Ryobi 18g brad nailer

I really wanna purchase one of these and have heard great things from guys on here as well as Tia review of the product..

However I’ve searched elsewhere(HD.com & Amazon) and came up w some unsettling reviews..

Here’s a few of bad reports I’ve read

-gun quit working completely after less than 100 nails

-firing pin won’t go back into fire position

-jams constantly

I saw all these complaints numerously & several saying they are on their 3 or 4 gun return and it’s still acting terribly..

My question is could these be from the early production and issues that have been resolved or are any of you guys still hearing these types of complaints??

I’m a professional GC and if this gun isn’t made to perform in a contractor setting I’ll stick to the compressor & hose!! Jus don’t want to find out the hard way!!

YiKKiT wrote:

I really wanna purchase one of these and have heard great things from guys on here as well as Tia review of the product..

However I’ve searched elsewhere(HD.com & Amazon) and came up w some unsettling reviews..

Here’s a few of bad reports I’ve read

-gun quit working completely after less than 100 nails

-firing pin won’t go back into fire position

-jams constantly

I saw all these complaints numerously & several saying they are on their 3 or 4 gun return and it’s still acting terribly..

My question is could these be from the early production and issues that have been resolved or are any of you guys still hearing these types of complaints??

I’m a professional GC and if this gun isn’t made to perform in a contractor setting I’ll stick to the compressor & hose!! Jus don’t want to find out the hard way!!

I’ve read the same thing, however there are many that praise it too…..every time I’m at HD I stop and check the nailers out, even put it in the shopping cart and continue to shop but always put it back on my way to the check out…..buyers remorse thing I guess LOL.

jbw55 wrote:

I’ve read the same thing, however there are many that praise it too…..every time I’m at HD I stop and check the nailers out, even put it in the shopping cart and continue to shop but always put it back on my way to the check out…..buyers remorse thing I guess LOL.

Haha I understand completely!!

I literally did the same thing tonight..I was otw to buy it and 2 batts. And charger..instead I jus pushed the cart down some random isle and left!!

I’m kinda torn thinkin it’s prolly too good tobe true but maybe I’ll smack myself saying I should have bought one months ago!!

That and I’m really hoping Milwaukee brings one to the table for godsake!!

I can only speak to my own experience but I’ve had Ryobi in the past and have moved on to Milwaukee in most areas but I like the Ryobi Brad enough that even if Milwaukee comes out with nailers I still might stick to Ryobi’s anyway and save some money. Look at the Rigid nailer, it’s basically a brushless version of the Ryobi one for nearly double the money. Even being brushed the Ryobi can put out almost 1k nails through it on one 4.0 battery.

That all being said I do wonder if people have trouble because they use cheap nails with cheap glue gumming them up. All I know is mine’s been totally reliable and the only time I’ve opened the front breach, or whatever you call the lever release to clear jams, was when I first got it to play with it. Who knows maybe there was a bad batch or some people just got some lemons but you can also spend a ton more money on a different one and still get a lemon. It probably wouldn’t hurt to lube the firing pin occasionally but I’ve not even done that myself to be honest.

That could be it really cheap nails with glue is gumming the mechanisms up, or they had some early production issues.. They are all valid concerns but I haven’t ran into anyone personally that had a problem with it.

I have one of the 18g Airstrikes and so far the things has been very reliable. I think I’ve ran probably about 750-1000 nails through it so far and I haven’t had any major issues, just had one strip of nails that seemed to jam a few times. After the I switched to a different strip I was off and running again with no issues. I would say as long as you give it a real quick wipe down at the end of the day you should be alright and the nailer will be pretty reliable for you.

Have any of you experienced the Ryibi not sinking the nails far enough into the material?  and any comment on the 16 gauge nailer??

I’d say it’s more than powerful enough and very very consistent. I’ve probably used 2″ brads more than anything into mostly 3/4″ finger joined pine trim and it sinks each and every shot the same. I’m putting the trim over both modern drywall and hard 100 year old plaster. I’ve even used it on some oak thresholds over old wood flooring and perimeter finishing of brand new hardwood and no problem. It’s got a nice thwack sound every time.

