful addition to my shop. It is comfortable handling, light weight, and smooth. It uses readily available Senco style, clipped head nails, so I don't have to drive to several sources or special order nails. The built-in blow nozzle has become a much used accessory during my cabinet constructions. I am glad I chose this nail gun over others.

I recently bought one of these NT65MA2 nailers, after sharing a friend's during a job. I had noticed with his that it wouldn't always fire without shaking it, when using Senco or Fasteners Unlimited nails, but fired consistently with Hitachi nails. Well, my new one exhibits the same behavior. This nailer seems to only like the Hitachi brand nails, in fact the owner's manual specifies that you should always use Hitachi nails. Too bad, as Senco really makes a better nail and many other brands are cheaper, too.
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br /Just keep this in mind when purchasing this nailer, and if you're happy to pay a little more for the Hitachi nails then I think you're going to be quite happy with this product.
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I purchased the Hitachi NT65MA2 after reviewing all the other finish nailers on the market, and have been more than satisfied. The air blast feature is not something I gave much thought to, but having recently completed a high-end custom trim project for a Customer, and having had numerous occasions to use this feature during the project, I found myself wishing my brad nailer (not Hitachi) possessed this feature as well. The most impressive thing about the NT65MA2 is its' light weight. The above mentioned trim project included the installation of an extensive 4-stage crown system, and having this nailer overhead for extended periods of time was not a challenge. I own several other Hitachi power tools, and this nailer is living up to the ownership experience I've enjoyed with them as well.

I love this nailer, it's gone through 1500 nails with only one jam. Jams are easy to clear. finding the right nail was a chore; lowe's has them. the light weight of the gun prevents fatique. have also used the air gun feature to clear dust away.

Don't have a lot of experience of using or having nailers. This is only my second one, or the first real one. Read lots of reviews from this site and others before buying it from Amazon a few weeks ago. Took advantage of the $25off tool promotion and the price came out 15% lower than buying from home centers.
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br /Have been using it to nail the base boards in my family room last couple of weeks and have not had any nail jams, at least not yet. Did not have to make much adjustment to put 2" 15GA nails at the right depth. Finding nails around home centers hasn't been any problems. So far have been very happy about the purchase.
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This has been a very good nail gun. Bought mine over two years ago and have been using it full time in production trim ever since. We have tried the new bostitch guns and they start breaking down after a few months. We have a porter-cable gun that has shot less nails and has had to be worked on several times. (Broken driver, clean out magazine, worn front plate allowing nails to missalign under driver). The only things I would like to see added to this gun would be an
br /in-handle air filter (as on the ridgid/milwaukee) and a belt hook of some sort. Also a dry-fire lockout would be handy. This gun fires with such force it sounds the same weather you are shooting a nail or have ran out.

I have owner this gun for nearly three years. I have used it for crown molding, 5/4 outdoor trim, composite trim, and most other types of larger trim. In the three years I have used it, not one misfire, jamb or other malfunction. Great balance and feel. Don't buy any other brand. My company buys senco--they don't even compare.

Bought this as a second finish gun as my 10-year old Senco SFN40 was losing power (seems to be an issue with oil-less guns). The Hitachi has the power to sink 2 1/2" nails in the hardest wood - in fact, in softer wood you cannot always dial it back enough so that the nail heads are flush. I cannot remember this gun ever jamming, where the Senco would jam occasionally near the end of a clip. The Hitachi is louder than the Senco, but it does more work! The rubber nose piece leaves marks that don't come off (but there is a storage boss for it on the magazine). As mentioned in other reviews, the adjustable exhaust and blower are nice features, as is the switch for bump firing vs. single firing (although I doubt many people bump-fire a finish gun). This would be the perfect gun if: it were quieter; the rubber nose didn't mark; and it had the lockout feature to prevent blank firing when you're out of nails.

I've only had the chance to use my new Hitachi Nailer on three window installations, but I love it already. It's light weight and drives each fastner with precision. I'm looking forward to more projects this summer where I'll be able to use it again. It's a great tool - I'm glad I bought it.

