Customer Reviews

Hitachi NR83A2 Round Head 2-inch to 3-1/4-inch Framing Nailer

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have had my hitachi NR83A2 for about 3 1/2 years. I have used the NR83, which was a great gun, but who wants to keep going back to the compressor to adjust the air pressure when you can simply adjust the depth on the gun. I have not had any problems with the depth of drive, it works great. And the single fire, bump fire mechanism has never given me any trouble either, in fact, it is very handy to have if you are in a situation where you can't afford to have a double fire. Contrary to a previous review, you can mount a rafter hook on this gun. You just have to drill an extra hole where the magazine bolts to the gun. I got the hook off amazon as well, it is make by toolhangers inc., and it fits NR83A2 and a skilsaw. I have framed with a few other guns, namely the Porter Cable, I have used the Paslode powermaster plus, and I have used the Senco. But most of my experience is with this gun, and I can't see ever changing over. Once you put a rafter hook on it, this gun has it all, and lacks nothing. Only complaint, when you are nailing off with 8s, the 2nd clip will often ride up on the 1st clip, causing a jam, which is annoying when you are trying to go fast. But other than that, no complaints. If you want a true framing gun, get this one. I guarantee you if you walk onto any framing crew out here in California, you will see Hitachi's being used.

I'm in the middle of building a 10X16 shed with this nailer. I've used it for the rough framing, nailing the sheathing, and framing trusses (lots of toe-nailing). I've had no problems with this tool - it does a fine job. I'm using the BC nails available on Amazon - 3&1/4 in framers (comes coated) and their 8d ring-shank galvanized for the sheathing.

No regrets about buying this - it's saved a world of time!

We're building a new home and during the framing stage I watched the framers use this gun all day long, day after day with no problems. When I asked them how they liked it, they said they would not use any other gun but this one. We're nearing the end of construction and I decided to tackle the rear deck myself (lots of money to be saved in doing so). I decided to take the plunge and buy my first pneumatic nail gun. I'm not a professional builder, but, I can tell you I do love this Hitachi framer. In fact, I'm so excited about it that I've ordered additional nailers and a stapler to put in my dream shop which is going up at the same time as the house. Actually, the shop is finished - something my sweet wife reminds me of each time we visit the building site. I keep telling her "We just have to maintian our priorities!"

I have been a professional carpenter for almost 15 yrs.now and I have used many guns. the NR83 IS by far the best out there. sadly its no longer made and has been replaced by the NR83A2(which is still an excellent gun by the way).ALL framers out there will agree 100%.I would NEVER trade my Hitachi For another brand. a few out there not familiar with these tools say they jam when loaded with 2 racks. of course they do because of the cheap way the nails are collated! dont blame it on the gun! I have never had a problem with this gun and will continue to use it until I retire from the trades. period.

I have owned this gun for 3 years. I am a professional remodeler and I use this gun 5 days a week. My best friend has owned an older model for 25 years without ever needing service. These guns are indestructable. I have dropped this gun off of roofs, onto concrete, off of ladders. Still works like the day I bought it. Like any nail gun, you have to learn how it works and find it sweet spot. Every gun fires differently. Once you get used to it, it will be second nature. It is best to only put one sleave of nails in at a time, otherwise they tend to get stuck together and cause a jamb. That is the only complaint on this gun, which I think has more to do with how round head nail strips are made. I did accidently shoot myself in the knee with a 16D nail while working alone. Kinda sucked, but it was a stupid mistake I will not make again ;)

Beware, the Hitachi NR83A2 and NR83A2(S) are very similar, but the (S) does not have a depth control on the gun. I was surprised when I opened the box at home, after handeling the display model in the store which has the adjuster. Maybe that is what the 'S' stands for >surprise<
As it turns out, I don't find this to be a detriment, since the unit has worked flawlessly driving 12d nails (3.25 inch) at 100psi to 120psi, the range that my compressor cycles between. Neither gun comes with an air fitting, and they require a large one (3/8inch). I bought an (S) model today at my local Lowes hardware store. They have awsome customer service, beating their competition's sale price by 10% which made my price $222.00 plus tax. I had searched for a tool that will drive full head nails consistently, and this tool works flawlessly. I am not a professional carpenter, but I know good quality and sometimes you get lucky and can find it at a decent price. This nailer is worth every cent, and will last a long time. Oh, I almost forgot that Hitachi has a 5 year warranty! I am very pleased with this nailer.

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J. M. Jaszarowski Initial post

Hello

I have been a framing foreman for many years and use the Hitachi NR 83 and 90 guns daily. They are by far the best product on the market. We have several guns that are so beat up, you cannot tell what brand they are, yet they still work great. We do large school expansion projects and really give these guns a workout. They do it without problems, day in and day out.

I borrowed this gun from our contractor when building our house and loved it. And being the gun that builders prefer meant a lot to me, so when buying a framing nailer this was the obvious choice. Since then I have been helping my in-laws build a house, and we have gone through thousands of nails with this gun without a single complaint. And when the siding nailer broke, we started using galvanized nails in this gun, and it worked just as well, if not better.

Most professional framers use this tool and for good reason. It doesn't jam or wear out. It doesn't get affected by rain or dirt. It has more power and less kickback than other brands (drives into engineered products where other brands bounce back). It is balanced in the hand and shooting at any angle is effortless. The safety depresses easily and it has a bar to pull back with your finger when you don't want to contact the work surface to shoot. It takes the full-head nail so passes code anywhere, and the strip nails fit in your pouch a lot better than coils. I put a hangar on it that fits over a 4x and hang it from the ladder, rafters, etc. Have dropped it on the slab a couple times and the only damage was to my nerves and the slab.

The only complaints I have about mine is that it's heavy, and that you have to pull the slide back before loading. But the slide is the same as on the Porter Cable which is the only other framer I've used that I liked (have not used the Max which is supposed to be good too). And it is so well balanced in hand that the weight is not a problem. Also the full-head strip nails mean less nail in gun means less weight. The clipped head and coil types will need to be loaded less often but they're that much heavier.

One note--this gun works so smooth since the mechanism breaks loose the next nail during recovery from driving the previous nail. That means that there is always a loose nail in the end of your gun and it falls out if you reload before running out. This is a bit of a pain but is just part of the deal.

In any case this is my favorite gun and has made me a lot of money.

This is an excellent nailer. Works very well. I like the depth adjustment and sequential firing of this nailer.