Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Palm Nailer

by Grip-Rite

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

With all the functionality of a full-sized palm nailer at one-third the size and weight, the Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Palm Nailer fits into tight spaces where a full-sized palm nailer can't. It drives up to a 3-1/2-inch 16d nail without creating hammer marks, and it features a magnetic nose to hold the nail in place, so you get accurate placement every time.

Mini Palm Nailer At a Glance: Mini palm nailer drives up to a 3-1/2-inch 16d nail in tight spaces One-third the size and weight of full-sized palm nailers for minimized fatigue Magnetic nose for accurate nail placement Complete kit comes with metric hex wrench, air tool oil, and male air plug Backed by a one-year warranty

One-third the size and weight of full-sized palm nailers, this mini palm nailer features a magnetic nose. View larger.

Strength and Durability in a Lightweight Package
The compact Grip-Rite Mini Palm Nailer is designed to handle framing, hurricane straps, fencing, decking, and other nailing jobs in tight areas. Because it weighs just one pound, the tool is comfortable to operate for long periods without fatigue. Its compact size also makes it easy to store.

Magnetic Nail Holder for Easy Positioning
A magnetic nail holder keeps each safely in place during positioning to free up one of your hands. One you've set the nail, the Mini Palm Nailer accurately delivers multiple hammer blows until the nail is fully driven.

All-in-One Kit Has Everything You Need
Included with the Grip-Rite Mini Palm Nailer is everything you need for immediate operation and maintenance, including a metric hex wrench to tighten screws, air tool oil for proper lubrication of O-rings and internal parts, and a male air plug.

About Grip-Rite
Since introducing its fasteners in 1975, Grip-Rite has become a major manufacturer of pneumatic fastening systems, fencing and wire goods, steel and poly products, building materials, and concrete accessories. The company's materials are used in a variety of home improvement and remodeling projects throughout the world.

What's in the Box
Mini palm nailer, metric hex wrench, air tool oil, and male air plug.

Product Description

The Grip Rite Mini Palm Nailer is 1/3 the size and weight of a regular palm nailer, yet still stands up to the professional use. The tool is designed to handle the vast majority of applications without the added bulk and weight of other palm sized air nailers. Easily fits into a nail pouch. The magnetic nose holds fasteners in place. Uses a range of nails from 1 1/2'' to 3 1/2''. The nail seats deeply for easy use. Perfect for use in tight spaces, for joist hangers, framing nails, connector straps, exterior and interior applications or anywhere a hammer swing is impossible. Includes hex wrench, oil, and male coupler.

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Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000XWLBOE
• Item model number: GRTMP16
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,088 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #24 in Home Improvement > Air Tools > Nailers
  • #43 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Nailers & Staplers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Small size is the only benefit of this nailer, October 12, 2008

By 

Victor H. Agresti "remodeling-guy" (Gaithersburg, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Palm Nailer (Tools & Home Improvement)

Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Air Nailer

I've just finished building a deck, using this mini-nailer to attach several dozen joist hangers and hurricane straps.

Pros:

- As you can see from the Customer Images, this mini [palm] nailer is so small, it can fit into places a full-sized palm-nailer wouldn't. On this specific deck, there were two situations where only a mini nailer would fit, so I'm glad this tool was available. Size is this tool's advantage over a full-sized palm nailer.

- This tool is very light. Although Grip-Rite doesn't call it a "palm-nailer", the design is a copy of its larger cousins. It's so tiny, "finger-tip" nailer seems about right.

Cons:

- The Grip-Rite is far less powerful than a full-sized palm nailer, which isn't surprising. Small hammers aren't as powerful as large hammers.

As a test, I used it to drive a dozen 14 penny nails (3" long), into a 3.5" thick beam of Laminated Veneered Lumber. LVL is one of the denser construction-grade wood products on the market. The Grip-Rite took at least 2 full seconds to drive each 14d nail, and took up to 5 seconds for many nails; even then, most nail-heads were not flush. 5 seconds is an eternity for a palm nailer. As a comparison, my Bostitch PN100 (a full-sized palm nailer) took 1/3 second to drive each and every nail flush; faster than you can say "amazing".

For [short] 10d joist hanger nails into southern pine, the mini-nailer is OK, although it's noticeably slower in hard wood than a full-sized palm-nailer, which sinks those short nails in an instant.

