Last year, my framing crew tested about a dozen 20- to
22-degree round-head stick nailers for JLC ("Round-Head Stick
Nailers," 6/04). Although we tried to include all the guns from
the major manufacturers, we missed one from Fasco. Recently,
however, we got a chance to try out the Fasco model F5C
RHN20-90A 20-degree nailer. Here's what we found.
Features
The Fasco gun is made in Italy; I believe it's the first
European nailer I've ever used. Its features are similar to
those of most other guns — it has a top-loading magazine,
a fixed exhaust port, and an aggressive nosepiece that is good
for toenailing.
The tool-free depth-of-drive mechanism works well; it's
controlled by a thumb-wheel on the nose. We found it easy to go
from framing with spikes to nailing off sheathing with 8d
fasteners. With some tools, you have to fiddle with the air
pressure to get the right depth of drive, but with the F5C,
setting the correct depth of drive was less trouble than usual.
That's an important benefit for us because we're subject to
shear-wall inspections and the inspectors do not like
overdriven nails.
Many nailers come with sequential trip triggers. If you want to
bump-fire, you have to install a different trigger. This gun
has a switch under the trigger that allows you to go back and
forth between sequential and bump without swapping triggers. As
a framer, most of the fasteners I drive are bounce-fired, but I
like the switch because it makes it easy to fire sequentially
when I need to.
F5C RHN20-90A Weight: 8.5 lb. Size: 135/8" H x 207/8" L Nail length: 2 1/4"-3 1/2" Nail diameter: .113"-.131" Collation: 20 degrees; also available
for 28- and 31-degree fasteners Street price: $277 Fasco America
800/239-8665 www.fascoamerica.com |
Power
We used this gun to nail studs, joists, rafters, sheathing, and
shear walls. The F5C felt well-balanced and did not seem heavy
or awkward to use in any way. It shot nails fast and hard when
framing walls; very few fasteners were left proud.
The Fasco nailer has more recoil than I would like — but
not so much that it prevented me from wanting to use it. I
really liked using this gun to fasten plywood and nail off
shear walls, because the depth of drive was so
consistent.
The gun also has excellent power. It had no trouble driving
fasteners into LVL beams. I've used a lot of different framing
guns, and the only one that feels significantly more powerful
than this one is Max's high-pressure nailer.
If I were in the market for a conventional round-head framing
gun, this tool would be near the top of my list, right behind
Max's SN890-RH and Hitachi's NR83A2.
My only concern with a new brand of tools is that I don't know
how durable it is likely to be over time. But, based on how
this gun feels and how it performed while we had it, I would be
willing to bet it will hold up just fine.
Tim Uhler is lead framer for Pioneer
Builders Inc. in Port Orchard, Wash.
DeWalt Laser Plumb Bob
DW082
by Victor Rasilla
The arrival of low-cost precision lasers has dramatically
changed the way many tradespeople work. As a residential
remodeler, I've used rotary and point-to-point lasers for
everything from site work to leveling cabinets — but I
had never used a dedicated laser plumbing device like DeWalt's
laser plum bob. At first, I was inclined to think that this
little instrument could not possibly be useful enough to
justify buying and keeping track of yet another tool. But after
using the DW082 for a couple of months, I have to admit that it
is well worth having.
I often work alone, and it's difficult to use a plumb bob
without a helper. Even when there is someone else on site, it's
not always convenient to get that person to stop what he's
doing and give me a hand. With the laser plumb bob, I can do
the job myself. And there's no string involved, so if I'm
working outside, there's no need to worry about gusts of
wind.
Using the Tool
When the laser plumb bob is turned on, laser beams project from
windows at the front of the housing. One beam goes up and the
other goes down. The points where the beams hit a surface are
visible as bright red dots. The device is self-leveling, which
means that if you were to stretch a line between the dots, it
would be perfectly plumb.
I used the tool successfully outdoors for plumbing down from a
shored-up wall to footings 13 feet below. We were forming a
concrete retaining wall, and it needed to be plumb and directly
below the wall above. As with all foundation layout, accuracy
was crucial. Since I had never used the DW082 before, I checked
it against a conventional plumb bob. It was dead on.
