Customer Reviews

Bostitch MFN200 Manual Flooring Cleat Nailer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the first time I have put down tongue and groove hardwood flooring. I did a quick search on the internet and found this nailer for a decent price. I coulnd't afford the pnuematic ones because of cost plus I don't own an air compressor. First overal impression was its sturdy construction, it's very well built. This should last me for years if I ever decide to lay hardwood floors again or if my friends need to borrow it. The mallet that is included is very robust and the weight and balance allows you to impart a nice blow to set the cleat. I have had a few times where I didn't give it a hard enough blow and I didn't set the cleat all the way down. This is the main complaint of this tool I found on the internet and some people prefer the ratcheting manual nailers. But, the complaint of the racheting manual nailers was it would jam if you tried to set the last cleat. The Bostitch has set every single cleat every single time. Hasn't jammed once. So, if I didn't set the cleat all the way on the first blow, I just grabbed my pliers and twisted the cleats head off. Didn't even try pulling it out. The head would fatigue right off at the wood level and I would set another cleat right next to it. So I guess for me, take your pick, take time to fatigue off the cleats unseated head or take time trying to unjam a nailer. In my opinion, a nailer shouldn't have problems with jamming and tools tend to get broken when this happens. Once getting used to the amount of force required to set the cleat, I pretty much set them every single time now. The flooring I've used is pre-finished and I haven't had any problems with marring of the finish from this tool. Also, with the heavy mallet, I can really get the wood up tight to the previous line. If I did do this for a living, I could tell that it would start to stress my wrists and tendons, hence thats the main advantage of the pnuematic nailers. But for the price, I'm quite pleased. I'm really impressed with the results of my floor. Hope this helps

I purchased this nailer as an "experiment" from a local hardware store that had it on clearance. I had previously checked for reviews here and found none, so I had no idea what kind of nailer it would be. My only base of reference was experience with a Porto-Nails 401P that I used on several occaisions (borrowed from another guy on the crew). I was not especially pleased with the performance of the 401P, so I had decided I would not buy one for myself, and, at this time, a pneumatic nailer was out of the question because of their prices. So the MFN200 seemed like a decent compromise. Upon initial inspection, I was impressed with the all metal construction and the feel of the nailer, it looks and feels like a tool that has the durability and construction to stand the test of time in the field (something that I did not feel with the 401P). First use has been an absolute joy! It drives the L-shaped cleates smoothly and positively with one hit (it doesn't have the ratcheting mechanism like the 401P). Some like the ratcheting of the 401P, but I have found that the lack of this feature on the MFN200 doesn't bother me a bit, even in odd positions for striking the tool. And my output has increased as well. Comparing the L-shaped cleats of the MFN200 and the T-shaped cleats of the 401P, both are serrated so in my own estimation, the difference in holding power will be insignificant. My biggest satisfaction has been that the MFN200 will drive every cleat in the magazine until it's empty. The 401P I have used was never able to do this. The one negative comment I do have is that it does not have the variety of different shoes available like the 401P (I haven't checked with Bostitch, though. Just this site). Overall, this is a great nailer if you can strike the tool solidly using either arm. In my estimation, it is far superior to the 401P and anyone on a budget will appreciate the price compared to a pneumatic nailer. Spend the few extra dollars and own a tool you will be satisfied with.

I bought this based on reviews at amazon.com. Overall, I really like the nailer. It takes a little getting used to and you have to hit the striking button very square. I also like that it drives slightly bowed planks firmly into place which eliminates the need for clamping. The biggest problem I've had is finding nails. Amazon.com is the only place I've been able to purchase them. None of the big hardware superstores in my area carry them (4 different companies), nor any of the lumber yards, hardware stores, etc.. So, Plan ahead and buy plenty of nails online and don't wait until the last minute to restock. I'm in the middle of putting down over 2000 square feet of 3/4 inch hardwood and am very please with this tool's performance. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still buy this nailer.

