Bostitch PN100 Impact Nailer
br /
br /Operation:
br /
br /This tool will drive virtually any bulk nail, the kind sold by the pound. The smallest nail Bostitch recommends is a 5d (d=penny, a term that refers to nail size). Bostitch claims the maximum size is 75d, but the head on those huge nails won't fit in any of the nose-pieces that Bostitch offers. However, I've used it on 6d to 20d nails with great success.
br /
br /Insert the nail into the PN100's "nose", where a built-in magnet holds it. Hold the nailer with either hand, press the point of the nail into the material; when the tool senses the pressure, a fast-acting piston cycles the hammer which drives the nail. It sounds like a Tommy Gun. You can drive a 20d nail in about one second, depending on wood hardness. You can also start the nail with a hammer then put the PN100 on that nail, or, hold the nail with your fingers (risky), or hold the nail with another tool (e.g., pliers).
br /
br /The tool is sold by itself with the standard nose only, or in kit form. The kit includes a wrench to change from the standard nose to the included finishing nail nose or an oversized nose for nails with large heads, spare O rings, a spare magnet, oil, a leather tool cover (improves grip and comfort), and a custom case to protect the tool and accessories.
br /
br /Pros:
br /
br /- Particularly useful in confined spaces, such as between joists, hard to reach nails, odd angles, overhead, etc. You only need space for the tool and nail, plus room for your hand on the tool. Except for a small pin nailer, most nail guns take more space to operate than this palm nailer. Swinging a hammer takes even more space.
br /
br /- For applications such as installing lots of joist hangers, this tool is ideal. If you're building a deck for example, this tool could "pay" for itself on that one job.
br /
br /- The tool is not heavy and it is comfortable to hold in your hand, especially with the leather cover attached (which comes with the kit).
br /
br /- Works on things other than driving new nails. E.g., to drive in the built-in spike on joist hangers, nail heads that aren't in all the way, pointed ends of nails that are poking out in the wrong place, etc.
br /
br /- Substantially quicker and easier than swinging a hammer, improving productivity. Drives large nails flush in less than a second, in a machine-gun burst of energy. Depending on the job, nailing could be four or five times faster than with a hammer.
br /
br /- This tool shines when nailing into engineered lumber (e.g., laminated beams) or lumber in old houses, which is frequently denser than new construction lumber. The first few times I used the PN100, WOW was the word that came to mind.
br /
br /- For us older guys, swinging a hammer for hours one end is murder on your muscles. With the PN100, your hand might tingle after extensive use, but that's about it.
br /
br /- Tool appears to be excellent quality, but it will be years before I could attest to longevity.
br /
br /- Simple to operate. There are no buttons or switches. There is no depth control either; when the nail is flush, it stops banging.
br /
br /- Should be safer than a nail gun that is connected to an air hose, since YOU insert the nails one at a time; i.e., there is no supply of nails in the gun to have an accident with. In any case, it's probably best to not leave a nail in an unattended gun with an air hose connected.
br /
br /- Can change nail size/type immediately, since there is no magazine; e.g., any nail with a head up to .42" (+/-) will fit in the standard nose.
br /
br /- The standard nose seems to fit most bulk nails.
br /
br /Cons:
br /
br /- This tool is VERY loud, especially in a confined space. Wear hearing protection, even if driving only one nail.
br /
br /- Of course, you will need an air compressor, as for any air nailer. Any size tank compressor should work. I mostly use a 3/4 HP Thomas portable air compressor with an operating air pressure between 100 and 125 psi. When driving lots of large nails, I frequently have to wait for that small compressor to catch up. With a larger compressor, waiting would be less of an issue.
br /
br /Other:
br /
br /- This tool is most practical for projects where "hammer" dimples won't be an issue; i.e., rough work such as house framing. It can be used for interior work, as long as you can deal with hammer dents, sometimes several dents per nail. (Dents are 3/16" in diameter, the size of the PN100 "hammer".) One way to avoid the dents is to pull back on the tool before the nail is driven home. You need lightning fast reflexes to do this, as the PN100 drives a nail very quickly. Personally, I use finish nailers or other methods whenever dents would be a problem.
br /
br /- For professionals or anyone that drives thousands of nails, this tool will not replace speciality nail guns. Roofing nailers, pin nailers, framing nailers, trim nailers, etc., are still best for their intended application, most of the time.
br /
br /- Some nails will bend, but not nearly as often as with a hammer, in my experience. Bends occur most often on smaller nails in hard wood, or if the tool isn't straight-on with the nail.
br /
br /- Good value on Amazon, as our local Home Depot charges $80 for the non-kit version.
br /
br /- Before using, you need to install a 1/4" quick disconnect fitting and lightly oil the tool. The only maintenance is an occasional oiling.
br /
br /- If you jar the tool, the hammer could stop in mid-stroke, making the tool inoperable. All you have to do is whack the back of the tool with the palm of your hand to un-stick it. My PN100 was stuck when I first tried to use it, but hasn't stuck since.
br /
br /- The fitting that holds the nose on my tool was so tight, I had to put the tool in a wood vise and use a very large Crescent wrench to loosen it the first time.
br /
br /
br /Anyone planning a large construction project (new house, renovation, addition, deck, etc.) should consider buying this tool.

