Customer Reviews

Porter-Cable BN200A 3/4-Inch to 2-Inch 18-Gauge Brad Nailer

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I bought this model because I could not originally afford a finish nailer. I do some production work and and was looking for a break from hand nailing everything. Well it's two years later and I still have not bought a finish nailer. This little powerhouse just doesn't fail. Aside from a few nails that hit a knot and bent sideways, this is a sure thing. Trim is permanently applied and joints are strong (with a bead of glue). I can attest after thousands of nails that this gun keeps working and with a little care (clean and oil), it just keeps on going, and going...

One minor issue - the safety clip (allows the gun to fire when it is pressed against the wood) on my model is metal. It occassionally scratches finish material (it is well used). I have filed it smooth, but it still gets dinged up over time. A rubber tip would be preferred, but I suspect those would wear out over time anyway.

One of my coworkers recently bought a reconditioned Porter Cable BN200A because the Senco SLP20 at work wouldn't countersink brads anymore. The first Porter Cable brad nailer he bought was defective (misfired), so he exchanged it for one that worked properly. We've been using the Porter Cable for several weeks now, and it has held up nicely.

We've mainly used it on quartersawn oak, particularly the smaller pieces of trim. The adjustable depth of drive functions as expected, and the nailer has had adequate power. It countersinks well and leaves only a small hole in the wood. The only time I've experienced difficulties with it was when I tried to fasten trim to a plaster-coated brick wall in an old house. The brads couldn't penetrate the brick behind the plaster. However, this isn't a shortcoming of the nailer since I couldn't even get my 15-gauge Hitachi finish nailer to drive through the brick without pretzelling.

I like the short height of this brad nailer--it came in handy when attaching trim behind a cast iron radiator where there wasn't much room. Another nice feature is the cap that covers the air inlet when not in use. This helps keep the ever present jobsite dust & dirt out of the nailer.

My only complaint is that the safety mechanism lies below the firing hole. This means that if the non-marring tip isn't used, there needs to be a solid surface at the bottom portion of the nose. If the gun is pointed perpendicular to a wall or floor with the nose pressed against quarter-round shoe base molding only the top portion of the nose hits the quarter-round shoe base but the molding curves off so much that the safety doesn't get depressed. I have to position the nailer parallel to the wall to get it to fire into the shoe base, but unfortunately this puts the wide axis of the brad's head (the brads have rectangular heads) against the grain of the wooden shoe base.

If you're trying to decide between buying a 15-gauge or 18-gauge nailer, perhaps this will help. In my opinion, the 15-gauge nailer is more versatile because 1) it can fire longer nails (good for attaching crown molding, door casing, baseboards and some framing applications); 2) it can be used for structural applications like setting prehung windows & doors; 3) the 15-gauge nails are more difficult to bend so they have better success when firing into hard or dense surfaces (plaster & lath, plaster over mortar, soft brick, thick MDF, etc.); 4) angled 15-gauge finish nailers can fit into some spaces better than straight brad nailers. However, the 18-gauge brad nailer excels in firing into small diameter trim pieces (door jambs, shoe base, etc.) and in situations where the size of the nail hole is more important than the strength or length of the nail. Although some 18-gauge brad nailers can fire up to 2 inch long brads, the longer brad lengths are so thin that they sometimes have difficulty penetrating dense materials without pretzelling all over the place. A 15-gauge nail will generally penetrate farther and hold better.

I gave the Porter Cable 4 stars (instead of 5) because the first one my coworker bought was defective.

Update: Since writing this review I've bought an Hitachi NT50-AE and a Paslode T200-F18 brad nailer. I wouldn't recommend the Hitachi, but Paslode deserves serious consideration.

Second update: Hitachi has now come out with an improved NT50-AES nailer that no longer misfires and is my favorite, even over the Paslode.

This brad nailer is better than the older PC it replaces. It's not a bad import tool. Certainly adequate for a serious home shop. Plenty of power for 2" brads in oak. If you don't want to buy two finish guns , this may be a good compromise between a small brad nailer and a finish nailer. If you don't mind spending more money , I highly recommend the Senco slp 20. It's much smoother in operation, much more refined and it's not made in Taiwan.

