Customer Reviews

DEWALT DC618K XRP 18-Volt Cordless 1-1/4 Inch - 2-1/2 Inch 16 Gauge 20 Degree Angled Finish Nailer Kit

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

No, I am NOT a pro finish guy--former pro-painter guy. I have remodeled about half my house so far, so I would most likely just be a DIY guy. HOWEVER, my experience with interior painting on high-end, high-production tract home projects has made me expert in making the finished product look great no matter what (even though the popular phrase around the jobsite was "the painters will fix it").

Just picked the nailer up August 31st from H.D...

First impressions: This thing is freakin' heavy! I compared it to my Senco FramePro 702XP framing nailer (with 1 stick of 3 1/2 nails in it) and they weigh the same (about 8 pounds). My neighbor has a Senco AirFree cordless nailer, it feels like a toy in comparison to the DeWalt.

Pro's:
* Cordless! Don't have to drag out the air compressor.
* Cool headlights. Good for doing trim in darker areas.
* Shoots 16 gauge angled stick nails (Paslode nails were all I could find to fit at H.D.) Used for crown, casing, base and quarter-round shoe molding--made small, tight holes, no problems.
* Accurate electronic depth adjustment. 1-6 range, 6 setting will just countersink in 3/4 oak
* Bump-firing! Unlike Senco AirFree, you can set the DeWalt to single fire or bump. When on bump mode, it drives at a consistent depth. The motor spools up when you press the trigger, and then bam, bam, bam

* Good grip. Feels like typical DeWalt grip. Stays in you hand while sweaty, quality trigger feel.

* Spare battery. Good Dewalt charger, quality carrying case (with steel buckles instead of plastic)

Cons

* Porky. Not just heavy, but the head of the unit is kinda fat, it has a belt clip, which you have to use, because you can't park it in your bags. It does work OK with a Monster Hook, so no big whoop. It will also nail shoe molding just fine while upside-down.

* Yellow headlights. I know yellow is DeWalt's thing, but white would have been better.

* Price. $400.00 is a good chunk of cash.

Overall, great result for a first-time release. Absolutely SPANKS the Senco AirFree--then sends it to bed without dinner.

Just bought this tool in sept. and used it to frame several door jambs and casing. it works good. a little heavy, but a lot lighter than a compressor, hose etc. if you buy the angle gun the price of the nails are about 50% more than if you buy the other dewalt straight nailer. because at hd you can buy paslode nails for this angle gun or with the straight gun you can buy senco or porter cable nails. however the angle nailer is better for reaching into corners. As with most dewalt tools you have to use them for 15-30 days to make sure they do not fall apart or break down. but so far I recommend this gun. GUN UPDATE:>12-1-04: IT WORKS GREAT!. have done several jobs no compressors or hoses, entire house molding, casing and the gun works great. no hassels with hoses and watching out so nothing gets knocked over. I have used this gun now for 90 days and have had great success. good job dewalt.

This tool is solid and works as advertised. So it weighs 8.5 lbs... if you are going to be nailing over your head for hours straight then break out the air hose. I did the same when using my Paslode.

This tool replaced my Paslode Impulse Finish nailer. I've not looked back. Ample power and drives nails well with very predictable depth control.

Get the angled nailer, easier to place and nail in tighter spots. With the size of the gun, you'll need it.

If you are looking for the possible negatives...
Somewhat costly to purchase
It is heavy, but the tool compensates me for this with performance and convenience
I miss being able to sit the tool down on the front face like the Paslode. The Dewalt rolls over sideways if you try. This makes it difficult to set it down and retrieve from the floor or a ladder shelf. I glued rubber feet to the front, problem solved.
If doing production, long nails, hard wood... keep batteries ready to go. I find I can run 3 clips of 2 1/2" if attaching solid oak face trim. For regular use and 1 1/2" nails I get 5 to 6 clips through it.
Don't use the belt clip unless you are trying to remove your pants.
High profile theft item, bright yellow, easy to lay about, high dollar value... watch it close or you'll be buying a second one real soon. (Soap Box - Thieves should have a finger removed for each item they steal until they learn or can't pick anything up anymore. Seems fair, 10 chances and all.)
Rather large for tight spots, but amazingly it can get places I would have said it couldn't.

Now, for those that own a selection of 18V tools, consider the kit purchase comes with two batteries... buying two batteries is $100. (you get a 3rd if you buy soon) For me, that's a $100 credit toward the purchase of the gun.

Buy it, enjoy it.

First, I'll start by saying that I already owned a few DeWalt 18v products, and I have been very pleased with them. I was so tired of carrying around a 75 lb compressor and hose for mid-size trim jobs that I started looking cordless. I'm sure the Passlode is a nice tool, but I already own 18v DeWalt batteries, and I didn't want to deal with the Passlode fuel cells and batteries.

Now, for the performance - this does just as good a job as my DeWalt and PC pneumatic finish nailers. It can sink nails through 1x oak baseboard, through a sheet of plywood and into a stud, and do in with excellent depth consistency. It's not going to replace my pneumatics on a large job, as one battery lasts about 4 clips of nails. It was great for putting up chair rail in the last basement I finished, but if I were trimming an entire house, it would be time to break out the compressor and hoses.