I love the brad and look for things to nail with it lol. The only real downside is that it’s a little bulkier and heavier than an equivalent air nailer but no compressor along with no noise and annoying hose makes it totally worth it. That and unlike a compressor tool where you might procrastinate pulling it out you just pick it up for a quick job without even thinking about it. I think every manufacturer has a small number of tools that they hit it out of the park and the airstrike is Ryobi’s grand slam..

Glad to hear these good experiences!! I’m thinking I’ll get one and try her out..worst case I sell her off to someone else!!

Thanks for your feedback JerryNY…..I’ve alway shot trim with a 16 gauge nailer and was interest in the one+ 16 gauge gun but not into spending $350 for gun, batteries and charger…..so maybe the 18 nailer is the way to go. What battery is everyone using?  Didn’t mean to hyjack your thread YiKKit ::)

pmiller383 wrote:

I have one of the 18g Airstrikes and so far the things has been very reliable. I think I’ve ran probably about 750-1000 nails through it so far and I haven’t had any major issues, just had one strip of nails that seemed to jam a few times. After the I switched to a different strip I was off and running again with no issues. I would say as long as you give it a real quick wipe down at the end of the day you should be alright and the nailer will be pretty reliable for you.

 

Ditto – I’ve been using one and have shot at least 200-300 of various sizes.  1 1/4 to 2 in  brads and the only issues I’ve had are with a few suspect strips – Usually the last 3 or 4 in a strip that have been butted up against the magazine follower.  I have had a couple instances where i thought it jammed but in fact I wasn’t pressing down quite enough in awkward positions.  So far – it’s been spot on for me.

 

 

jbw55 wrote:

Have any of you experienced the Ryibi not sinking the nails far enough into the material?  and any comment on the 16 gauge nailer??

 

I’ve had a couple instances where the nail doesn’t sink quite enough but usually when I’m using it on trim areas that aren’t quite flat.  But there is an adjustment for that if you’re going to be shooting that type of material all day. Or just pop it with a nail set when it doesn’t make it.  That works for me.

I also have it when it was on a HD deal, I like mine so far. I’ve only driven like 100 nails so far. Idk if I’m doing everything right with it but sometimes it’s almost to strong. The difference between having it powered all the way up and all the way down is about 1/8 of an inch through a 2×4 I was testing on. I tried to use it just to tack a cloth up once and it would just shoot through the fabric and sink pretty far into the osb I was using. That being said, I would totally buy one of the other nailers, or staplers from ryobi!

I can send pic of my test when I get home if it helps

Appreciate the feedback pmiller383, Moxy, Hatter512……what batteries you guy’s using??

Ok so i committed..got gun and battery/charger kit(since I have nothing ryobi I had to buy in)..total was less than $200!!

I plan do get their newer 4ah pack with fuel gauge if I like the gun enough!!

I of course messed w it some as soon as I got home and love it so far..shot 2″ through 3/4 plywood on top of 3/4 shelving (partical board w thick paint coat) and it went through all of it nicely..probably wasted 3-400 brad between some old gummed up 2″ers and the 1 1/4″ the gun came with!!!

So far so good but I got a whole house of base and quarter round to install so I’ll let the guys put it through a good days work and see how I feel tomorrow evening!!

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By the way thanks everyone for the input on this topic!!! Love this forum & everyone in it!!!

jbw55 wrote:

Appreciate the feedback pmiller383, Moxy, Hatter512……what batteries you guy’s using??

I’m curious as well as to what batteries yall have used with this or the other ryobi air strike guns!!

jbw55 wrote:

Appreciate the feedback pmiller383, Moxy, Hatter512……what batteries you guy’s using??

mine came with the compact lithium one shown in YiKKit’s.  i think its supposed to be the 1.5 ah model. though my math says its really 1.3333ah (using the 24wh listed on back).

 

Here’s my testing i did with 2″ nails in the 2×4. According to my little steel rule the nails sticking out are 3/32″ out from the surface, which is on lowest power. The ones sunk in were on highest.

 

 

 

I use Grip Rite brand nails, I like them because they come in a hard plastic case instead of a cardboard box, and in  the future I can just refill it with the cardboard ones.

What kind of run time/nail count you getting outta the battery that we have??