- My Grip-Rite nailer leaked from the get-to between the two tool halves; and the factory Allen screws were tight. Not much air escapes, but enough so that a small air compressor comes on every 5 minutes when not using the tool. The "warranty" doesn't even cover seals, so if you buy one of these, check for air leaks immediately, before using it. Your best recourse with a leaking tool is to return it promptly for a refund. Of the dozen air tools in my shop, it's annoying that this is the only one that leaks. (I also removed the screws and the seal looked fine and was properly installed.)

Other:

- As with any palm nailer, use hearing protection EVERY time you use it, even if driving a single nail. These tools are incredibly loud; even more so in confined spaces.

Summary:

If you don't own a palm nailer, my advice is to buy one of the full-sized models. Full sized palm nailers won't fit into super-small spaces, but they can drive a huge variety of nails into any wood in well under a second. This Grip-Rite is much more limited in its range of applications, and is simply unacceptable for large nails in hard wood.

However, if you already own a full-sized nailer, if you're a builder, or you are a tool nut like me; and you do so many projects that you'll likely face cramped spaces, mini-palm nailers like the Grip-Rite and Senco PC1195 are the smallest palm nailers on the market.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very handy tool, well made., November 6, 2008

By 

David A. Mccombs "Dave" (Southern Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Palm Nailer (Tools & Home Improvement)

Very handy, won't replace your nail gun but will drive nails where you can't use a hammer, screw gun, or nail gun. Only short coming was toe nailing, but it more than makes up for that with what it does well. I used it to put up 3/8" soffit under eaves. Looped Mini Air nailer air hose over ladder with nail in it. Positioned soffit, held soffit with one hand and used nailer with other. You can reach out while holding on to ladder and drive nails one handed, so much lighter than nail gun. Worked very well driving nails next to fascia. If I wear it out I will replace it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I agree completely with Victor Agresti's review, November 16, 2009

By 

Kerry Pierce "kerrypierce" (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grip-Rite GRTMP16 Mini Palm Nailer (Tools & Home Improvement)

I own a Ridgid full size palm nailer and bought the Grip-Rite Mini nailer because I had to work in some spaces where the full size nailer wouldn't fit. My Ridgid drives all kind of nails, big or small, quickly and surely, but the Ridgid's size is a limitation just like a regular hammer. So, enter the Grip-Rite Mini. It does work, fairly well, on big nails and gets into places the big nailer will not.

My Grip-Rite leaked air, right out of the box, requiring tightening of 3 of the 4 cap screws to get it to stop. After fixing that, it worked fine, within its limitations. Contrary to what the company material says, the Grip-Rite Mini won't drive 16d nails well, if at all. The heads on 16d bright common nails are too large to go into the nose piece (impact socket). The opening in the nose piece is just slightly smaller than the average diameter of those nail heads found in a box of Grip-Rite 16d 3 1/2" bright common nails. Since the Mini wouldn't accept and drive their own common nails, I switched to 16d 3 1/2" finish nails for the spots I needed to use the Mini nailer. The shanks are smaller on the finish nails than on the common nails and still, the Mini nailer had difficulty driving them fully.

As a side note, I also own the Senco PC1195 Mini Palm Nailer which won't accept the big nail heads on the 16d common nails either, which was why I bought the Grip Rite Mini. Senco's manual tells you that their mini nailer has a head limitation and won't accept anything larger than .339" and the Grip Rite Mini manual states a head limitation size of 5/16 or .311". (The moral to that story is that I should have gone to Grip-Rite's site and downloaded the manual, instead of only reading the sales hype before buying the nailer.)

Measuring several 16d bright common heads revealed an average head size of well over .350". Measuring the heads on a dozen 12d 3 1/8" coated sinkers gave an average of over .330", but all of them easily fit into the opening of the Grip Rite Mini nose piece, which actually measured .350" on my unit.

In short, either Mini nailer is nice to have around, to complement a full size palm nailer. If you're wanting a palm nailer that simply works well on anything you want to throw at it, my advice would be to buy a full size nailer, like the DEWALT D51180 Heavy-Duty Palm Nailer or the Bostitch PN100K Impact Nailer Kit, instead of the Mini. The difference in power and ease of use is well worth the extra money for a full sized palm nailer, in my opinion.