# Does a good job with the right power



## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I did not review this particular tool because the HUGE fluctuations in performance depending on which outlet I have this thing on. I am pretty sure it is a house wiring issue (No sub panel in the shop yet). This is a VERY picky tool, but when it is given sufficient power, it works great!

DO NOT USE THIS WITH AN EXTENSION CORD!

It's not bad enough for me to want to take it back, but it DOES irritate me that I have to be careful of which outlets I use it on. It pulls as much juice as a dust collector, and THAT is scary…


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## bobthebuilder647 (Jun 30, 2009)

Same issues with mine but I like it.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Thanks for the Review


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## USCJeff (Apr 6, 2007)

I'm afraid I'm on the opposite end of the review. The inconsistency is the primary gripe. It still has a place in my shop. I mainly use it for shop projects in which speed of assembly is more important than quality. It "clamps" some MDF projects together while the glue dries. It seems like I always have to hand set a couple brads each time I use it, though. A few shots later a brad is shot too deep in the same piece. I hadn't considered the power issue, honestly. I can't recall if I've plugged it direct to an outlet or not. I have power strips placed throughout, might have to retest it. I remember the marketing made to long cord a selling point. Based on the power comments posted here and the marketing of the long cord, I'm inclined to believe that it isn't intended to be used with an extension cord.


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## jake (Apr 5, 2008)

I believe you are right. A 20 amp breaker is rated at 12 guage wire and a 15 amp breaker is rated at 14 guage. On a 15 amp breaker nothing else could be running and 12 guage is pretty heavy wire, larger than most extension cords, power strips etc. So you would have to look at the strip and circuit. Power tools like circular saws, jig saws, etc. are more forgiving and will run with power flucuations, so it's hard to tell even is someone used other 15 amp tools on an extension cord. I have a large induction motor table saw and a smaller benchtop with universal motor, rated at 15 amps. I run the benchtop saw with no problem on the lines that the nail gun doesn't like. I was using the Arrow again today on my current project and was pretty amazed at it shooting one and a quarter inch nails in oak with no problem and set nicely just below the surface. It is a pain to only be able to use the right outlet, but for me the ease of building most items without any clamp time for the glue up outweighs the inconvenience. For example, after the glue is used I shoot a small nails through the tonge and grove of raised panel doors on the back. Once the pieces are sanded I tack a small nail at the top and bottom with the panels in place, which leaves in the room in the width where all most all of the epansion takes place but no rattle. Oak is brittle so after a little practice on placement I am staining in minutes after the assembly and all of my doors are very solid.


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## dustyal (Nov 19, 2008)

I have two of these ET 200's because of great customer service. I got it because I wanted something light duty for indoor molding trim work. It did that fine… but gave out after a dozen brads were fired. I called customer service, and they sent me a new circuit board that goes in the trigger. No instructions, but fairly obvious as to how to. Well, that circuit board went up in smoke, too. Called again. Got a new board right away. Fixed it again, and all has been well… but a week after the second board was received, I got a whole new tool with case in the mail. So, I now have two. They said they had a bad shipment of circuit boards… So, no complaints about customer service.

I made up some wood utility shelving in a very, very tight space. I couldn't swing a hammer, but I could tack it up with this gun. Works fine now for light duty. Any problems I have in use I can trace back to "operator" error. It helps to have something like this for that occasional project where you need a third hand or something. I used it several times to tack together glue ups. Cannot replace a pneumatic tool…


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## Holt (Mar 15, 2011)

My parents have one of these that I tried to use with some repairs I was making on their house. I never had it fully drive a brad, i had to finish all of them with a hammer. Since i was tacking on trim into corners, that kind of defeated my whole purpose for using it. It's possible that my extension cord was the culprit, but it was only 25' and pretty stout (I also used it for the table saw…). I ended up moving to other tasks for that weekend and dragged my PC compressor and nail guns back with me the next weekend.


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