I would have got the newer battery w fuel gauge but they didn’t have a charger battery deal w that one:(

And I do like that hard case for those nails!!!!

Hatter512 wrote:

mine came with the compact lithium one shown in YiKKit’s.  i think its supposed to be the 1.5 ah model. though my math says its really 1.3333ah (using the 24wh listed on back).

 

Here’s my testing i did with 2″ nails in the 2×4. According to my little steel rule the nails sticking out are 3/32″ out from the surface, which is on lowest power. The ones sunk in were on highest.

 

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I use Grip Rite brand nails, I like them because they come in a hard plastic case instead of a cardboard box, and in  the future I can just refill it with the cardboard ones.

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Thanks for the info….

I pulled the trigger today also on the 18 gauge nailer two batteries and charger, man this addictive LOL……I was kicking around what battery and did see the charger/battery combo pack but my HD was having a sale on the larger batteries for $44 each so I went that route. I’ll do some messing around tomorrow.

 

 

 

YiKKiT wrote:

Ok so i committed..got gun and battery/charger kit(since I have nothing ryobi I had to buy in)..total was less than $200!!

I plan do get their newer 4ah pack with fuel gauge if I like the gun enough!!

I of course messed w it some as soon as I got home and love it so far..shot 2″ through 3/4 plywood on top of 3/4 shelving (partical board w thick paint coat) and it went through all of it nicely..probably wasted 3-400 brad between some old gummed up 2″ers and the 1 1/4″ the gun came with!!!

So far so good but I got a whole house of base and quarter round to install so I’ll let the guys put it through a good days work and see how I feel tomorrow evening!!

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Congrats on the new toys……you posting this thread got me to spend money, thanks 😛

jbw55 wrote:

I pulled the trigger today also on the 18 gauge nailer two batteries and charger, man this addictive LOL……I was kicking around what battery and did see the charger/battery combo pack but my HD was having a sale on the larger batteries for $44 each so I went that route. I’ll do some messing around tomorrow.

 

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Awesome man!! They weren’t having any good deals today for me except the battery & charger was $10 off from $59 to $49..

I’d much rather have those batteries though!! I definitely gunna get a few down the road..

Now let’s jus hope these things work good for us!!

YiKKiT wrote:

Ok so i committed..got gun and battery/charger kit(since I have nothing ryobi I had to buy in)..total was less than $200!!

Enjoy your new purchase. Money goes a long way with Ryobi. The Rigid brad nailer kit with battery is like $330 and $230 for the bare gun. The worst case scenario if you’re not satisfied you can always return it but the vast majority of reviews I’ve seen reflect my own experience in that it’s fantastic tool at a great price.

Oh yea and make sure you register the gun & batteries with ryobi in the next few days!!!

jbw55 wrote:

I pulled the trigger today also on the 18 gauge nailer two batteries and charger, man this addictive LOL……I was kicking around what battery and did see the charger/battery combo pack but my HD was having a sale on the larger batteries for $44 each so I went that route. I’ll do some messing around tomorrow.

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Those are the 2.5Ah batteries? The Airstrike isn’t a particularly battery killing tool. It really is just a tiny air compressed piston so the battery is only used a split second each time. The 4.0 batteries will probably give you around 1k nails per charge but the smaller 2.5 batteries probably still will give you over 600 and shaves off some bulk and weight from a tool that’s only real downside is its a little porky.

JerryNY wrote:

Those are the 2.5Ah batteries? The Airstrike isn’t a particularly battery killing tool. It really is just a tiny air compressed piston so the battery is only used a split second each time. The 4.0 batteries will probably give you around 1k nails per charge but the smaller 2.5 batteries probably still will give you over 600 and shaves off some bulk and weight from a tool that’s only real downside is its a little porky.

Lol that’s a good way to put it…Porky!! I could see where the smaller size of a pneumatic nail has is its benefits but when you weight the hose and compressor it’s worth it’s porky size!

Senco has their own brad gun similar to the air strike but seems much smaller however I couldnt see buying into their batteries that only power their nailers and no other types of tools..and of course the higher price..

Still think it’s killer run time on either of their batteries..I’m jus super spoiled by Milwaukee red lithiums I’m gunna need one w a fuel gauge!!!

