Bostitch N62FNK-2 Finish Nailer - Review

We see tools as having two types of features. The first is when an engineer says, "hey, here's a little free space on the tool, let's add a (fill in the blank with a useless feature)!" The other kind of feature is one that stems directly from the needs of the person using the tool. They make work faster, easier and more efficient. The new Bostitch gun might have more features than we've ever seen on a single tool and in a somewhat amazing feat, they are all fully integrated into the design and, astonishingly, every single one lands in the second category.

Honestly, we don't even know where to start with this gun. Should we start with the LED that shines on the nose of the gun with the push of a button? Or maybe with the little blowgun that can clear dust and debris off your workpiece? No, you know what? We're going to start with the on-board pencil sharpener. No joke, there's a pencil sharpener at the base of the magazine. The cool part is that we were about three days into using the tool before we even noticed it. It's very nondescript, but once we saw it, we used it all the time. It would be useless on a framing gun, but for fine finish work, it's nice to be able to get a pencil to a sharp point.

The aforementioned blow gun and light are also really nice and again, there is very little attention called to them. The LED is operated by a small button on the top of the tool and the blowgun activated with a button that can be easily tapped by the thumb.

The exhaust vent on the Bostitch is at the base of the handle, rather than the back of the tool body. Another nice feature and one that we've seen incorporated into a 23 gauge pinner, but never a finish gun. No more air blasts to the face.

About 3/4 of the way down the magazine is a flip out marker that indicates a point 16-inches away from the nose of the gun. This quick reference can be used for running baseboard, crown, chair rail, or picture rail. It's another subtle one, but very useful.

The gun, like many finish guns on the market now, can also toggle between sequential fire and bump fire. This is actually something that's always baffled us, and, at least in our eyes, is the one feature that goes astray. It's never occurred to us to use bump fire with a finish gun. A framing gun, sure, but a finish gun? Um....nope. Even spending a day running baseboard, we're not going to use bump fire. And honestly, we don't think we'd trust anyone who did.

The Bostitch comes with two standard no-mar tips and four other profile tips that are designed for consistent and accurate nail placement on a variety of moldings. One of them is designed for tongue and groove flooring and another for crown molding.

The gun is light and, because it comes with a swivel connector, very easy to maneuver. Compared to the new Bosch gun, the Bostitch is a whisker longer and a bit taller. According to our kitchen scale, both guns weigh exactly the same (4 lbs, 3-5/8 ounces). And we should also mention the adjustable belt hook on the Bostitch which is a feature that we think is essential in a finish gun.

And the ergonomics are off the charts. We have an ongoing joke with Jay from CopTool that whenever we mention that a tool has an 'ergonomic handle' it means that we've run out of things to say. But this one really does have an ergonomic handle and possibly the best handle we've ever seen on any gun (or any tool for that matter). It really couldn't be any more comfortable.

And (yes, there's more) the gun is oil-free so there is no chance of accidentally ruining a piece of stain-grade lumber upon install.

Throughout all of this, there is one thing we don't like about this gun and it has nothing to do with the tool itself, but rather it's name. There already is a Bostitch nailer that has the handle, N62FNK-2. This one, probably for some bizarre retailing purpose, is being considered an 'upgrade' so it has the same product number as the original, but virtually feature-free version of the gun. Amazon has the tool, but it's the older one. So just be warned, if you're looking to purchase this item, don't go by the product number alone, or you might not be getting everything you thought you'd be. We think this is all too bad. A gun this good deserves its own name.

The bottom line here is simple. This gun is fantastic and it's probably the best finish gun we've ever used. While we're fully aware that this review has become a sickening love-fest, on the projects where we had the Bostitch, we found ourselves clicking the light from time to time, sharpening our pencil, using the 16" oc markings, and hitting the blow gun. The exhaust in the handle is great and so is pretty much everything else. We highly recommend this item to any carpenter or serious DIYer. We can't say enough about it.

March 11, 2011

Bostitch N62FNK-2 Finish Nailer - Review