I have had my hitachi NR83A2 for about 3 1/2 years. I have used the NR83, which was a great gun, but who wants to keep going back to the compressor to adjust the air pressure when you can simply adjust the depth on the gun. I have not had any problems with the depth of drive, it works great. And the single fire, bump fire mechanism has never given me any trouble either, in fact, it is very handy to have if you are in a situation where you can't afford to have a double fire. Contrary to a previous review, you can mount a rafter hook on this gun. You just have to drill an extra hole where the magazine bolts to the gun. I got the hook off amazon as well, it is make by toolhangers inc., and it fits NR83A2 and a skilsaw. I have framed with a few other guns, namely the Porter Cable, I have used the Paslode powermaster plus, and I have used the Senco. But most of my experience is with this gun, and I can't see ever changing over. Once you put a rafter hook on it, this gun has it all, and lacks nothing. Only complaint, when you are nailing off with 8s, the 2nd clip will often ride up on the 1st clip, causing a jam, which is annoying when you are trying to go fast. But other than that, no complaints. If you want a true framing gun, get this one. I guarantee you if you walk onto any framing crew out here in California, you will see Hitachi's being used.

We're building a new home and during the framing stage I watched the framers use this gun all day long, day after day with no problems. When I asked them how they liked it, they said they would not use any other gun but this one. We're nearing the end of construction and I decided to tackle the rear deck myself (lots of money to be saved in doing so). I decided to take the plunge and buy my first pneumatic nail gun. I'm not a professional builder, but, I can tell you I do love this Hitachi framer. In fact, I'm so excited about it that I've ordered additional nailers and a stapler to put in my dream shop which is going up at the same time as the house. Actually, the shop is finished - something my sweet wife reminds me of each time we visit the building site. I keep telling her "We just have to maintian our priorities!"

I'm in the middle of building a 10X16 shed with this nailer. I've used it for the rough framing, nailing the sheathing, and framing trusses (lots of toe-nailing). I've had no problems with this tool - it does a fine job. I'm using the BC nails available on Amazon - 31/4 in framers (comes coated) and their 8d ring-shank galvanized for the sheathing.
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br /No regrets about buying this - it's saved a world of time!

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br /J. M. Jaszarowski Initial post
br /Hello
br / I have been a framing foreman for many years and use the Hitachi NR 83 and 90 guns daily. They are by far the best product on the market. We have several guns that are so beat up, you cannot tell what brand they are, yet they still work great. We do large school expansion projects and really give these guns a workout. They do it without problems, day in and day out.

I have owned this gun for 3 years. I am a professional remodeler and I use this gun 5 days a week. My best friend has owned an older model for 25 years without ever needing service. These guns are indestructable. I have dropped this gun off of roofs, onto concrete, off of ladders. Still works like the day I bought it. Like any nail gun, you have to learn how it works and find it sweet spot. Every gun fires differently. Once you get used to it, it will be second nature. It is best to only put one sleave of nails in at a time, otherwise they tend to get stuck together and cause a jamb. That is the only complaint on this gun, which I think has more to do with how round head nail strips are made. I did accidently shoot myself in the knee with a 16D nail while working alone. Kinda sucked, but it was a stupid mistake I will not make again ;)

I have been a professional carpenter for almost 15 yrs.now and I have used many guns. the NR83 IS by far the best out there. sadly its no longer made and has been replaced by the NR83A2(which is still an excellent gun by the way).ALL framers out there will agree 100%.I would NEVER trade my Hitachi For another brand. a few out there not familiar with these tools say they jam when loaded with 2 racks. of course they do because of the cheap way the nails are collated! dont blame it on the gun! I have never had a problem with this gun and will continue to use it until I retire from the trades. period.

Ive owned a Hitachi NR83 nailer for 6 years and it has performed flawlesly. Only one issue with it. That issue has been resolved with the NR83A2. Sometimes I need to place one single nail in an area that a bump fire nailer like the NR83 just will not work.Both nailers have a specific job that they both do very well.

