Harbor Freight Framing Nail Gun | Banks 21 Degree Framing Nailer Review
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- This is my review of the Banks 21 Degree framing nail gun. Hopefully this helps you in deciding if you want to buy it or not. Also, I was wrong in assuming it was 10 pounds. The specs say it is 8.6 pounds with just the tool. Once you add the nails and a rafter hook is when you will get closer to the 10 pound mark.
Here is an Amazon link for a rafter hook. I couldn't find the same one my lumber store supplies, but this one should work just fine:
amzn.to/3ahoJe2
Please know that I am affiliated with Amazon and may receive a commission from any purchases you make from the link above.
Thanks for watching! - Jak na to + styl
I bought one just because of this video, thank you for doing it.
That's awesome! I'm happy you've got it! It really is a great framing nailer. Thank you for your comment!
Great review, to the point with good recommendations.
Purchasing both nailer and hook
Thanks!
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. Best of luck to you on your projects!
Hey thanks man. I bought one of these at HF a year ago just cause it was blue tagged for members at $50. Using it for the first time today. Helpful video.
Thank you! That’s a screaming deal you got! Have fun with it! Mine is still going strong.
I went through so many videos before finally finding this. Every other video seemed like an ad. This dood seems like he just legit liked the gun. Good show.
Haha, thanks! You nailed it, I just legit like this gun!
@@berlinbuilds super refreshing!
Bought one as well and the rafter hook thx for the video!
Sweet! Thank you! Have fun with it! It's a handy little unit!
Thanks for doing the video, very helpful, and to the point.
You’re welcome! I still use this gun and it is a little champion 👍
Thanks for this. I may be getting this nailer to build a shed based your review.
Thank you! Glad I could help!
DIY'er here...I picked this model up to nail a shed kit together. Looking forward to using it for that project and anything else that comes along.
Awesome! Mine is still going strong 2 years later. I just finished framing a basement bedroom and bathroom with it last week. Have fun with your projects! Great choice on the gun!
Wow great review, no BS thank you
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it! Hopefully it helped.
I bought this one to build my fence. It worked great for my project
Glad to hear it!
Bought this after having to return a Metabo HPT Framer and so far has been working great.
I’m glad it is working good for you!
Why'd you have to return the Metabo?
Appreciated good review, what I got air compressor out put adjustment to get flush mails and since I am DIY it just perfect for me.
Thank you.
Glad to help! Good luck with everything!
Thanks for the link for the hook.
No problem!
Thanks. Just picked one up and glad to hear it is sufficient for a DIYer.
It’s really been a great gun for me. Best of luck with your projects!
Awesome, was looking into this for a fence project and I think I'll give it a try. :)
I don't think you'll be disappointed! I'm still using mine and it has gotten even better with time. Thank you for commenting!
Just picked one up today. Should work well for our A-frame build.
Awesome! Have fun with it! Mine is still going strong 👍
@@berlinbuilds thats good to know.
Thanks for the video! I'm building one big project (28x40 garage) and wanted a nail gun but didn't want to spend $500+ for a rarely used gun.
Glad to help! Good luck on building your garage! Are you doing a pole barn or a more traditional framing? That’s on my list for someday in the future! Best wishes!
What framing nailer is $500?
Never used one before either and want to bust out a DIY project. After setting our air tank at 120psi we still rarely get the nails all the way seated. We maxed out the depth adjuster and cant figure out why they aren'tgoingall the way in. Any thoughts?
Thanks, well presented
Thank you!
Thanks, that answered!
No problem!
I’m 13 and learning to frame and me and my dad went to harbor freight this was 100 but we actually got it for 75 it is really nice
Glad you like it! Best of luck with learning to frame! Learning so young is awesome.
Helpful video
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing.
No problem! Thank you!
Nice review, thank you. Looks like a boat anchor but man that price, it's hard to resist!
On the bump fire mode- around the 10th nail it looks like there were some sparks that flew out?