I'm a wood worker and being in the business has made me a hard to impress consumer when purchasing tools for my home. I have had good luck with other Porter Cable tools and this gun is no different. I used this gun right out of the box to install 1500 feet of baseboard and crown molding. Other projects have included frames and redwood planter boxes. Its depth is easily adjustble, the handle is comfortable, and the air release is easily adjusted on top. Best of all is the easy loading of nails. I have used the unit alot in the past couple months and have yet to have ANY jamming. Add to that the capability to shoot 2" pins and you won't hear any complaints. Take it from someone that is dissappointed more often than happy when it come to buying online..this is well worh the price...its a home run.

I've had a BN200A for about six months now and have used it for everything from small nailing tasks to installing 1"X6" T&G. It has never jammed or misfired and its performance overall has been outstanding. In fact, I am in the middle of a remodel of our barn and am working side by side with a contracor/friend who uses a Senco SLP20 and he can't believe how well the PC performs. I have a Senco SFN40 (15 ga.) but decided to go with the PC 18 ga. because I wouldn't be using the smaller gun that often. Boy was I wrong. It has actually seen more use. All in all, the quality of this gun the and range of fasteners that it shoots make for an incredible value. Hope it helps!

I bought this nailer in a rush and did not have time to research others. I was using a friend's Hilti and he needed it back and I was halfway through some kitchen cabinets. It has not let me down... I have shot tens of thousands of brads and it has not jammed yet. I was really wanting an impulse or cordless nailer but the price and my uncertainty of the reliability of these units steered me back to air powered. Because it works sooo nicely I will have to accidently drop this one off a truck to even look at another.

If you're into DIY you gotta have this brad nailer. I chose this model because of the reviews on Amazon...and they were right! I priced around at all the local home improvement stores and Amazon had the best price. I have an old air compressor so I was a little concerned about enough pressure but this nailer works great around 90 psi or even less. I've used it for trim, paneling, OSB subflooring, window casings, etc. It does a great job. It's very well made (looks and feels like a pro contractor model) and comes with enough brad nails for your first project and more. You gotta get you one of these!!!

My company owns 2 of these brad nailers and we really like using them. This unit was well thought out even down to the nice compact case it comes in that so nicely holds a full box of brad nails. I say this because I also have a Senco brad nailer FP25XP and the case size is huge in comparison. The BN 200A is a no nonsense brad nailer that works. In comparison with the Senco FP25XP the performance seems comperable with the Senco in "Turbo" mode (switch is on the side of gun). I have no idea what you would do with normal mode as the nails would not set for me. The Porter cable nailer is a little smaller as well but in all fairness is limited to 2" as compared to Senco 2 1/8" brads. This makes no difference to me though since the common size available is 2". At this point my choice for my next purchase would be the Porter Cable BN 200A.
Note: We use these units primarily to install shoe molding.

This is actually my first nailer and probably my last. The build quality is second to none. I've used it to do repairs and for some of my own creations as well. Nailing into soft and hard woods is of the utmost ease. The exhaust port is a little snug and therefore difficult to turn but adds to the feeling of sturdiness that is so reassuring. You know that it won't slip and point in the wrong direction while you're not looking. I usually run anywhere between 80 and 90 PSI. I can't comment on how easy it is to clear jams because I simply haven't had one yet and I've driven over 1000 nails to this point. It's much lighter than you would expect. The case is adequate. It feels great in my hand. The trigger is effort easily depressed. Can't say enough about it.

Hello All,

I'm so thrilled with this new brad nailer that, I'm telling everyone about it. I purchased this unit as a replacement for an older model Campbell Hausfeld brad nailer. What I LOVE about this unit is, that it has the ability to ADJUST the brad depth. For many moons my only means of doing this with my Campbell Hausfeld unit, was to drop the air pressure.(What a royal PITA)I also purchased brads ranging in length from 5/8"-2" to test the gun with.

The BN200A shot all the above brads without a catch, not a single misfire nor any problems with drifting brad depths. I can't say enough good things about this nailer!! If you're looking for a great little brad nailer at a good price, then look no further! I truly believe that you too will find the weight and quality construction of this brad nailer outstanding.