Laser Plumb Bob DW082 Weight: 1.0 pound Size: 2" x 4 1/4" x 5" Power supply: four AA batteries Range: 100 feet Street price: $129 DeWalt Industrial Tool Co.
800/433-9258 www.dewalt.com |
Performance and Details
My one complaint about the operation of this tool is that when
you put it down, it takes six to eight seconds for the beam to
come to steady. That seems kind of long compared with the other
self-leveling laser devices I have used — but it's still
much faster than using a traditional plumb bob.
The DW082 has a four-degree operating range; the beam will
flash if the unit is tilted beyond that range and is unable to
come to plumb. There is a 1/4-20 threaded insert on the bottom
of the device, so you can mount it on a tripod for use on
sloped surfaces. The tool uses four AA batteries and has a
low-
battery indicator lamp next to the switch. It comes with a case
that has a handle and metal latches.
With its rubber overmolded shell, the DeWalt DW082 feels rugged
enough to stand up to tough job-site conditions. I did not go
easy on it: I intentionally dropped the device 6 feet while it
was on, and it retested perfectly.
I've seen the laser plumb bob advertised for $129. At that
price, it would quickly pay for itself by allowing me to plumb
things faster and avoid using a helper.
Victor Rasilla is a working supervisor for
Brinton Construction in San Leandro, Calif.
BACK-SAVERS
Need a Lift? Warn Industries, a leader in
truck-mounted recovery winches and other products for off-road
enthusiasts, recently introduced the Warn Works line of
portable winches and hoists designed for construction
applications. The most versatile model is the H1000AC. Powered
by a .6-hp permanent-magnet motor, this 1,000-pound hoist has
built-in load and travel limiters to prevent overtaxing the
unit or getting the line stuck inside the housing. The remote
has a 12-foot lead and the motor has an 8-foot power cord. I
found the H1000AC on the Web for $630. Warn Industries,
800/543-9276,
www.warnworks.comCompact Cart. Moving sheets of MDF,
particle-core doors, and mulled windows by yourself can be a
lot easier and safer with a new compact dolly from Trojan. The
DC-9's adjustable carriage accepts objects up to 9 inches wide
and handily traverses rough terrain with 10-inch pneumatic
tires. Another plus: It doesn't take up too much room in the
truck. It sells for $134. Trojan Tools, 800/745-2120,
www.trojantools.com
Table-Saw Valet. With their greater capacity,
more powerful motors, and additional features, modern portable
table saws are light-years ahead of their predecessors, but
they're also heavier and more awkward to carry. In response,
Bosch has come out with the new TS2000 Gravity-Rise Table Saw
Stand. This well-engineered stand is simple to set up and
rock-solid in use, and it folds for storage. Large
semipneumatic tires and strategically placed handles help you
get the whole rig on and off the truck — and even up to
the second floor — by yourself. Although designed to be
the perfect match for the Bosch 4000, it fits just about every
other pro-duty portable table saw. A kit containing the Bosch
4000 table saw and the Gravity-Rise Stand sells for $550; the
stand alone goes for about $150. Bosch, 877/267-2499,
www.boschtools.com
Shingle Schlepper. Lugging a roof's worth of
shingles or sheathing up a ladder isn't much fun — nor
does it make much sense when you can buy a TranzSporter
LH2000-T8 Roofing Hoist for less than you'd pay a helper for
one month. Powered by a Briggs & Stratton or Honda gasoline
engine, or by a high-torque electric motor, the hoist can lift
a maximum of 200 pounds up to 44 feet in the air (with
additional track sections). The basic model — with three
8-foot track sections and the Briggs & Stratton engine
— sells for about $1,300. Track sections are also
available in 4-foot lengths ($107) and 16-foot lengths ($300).
