For many years I used a Bostitch N16D nailer and was pleased with it. Recently it suffered an internal part failure and I sadly discovered that the part (main valve) was discontinued long ago. Having the part rebuilt would cost over $100.
I bought this Numax gun to use on a large project: 6 x 48 covered porch. The nail gun work on the porch is finished now, after about 700 nails of 2-3/8" and 1100 of 3" over a period of several weeks. The gun was not as reliable as the old Bostitch (wire collated clipped head nail sticks) in terms of always feeding a nail, particularly with the 3" nails. At times it would get balky and intermittently fail to feed a nail, but from what I saw this was due to the plastic collated nails and doesn't seem to be a shortcoming of the gun itself - little bits of plastic got hung up in the feed tube, or it would not shear off cleanly and leave enough of a "nub" to prevent the next nail from centering in the drive tube properly. Most times pulling back & releasing the loading lever would restore nail feeding, but on a couple of occasions I had to remove & discard a partial stick of nails that repeatedly failed to feed properly. I was using Hitachi nails, so perhaps someone else has a different experience with a different brand. Also , I was working in hot weather (mid-90's) and bright sun that further heated the gun's black nail magazine, so perhaps heat softening of the plastic collation caused some of the feed problem.
Other than the small annoyances with misfeed, the gun performed marvelously. The adjustable drive was a nice feature when I had to change back & forth between the smaller and larger nails. With the old Bostitch I had to fiddle with the air pressure. It is lighter and less tiring to handle all day, and worked equally well in any position. The gun performed just as well at the end of the project as at the start, with no change in performance and no significant problems. It was considerably less prone to driving a second nail than the old gun, had only one double drive in the whole project.
PRO: Light weight, drives well, easy to load & use, convenient drive adjustment, handles different nail lengths equally well.
CON: Might be the nails and not the gun, but sometimes failed to feed a nail and needed to be cleared
Overall, a nice nail gun at a great price, very good value for the money. It saved my porch project budget, costing one third of a new Bostitch. For homeowner or occasional project work, it seems a good fit. Seems durable, drives well, and other than occasional misfeeds from the plastic collated nails, it seems reliable.
| Manufacturer | NuMax |
|---|---|
| Part Number | SFR2190 |
| Item Weight | 0.16 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5.51 x 14.17 x 20.08 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | SFR2190 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 21° Full Head Framing Nailer |
| Style | Tool Only |
| Material | One piece hardened steel drive blade |
| Pattern | Nailer |
| Power Source | Air-powered |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Measurement System | Imperial |
| Special Features | Adjustable |
| Included Components | Framimg Nailer and Adjustments wrenches |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Covered by NuMax's 1 Year Limited Warranty and 30 Day Wearable Parts Warranty |
