Customer Reviews

Hitachi NT50AE2 18-Gauge 5/8-Inch to 2-Inch Brad Nailer

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This is one of the best tools I have ever had. Operates flawlessly every time. I use Bostich nails/brads because they are easier to find (all sizes up to 2") and the nailer works perfectly. The "height" adjustment is easy. The "jam release" mechanism is great - but the tool has never jammed. Excellent Product! James Willard

The one thing that swayed me to this model was definitely a key advantage. With this nailer, the safety slide peg is mounted behind the nail channel, which means you can get nails into tighter spots with this model than you can with others. The Bostich and others have the slide out in front of the nail channel which means the brad comes out about a quarter inch back from the forward-most part of the tool tip. With this Hitachi the brad comes out at the very front, which is very nice when putting nails in tight corners.

This tool is so handy and does such a nice job, I wonder what would ever make me buy a finish nailer. I'm pretty sure this brad nailer would do those jobs for me too.

Three minor disadvantages drop this to a 4-star rating (reallly 4.5), but it's not because I think there's a better one out there, it's just that there's room for improvement.

1. It's not oil-free. Not a big deal but it would be nicer to not have to bother with oil.
2. The lightest (shallowest) nail depth setting is still a little too powerful. With short brads in soft material many were penetrating too deep. It would be nice to be able to go a little shallower by a step or two.
3. The case is compact and handy, but there's no extra space in there to put nails or oil. Luckily they molded a spot for safety glasses (included) which I have emptied out to store my oil and a few brads there instead. I always have safety glasses with me anyway so that space is better used for nailer-specific items. There is extra volume inside there but its molded over in plastic so you can't use it. Again, nobody else seems to do a better job of this, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be improved.

In summary, a great tool. I can't believe I lived so long without it. A brad nailer makes many jobs much easier, allowing me to do things I couldn't do before with just two hands.

This is by far the best brad nailer I have ever used in my 20 years as a trim carpenter. It is very light weight ,powerfull, and looks great too! Hitachi has always been a pro-quality grade tool and this brad nailer is a great addition to there collection of pro-quality tools.

The price was more than right. This is an excellent deal. I used Milwaukee brads for it, and no jams so far. It would be nice if it had a better tip on it though. Comparing price and value with other brands, I would buy this one again. Up until 6 months ago I never knew Hitachi made good tools. Hitachi is my preferred brand for pneumatic right now. The only guns I probably wouldnt buy are their framing nailers, only because the PC is so much cheaper and does the job so well. Buy this gun, you can't go wrong. Along with the tip, the thing that really puzzles me is, I can go buy a $20 no name gun kit, and IT INCLUDES OIL IN THE CASE! (not to mention a couple thousand nails) Here I buy a Hitachi, and not a drop. How about including a small bottle of oil guys? The fifty cents it would cost the company would be well worth it to build greater brand loyalty.

I got this brad nailer as a back up to my Stanley Bostitch nailer and it feels more balanced than my Bostitch.

As others have mentioned, the the gun ships in a case without oil! I don't really mind it at all because I have lots of oil lyring around. But for those who are just starting out with pneumatic nailer, you should get some oil before you start firing nails with it.

I like that fact that it has the sequential trip and the bump fire built into the gun at the flip of the switch, a feature that my Bostitch does not have. It sinks nails well and countersinks it to the right depth once adjusted properly. I use combination of Porter Cable as well as Bostitch brand brads and not had a jam or misfire yet. I have test fired it very rapidly (3-4 brads per second) in sequential fire and bump fire mode and also not jammed.

I would have given it 5 stars if not for 2 small things which I found can be improved. The depth of drive adjustment wheel is easier to turn. It's located between the magazine and the nose. Not the easiest to turn if your fingers are not dexterous. My Bostitch had the adjustment wheel located in front of the nose. Secondly, the exhaust swivels 360 with some detents. But I think the exhaust can be improved because it 's only a cheap piece of plastic held in place by a ring groove. Not very easy to adjust the exhaust unlike the bostitch which has the exhaust adjustment incoporated into the top cap.

But overall, it's a well built gun and will buy it again and will recomend to friends if the sale comes around once again. Much better than some POS that is made in cheap china factory with no QC.

I had used a Bostich brad nailer of the same configuration and I found the Hitachi to have a better feel to it; it is lighter and packs a nice punch. There is one feature the Bostich has that I wish the Hitachi had and that is the oiling; the Bostich does not require oiling while the Hitachi does; no big deal, it is just not convenient and easy to feorget.

Pro: Excellent feel and worked flawlessly during two weeks of remodeling. Great on baseboards, moldings, cabinets, etc.. This is the perfect nailer for working around the house. Got this from Amazon for less than $60 with no tax and free shipping. $90 + tax at Lowe's.

Con: The no-mar tip could be better because it made very small dents. No oil included. A bit loud.

Still 5 stars because it's a wonderful tool compared to other nailers I used before.

Excellent gun for the money(Amazon sale gave additional 10% off). Extremely light...almost feels like a toy. Sinks the nail 99.9% but that's mainly due to the safety holding it away from the surface though I haven't used it on much hardwood beside poplar yet. It is fairly loud compared to other guns, so less one star for that.

Its very light and does everything right but its the loudest brad nailer Ive ever used. Its louder than my finish nailer. Use ear protection with this gun.

Like a previous reviewer this was purchased for my fiancee who is an artist and required quite a bit of canvas stretchers, framing, and finish work for her paintings. We had (against my better judgement) tried an "electric" solution, which as expected failed miserably. It was slightly difficult to convince her that this WAS the solution, and would not compicate her task(s). I cannot subtract any stars due to no oil, or brads in the case as that is how it was described. It would have been nice, but I purchased oil and brads seperately. The nailer is incredibly light, balanced, and easy for her to use. Have used the largest brads allowable in this nailer, and have had complete success even when nailing red oak, which is notably a very hard wood, and the nails are sunk flush with no marring. Add a few drops of oil before using it for the day, load it up, and nail all day long. No misfires, jams, or or any issues whatsoever. Because this was purchased for her, and not for myself, noise, weight, and ease of use were paramount, and it excels in each of these areas. Highly recommend it. Purchased the following with this nailer, and they work flawlessly together.

DEWALT D55140 Heavy-Duty 1 Gallon 135 PSI Max Trim Compressor
Premium Yellow Rubber Air Hose - 3/8" x 25', 300 PSI - 3825R300, by Goodyear - Goodyear - 3825R300
Senco A209909 18-Gauge-by-1-2-Inch Electro Galvanized Variety Pack Brads