I borrowed this gun from our contractor when building our house and loved it. And being the gun that builders prefer meant a lot to me, so when buying a framing nailer this was the obvious choice. Since then I have been helping my in-laws build a house, and we have gone through thousands of nails with this gun without a single complaint. And when the siding nailer broke, we started using galvanized nails in this gun, and it worked just as well, if not better.

This is an excellent nailer. Works very well. I like the depth adjustment and sequential firing of this nailer.

I have been using the DeWalt D51845 framing gun for 2 years and it has been a huge pain. I own at least a dozen other DeWalt tools and love the weight, balance and durability of all of them...except for their big framing gun. It would constantly misfire - clearing jams was pretty easy with the removable clip and the attached hanger clip was nice...well, it started leaking air 3 days ago and quit at the end-of-day the following day. I bought the Hitachi NR83A as replacement and it is awesome. It worked great with no jams and has good balance.

This framer is one tough nailer. Dropped from the top of the scaffolding (2 stories) not once but twice and just laughed in gravity's face. Keep it oiled and you'll never have an issue. It has never jammed on me, ever. For treated wood run at 100psi and for fir/pine 2x's run at 90psi. This will give the least punch back and a good counter sink.
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br /This nailer rivals the best (in the pneumatic world) for weight and price. It is the first nailer I have ever put an entire box of nails through with no jams.

I am currently building a wood frame hotel we have 9 Hitachi framers and 5 paslode framers. The paslodes are great for collecting dust and that's it. I have been actively framing for 12 years and have started running my company this year. I burn through over 10 boxes (4000 nails each) on each floor. Never do I have a problem, in fact my nail distributor fixes my guns for free, due to quantity of nails purchased, and all that he has been forced to fix has been the paslode guns.
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br /To sum this up there is no other, I have used them all and always tell the owners, trade this junk in and buy a real gun. Any fast reliable crew will come packing Hitachi framers. Yes they cost a little more but remember cheaper is not always better. The payback is in no downtime and higher productivity. End of Story.
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br /Written by Mr. Payne

The nailer is amazing. I am a diyer and considered a lower costing one but opted out after feeling the quality of the NR83. Plenty of power and not too heavy.

GREAT GUNS BUILD GREAT HOMES. GOOD DEPTH ADJ. COMFORTABLE AND SEEMS TO JAM LESS THAN THE 3 OTHER TOP BRANDS WE HAVE TRIED.THE ONLY GUNS IN OUR JOB TRAILER NOW!!!!

For a framing nailer, this tool is surprisingly light and balanced. Some nailers twist the wrist a lot, but not this one. Even at full arms length it is easy to aim, position, and use. When it fires there is minimal kickback, and not much is transfered back to the arm.

The nose is well designed to grip the wood, even for raking toenail jobs. Bounce nailing is a breeze. I have experienced only a few mis-feeds over an entire year of ownership. The nose springs are fully exposed, but I've never had a problem with accumulated sawdust or debris; the tool functions as smoothly now after several hundred thousand driven nails as it did the day I first fired it up.

The only down-sides are a lack of depth control (I can live with this) and the fact that there s no single-shot trigger when you buy the gun (and buying one is expensive).

I used many brands of framing guns and found the Hitachi NR83A to be a good reliable gun. The main positives are it's durability and that it is easy to get parts. On the downside, it doesn't sink nails in LVLs unless the pressure is over 120, the metal magazine can get bent and then the nails hang up. Overall, it is a good gun and I am waiting for someone to come up with a better full head nailer.