Tie Down Engineering, 800/241-1806,
www.tiedown.com
Take a Load Off. The Caterpillar TH210 may be
the ultimate back-saving tool. With 17 feet of reach and over
4,800 pounds of lifting capacity, this machine makes getting a
load of lumber off the delivery truck and onto a second-floor
deck about as strenuous as moving a joystick. It boasts a
9-foot 10-inch turning radius with three steering modes for
navigating in tight spaces; the enclosed cab with heat and
optional air conditioning should prove a welcome retreat when
the weather is getting on your nerves. You can even swap the
forks for a general-purpose bucket for grading and light
digging. Prices start at around $60,000. Caterpillar,
309/675-8995, www.cat.com
Shoulder the Load. Carrying appliances all day
would make most people reconsider their career choice, but
young inventor Thomas Dent simply came up with a new way of
moving heavy objects: the Shoulder Dolly. The newest version of
this product, the Shoulder Dolly LD, works much like the
original — by distributing a load's weight over the
entire body — but it's designed for people who aren't
professional movers, and it costs less. According to the
manufacturer, the Shoulder Dolly LD encourages proper lifting
and greatly reduces the risk of injury. It sells for $60. TDT
Moving Systems, 800/217-1114,
www.shoulderdolly.com
ELECTRICAL
TOOLS
Sweet Strippers. It's time to replace those
lame wire strippers you bought five or 10 years ago — and
Ideal's new Kinetic Reflex Strippers are worth considering. In
addition to ergonomic curved handles and a Santoprene grip,
this well-made tool offers clear markings, pliers on the end,
bolt cutters for common electrical fasteners, and an
easy-to-use handle lock. It sells for about $20. Ideal
Industries, 800/435-0705,
www.idealindustries.comNeat Meter. Looking for a reasonably priced
auto-ranging multimeter? The pocket-sized PDMM-20 compact
digital meter from Greenlee measures both AC and DC voltages
and checks resistance. It has noncontact voltage-detection
capabilities, a tone continuity test, and a lifetime warranty.
I found it on the Web for $35. Greenlee, 815/ 397-7070,
www.greenlee.com
Fishing Poles. Successfully fishing electrical wires
requires patience and the right tools. Fish tapes are okay, but
they often curl up when they're in stud cavities and other
inaccessible spaces. Ideal's Tuff-Rods might be a better
choice. These 1/4- or 3/16-inch-diameter fiberglass
cable-pulling rods screw together and come in 4- and 6-foot
lengths. They're sold in several colors, including
glow-in-the-dark green for low-light conditions. One of the
great things about products like Tuff Rods is that they allow
you to push wires in addition to pulling them, which is
virtually impossible with a fish tape. If you work in finished
basements or in commercial spaces, you'll also want to get the
Wisp Head. Similar in shape to a wire whisk, this device allows
you to push wires over drop-ceilings with fewer hang-ups.
Tuff-Rod prices start at about $50. Ideal, 800/435-0705,
www.idealindustries.com
Cable-Ready. With most rooms in today's new
homes wired for cable or satellite TV and cable modems, you
need crimpers and strippers to make the coaxial connections.
The GS-59 Coaxial Cable Stripper from Gardner Bender cuts and
strips both the inner and outer jackets of RG-6, RG-6 quad
shield, RG-59, and RG-59 quad shield. It sells for about $18.
The companion GS-91 is used to crimp F-style connectors on the
same types of cable. It sells for about $25. Taken together,
the two tools work much better than the cheap all-purpose
coaxial tools you'll find at electronics stores. Gardner
Bender, 800/822-9220, www.gardnerbender.com
Search Team. Ever been irritated by how few
electrical panels are labeled well enough to identify the
circuit you're trying to turn off? If so, I've got the tool for
you: the CF12 Pro. To use it, you connect the device's
transmitter to the receptacle you're trying to identify and
confirm via the device's red light that it's energized. Then
you go to the panel and scan the breaker twice with a receiver
wand. The first pass automatically calibrates the device; the
second identifies the circuit you're looking for. The Pro
version includes a plastic case, clips you can attach to bare
wires, a socket adapter, and individual prongs for 220
circuits. It sells for $120. The standard CF12 version, which
works only on 110-volt circuits and doesn't include the
additional accessories, sells for $50. Zircon, 800/245-9265,
www.zircon.com