Customer Reviews

DEWALT D51257K 1-Inch to 2-1/2-Inch 16 Gauge Finish Nailer

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

 

 

The DeWalt 16 gauge finish nailer makes an excellent addition to one's collection of finish nailers, either as a homeowner or a professional. One of the benefits of the 16 gauge nailer is that the nails are much cheaper than the 15 gauge nails. With that said, the 16 gauge nails lack some of the holding power and are more prone to blowouts (which can be easily avoided with correct usage) because they are stamped and rectangular instead of round. Don't let that discourage you, however, because the 16 gauge nails have plenty of holding power for applications like interior door jams or holding up heavy crown molding.
The DeWalt nailer is nice in that it can be used without oil; however, it is still best to give it a light oiling once in a while to ensure that it lasts. I have no doubts that it will last. The tool consistently countersets nails to the right depth and has plenty of power (I keep the compressor around 100 psi). I've never had a jam, but the release on the front for jams is easy to open. The depth adjustment is the normal wheel mechanism that allows for very precise adjustment. The no-mar pad works very well, and nail placement is easy to see. Case is sturdy and securely holds the nailer as well as some space for nails and safety glasses. I found the loading very awkward. The two methods used to load seem arbitrary and more of an advertising scheme than anything else. DeWalt could have designed this function better, but I've not found it too bothersome to deduct a star since the overall performance is excellent. Also, the manual is map-style instead of book-style (feels like 12 feet by 10 feet large), which is a real pain to use if you're unfamiliar with pneumatic tools, but this seems like a minor detail.
I highly recommend this tool.

I bought this for trim work for my home office remodeling. I have a Porter cable 18 awg and a Grex 23 awg. I am happy with this one also. It has plenty of power, but I can still use it with a three gallon compressor and get plenty of shots before the compressor recycles.

I used this nailer while installing 800 square feet of hickory flooring. It was used to face-nail the starting and ending rows, to get in closets where the flooring nailer couldn't reach, and to install the baseboard molding. I only had two jams out of 1500 nails. The jams were easy to clear thanks to DeWalt's easy opening jam clearing thingy. (that's the technical term!)
The depth control wheel right on the nailer makes it easy to put the nails where you want them.

I love this nailer, easy to use and dosent jam often. I have shot a couple thousand rounds through this gun now and I love it. I did have one jam in that time but the tip unlatches quickly making it simple and quick to unjam. Comparing it to my bostitch this one wins hands down.

I have never owned or used a nail gun in my life and I am so happy I ordered a DeWalt for my first. I also ordered DeWalt nails and they work perfectly in my gun. I ordered nails in various lengths from 1.5 to 2.5 inches and the assorted lengths are fine for the jobs I am using the gun for. One note, a finish nailer does not fire nails that are large in diameter. The nails are about the size of toothpicks. This is not a problem for me because I knew I would be using the gun to tack things into place and would be returning immediately to set the work permanently with deck screws. If I had not been intending to put deck screws in place I might have been displeased that I did not know a finish nailer uses such small nails. Having said the above, my DeWalt nail gun is fantastic. Easy to set up, understand, and use. I also bought a fifty foot length of GoodYear hose and that was also a smart move. Five stars for DeWalt. Oh, I was afraid my compressor would be too small but, no problems there either. I have a small two pound, 100 psi compressor and it works fine. I can only shoot 14 nails and then I have to wait for the compressor to come back to enough pressure. This is not a problem for me but, I am not using the gun for commercial applications. The nail gun needs a steady 70 psi to operate continuously.