I have just begun a 2000 sq. ft. addition on my home. This nailer is the perfect tool for nailing all the joist hangers. I have a lot of engineered lumber in my design and trying to drive a nail by hand into a microlam beam is very difficult. I have framing nailers but they are too big to get in between the rafters at times. pThe tool has a good feel and weight. Very comfortable. I drove over 200 nails the first day I used it and it never malfuctioned once. The glove keeps the tool where it needs to be and there is very limited recoil so it doesn't bother your hand at all. pI would recomend this nailer to anyone who does even the smallest amount of construction or home inprovement. In fact I have a second one on order for a Christmas gift for my 68 year old father who fell in love with it the first time he used it.

I recently retired and have undertaken a project to build a woodworking shop-garage. Swinging a hammer has become a very tiresome chore, and I was considering the purchase of a framing nailer. Upon reviewing information from various manufacturers, I realized that a framing nailer is a very specialized tool.brHowever, I happened to run across information about palm nailers. In reviewing the information provided by Amazon, I read that a palm nailer can be used for nailing any size nail and in many different applications. I could see where this would be a more useful tool than a framing nailer. I purchased the Bostitch PN100 kit, and immediately started using it with 16d nails in framing my new shop. I then used 10d nails in decking the roof. All I can say is this nailer is wonderful!! It drives nails quickly, at any angle, and in a limited amount of space. You do have to be careful to make sure that the alignment of the nail with the nailer is correct; if not, bent nails will result. However, with just a little practice, nailing becomes an effortless operation. I would recommend this as a general purpose nailer to anyone. I might also add that I own a brad nailer and a roofing nailer made by Porter Cable, and a 1/4 inch crown stapler, and the Bostitch nailer works as well as any of them.

