Customer Reviews

Akuzuki Contractor Pro Series Dual Hardwood Floor Cleat Nailer and Stapler

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this nailer for use when installing 640 square feet of strand bamboo flooring, in conjunction with Bostich 'L' cleat flooring nails Bostitch FLN-150 1-1/2-Inch Flooring L-Nails, 1000-Per Box. As expected to use the tool over the course of days, with an eye toward utility for future projects, I chose to buy a nailer rather than rent.

Pros:
1. heavy-duty feel
2. budget price
3. changeable baseplates for different thickness flooring

Cons:
1. two of the four allen screws that hold on the base plate simply refused to budge and stripped in the process of trying to remove them to change the plate- completely rendering useless the feature of changeable baseplates for various flooring thickness. (no worries- I added strips of duct tape to suit my 5/8" bamboo strips) This is a manufacturing quality issue. Either the screws should have been properly torqued, or should not have been installed at all, leaving that to the purchaser.
2. Halfway through the flooring project, the unit began to leak air through the head. Not a lot, just a whisper- but enough to cycle my compressor and make me wonder about the tool's longevity.

Despite the cons, it drove the cleats flawlessly and never misfired. I would purchase this again, given the price and balancing the use I would get from it Vs. renting costs.

UPDATE -01/2010

After having written my review I received a very nice, and unsolicited, note from the manufacturer. They were kind enough, based upon my review, to fully repair the small issues I was having with my tool. When was the last time a manufacturer rung you up and offered to fix what was wrong with your tool without having to spend hours on hold or navigating a phone tree? THAT is customer service, folks. Got the tool back in double time: baseplate screws fixed, and rebuilt with new seals. I tried it immediately and it performed flawlessly, as it was before. (remember, it performed perfectly before, with no misfires, even when the nails ran out of the magazine) It is rare indeed to find a company willing to stand behind their product these days, let alone to this extent. I am impressed. Curious to know whether new buyers experience too-tight screws on the baseplate or whether they have actually changed the manufacturing process. Pros: Seriously consider this tool.

Have no fear in purchasing this nailer.This nailer is very well made and buying one vs renting one made more sense to me.(At $40-$50 per day to rent). I am installing Brazilian Walnut 3/4" by 2 1/4" solid hardwood flooring. This wood is 185% harder than oak. This nailer had no problem driving the nails. I purchased the "L" shaped cleat nails at my local Lowes. This is my first attempt at installing a wood floor. One tip for DIY'ers, practice on a scrap piece of flooring, I had to adjust the air pressure on my compressor to 90 psi. Also when hitting the nailer with the rubber mallet you need a nice firm swing,not to hard,not to soft, a few practice hits and you will get it. Now about the seller, great service, nailer arrived in 1 week, nailer is exactly as described, was delivered by Fedex in perfect condition. What sold me on buying from this seller was their great price and the fact that they did not charge an inflated shipping rate. To all readers of this review, Good Luck in you flooring project.

Order the tool on Amazon a few months ago in preparation for an upcoming project.
This weekend I got the tool out, followed the instructions to tighten all the bolts (just a few were loose) and the raised the plunger and got to work. The first 250 SQ. FT the tool worked great, plenty of power, no misfires, no jamming etc. When I came back to use it the next day it after a few hits it started to leak air from around the plunger. Since the manufacture warns you about this and includes replacement parts while disappointed I got tired of listenting to the compressor run and stopped to replace the o-ring as per instructions.
Again, this repair lasted about 10 hits and then it started to leak again and now depending on how you hit the plunger it will either start to leak or stop leaking. I am not real happy to have had to waste a bunch of my time working on a new tool rather than laying hardwood.

In have sent a note to the manufacture so I will just have to wait and see how they handle the issue. Depending on how they do my rating could either go up to a four (anyone can have a problem...it's really about how you handle it) or down to a one.

UPDATE.
The response from the Akuzuki customer service folks was really good. They responded within a day or so of my email to them and sent me a box with a new piston as well as some additional o-rings. Installed them and thus far the tool is working fine.

Awesome...I have been renting guns for years and decided to buy this one before installing about 500 SF in my house. I am a homeowner - not a pro - but I have installed thousands of feet of wood. I wish I bought this gun a few years ago. Not a single miss-fire, as a result of the gun, in 500 SF. I have never had a more consistent floor nailer. The gun is easy to use and really does not require a hard hit to work. If you are planning to install any decent quantity of wood, I would highly recommend this unit over renting. Good Luck!

During a major remodeling job of our home, we hired a carpenter crew, that was well respected in our area. They put down the hardwood flooring in our kitchen and dining room area with a regular air nailer. We noticed after a couple of weeks that the floor made squeaky noices when we walked on it.