Thank you! You know, it’s been a bit since I filmed this and I don’t remember any sparks coming out. I saw that too in the video and wondered if it was one of the little bits of plastic coming off the nails that caught the light. I have seen the gun spark a couple of times as I’ve used it at other times though, but nothing really serious. Just a quick flash of light and the spark was out. I might have hit another nail though at those times. I hope that helps 🤷♂️
I know I'm late but I had to say what you saw could have been sparks or the plastic
I build pallets and use a nail gun all day every day
Sparks are a common thing
With nail guns as the driver is made of a hardened steel and strikes the the nail with tremendous force
@@GeorgiaRidgerunner Thanks for that info!
@@dougpeters1625 welcome sir
That sounds great 👍. Having to spend $300 + on a nailer sometimes hurts the pocket
Definitely. Glad to have another option out there!
Hey there i just bought one of these based on your video and it’s a great replacement for my old gun.
Do you happen to know of a plastic cap for the tip that will work on this gun? I need one for installing siding.
Great vid thanks for sharing
Thank you! I’m not sure of one off hand. I used a Hitachi friendly aftermarket hook, so I wonder if you found one for a Hitachi if that would work? I’m not sure, but it might be an avenue to explore.
@@berlinbuilds okay thanks man I’ll look into that one
Nice review. What CFM is your air compressor? I’ve got one of HF’s quiet 2 gallon Fortress models that only puts out 2.2CFM and wondering if it will keep up at a moderate pace.
Thank you! I’ve been using a Porter Cable 6 gallon pancake compressor that has a cfm of 2.6 and it has kept up fine without any issues. My best guess is that you should be good with what you have if you are just doing moderate tasks, like framing up a shed. If you start using the “bump fire” mode a lot I think you might be putting a lot of strain on your compressor. Good luck with everything!
I have the same compressor and was wondering the same exact thing. How did the nailer work with the 2 gal fortress???
James Crean I ended up buying the Ridgid 21* framing nailer. But the 2 gal quiet fortress compressor did a great job keeping up when I refaced my wood shadow box fence. I ran the output at about 105 psi for the Ridgid nailer. Fortress compressor would kick on every 6 nails or so. Im sure the compressor would work fine for this HF nailer.
Piggy791 thank you! Very helpful I’m my decision. What made you go with the 21 over a 30-34 or even a 27?
28*
Hi thanks for the video. Do you happen to know if it will drive a nail into concrete block? I need to install some Ferring strips around a window and we have concrete block walls. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it in concrete. I have been able to fire it into mortar before, but that is a lot softer than concrete. You probably would do well to go with a ramset single shot for something like that.
Did you find the nail that shot across the room at 3:54?
I need to rebuild a fence. I'm more comfortable making this purchase. Thank you
Haha, in the video it sure looks like a nail. Sometimes it will shoot off a spark if it hits a staple or something else really hard, but no nails have ever gone flying off on me with this gun. Good luck with your fence!
Out of curiosity, at 3:50 " Bump fire mode " It looks to me like the first nail was expelled without the nose safety being in contact with your work piece. Any thoughts ?
Weird. It may have been a lapse in the video (I’m still not the best at editing these) or maybe something with the internet. In person though and having shot thousands of nails through it at this point I’ve never had that happen. Great question and catch though!
What is a suggested air compressor size for this gun for a DIYer? For instance, I'm currently replacing several sheets of plywood on the roof
If you got a 6 gallon pancake compressor you would do fine. That's what I've run mine off of. If you're a pretty fast nailer, maybe upsize to something a little bit bigger.
@@berlinbuilds Thanks it worked out fine
Thank you
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Great review! I picked up the 30-34 instead because my builder, who uses these guns, said the shorter magazine was better to use. I ordered the Rafter Spring Round Hook M745RB that you recommended, but the installation hook is on the wrong side to install it on the gun. There were no instructions with the hook. Any help you can give me?