I have only Bostitch nail guns and am satisfied (maybe even impressed) with their performance, especially compared to some other brands I have briefly used. The PN100 is no different: a solidly made product that performs. However, depending on your application you may or may not be always satisfied with its performance. I bought it because I needed to assemble high-end cedar fencing but the cost of the normal Bostitch coil gun that drives 2 1/2" stainless 8d nails was expensive (~$300) and I didn't think that I would use it on a regular basis (it is really only intended for siding and fences).
br /
br /For rough nailing the PN100 works fine but for nailing in an area that will be later visible, the unit tends to leave impact marks (At 90psi, ~5/8" circle outside the nail head on the work) that are undesirable. Also, since there is not a control mechanism to guide full head nails (fence, siding, framing) it is easy to end up driving the nail crooked (it comes with one for finish nails though) or even bend the nail. I also experienced some "walk" where when getting close to the work, the pneumatic driver would occasionally walk off the head and actually strike the work leaving a 3/16" punch mark.
br /
br /All in all this is a great unit but if you want consistent results on larger jobs or you want to do semi-finish work, invest in a collated Bostitch nail gun. For driving singulated nails, etc., where you can accept some marking, non-perpendicular drives or where the job is small enough that it doesn't justify the investment in a full nail gun (~$90 for PN100, ~$150 to $350 for a collated gun depending on the application) this is the perfect gun.
br /
br /I'll be keeping mine and using it for many years but I also won't be discarding my other nailers. A great low-cost buy for odds-n-ends or speciality work where singulated nails are the status quo. The PN100 will put your normal 20oz hammer in a garage sale.

After pondering a framing nailer for a while, I decided to try this palm nailer out. I can't say enough good things about it. I just started my deck and this tool quickly worked its way up to the most important. I've been driving 10D 3" nails for 4 hours and my arm is still feeling great. The nice thing about it is that you can drive very precise nails. The control is good such that you can start a nail without driving it all of the way in. This is really helpful for the rafter ties and joist hangers. Also, there is minimal recoil, so its not tiresome after driving many nails. Using standard nails also saves a lot of time and money over framing nailers that use stick nails. The air consumption is minimal, I have a 6-gallon 2-hp compressor and the compressor kicks on every 5 minutes or so. My only advice besides buy one if you're thinking about it is to get a swivel air hose connection. It does not come with a quick connector fitting and adding one with a swivel allows you to get in corners without much trouble. The only problem is with the quick connect, it no longer fits in the carrying case.

I got this nailer as a promo item with one of Bostitch's large framing nailers. What a combo kit! The palm nailer does everything the big nailers can't.
br /
br /You stick 1 nail in the nose and the magnet grabs hold of it. Just press the nail up to the board you want to nail and push. It "jack-hammers" the nail through like butter. It probably takes 2 seconds or less to drive a 3" nail through two 2x's (one of those 2x's being 80s year old, read "hard as a rock") with 100 psi. I run mine off one of those tiny (don't know the size, sorry, but it's the smallest available) compressors with no problems. It also hammers through metal hanger brackets (Simpson strong-ties) easily.
br /
br /The palm nailer is perfect for between rafters, joists, and other small spots that you can't hit with a hammer or get a big nailer into.
br /
br /Oh yeah... As far as instruction manuals go, I didn't even notice if it came with one. C'mon! If you need a manual to use this thing, then you probably shouldn't be playing with air tools!

I recently decided to build a deck. I knew I would be finishing my basement down the road. I needed a nailing tool that could frame and provide positive placement for the various metal hangers used on the deck. Bostitch is the only company that makes a combo gun that can shoot framing nails and short joist hanger nails. This gun is a full size framing nail gun. I felt like it may be too large for many situations on the deck. Not to mention it was pretty pricey. I needed a more versatile nailing tool. This tool is as versatile as a hammer. It will drive pretty much anything. I have had no problems getting into tight places, it has driven everything I have thrown at it with ease, and it is very fast. It has a very good feel in the hand. I was a little worried about recoil, but I haven't even noticed it. It is easy on an air compressor and the kit provides everyhting you need to keep it up and running. The only thing I wish it came with was an air adapter. For the money this tool was quit surprising. In fact I was leary of it because of its price. Don't be. It is great!

I was looking for a versatile nailer that could complete many nailing jobs - THIS IS THE ONE. The small size of this nailer makes it great for odd angles, where it would be uncomfortable to swing hammer (ie. overhead). Also, being an impact nailer it gives better control over depth, without having to make any adjustments. A definite plus is that it uses bulk nails so you don't have to hunt all over the store for the right size at the store.

