Hitachi are one of Japan’s great giants of industry, manufacturing everything from defense vehicles to the famous ‘Magic Wand’ massage aid, and everything in between. This of course includes power tools. With such a wealth of experience to draw on it won’t come as any great surprise to learn that Hitachi power tools are among the most respected and widely used among both industry professionals, and enthusiastic of hobbyists and DIYers.
When it comes to nail guns, Hitachi are definitely traditionalists, opting for combustible gas power over the more radical all electric brushless motor approach of companies such as Milwaukee. Make no mistake though, gas powered nail guns have been the defacto standard in the industry for many years, so you can be sure of a rugged and reliable bit of kit if you do opt for a Hitachi. The general consensus among customers is pretty simple, Hitachi nail guns provide the same great high performance as the likes of Paslode (the undisputed kings of the nail gun world), but at a fraction (in some cases as much as half) of the price. That sounds pretty good to us!
At present Hitachi offer 3 nail guns; a straight framing nailer, an angled framing nailer, and an angled finish nailer. These guns share some great common features, including a dry fire lock to save fuel and battery, a lightweight design, and versatile fuel cells and nail magazines that can be substituted for those made by other manufacturers. So, with one or the other finish nailers plus the framing nailer to hand you’ll pretty much have all bases covered. Let’s take a closer look at what’s on offer.
Hitachi NT65GS Cordless Nailer for Straight Nails Review
Nailers are hands-on tools and if you don’t choose carefully, you could find yourself struggling to use yours. However that’s not so here, the Hitachi NT65GS has been made to take away a lot of the hard effort, leaving you to concentrate on keeping your nailing neat and consistent. With tool free depth adjustment among its user friendly features, you can be sure this nailer will help you work faster.
Designed for mid sized or ‘second fix’ wood work like furniture making and fixing mouldings and decorative wood work to interiors, this Hitachi nail gun is somewhere in the middle ground in terms of power, so it’s important to note that it isn’t the tool for the job for heavy construction site level carpentry or roof laying.
The NT65GS has a positive rubber grip that ensures the gun doesn’t slip out of your hands, which could be very dangerous, and to aid further the grip is ergonomically shaped, designed to conform to the curl of your fingers. It’s also light and well balanced, so it can be operated for long periods of time without leaving your arms fatigued.
This nailer can be used with nails of different lengths, starting from 25 mm all the way up to 65 mm. It also has the ability to hammer in as many as 1200 nails per fuel cell. Like other nail guns, using this is a revelation if you’ve only ever used a hammer and nails, or even an electric screwdriver, it’s far quicker than anything they might be able to achieve by a long shot.
All this along with amazing pricing, this nailing monster is a must-have. Not only is it great value for money but it does justice to the job it was designed for and rarely, if ever, misses a nail.
Pros
- Easy maintenance especially with routine cleaning.
- Smooth handle that will ensure the nailer doesn’t slide off your hand
- Capacity of 1200 nails per fuel cell
- Drills 25-65 mm long 16 gauge nails
- Fuel chamber that is easily accessible
- It’s cordless, so no entangled wires or air lines to worry about
- Tool-free depth adjustment
Cons
Some customers have noted that the Hitachi NT65GS feels relatively fragile as compared to other guns. If you need something for more heavy duty work, then the obvious choice is its big brother the Hitachi NR90GC2 Cordless Framing Nailer. Having said that, of course there has to be some way of getting great performance to rival a Paslode whilst keeping costs down, and in this case there may have been a few liberties taken in the overall quality of construction. However the performance is still great and you can rest assured that all necessary safety legislation has been met.
Conclusion
The Hitachi NT65GS is one of the few nail guns for which many people have only good things to say. Its standard is certainly up to par and delivers according to its specifications. Both professionals and amateur users can use it quite happily on a regular basis. It’s easy on the hands while handling and keeping it running smoothly is straightforward
Hitachi NR90GC2 Cordless Framing Nailer Review
Straight off the mark, the Hitachi NR90GC2 is made for comfortable handling and easy manoeuvrability with its 3.4kg, well-balanced design. However, this weight is still a bit too much for many users, but when using it, you’ll notice that the weight increases the force, so in reality it helps your cause especially with the heavy duty framing work this is designed for.