Beware, the Hitachi NR83A2 and NR83A2(S) are very similar, but the (S) does not have a depth control on the gun. I was surprised when I opened the box at home, after handeling the display model in the store which has the adjuster. Maybe that is what the 'S' stands for surprise
br / As it turns out, I don't find this to be a detriment, since the unit has worked flawlessly driving 12d nails (3.25 inch) at 100psi to 120psi, the range that my compressor cycles between. Neither gun comes with an air fitting, and they require a large one (3/8inch). I bought an (S) model today at my local Lowes hardware store. They have awsome customer service, beating their competition's sale price by 10% which made my price $222.00 plus tax. I had searched for a tool that will drive full head nails consistently, and this tool works flawlessly. I am not a professional carpenter, but I know good quality and sometimes you get lucky and can find it at a decent price. This nailer is worth every cent, and will last a long time. Oh, I almost forgot that Hitachi has a 5 year warranty! I am very pleased with this nailer.

I just returned my DeWalt nail gun and purchased this Hitachi. What a diffefrence. I love this gun. It's dependable and built tough. It takes the abuse of a job site, and keeps working. Their almost indestructable. The only draw back is the lack of a depth adjuster, but well worth it. I would recommend this gun to anybody, the weekend warrior or the full-time framer.

I'm not sure if I bought this at Amazon. I researched nail guns carefully before buying and this gun had the the best reviews. The gun never jams even using questionable nails (BC) and it just works. It works flawlessly. I have built a large shed and two fences (about 100 feet) with this nail gun using Grip-Rite framing nails and BC fencing nails so I have used it with the biggest and smallest nails. It just keeps working. I am a home user so I can speak to durability on a construction site. I love my nail gun!!
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Hitachi makes the best air tools. I have three other hitachi guns besides this one. I also have a porter cable and a rigid. I keep going back to the hitachi because of the solid construction. No plastic. They are also very user friendly. I am less impressed with the other brands I have used. Some people are concerned by the price but in reality you are getting a tool that will last forever. My one year old son will use this gun someday. You won't have to focus on your gun working right but instead focus on getting your job done. The day I took this gun out of the box it paid for itself on time savings. I can shoot nails through the NR83A2 all day long with no problems. I am a remodel contractor and would recomend this nailer to anyone.

This product is great. It works well! I would buy it again.

I thought that the full head framer Hitachi gun was sub-par compared to other guns. I am a avid lover of Hitachi tools, and I thought that this particular gun was not up to Hitachi's standards for a quality tool. I purchased this gun and returned it immediatly. While other Hitachi guns are probably some of the best on the market, if you are looking for a full head framer I would highly suggest a different brand.

well like most things someone will take something like the NR83 which is THE BEST FRAMER MADE and turn it in to NR83A2/NR83A which are sub standerd guns compared to the nr83
br / my reasons are this
br /nr83a2 offers a depth of drive whitch is a joke and wont preform its one use it could be used for (shear nailing)
br /they redesigned the nose pice which causes the gun to catch on the work surface while bump nailing floors and walls
br /safety springs are not removeable which shouldnt be done but there are times like toe nailing blocking where it makes it safer to have them removed also they changed the magazeine which now impares you from instaling a standerd saw hook which is a must my last complaint is the rapid fire or single shot selecter can and will break leaveing you left in single shot mode. these guns will work but its a big disapointment to me and many others. Hitachi you need to get your s*** togther
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br /what you should do is
br /go to your local pawn shop and buy a used NR83 for half the price of these new guns or go on ebay then buy a flush tip for it you can buy these from bigfoot tools.
br /one used NR83 is better than three new style guns

I have been saving a lot of time with my nailer, it loads fast and shoots nails fast. There are a few issues though: It sometimes shoots two nails with one impact, it sparks EVERY time I shoot a nail, and much of the time does not drive the nail all the way.
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br /The most concerning of the issues is the sparking. Since I did not buy it at a brick and mortar store, there is no one to ask about the sparking. I am doing some retrofit work in a hot and dry attic. Sparks with every nail is not a good thing, it's actually kind of scary. I have been able to reduce the double nailing with experience, I must slam the gun pretty hard to reduce the phenonmenon, otherwise it bounces and shoots multiple nails.
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br /All in all, a nice gun, I would trade the "depth of drive" adjustment for a more solid feeling nose.