Building a new deck at my house and thought I had all the tools I needed. That was until I started hanging joist hangers by hand. A friend suggested a palm nailer. I'd never seen one before, but thought I'd give it a try. Wow. Nailer made quick work of the joist hangers. Hung them all in less time than it would have taken to do 5 by hand.
br /
br /Your arms and hands will thank you for this purchase.

As the other reviewers stated, this drives nails really well. However, I stumbled onto another use for this nail gun.
br /
br /I used this palm nailer to countersink trim nails in my cabinet crown moulding. I use my brad nailer or finish nailer to nail up the crown, but I always get a few that are not deep enough. I used to take a hammer and punch -and hammer them by hand. I miss a lot and occasionally slip the punch off the nail head and dent the trim. Especially in the tight areas around the cabinets.
br /
br /Well, I got the idea to turn the air PSI down to about 20 and use the palm nailer to tap the punch, and it worked great.
br /
br /I put the punch on the protruding nail head, and tap the punch end with the nailer just enough to get one "whack" out of it. Usually this is enough to countersink the nail. If the PSI needs more or less to do the job, its simple to figure out the adjustment.
br /
br /This is MUCH faster than swinging with a hammer. LOL
br /
br /Serindipity at its best...

This is a FUN good tool for doing a variety of nailing jobs around the house. I bought it instead of buying a separate nailer for each type of nailing I do. Although I have only used it once, here are some tips:
br / - It can toenail (although you'll have to use a nailset for last 1/4inch of driving in the nail)
br / - To put the leather cover on it (no directions provided), put ring over shaft first (easier)
br / - It can nail finishing nails as well as really big nails
br / - It comes with three separate nailer barrels, one for finishing nails, and two others for larger nails. These are attached/removed (no directions provided) with included wrench.
br / - To activate you put barrel over nail and push down. It goes wham, wham, wham until nail is set below surface. Fun to use.
br / - When you hook up compressor to it air leaks out at tool, which I guess is normal because as soon as you start nailing a nail it quits leaking air.
br / - This is a one-nail-at-a-time tool.

After reviewing my options for reinforcing floor joists under the house I decided on the Bostitch palm nailer.
br /I was looking for something powerful enough to drive framing nails, but small enough to easily work with while laying on my back in a cramped crawlspace. I didn't want a specialized framing nailer because, seriously, how often will I need a framing nailer?!?
br /I decided on the Bostitch, and I couldn't be happier. This tool makes every job fun.
br /
br /It drives bulk nails instantly into anything. Engineered lumber, old growth hardwood, your best friend's femur, anything! The downside is that it uses only one nail at a time. The upside is that it drives everything from 5D to 70D.
br /
br /As for the floor joists, the tool worked flawlessly and it's small size and 3 lb. weight were a dream to use in the cramped and awkward crawlspace.
br / In places a hammer won't fit or for joist hangers, this is worth it's weight in gold.
br /
br / I've owned it for months and have rarely used a hammer since. This should be your first pnumatic nailer.
br /
br / Not for finish carpentry or trim!!! Buy a pinner or 18 ga. nailer for that. This will mar the surface of fine woodwork.
br /
br /
br /
br /
br /
br /

Great product good packaging. Run's fine.
br /No complaints except I (and my wrist) wish I bought one years ago.

I didn't know what to expect at first.
br /Bent a few nails but after a little practice, drove many straight nails in hard old oak 2x6s.
br /
br /The manual is next to useless but I think I can follow the diagram to change the heads. I have used the standard head for all my work but sometime I will need to change to the smaller size.
br /
br /A great tool but the sorry manual keeps it a 4 star.
br /

I was surprised the power this nailer has,it will drive any nail you put in it. I,am sorry I didn,t buy it sooner.I would prefer a velcro strap for your hand, instead of the leather strap it has too hard to get into, and that is the reason it got 4 stars.The tool it self is A-ok,buy it

