Duo-Fast

About 30 years ago, when I made the decision to start using framing nailers and their expensive collated nails, there wasn't much to choose from; there were only two big players. The tools themselves were basic, so I made the buying decision mainly on the price of nails and who could provide the best service for the tools. I favored round-head nails and have stuck with them ever since, having gone through about 1,000 nailers since that time in my production framing business. More

I spent most of my career framing with solid-sawn lumber before the more stable, denser, and stronger engineered stuff started sliding off the truck. Now, my company, Framing Square in Albuquerque, N.M., works with engineered products all the time–laminated strand lumber (LSL), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), parallel strand lumber (PSL), and oriented strand board (OSB) to name a few. And sometimes we run into a problem working with them: Our air tools can't sink 12d nails in the tough stuff. I didn't spend big bucks on compressors and nailers so that my guys and I would be out there swinging our hammers, too. More

Coiled siding nailers are a big hit with our tester, who test-drove eight new models on three types of siding. More

As a framing contractor, I use medium crown staplers to fasten acres of wall sheeting every year, but they're also invaluable for building interior details like tub platforms, shower seats, fireplace surrounds, and arches. I used to tackle these projects with a framing nailer, building 2-by pony walls and running ledgers to support plywood decks, but I've found that if I prefab everything like a cabinetmaker would, using my table saw and medium crown stapler, I can produce a higher-quality, lighter, and easier-to-build and -install product. This technique allows me to use up scrap plywood and small blocks that would otherwise go to waste, too, so the stapler actually saves me money. More