Review By Dean Bielanowski
I learned early on that an 18-gauge brad nailer just doesn’t cut it when it comes to installing trim and mouldings and for holding casework firm on a project or interior fitout. The smaller brad nails just don’t have enough holding power for the task. So I purchased my first finish nailer many years ago and haven’t looked back. More recently I added the N62FNK-2 to my collection.
The Bostitch N62FNK-2 is a 15-gauge finish nailer that uses 15-gauge strip nails. These nails are “heavier” and larger (in diameter) than the smaller 18-gauge brad nails and possess a larger nail head for more holding capability. Like brad nails, various lengths of 15-gauge nails are available, with this nailer capable of driving nails from 1-1/4” up to 2-1/2” in length. The tool features an angled nail magazine, which allows the nailer to get into tighter corners without impediment, and with a magazine capacity of 130 nails, refill is not needed as often as with nail guns with smaller magazine capacity. Adding and removing nails and removing the magazine to clear nail jams is a tool-less process for convenience.
The nail gun housing and body are constructed from magnesium, offering a very strong, yet light weight outfit, weighing in at just 3.8 lbs. The hand grip is comfortable and wrapped in rubber for a non-slip surface. The trigger is bare and could have used a rubber overmold like those found on some Senco brand nailers, however, this does not affect performance of the gun itself.
The nailer has a ¼” NPT air fitting, and one of its nicest features is that it does not require air tool oil to be added before each day’s use. This nailer is an oil-free design, which is handy for those who often forget to add oil before use and helps eliminate any chance of oil staining on materials. Whether or not the oil-less nailers last longer than oil-use ones is a matter of debate, but Bostitch does offer a 7-year limited warranty on this tool, so they seem to have confidence in the design and manufacture of their product. The nailer will operate with air pressure between 70 and 120 PSI. Most compressors will keep air pressure within this range automatically. With a driving power of 400 in/lbs, the nailer is more than capable of driving 2-1/2” finish nails fully into even dense woods and composite materials.
The firing end of the nailer is fairly standard in nailer design, with a spring loaded trigger safety release and no-mar tip. In fact, what I really like about this nail gun package is that four special profiled tips are included in the kit so shaped molding can be added and nailed much more easily, as the profile tips conform better to the shaped surfaces of the molding material being nailed. A great inclusion. Drive depth is adjustable via the adjustment mechanism, and is quite easy to use, and accurate for setting nail depth.
In use the nailer works very well, is easy to use and adjust and does the job it is designed to do very well. I have used it for both external and internal trim fixing, for cabinet and case work, and many other fastening jobs around the home. The availability of nails from just about any good hardware store or tool store makes the tool more attractive for prospective purchasers too. In the end, it is a solid tool and gets the job done. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