I bought the Hitachi finish nailer late last summer to put on cedar siding on the shed I am building. Since then I have used the nailer to install wood trim in our kitchen. The nailer has preformed very well and I believe I will get many years of use out of this tool. If you are looking for a well built finish nailer that will last a long time you can't go wrong with the Hitachi.

I have used this gun for about 6 months now. I have never had it misfire. THe weight and balance is great. Nylon mag. seems a little light weight for a nailer, but it has held up fine. The dust blower (a feature that I did not think was useful when I bought it has shown itself to be a very practial bonus) One of the best finish nailers on the market, check one out before you buy a Dewalt or some other brand.

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br /Well, this past x-mas I managed to convince the wife
br /that there actually was a tool that I did not have and she
br /agreed to get me a small Campbell Hausfeld Air compressor.
br /(See my review).
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br /With the purchase of my compressor, I was
br /in need of the nail guns-I bought four- 2 18 gauge Hitachi Brad nailers, A Campbell Hausfeld Framing Nailer, and finnally, the Finish nailer reviewed here.
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br /The reason for this purchase was the remodeling of
br /the Master Bedroom in my house.Faced with having to
br /install 80 feet of crown moulding, baseboard moulding
br /plus casement around the windows and doors, A finish nailer was a definite must have.
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br /Shopping at Lowes, I picked out a cheaper Tradesman brand nailer because:
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br /A) It was cheaper, and B)it came with a free bonus brad
br /nail gun.
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br /My wife Suggested we spend fifty dollars more
br /to get the higher quality Hitatchi model with a mail in
br /rebate for a free brad nailer.(okay,honey, you twisted
br /my arm!)
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br /The gun comes in a nice high quality plastic
br /hardshell case, and includes 2 allen keys for any needed
br /maintenence of the gun, such as clearing jams. I was
br /surprised there was no oil included, or nails for that
br /matter. But these items were cheap enough(About ten-fifteen
br /dollars) so no big deal.
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br /This gun can fire nails up to 2and 1/2 inches long to
br /handle any trimwork project. The angled body lets it get
br /into tight spots easily, and the removeable no-mar tip
br /protects delicate mouldings from being scratched by the
br /tool. This tool made the moulding install a breeze.
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br /There are some very neat features to this gun that
br /competitors models do not have such as a dust blower on
br /the gun that lets you use compressed air to blow away
br /debris, and a switch to go from sequential fire to bump
br /fire mode, where yo keep your finger on the trigger and
br /bump the gun into the workpiece to fire the nail.
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br /The construction of this nailer is rugged, with a
br /metal body and rubber overmold grip. Nails loaded easily
br /throgh the back of the gun and I can happily say that I
br /fired a whole package of nails 2,000? without a single jam
br /or misfire.
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br /The nailer is a pale green color that grows on you with time. It is not as bad as the obnoxious green and black color used on Hitachi's power tools.
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You won't go wrong in purchasing this tool. I purchased one back in May and it has worked flawlessly every time I've used it. It's light weight, easy to load and the depth setting adjusts with just a couple of turns. If you need a solid nailer, this is the one to get.

I have used this gun extensively on the job and haven't had a single misfire or jam. It is smooth, comfortable, and you can blast your coworkers with the air feature it they get in your way. I had to tweak my hook a little to fit in the case but it closes fine with it on. Some other brands don't. Do the designers ever use these in real life?

I love this product. Light weight and easy to use. Very reliable. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.