I thought the 4.0 batteries were a bit large…..I agree any of the smaller batteries should do just fine, just couldn’t pass up the sale though ha,ha.

YiKKiT wrote:

Lol that’s a good way to put it…Porky!! I could see where the smaller size of a pneumatic nail has is its benefits but when you weight the hose and compressor it’s worth it’s porky size!

Senco has their own brad gun similar to the air strike but seems much smaller however I couldnt see buying into their batteries that only power their nailers and no other types of tools..and of course the higher price..

Still think it’s killer run time on either of their batteries..I’m jus super spoiled by Milwaukee red lithiums I’m gunna need one w a fuel gauge!!!

Yeah people never factor the drag the hose has on the tool and with the annoyance of tripping over hoses and getting them snagged etc. Also like I mentioned above for occasional small jobs you’d be still getting your hose and compressor sorted out while the airstrike might already be finished with the job and the battery already back on the charger.

Plus now you can buy some great inexpensive Ryobi accessories to go with the batteries. Seriously, for the price of the Rigid brad nailer kit you could get the airstrike, charger, some batteries, a fan and led floodlight.

When I was buying the nailer yesterday I forgot the nails duh LOL…..so off to HD this morning to buy some nails and one of them fans were calling my name out ha,ha…..

 

Congrats on the new toy… I mean tool.  I have been looking at the Airstrike and going back and forth on buying it.  You guys are pushing me over to the buy side.  I always stop and visit it when I am at HD.

jbw55 wrote:

When I was buying the nailer yesterday I forgot the nails duh LOL…..so off to HD this morning to buy some nails and one of them fans were calling my name out ha,ha…..

 

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Lol, those fans are a good deal. I like them way better than the Milwaukee ones. Being able to plug it in the and extension cord is so convenient too for extended use and not wasting batteries.

rfwjr88 wrote:

Congrats on the new toy… I mean tool.  I have been looking at the Airstrike and going back and forth on buying it.  You guys are pushing me over to the buy side.  I always stop and visit it when I am at HD.

All the blame I mean credit goes to YiKKiT…..Ha ,ha.

JerryNY wrote:

Lol, those fans are a good deal. I like them way better than the Milwaukee ones. Being able to plug it in the and extension cord is so convenient too for extended use and not wasting batteries.

Can’t beat the price…..I’m going over to get another later today

You missed it but a few months ago all the HD’s by me had clearances on nails. I got all different sizes for the heck of it, I think some were like a few bucks for 5k packs. Some of the smaller sizes I wasn’t sure I’d ever use came in handy with some of the more delicate trim work and neck moldings I’m doing on doors and windows.

JerryNY wrote:

You missed it but a few months ago all the HD’s by me had clearances on nails. I got all different sizes for the heck of it, I think some were like a few bucks for 5k packs. Some of the smaller sizes I wasn’t sure I’d ever use came in handy with some of the more delicate trim work and neck moldings I’m doing on doors and windows.

Wow that’s a great deal…..just another thing I need to keep a look out for.

jbw55 wrote:

All the blame I mean credit goes to YiKKiT…..Ha ,ha.

Haha I’ll take that and I was digging the fan too!!

So we got to use the gun quite a bit today and I’ll say I like it but it’s giving me trouble with the firing pin not resetting!!!

Only thing I can say makes it do it is the gum from nails maybe?? Idk! Seems like I clean the head of glue collection and it works good for 10-20 nails then the fire pin wouldn’t reset again!!

I was using a brand new pack of hitachi 2″ brads

When the gun does what it’s supposed to its fantastic!!

Due to firing pin issue I can’t decide if I’m gunna keep it…overall I give it a 7 out of 10

YiKKiT wrote:

So we got to use the gun quite a bit today and I’ll say I like it but it’s giving me trouble with the firing pin not resetting!!!

Only thing I can say makes it do it is the gum from nails maybe?? Idk! Seems like I clean the head of glue collection and it works good for 10-20 nails then the fire pin wouldn’t reset again!!

I was using a brand new pack of hitachi 2″ brads

When the gun does what it’s supposed to its fantastic!!