Having to still complete another area with the same hardwood flooring, we decided to try and do it ourselves. So to Amazon.com we went and purchased the Akuzuki nailer. Upon arrival we began the project. We found the recommendations on Amazon from other buyers to be true and the instructions in the box were easy to follow. Within a couple of days our flooring was down and it doesn't squeak. It looks really professional.

Thank you for offering a great product.

The Bishop's
West Michigan

I'm in the process of installing over 800 square feet of oak hardwood floor. This is first time I do this kind of project. I did my research and planning and floor nailer was at the bottom of my list as I new that I could rent the tool and I though I would need it for only one or two days. When subfloor was ready and I started nailing hardwood I realized that it will take me much longer than I anticipated and renting a nailer wasn't such attractive idea any more. I decided to purchase this nailer because of good reviews and competitive price.

Nailer was shipped next day I placed the order and arrived in less than a week in perfect condition. Nailer works as good as Powernail that I rented before for less than a half of the price. I ran Powernail at 120 psi and I had to dial down this nailer to 70 psi. I used both nails and staples with this nailer and it works equally good with both types of fasteners. The handle of this nailer is much taller than the one on Powernail so I didn't have to bend as much.

I am very happy with my purchase and now I can concentrate on my floor without rushing to complete the job to avoid high rental bill.

A decent floor nailer and a great value, especially with the ability to use either cleats or staples. The construction of the nailer was solid and well made. I was however disappointed in the mallet, the wooden handle was very loose and not well finished and doubt it would hold up well in the long run, fortunately, I recently purchased a Stanley graphite handled mallet and have used that.
The nailer arrived in just under a week and I was ready to start putting down my bamboo floor. The base plate needed to be changed (bamboo is 5/8" vice 3/4" for most hardwoods), but was quickly accomplished by removing the 4 allen screws with the wrench supplied. After adding a few drops of oil, I made a few test nailings and was pleased that no further adjustments were necessary. The nails were set perfectly in the tongues of the bamboo. The starting wall clearance was excellent, with the 3 5/8" wide bamboo, I was able to use the nailer on the second row! Do be careful when installing bamboo as the nailer needs to be set flat and square to prevent damage to the edges.
I did run into one nail jam as most floor nailers are infamous for. It occured between two strips of cleats. It took about five minutes to clear the jam (breaking out the directions just to be sure). Future jams could easily be accomplished in under two.
I've only installed about 150 square feet, but so far I've been very happy with the performance of the nailer.

After waiting and delaying a job, I used it for 2 days before it started leaking from the top. I changed the o ring per the instructions but it didn't help. Customer service responded quickly but it took another week for the replacement gun to arrive. The gun requires a pretty good whack with the hammer to set the nail properly but perhaps its not made for this type of service.
Update: They replaced the gun and I finally had a chance to use it (I'm a General Contractor, not exclusively a flooring guy) and guess what? 200 sq ft and it started leaking again. I tried their customer service again (a week ago) an no reply. I have several nail guns that are 30 years old that I've never had to service. This one leaks so much the compressor is on most of the time and I often have to wait to drive nails.

I bought this floor nailer after researching it on Amazon and reading reviews for it and others (like the Porter-Cable). When I received it, I checked the allen screws on the base (as another reviewer reported issues with them), and found no problems with them or anything else on this item. This last weekend I took it to our new home and installed 500 square feet of oak flooring with the Bostitch FLN-200 flooring nails, and the only problems I had were those I created myself, like striking too lightly with the hammer, which does indeed require that you set the nail by hand, or break off the protruding portion of the nail and try again. I've been in quality control for over 25 years, and have used power tools for over 30 years, and I must say I am entirely satisfied with the performance, fit and finish of this nailer. I also like the fact that the manufacturer provides rebuild parts (gaskets and o-rings) right with the nailer. And it cost me a lot less than the Porter-Cable! Thanks to all you other reviewers that helped me decide on the Akuzuki Contractor Pro Series Hardwood Floor Cleat Nailer and Stapler.

I have recently received my Akuzuki pneumatic floor nailer. I read the reviews here and decided on this model.

I am currently installing a combination of bamboo and hard wood flooring throughout my home. This is the first time I have attempted this type of project on my own. The nailer is working perfectly! I have currently installed approximately 200 square feet of flooring using this nailer. I have not had any malfunctions of the tool.

The only complaint I could possibly have is the 1/2 & 5/8 inch spacer. The spacer is designed to work on both 1/2 and 5/8 flooring. I have found that the spacer is actually perfect for 1/2 inch flooring, but slightly off for the 5/8 bamboo. This is a minor thing, and I have been able to install the floor without any problems.

When comparing the cost of renting a tool for several days at 30-50 dollars per day, you could own this tool for the same amount of money or less.

I would recommend this tool to anyone interested in installing hard wood flooring themselves.