Walked a jobsite in Austin and noticed everyone using battery-powered nailers now

I was on a commercial build in north Austin last week and out of 12 framers only 2 were still running pneumatic guns. The rest had those Milwaukee and DeWalt battery nailers. One guy told me he hasn't had a compressor hose trip someone in 6 months since he switched. Any of you made the switch yet or still sticking with air?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_henderson1316d ago

The whole "the hose is fine if you tuck it" thing. I heard a GC in Houston say his insurance premiums actually went down after they switched crews to battery nailers. Said they had enough trip and fall claims over the years that the insurance company basically told them to make a change or get dropped. I also read a report from OSHA or whoever that said cordless nailers cut jobsite trip incidents by something like 60%. The battery cost is real no doubt, but when you factor in not buying compressors, hoses, fittings, and repairs, it might even out over a year or two.

brooket4316d ago

The trip hazard thing is a little overblown if you ask me. We've been running pneumatics on our crews for years and you just run the hose overhead or tuck it behind the studs, problem solved. Sure battery nailers are quieter but the COST of those batteries and having 4-5 of them on the charger all day adds up fast. Plus I still see guys struggling to sink a nail into LVL or wet treated lumber, the air guns just punch right through no question. Maybe in 5 years when they get cheaper and stronger but for now I'll stick with what works.

green.noah15d ago

@brooket43 Thats a fair point about tucking the hose but one thing I havent seen anyone mention is the humidity factor. On a wet jobsite in the south, those air hoses lying around can trap moisture and grow mold inside them over time. I pulled a hose off my compressor last spring and black gunk came pouring out, smelled terrible. Battery tools dont have that issue at all. Also the hose itself gets stiff as a board in cold weather, makes it harder to manage even when you try to run it overhead. Your mileage may vary of course, but I switched partly because I got tired of dealing with that.