Ridgid Framing Nailer Review

Have you ever just sat and watched some of these tradesmen frame a structure? It’s fascinating how fast some of these guys move. In a blink of an eye, a wall is up and already being tied into another wall. The one thing that is a must, is a fast framing nailer. Not only does it need to keep up with these guys but also take the abuse of a job site, which brings me to the Ridgid nailer. So let’s jump into the Ridgid Framing Nailer Review and see what we like and don’t like about this pneumatic tool.

Ridgid Framing Nailer Review Overview

We all know cordless technology has come a long way. As of today though, it still can’t compete with the speed of a pneumatic framing nailer. The battery nailers are great for smaller jobs or punch list items, but not when you’re rocking out a structure and doing serious framing. You still need that hose and compressor to get a job done.

Ridgid Framing Nailer Review Features

The Ridgid framing nailer is a 3-1/2″ round head nailer and is said to be the fastest in its class. With the speed of driving 8 nails per second, it goes without saying it’s fast. I know a bunch of fast framers, but let’s be honest, even Superman would have a hard time driving that many nails per second.

One great feature to the Ridgid R350RHF nailer is the lifetime service agreement which means you receive free O-rings, free piston stops and free driver blades for life.

Framing nailers tend to have large heads which means they can be heavy. The Ridgid uses a magnesium head which means the weight is reduced. This is something they didn’t have on their previous model and one of the biggest upgrades between the two.

If you have used Ridgid power tools, you will be happy to see the same grip style and rubber over-mold as the power tools which is comfortable and does a good job providing grip, even with gloves.

I love how you can adjust the mode from bump to sequential without using a tool. In the past, it always seemed like you needed a tool to make the adjustment which means you could never do it on the fly.

As you would expect, this has a rafter hook that can be adjusted.

In the magazine, you will find all the information about the nailer such as collation angle which is 21° and fastener length which is 2″ – 3-1/2″. According to the manual, operating pressure needs to be between 70 and 120 psi. We found that anything below 90 psi wasn’t ideal as it had a hard time setting the nails flat.

The nailer uses a rear-loading magazine with bypass pusher for quick 2-step reloading. The nailer also features a dry-fire lockout. The magazine holds between 60 and 70 nails.

Ridgid includes a swivel adapter on the end for the air hose.  If you even buy a nailer that doesn’t have one, trust me, invest and buy one.  What a difference.

To adjust the depth, there is an easy to use knob you can turn left or right for adjustments.

The nailer comes with a no-mar removable head. If you remove the no-mar head, there is a nice aggressive toe nailing claw.

Ridgid Framing Nailer Review Performance

I just gutted the inside of my house so we moved around a bunch of 2×4, added some 2×10 and corrected some other framing issues. Each time the nailer performed and we never experienced any jams. For the most part, the nails set each time and didn’t have to grab our hammer out of our belt to fully set the nails.

Besides the comfort of the tool, the other aspect that stood out to me was the swivel adapter. So nice not having to fight the air hose.

Ridgid Framing Nailer Review Value

The Ridgid nailer retails for about $200 at The Home Depot. Considering the weight, the speed, and the quality, $200 is a great price. If this tool allows you to be more productive, have fewer jams, more set nails, which means less grabbing for your hammer, the $200 is a great deal.

Ridgid Framing Nailer Review Final Thoughts

Overall this is a great nailer. Very fast and lightweight. We are in the process of doing an addition to our house, so follow us on Instagram as we will be posting more about this nailer. It’s hard to argue with a tool that allows you to be more productive and have less downtime.