I bought this nailer and put in two dozen or so Joist hangers and did a little blocking. It is quite large and massive which gives it a good solid feel and dampens the vibration a bit. It has power, and with three tips plenty of versatility(anyone use those other tips?). There is an extra magnet in the repair kit bag. Here's the problem: The magnet is too weak. Reaching around a joist with a 16d the nails can fall out. Worse, because the nails are so poorly secured, it is difficult to start them straight when you are not going into hardware. Strangely, nails hold great to the outside of the tip. Bottom line -- If you just want to blast n10s and 16ds into joist hangers, this guy has power and speed to spare. For bare wood, it's hard to get em started straight.
br /
br /So I bought the Ridgid. The Ridgid is lighter and has a better magnet. I don't think it is as solid and powerful as the bostitch, but at least I can place nails straight and without them falling out. Love ya Bostitch, but you need a better magnetic nose.

Great product, I had the nailer 2 days after I ordered it. I wish I had bought the palm nailer years ago.

I ordered the palm nailer as an after thought at the same time I got my compressor. I was in the process of building a two story barn and thought it might be handy. When it came time to put on the metal strapping I brought it out. One of the guys helping on the barn had never used one before and hated putting on hurricane clips due to smashed fingers and broken knuckles. In short order I hear the sounds of a crazed woodpecker going to town followed by giggling and laughing. I couldn't get the palm nailer away from him and within a couple hours ALL the strapping was attached. He put it on his Christmas list. The nailer worked great and the case with the extra parts makes to really nice. I would recommend this it was a great value.

We bought this for constructing a pole building, and it has been a good investment. Takes most of the work out of driving 6-inch ringshank nails, and saves a lot of swinging on the smaller ones as well. Definitely worth the money.

Needed to do some experimental work with a new cement base anchor, the AAC, Ambex Anchoring Capsule, which is a thixotropic cement in a veneer capsule. Due to the thixotropic nature of the cement, vibration would greatly increase the anchor insertions speed.
br /
br /Happy to say the Bostitch Impact Nail Driver exceeded my expectations.

Great alternative to a hammer or nail gun. Will drive any nail unlike a nail gun. It is loud. I would recommend you start the nail with a hammer if critical placement is necessary.

Bought the Bosititch Plam Nailer and it worked better then I imagined. Thought there would be more vibration but it was really smooth, I tested it three ways one with the cover provided, two with a leather glove and three with bare hand and really couldn't that much of a difference. Did read a few reviews that mentioned noised so I put ear protection on before using and there was no problem. The only complaint would be that there was no air hose fitting in the kit and was a couple of days before going into town. It was almost fun to use, wish I'd bought one sooner. J.P. Calif.

Will drive a 40d nail in seconds! Comes with three heads (finish, std, and oversize) that will tackle almost any nail. Case is nicely done and includes everything you need to get going. You will be looking for nails to practice on - it's fun to watch them melt like butter into the wood. Highly recommend.

VERY POOR MANUAL---IF THE SPARE PARTS WERE INSTALLED THE WRONG WAY---NO TELLING WHAT COULD HAPPEN

My friend has a Tradesman and I just bought this one at a great deal and it works much better!! It is easier to the touch.

it's work great, once you get use to the product, you will love it, save time and energy

I purchased mine at a local tool chain (HCS Cutler-So Cal) when they went on sale for $90+tax, working out to about the same as the Amazon price with free shipping.
br / Most of the other reviewers have done excellent jobs describing the finite details of this great little gadget, so I'll just say please don't do what I did the first time I had it hooked up. Which is to put a nail in, turn it around, and push down on the outer sleeve while looking down the "barrel". Embarassed to say I nearly pierced my chin. The look of surprise on my face (and relief, as it could have been worse, much worse) was probably worth the price of admission. I'm usually better than that, but...
br / I have a Hitachi framing nailer and brad nailer, and they certainly have their place. But where small spaces or special situations arise, it shines. For example, I needed to attach several dozen metal connectors for a garage shelving project, and really couldn't justify a special "metal connector / strap connector" nailer ($250-375). Plus, the local tool box store rental office didn't have any for rent. For production work, certainly. Occassional use, not really. So for 1/3-1/4 the price, I'm in and flying right along with the metal hangers. This also meant I didn't have to buy a gross of the strip nails at $50+, versus a small box of connector ("joist hanger") nails at less than a tenth of the price for my specific need. A kid could use it (carefully!). Very happy with it, and would recommend it highly.