A bonus - I find myself using this for my woodworking projects as well. I can set the depth to leave the nail proud of the surface, and tack items together for gluing. This lets me setup my work without struggling to hold the work and the clamps. Fire a few nails, set down the work and then get the clamps.

I have only two small complaints:
One is battery life. It may not be possible to improve it, given all that this gun has to do (I wouldn't give up the work lights for battery life!), so it may be a reasonable compromise, but four clips of nails is not a whole lot. Plan on needing 3 batteries for continuous use.

Second is price. I think the price of the gun is a little steep. My wife gave it to me as a gift, so I can't complain too much - I'd been eyeing it for some time, but couldn't justify the price.

I don't rate many things with five stars, as there is always room for improvement. Four stars, however, is a rating to me that means I'd spend my own money on it again.

UPDATE:
I replaced my batteries with new XRP's, replacing some old XR+'s. I now rate this as five stars! It's not the gun eating batteries, mine were worn out. I did a 2000 sq ft house on 2 batteries. Wow.

I just bought this about 2 weeks ago, so I can't attest to its durability, but this is the best investment I have made in ages. I did drop from a ladder onto concrete, with no problems. I used this to hang a prehung exterior door and put down some shoe molding last week and it was great. I assumed that I would have to wait for it to charge a spring or something before I could shoot a nail, but it's ready to go as soon as you pick it up. When you pick it up and just feather the trigger, two little work lights come on and the motor spins up and it will shoot nails as fast as you pull the trigger. As with all nail guns, it won't shoot until you press the shoe against the wood. It also has a bump-firing mode where you can hold the trigger in and it will shoot a nail every time you bump it. It uses the Paslode 22 deg. nails from 1¼ -2½ . The 2 1/2" nails are great for large trim. I used them to tie doorjambs to the studs. Seems to shoot a zillion nails on a single battery. Much quieter than my air nailers. Nail depth control is the best I have seen. The case has storage room for 4 boxes of nails. The body is big, but it's very light. Get the angled model, not the straight one; they're the same price.

I find the finish nailer to be extremely useful. I frequently detail out properties going on the market. The nailer is perfect for installing baseboards, quarter round and crown mouldings, without the hassle of hauling a compressor and hoses. I find it simple to operate, it is simple to load, simple to set depth. I do not see it as being any heavier than a gun with a snarly hose attached. It sinks more nails on one battery charge than I have had a need for at any job yet. Personally I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Okay, I just got this nailer and I love it already. I have a new crown moulding in the bedroom that has been tacked up with a couple of nails. In my spare time, I've been working my way around the room finding the studs, drilling the holes, nailing the nail, then countersinking. Not an easy feat on the ladder! I was about half way done after a few hours worth of work. Then I got the DeWalt nailer and I finished the job in 15 minutes! Find the stud, shoot the nail, you're done.

The Pros:
*No Cord (duh)
*No fuel cell
*Easy and consitent depth setting
*Nice balance
*Speed, speed, speed...it can nail faster than you can pull the trigger

The Cons:
*It's heavy (8.5 pounds loaded), but, who cares? It's so much fun to use you forget about the weight
*Limited nail length range

This nailer is fantastic and solved the problems with pnuematic or fuel cell nailers. I haven't had a jam yet, but if I do, it looks easy to clear.

Get this nailer! You'll be sorry if you don't

I work in Palm Beach County, Florida and the company that I work is high end trim company that works on the millionaire estates of the area. The trim work is endless and this gun has not let me down a single day... one battery keep me going for a day and half, setting crown and base board...
It has a very good grip, fits in almost every corner, and never jams or misfire, and the best it doesnt have the bad smell like the Paslode and doesnt need gas cans...
The bad part it is a bit heavy...but you'll get used to it... but not to have to drag the compressor and hose around and now I have much more room in the tool box of my truck this is truelly priceless...

I recently had a chance to use one of these new DeWalt nailers and thought I would share my observations.

First of all, this nailer is HUGE! I was prepared for the weight of it - everyone mentions that - but I was unprepared for how big it is. I have large hands and yet this thing makes me feel like a five year old lifting his Dad's framing hammer! Despite all that size, the weight is well balanced and it handles surprisingly well. To be honest though, I was using it at waist level while standing. I am not sure it would be much fun to use overhead while standing on a ladder!

As for nailing performance... This gun can truly fire as fast as you can aim and squeeze. The funny mechanical noise that another reviewer mentioned is normal - I believe that DeWalt designed this gun with some sort of "flywheel" inside to keep the umph going for rapid fire shooting. In any event, it works and works well. You can shoot one heck of a lot of nails per battery charge and jams are easy to clear. I only used 2" nails in the gun, so I cannot give an opinion on performance with other lengths, but with the 2" I was very impressed.

Overall I think this gun is a great idea that will be a boon to trim carpenters on the go. For a shop, or wherever I had easy access to a compressor, I think I would still prefer to use a standard pneumatic nailer. However, for those instances where you are willing to sacrifice weight/size for portability, this nailer is ideal!

i must admit i was somewhat skeptical about dropping 400 bucks on a tool that hadnt been out all that long but it has definitely proven its worth. we have two other ones and the only problem i seem to encounter is that it doesnt like to advance when shooting 2 and a half inch nails at times. all three guns seem to act up only when using the large nails but only intermittently. Other than that its a great tool for trim, especially baseboards because it doesnt kick any drywall dust.