Customer Reviews

Porta-Nails 401P Porta-Nailer Hardwood Floor Nailer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What separates this nailer from other similar designs (e.g., Bostitch) is that it uses a ratcheting device that enables you to drive the nails with more than one swing. This feature works well, and is quite innovative. Learning to use a floor nailer takes some practice (and strength) to be able to drive the nail cleanly in one blow, and beginners will benefit greatly from being able to strike several times in order to seat the nail (or "cleat") fully. Those with experience will also benefit when nailing in awkward positions (those double-handed backhand shots) and close to the walls.

There is a drawback to this approach, however, which is that it will take twice as many blows to finish the job. The manual suggests that you should take two blows on every nail, and they discourage using a single, strong blow. But if you keep the nailer well lubricated (a dry spray lubricant like WD40 or, even better, BoeShield T-9), you should be able to drive the nail in one blow after the tool breaks in (and you break in :-). Lubrication is important, since it will help flush out the residue that builds up inside the tool. Bring the hammer up above your head, strike cleanly, and you'll eventually be able to sink the nail in one blow. Good technique is more important than strength, and this nailer will enable you to build good technique without the frustration of half-sunk nails.

A couple of other notes:

First, you CANNOT use the face-nailer shoe as the above post suggests. I looked at the online manuals from the manufacturer, and it looked like it would work, so I ordered the face-nailer shoe. It does not fit - the bolt holes do not line up, and there's no way to modify the piece in order to make them line up. I suspect this is intentional, which is unfortunate because it looks entirely possible and this would be a great feature. For those not familiar with "face-nailing," this is the way that you start and end each room, and it tends to be the most tedious part of any job. For a small project (a couple of roooms), you can get away with face-nailing by hand. Hold the nail (either a cleat or a 8p finish nail) in a pair of pliers to help avoid bending it. If you're doing 800 feet or more, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a pneumatic nailgun. It will speed up the job drastically, and will take away the tedium of starting the first few rows or finishing the last four. Get a 15-guage finish nailer and drive nails every 5-6 inches (instead of 10 inches for the cleats). It's not cheap, but you'll find many other uses for the pneumatic nailer, such as putting in the shoe molding. It's definitely money well spent.

Even with a nailer, you're bound to still get bent cleats or unseated cleats every now and then. If they're bent, you can break them off by bending them back and forth. If they're too far in to break them off, you can grind them off with a Dremel tool and cutoff disk. If they're not seated all the way, you can countersink them manually. I use a replaceable screwdriver bit that has been ground off square on the opposite end, and hold it in a pair of Vice-Grips. It takes some practice, but works well.

Finally, buy more nails than you think you'll need. The boxes say that 1000 nails will cover 200 feet, but I think that's optimistic. I've done two houses now, and in both cases I used 50% more nails than they suggest. Try to buy the nails locally, since shipping them tends to break up the groups. You can find local dealers on the Porta-Nails web site, and they usually sell them at Lowe's or Home Depot.

To sum up, this is really an indispensable tool, and this model is a good choice. It seems durable enough, and is from an innovative small company (their router table is still one of the best out there). Good luck with your floors.

We purchased a Porta-Nailer to install 800 square feet of oak flooring in our Den. The product came with a video which was extremely helpful; providing excellent tips on how to install a wood floor. The nailer was easy to use. You simply hit the ram of the nailer until it returns and the nail is perfectly counter sunk. Our friends can not believe we did it ourselves. The Porta-nailer made us look like professonals.

I am installing a-lot of T&G Doug Fir flooring. I have been borrowing one of these and like it so much that I just ordered my own. I am a homeowner doing a-lot of the work on my new house by myself. This nailer does an excellent job of pushing warped/twisted boards snugly into place and the nails seat nicely every time. Instead of buying a face nailer, I use my air finish nailer when in tight spots.

I recently used this nailer to install 1100 sq feet of hardwood flooring during a renovation of our home. Prior to this project, I had no experience in flooring, although I do build furniture as a hobby. The 401P came with a video showing you exactly how to install flooring using this product. Following the instructions resulted in a perfect floor installation, the tool never jammed, and it countersunk the nails every time. This tool will install a tight, straight floor regardless of any warping in the hardwood itself.

Despite being my first time installing hardwood flooring the 401P proved to be a snap to use. I tried renting both the pneumatic model and the manual tools from my local rental company. BIG MISTAKE!!! These poor tools were simply too worn out to make any real headway over hand nailing. So I bought my own 401P since (1) I did not see any real advantage to the pneumatic model; (2) you must also buy a compressor that can drive the nailer (minimum of 2 hp with 5 scfm output); and (3) the cost difference. The only time the pneumatic is an advantage is in the last six or seven rows when close to a wall when it takes really short strokes to drive the manual nailer. Otherwise the manual model performed just as well. The only problems I experienced with the installation project (about 600 sq feet) were two jams that happened when I got near the bottom of the nail stack (the manual does recommend not letting the stack get below 2 inches). But these were cleared without any problem.

I used my Porta-Nailer to install hardwood floors over my whole house. This turned out to be a bigger job than I expected. However, It was well worth the effort, the floor turned out great. I constantly get compliments. Without the floor nailer I would have never undertaken such a task. It straightens bowed boards and keeps them straight. As a novice floor installer, it made things easy. Not to mention the great work-out I got getting up and down, and swinging the hammer.
If your putting a floor down, there is NO better tool for the money.

Lightweight, efficient, simple and reliable. Just like a tool should be. After less than half a bedroom I felt like a pro. Definitely did not see any need for a pneumatic model - though I have air. Don't do a hardwood floor without it.

I bought the 401P to put in 1100 sq ft of 2-1/4 oak flooring in my house. I used my Paslode finish nailer (16ga) for the start and end runs. Getting ready to do another 900+ sq ft in my brother's house, and I've just ordered the 501 face nailer, as I think they will stand up better over time -- may even go back and re-face my own floors...

Really nice tool and turned out an awesome job -- nobody believes I did these floors myself!

I just recently finished installing over 600 square feet of flooring and I could not have done it without this tool. It's simple and easy to use, lightweight, and will straighten out bowed boards with ease. The best feature on this tool is the ratcheting system. Unlike some nailers which you get one blow to drive the nail, the Porta Nailer uses a ratcheting system where you hit the bumper several times until the nailer is seated properly, which is great after you've swung the hammer 5000 times and your arm feels like Jello. The only downfall is the hammer. It works great, but I wish the handle had a rubber coating to make it easier on the hands. After a day I had a few blisters, but I dipped in some rubber dip for handles and it made it much easier on the hands. Still, I'd recommend work gloves

I bought this nailer at Amazon.com to use for installing 3/4 inch unfinished white oak flooring in the back of my house, hall, and 3 bedrooms. This nailer works superbly. I highly recommend it. A tip, hit the ram pretty firmly on the first blow. This well seats the nail and avoids bending nails. I would give this nailer a firm A rating.