We love this product! Saves time and is a strong piece of equiptment. We would buy this again in a heartbeat.

Title says it all. This is the best tool in the box. Not only does it make nailing effortless, it makes it enough fun to entice my teenage son to get involved in a small platform making project. Buy a quality nailer like this one and use it for the rest of your life.

The palm nailer is easy to use and nails extremely fast. The instructions to switch from large nails to finish nails are pretty vague (not existent actually) but still not difficult to figure out. The carrying case is nice to have to keep all the components in one spot. Overall, I'd buy this unit again... especially for the price. It works great!

Hey Folks,
br /
br /This nailer is a great addition to any tool collection. It's easy to use, no hassle and gets the job done quickly. Have fun getting into the hard to reach place on any remodeling project.

This is a great nailer kit. I've used it with finish nails all the way up to 10d. It is a great product for nailing between floor joists or in other tight areas. It won't replace a finish or brad nailer, but it is great for toe-nailing and hard-to-reach areas.
br /
br /The nailer is a bit noisier than a brad nailer, but it is simple use; place a nail into the palm nailer and push the nailer into the wood--the palm nailer does all of the work in just a few noisy seconds.
br /
br /After using the product for a while, I've had very few bent nails. The biggest problem with the palm nailer is that it mars the wood surface around the nail head. While this is not a problem for general construction, I would not use this product for trim or finish work. It does come with an insert for finish nails, but it still indents a small circle around the nail head.
br /
br /Still, this has been a great time-saver and has almost replaced my conventional hammer. For speed, ease of use, and versatility I would purchase the Bostich impact nailer again in a second.

First, there is a mistatement in the blurbs about this. The magnet that holds the nail is not an integral part of the tool, but imbedded in the nose piece and held on with a plastic band, a decidedly low tech, but workable, way to go. Unfortumately, not in all 3 nose pieces, only two of them. Whatever genius decided that it would be a good idea in two of the nose pieces, but not the third and largest one, should get the Homer Simpson award for stupidity, in my opinion.
br /If you're having trouble trying to get the leather 'glove' on this thing, here's a handy hint:
br /Get a leather stretching liquid (I used something called 'Premier Professional Shoe Stretch', but I'm sure there are others out there that work also).
br /Pour it on, let it set for just a minute, then use PLIERS to pull the damn thing into submission so you can fasten it. Yes, you read it right, PLIERS!I was real nervous about ripping it apart, but this leather is STRONG, didn't even put a dent in it! The leather covers vary greatly, from ones that slip on literally like a glove, to ones that need to be stretched beyond belief.
br /The snaps on mine were a full three inches apart before using the leather stretcher and pliers! Even with that, it took 10 minutes of wetting and pulling with all my might to 'make ends meet'!
br /
br /
br /

If you have any building project, you owe it to yourself to own one of these. It's great for those hard to get places. It hammers in the nail in just seconds. The only drawback I have found is all my friends want to borrow it

The user manual and accompanying information with the Bostitch palm nailer that I purchased has got to be the worst that I have ever gotten with a tool. It's so vague that using this tool without other instructions from another palm nailer manufacturer may actually be dangerous; had to download the Porter Cable user manual. In fact, if you need a good palm nailer I would suggest looking at the Porter Cable; at least their user manual tells you how to use the darned thing. The only good thing in buying this item was the great price and fast delivery by Amazon.