Paslode 16 Gauge Angles Lithium-Ion Trim Nailer Review – IM250A LI

I am a huge fan of nailers.  Primarily because they make my life so easy.   A user  has three options to choose from:

• Pneumatic
• Gas
• Battery

All three options have pros and cons, but my choice of nailer is the gas nailer.  Yes, they are the most costly to operate, but I think they give you the biggest bang for your buck.  If I have to spend a little more in order to not have to carry around a compressor, hose and worry about people kicking it over, it’s worth it.  Plus I don’t have to listen to the compressor kicking on and off all day.  I am not saying there is never a use for a Pneumatic nailer, but I really think with today’s technology, there are far fewer times you need that compressor.  Well speaking of gas operated nailers, I guess we should jump into the new Paslode 16 Gauge Lithium Nailer.

Paslode is just one of the tools you buy and you know it’s worth every penny.  The tools last and can take a beating.  In fact I have been using the Paslode framing nailer for a while and it is just as good now as when I took it out of the box.  Doesn’t Paslode already have a cordless finishing nailer on the market?  Well yes they do, but this is the new Lithium-ion nailer and it has some twists to it, so let’s jump in and see why this is my favorite finishing nailer.

One of the first things Paslode gained by using a Lithium battery is a lighter weight nailer.  The older Ni-Cad weight was 4.75 lbs and now with the Lithium, the nailer only weighs 4.5 lbs.  Is it a huge difference?  No not really, but every ounce counts, doesn’t it?  However the new Lithium also means more shots per charge.  The Lithium will shoot 6,000 nails per charge as opposed to the old Ni-Cad of 4,000 shots per charge.  That’s a 50% increase and that’s something to brag about.   The charge time is also reduced.  Now the battery charges in 20 minutes.  Plus if you need a quick charge, toss it on the charger for 2 minutes and you can get another 200 shots.  The last important item with the Lithium is a slower self discharge rate, which means when you forget to take the battery out or the tool has been sitting around for a while, you don’t have to worry about a dead battery.  Speaking of storing the tool, Paslode implemented a cool feature for the battery.  We all know that leaving a battery in a nail will discharge the battery much quicker.  With the new system, you can still leave the battery in place, but all you have to do is move it back one position to the off position and you’re ready to store the tool.

The first thing you will notice when you pick up this tool is the great balance of the nailer.  Not too front or back heavy, which means less fatigue.  One reason for the great balance is a new design of the handle.  The new handle is straighter than the older version which gives the user better finger grip and more wrist comfort.

When you’re using the tool a couple things you will notice right away is the line of sight which is increased due to the new design of the contact probe.  You can see that the contact probe is aimed behind the tool instead of the front of the tool.  Paslode also redesigned their no-mar tip for a better for a better hold.

I have been using this nailer for the past week and it has been awesome.  I have been doing door trim, window casing and window trim, furring out windows, chair railing and more.  We were even hanging grids in the basement and this tool was extremely handy.  We could nail the grid system to the joist and then come back and screw them in.  This was much faster as we would just have one person doing the cutting and the other doing the fastening.  There were times when I was installing baseboard and would hit a drywall screw.  Most of the time, it just bent the nail.  However one time, I did get the gun to jam.  Removing the jam was very easy as I could open the tool wider and clear the jam easier.  One reason was the redesign of the pin location that made this possible.

Adjusting the depth of drive is also very easy to do on this tool.  There is a large thumb wheel that is very easy to turn, even with gloves.  I didn’t have a problem adjusting the depth at all.  I do like the belt clip feature.  As a user you can easily adjust it to the left or right of the gun without any tools.

Some other notable improvements

• New In-Can fuel system which makes it easier to install.  Just load the fuel and close the door.  No more having to line up the fuel top with the nailer line.  This eliminates improper loading.
• Better warranty – The old system had a 90 day warranty while the new nailer has a full one year warranty that covers wear and tear components, bumper, drive blades, seal rings and piston rings.  There is also a five year warranty that covers motor housing, cap and grille, handle, halves and actuator, trigger and magazine parts.
• Fuel Cells – You can buy a two cell inner pack which helps reduce using expired fuel and lowers your overall cost.
• Magazine gauge – On the side of the magazine it shows about how many nails are left.  In the center of the magazine, it shows when you can reload.  So no more trying to insert more nails only to realize there is no more room.

The nailer doesn’t come with any fuel or nails, but one thing I really like is the Paslode fastener containers.  While other manufacturers use a soft plastic or cardboard box, Paslode uses a heavy duty, reusable plastic container.  So no more having to deal with your nails all over the place.  With these containers, you can move from one location to another and your nails stay where they should, in the package.

The only down side to this nailer is Paslode didn’t design a bump and sequential switch, so that means the nailer only has a sequential mode.  The nailer does fire extremely fast, so not a huge deal.

Overall this is the best finish nailer I have used.  The tool has great balance and fires every time.  You can really work all day with this nailer.  It’s easy for the user to keep up with the tool and not get fatigued, but it is also a piece of cake for the tool to keep up with the user as it will fire 6,000 nails per charge.  More than a enough for a good days work.  Paslode made a killer redesign of an already perfect tool.

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