Due to firing pin issue I can’t decide if I’m gunna keep it…overall I give it a 7 out of 10

Doesn.t sound good…..maybe try another brand of nails, I bought some dewalt and porter cable nails to try out and will report back.

jbw55 wrote:

Doesn.t sound good…..maybe try another brand of nails, I bought some dewalt and porter cable nails to try out and will report back.

I got through about 3 or 4 sticks of nails till it did it but once it started it never went away..I’m thinking I’ll use some white lithium grease to maybe help lube things up..

I wanna love this gun I really do but that firing pin not resetting us gunna drive me crazy..you gotta pull the head and manually push it back up!!!

YiKKiT wrote:

I got through about 3 or 4 sticks of nails till it did it but once it started it never went away..I’m thinking I’ll use some white lithium grease to maybe help lube things up..

I wanna love this gun I really do but that firing pin not resetting us gunna drive me crazy..you gotta pull the head and manually push it back up!!!

I thought I read to use tool oil but here are some comments from users with issues  http://toolguyd.com/ryobi-airstrike-18v-cordless-brad-nailer-p320/

 

Maybe exchange it for another or call Ryobi and see what they say…..Over the week end I’m going to shoot several hundred nails, if it jambs it goes back. Also lot’s of the issues were early on so maybe its just a fluke your having some issues. Positive thoughts it all works out  🙂

Man that sucks. I use Dewalt and porter cable nails and no issues. I don’t know if I’d use white lithium grease. I would just bring it back and see if the next one is better.

The Real Tool dude has a video where he goes over maintenance of nailers and recommends using a Paslode cleaning and lube kit. He also mentions about using high quality nails. It’s a good all around video for nailers in general. I’m probably gonna get the Paslode kit but I haven’t had any issues with my nailer and don’t want to jinx it lol.

Removed real tool YouTube video link out of respect for Dan and Eric…

Hey thanks to both of y’all..I’m gunna lube it and see how it works out..I could tell it was gettin gummed up in their but didn’t have any tool oil or even wd-40!! Sounds like from the link posted regular lubrication and it works fine!!

I would have thought hitachi nails would be good but I’ll definitely look into that!!

Thanks again guys on the encouragement!!!

I’m not saying that I’m giving up of the ryobi but have yall checked out Rigids Hyperdrive brushless nailer??

It’s about $100 more and looks like a spitting image of the air strike..it is brushless so runtime is a bit better but the company that owns ryobi & Milwaukee(TTI) also has licenseing agreement with rigid..so I’m curious how different they really are…..

I mentioned the Rigid. It looks like a brushless version of the Ryobi. The nail transport mechanism looks identical except for the clear cover and bigger release handles.

JerryNY wrote:

I mentioned the Rigid. It looks like a brushless version of the Ryobi. The nail transport mechanism looks identical except for the clear cover and bigger release handles.

Completely forgot ab ur post ab the rigid in the beginning..I agree with you that for the money I like the air strike enough that if a little oil fixes my issue then I definitely keep it over the higher priced ones..thanks again for all ur input!!

Since I’m just occasional user of nailers, mostly projects around the house I wouldn’t be apposed to a few minutes of maintenance before use but would expect to shoot hunfreds of nails with out issue….I have 15, 16 and framing air nailers and always a few drops of tool oil before each use and never an issue…..so keeping fingures crossed with the airstrike.

The 18g brad nailer is actually next on my list to buy.  I’ve got a couple of projects lined up at the casa that I think would be much easier if I had one.

Well crud – that stinks that you’re having trouble with your gun.  I have been using porter cable nails and had no issues with resets.

So today I cleaned everything and oiled it back up..seems to work like a charm!! I agree with earlier post by JBW55, a little maintenance a the beginning of a work day isn’t too much of a big deal!!

I’m big on maintenance anyways so not a big deal..I had jus figured it’d make it a bit longer than it did right out of the box.

I’d feel confident to recommend this nailer to anyone that believes on proper maintenance!!!

Moxy wrote:

Well crud – that stinks that you’re having trouble with your gun.  I have been using porter cable nails and had no issues with resets.

I’m thinking it was more a lubrication issue than a nail issue(even though good nails do go a long ways)..have you ever oiled the head/firing pin area??