In terms of user comfort and convenience, this nail gun will be a breeze to handle thanks to its non-slip, soft rubber grip that not only ensures a firm grasp on the gun but is also easy on the hands. It has a foldaway hook that fits over joists for greater convenience when working on site, and it comes in a sturdy carry case that fits everything in neatly with room to spare.
The Hitachi NR90GC2 drives up to 3-1/2-inch by 131-inch paper tape, clipped head nails at a blazing speed of up to 2 nails per second, it has a driving power of 90J and is capable of firing a staggering 4000 nails per charge. Moreover, it is easy to load thanks to its quick-load rear-access magazine which is complete with a two-action nail feed and an ‘E-Z view’ feature that allows you to keep an eye on how many nails you have left so that you can plan your reload or recharge accordingly.
Given its power this nail gun is a highly portable tool, but it is also extremely power-efficient and it comes with two 7.2-volt 1.4-Ah NiCad batteries that allow continued use for over long periods of time, which coupled with a 60-minute charge time that drastically cuts down on downtime makes it highly desirable.
This model also features a new air filter design, which guarantees you protection from dust particles, and in the same vein of user friendly design, it also features an improved switch that requires less pushing force to operate and a reversible rafter hook that enables both left-handed and right-handed use.
The Hitachi NR90GC2 comes with various safety mechanisms including a longer trigger stroke that ensures safer use and a dry-fire lockout. The latter prevents accidental fires from sparks caused by dry firing and ensures that the nails are securely lodged once they’ve been put in place.
Pros
- Cheaper than many equivalent models
- Has no waiting time between firing
- Option of both electrical and gas power
- Easy to load nails and gas
- Has two long-lasting batteries that are quickly charged
- Very light (for a nail gun!) and balanced
- Excellent carry-case
Cons
- The batteries are hard to remove
Conclusion
The Hitachi NR90GC2 is a very handy tool for the modern carpenter. It’s the ideal tool for both DIYers and professionals, thanks to its extremely user-friendly design that comes at a very reasonable price.
>>> Click Here For Pricing & Reviews on Amazon <<<Hitachi NT65GB Cordless Gas Finish Nailer for Angled Nailer Review
At roughly £100 cheaper than the equivalent Pasload model, this Hitachi finishing nailer is not only great value for money, but high performing in terms of power, comfort, and the ability to work in tight spaces.
The biggest difference between this and the nailers above is the size of nails it can punch out – up to 65mm rather than the 90mm of the framing nailers, so it’s important to consider what you’ll be using this for. Whilst it’s ideal for second fix work like fixing door frames and window mouldings, it isn’t really up to fixing structural joists together – you’re better off plumbing for a framing nailer for this type of work.
As far as run time is concerned, you’ll quite happily get through 1000 nails per gas cell, and up to 2000 per battery charge, so as long as you keep a spare fuel cell in your bag just in case, a single charge of fuel and battery will probably keep you going all day if you work on a busy site. Just bear in mind that each nail magazine stores 100, so you’ll still find yourself regularly replacing these either way.
In terms of usability most cordless gas powered nail guns come in a bit heavier than those powered by an external compressor, and for many people this puts them off making the jump from compressed air to gas. In this case however user feedback has been positive due to the fact this weighs a mere 1.8kg, and whilst this is still weigh more than a compressed air gun, Hitachi have managed to hit the sweet spot here, designing a well balanced tool that disguises any ill effect the weight might have on your comfort and productivity.
Whilst we love Milwaukee nailers for their sheer convenience (not a gas cartridge in sight), one way in which they definitely don’t compete is in being able to clearly target where you’re going to place a nail, as unfortunately a bulky nose design obstructs your view. There are no such concerns with the Hitachi models, the nose design of these models is kept relatively obstruction free, allowing you to make you nail placements as accurate as possible. For a finishing nailer this is all the more important given the need to pin down narrow items such as door mouldings.
Pros
- Excellent gas powered alternative to the likes of a Paslode compressed air nail gun
- Can be used with Paslode brand nails and gas cartridges
- Well balanced and light weight design
- Not known for jamming
- Complete with 2x batteries, adjustment Allan keys, safety glass and storage/carry case
- Indicator light lets you know when the battery is charged or running low
Conclusion
A great second fix angled nailer, the NT65GB is ideally suited for any task that requires you to be free to navigate around a job without wires and hoses getting in your way, and for when you need to be able to get into hard to reach spaces a straight nailer won’t go.
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