I had the opportunity to use both this tool and the Porta Nailer manual floor nailer during a recent job. Both tools were new, both were solidly constructed and of good quality. The Bostich proved far superior to the Porta Nailer due primarily to the ratcheting feature on the Porta Nailer. This does not fuction well and is a poor design. The Porta nailer would leave cleats half driven or fail to release the cleat from the nailer after the cleat was fully driven. On the Porta Nailer side of the job we spent alot of time on our knees with a nail set trying to set cleats. We were forced to pull up a few planks becasue the cleats could not be set or removed. Eventually it was faster to just use the Bostich than waste man hours with the Porta Nailer. POSTSCRIPT _ It's a great value for the money - over ten big jobs without a hitch.

Seems rugged and works great. It takes a short while to get use the swing. You want to hit it pretty hard to force the boards together without splitting the toe.
You can build your floor with a nice finish nailer, but the cleat is much sturdier.
Senco cleats from your local hardware works great. You don't need to wait two weeks for the Bostitch.

I bought this nailer to install my flooring and it has worked great, it does especially well to pull any warp out of the boards to give a tight fitting joint. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is only because of the included mallet--the handle is too thin and does not have any grip to it. I had to wrap the handle with a thick layer of tape to be able to hold onto it.

This is a great tool. I've rented the pneumatic version, but honestly, this is so easy to do that it's not worth the bother. And at least it's YOURS.

One thing I experienced, and by the posts I've seen here and elsewhere, is a frustration that the cleats don't set properly... they are still out about 1/8" and unless you manually set them, the next board will not slip in properly. The reason is, you're using the wrong shoe.

If, like me, you got a refurbished item at a killer price, they may have only sent you the 3/8" shoe. (It's the white plastic piece that lays against the wood flooring to protect it, it's about 1/4" thick.) THAT'S THE PROBLEM. After doing half a room and having to manually set every single cleat, I finally realized I was missing a part.

NEW tools will come with 3 plates, for 3/8" (the 1/4" plate) through 3/4" (a very thin plate). Think about it, the smaller the plate, the closer the plunger will be able to drive the nail down.

Rather than buy the plate and spend [...] to have it shipped, I used some advice a flooring guy gave me. I removed the 3/8" plate and instead laid 4 layers of gaffer tape (which is a softer and no glue-residue version of duct tape). It worked BRILLIANTLY, and now every cleat sets perfectly.

The other thing is, if you have the ratchet version of this tool, DO NOT try to get the cleat set in one shot. If you can hit it with about "half" strength and the plunger stays half down, you have the ratchet version. Give it a final driving hit and your board will set nice and tight.

ABSOLUTELY plan on getting the heavy cleat setting tool though. It is invaluable in case a cleat just needs to go down a little further.

We've now done 3 large rooms plus a very long and multi-angled hallway, and it looks stunning. This tool was absolutely great in making that happen.

I had 2250 sq. ft. of flooring to lay (my first time to do so). The drive pin broke about 25% of the way through and I had to order replacements. Other than that, it performed well.

Its a good flooring nailer. I'm still not use to the ratchet drive yet. Smooth action and not to bad on the back. Its the best buy for the price.

Pros:

It works fine. Great at nailing slightly bowed boards into place as previously stated. I like how the driver doesn't come back if you don't drive the nail all the way in. If you get tired you can take two swings to drive a nail. I also like the fact that the mallet (at least in my case) can be used to tap boards into place, no need for a dead-blow hammer and tapping block.

Cons:

The mallet can slip out of your hand if you don't get a clean hit. I've sent the mallet flying behind me a few times now because of this. The grip could have been better, maybe they improved it on the newer model or maybe you can buy one with better grip (or use tape like previous commenter stated). This can damage flooring that has already been nailed in. Lastly, it takes some strength to drive a nail to the correct depth. If

Overall Recommendation:

If you are dead set on buying a manual tool, this one is fine, just add tape or something to the mallet for a better grip in case of a mis-hit. If you have a lot of flooring, strongly consider a pneumatic nailer or be prepared to spend a while nailing down flooring and waking up sore in the morning (I'm sore as I write this).

The things are on sale at home depot for $155 now but probably because they are clearing out for the newer model.