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Alright reliable workers of wood and opinions, I need your help.

2K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  CantBurn 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
#4 ·
I used to work at Lowe's part time when I retired. The Campbell Haufsfield products held up well and I never seen any of their stuff ever come back. The nailers were not in the store when I was there but think they would be a good unit for the money.

Tom
 
#5 ·
I have some experience with their mechanics tools (impact wrenches and die grinders) as well a the compressors, but not with their nailers. From what I have seen, they are adequate tools for the hobbyist or home use worker. However, for professional use, I don't think they would hold up to the day in, day out use, so I would use that as your criteria. If you are just a hobbyist that uses them on weekends for the occasional project, these will probably suit you just fine and give you years of good use. If you are a professional that is going to be using them all day everyday, then probably not a good choice. Stick to the Bostich or the Passlode and the other professiona brands that can easily be serviced and repaired. These Campbell Hausfeld will pretty much be disposable if you have any problems with them. You just throw them away and start over. If you don't fit into either category and are somewhere between the hobbyist and the pro, then a great tool to look at that isn't terribly expensive is the Hitachi brand. I have some of their cordless drills and have used their nailers that a friend of mine has and they are good tools without totally draining the bank account.
 
#6 ·
I bought this same set last year and have used it extensively without a single problem. remodeling the inside of an entire house. I have had several framing guns that cost more that the reg. price for this entire to see any difference.
 
#8 ·
My Campbell-Hausfeld finish nailers are still going strong after 20 years, though they don't get used very often. I always put a few drops of machine oil into the air inlet before powering up, and that makes a big difference in how long it will last. Cripes, I paid $250 for my used Bostitch framing nailer, NS80, I would have been happy to have bought this ensemble at Lowe's.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
I've owned some different brands of nailers. It seems every nailer
I got new has worked for me, but every used one I've had didn't
last. I suspect the core issue with nailer durability is maintenance.

I'm suspicious of oil-free nail guns and compressors. I prefer to
use oil. Off-brand nailers you may have a hard time getting parts
for - and parts can and will wear out on these tools. Campbell
Hausfield should have parts available for a long time. The tools are
a little on the lightly-built side for professional use, but if you treat
your tools well I'd expect the CH nailers to have some good life.

The price on the set you're looking at is really low for what you get -
that's a red flag sometimes. Almost all this stuff is made in China now,
and the same factories produce junk tools and decent stuff at the
same time. The people who purchase the nailers for CH from China
are pushing the factories to turn out a big set for a cheap price -
and in such a situation quality will usually suffer and you won't get
a tool that meets professional standards. That doesn't mean it won't
serve you well for home-owner use.

I've had good experiences with Hitachis. They are tough and reliable.
One 15 ga. Hitachi costs what the whole CH set costs though.
 
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