I love this nail gun. But if you're like me, you're here more to find out what's wrong with a tool than what's right about it.
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br /Everything is perfect, and I'd buy another one without even looking to see what's new and exciting out there. And that's saying a lot coming from me. But if I had to complain about anything...
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br /The depth adjuster is a narrow plastic knurled barrel that is only partially finger accessible. It's hard to describe, but when you try setting it, you'll see what I mean, and if you have large fingers too, you'll see why I'd re-design it. It's not horrible, it's just a bit awkward. It's also not the type of thing you have to mess around with very often, so this really is a very minor complaint.
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br /I should also add that when I got my nailer, I didn't realize that I had to crank the )(#*% out of the depth adjuster to get it to move a perceptible amount. I actually thought it was broken, until I cranked the thing many revolutions. But I guess that's better since it means you can adjust it in very fine increments. It just wasn't super obvious - to me at least.
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br /My other minor complaint, and one which I have no better solution to, is the air blast feature. It scares the crap out of you when you bump it by mistake - for instance, when nailing in a tight corner with your head between a wall and a cast iron radiator, carefully lining up a precise shot in the low light at a weird angle, holding your breath as you line it up just right...
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br /I do like having the button, so I wouldn't do away with it, It just made me wonder how many of these nailers have been dropped by people not knowing it's there... "hey kid, could you grab me that nail gun"...
br /But even its marginal usefulness GREATLY outweighs my concerns about it.
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br /The plastic nail slide makes me worry, but it also makes me actually WANT to treat the nailer nicely. On a tool I didn't care so much about I'd treat it poorly just to tempt the part to break just so I could b*#$ about it. I love this nail gun too much for that kind of behavior. So it's not a complaint, just a minor concern. If something happens to it and it becomes a complaint, I'll update this review.
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br /Meanwhile I highly recommend this nailer. (and for the record, mine came with the male air coupling installed on it. it's not shown in the picture and I know many other manufacturers leave it out. Not that they're particularly expensive or anything, but it was still nice to see)
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This nailer from Hitachi is an excellent tool. It is lightweight and quite easy to handle, yet plenty of power to drive long nails in hard woods. The pricing is very reasonable for a quality tool. It uses standard nails readily available. I got this nailer to replace a Senco nailer. The Hitachi works just as well, if not a bit better. Lower cost as well.

Have used this only a few days, and it's my very first nail gun, so I don't have much to compare it to. It took me awhile to realize that the "no mar" nose piece is clipped onto the magazine. I marred a few pieces of word before realizing this.
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br /The gun is very fine quality, comfortable to hold, and so far I have not had a jam or or any problem in over 200 nails (bulls-eye brand, 2.5" galvanized).
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br /I must say that the "air blast" button is absurdly located, and you'll wind up hitting it accidentally several times per day at least. This is scary every time. It's a great feature to have, though, but seems like it should have been easy for Hitachi to place elsewhere.
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br /The case is adequate, although the latches are cheap plastic and seem flimsy. The gun comes with the nicest pair of work glasses I've ever used. Awesome.
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br /Overall I think the gun is a great value for the price and a solid performer.

I've been running this nailer for close to a year and it hasn't jammed once. It's lightweight compared to others on the job site and it's the first one the crew goes for. The only thing that takes some getting used to is the air button designed to blow away debris. This button is easy to hit when you grip the handle and it scares the bejesus out of me every time. Guess I'm just a sissy. Great gun, you won't be sorry with this one!
Glenn McCusker > South County Woodworks > Wakefield, RI

LOUD you got that right. I first bought this gun after holding my friends gun. This was definitely the lightest and best balanced gun I'd ever held. Everything seemed great until I could feel the noise pressure against my ears. I wear enough ear protection; I don't want to wear ear plugs for a finish gun. So I returned it and just stuck with my Senco.

I use the gun fairly hard everyday. It performs very well. I can make alot of money with it. No complaints

The Hitachi NT65MA2 appears to be identical to the NT65MA3 but is about $50 more. The only difference seemed to be that the NT65MA2 was made in Japan, while the NT65MA3 was made in Taiwan. That's the only reason I spent the extra money for the NT65MA2. When it arrived, the label said, "Made In Taiwan". It's back in the box, ready to be returned.

this is overall a good tool I have no real complaints. good tool for the money.

Hitatchi Rules !!! For people who use these everyday, They Know !!!
br /Trust them Buy Hitachi !!!