Thank you! I googled images of the 30-34 but can’t see any pictures of the right side of the gun. Is there a metal arm going from the frame of the gun to the magazine? From what I can see of images of the left side of the gun I don’t see a supporting arm. On my 21 degree there is a bolt in the middle of the arm that supports the magazine to the frame (on the left side of the gun). I undid that bolt and reused it to attach the hook. If the 30-34 doesn’t have that arm you may need to get a different hook that mounts onto the air nozzle attachment at the bottom of the gun. Does that make sense? I hope that helps.
@@berlinbuilds Yes, there is a metal arm attached to the magazine. It’s made exactly like the 21.
Do you see a bolt in the middle of that arm? That’s the bolt I undid and then reused to attach the hook. Sorry in my earlier comment I said the left side of the gun but it would be on the right. I wish I could post a picture to show you.
Any long-term update on the nail gun? Thanks.
Yep! I posted another video on it a little while ago which I believe was close to a 2 year review. I used it again this past week with zero issues 👍
Just bought this gun and it quit firing nails on the 10th fence picket we were installing. It doesn't look to be jammed and seems to be firing air through appropriately, just won't fire nails. Any suggestions?
Are you down to the last few nails on a clip? It won’t shoot the last few nails because it has a “Dry Fire Lockout Mechanism” to help make sure you don’t put extra stress on the tool by shooting an empty gun. When that happens the trigger kind of goes slack and it won’t try and fire. At that point just add more nails into the magazine and it should fire right back up.
@@berlinbuilds No, the gun stopped firing nails with a 3/4-full magazine. I didn't even notice at first because I assumed it was simply embedding the nails really deep. Turns out it just isn't firing any nails.
@@berlinbuilds I figured it out. Had the PSI up too high on the compressor. Turned it down and the gun is working great.
Awesome! I’m glad you got it figured out and that it is working great for you!
I made the purchase, now where and what kind of nails do I use? The kind that held together by -paper or plastic?
Plastic is what you are looking for. If you get a 21 degree nail you should be good. I usually grab then at Home Depot or Lowes
Have the same gun. Was working fine but nail jammed got it out now it won't fire a nail. Not as loud either now. Ideas.?
I’m not sure on this one. Did the firing pin get jammed? Maybe take a look and see if it is able to move?
Great Job! Appreciate your effort. Only thing and I'm sure its me. I can't find the link for the hanger, any help would be awesome. Thanks.
No worries! It's under the video in the description, but I can just copy and paste it here to make life easier.
amzn.to/3ahoJe2
I hope that helps!
@@berlinbuilds I guess I didn't hit the show more button. Thanks.
@@christopherscully9627 no worries! Have fun with the gun and hook. I've been rocking mine for almost 2 years now and it's been great to me!
Just saw some reviews and it sounds nails are hard to find. Or can we find at lowes and home depot?
I usually get mine at Home Depot. I live in Utah and there hasn’t been much difficulty getting them here. I’m not sure about other places though.
Can it handle a smaller nail like 1-5/8" for fencing and picketts
The smallest it can take is 2” nails, so you could probably use it okay on a fence if you are using 3/4” slats.
Have you ever had success using 8s in the nail gun? Mine shoots 16s fine but won’t drive 8s
Sorry I told you wrong in my earlier comment. I got a bit mixed up. I haven’t had any issues with the 8s
That thing is huge men!!
Yes it is!
The Banks 28 degree weighs 8 pounds.
Yeah right around there. I might have said closer to 10 in my video. Feels like 15 after a couple of hours 😅
@@berlinbuilds yeah, wielding a framing nailer all day is not for sissy's. : ))
Wht size of nails can use? Is shank nails compatible?
It takes full head nails from 2” to 3.5” that are in platic “clips” lined up in 21 degree angles 👍
What type of nail works best?
I’m not sure if there’s a specific brand that will be best. Just a good 21 degree framing nail should work just fine. I usually buy the 3” long ones. You can get them at Home Depot or Harbor Freight 👍
Will it run Bosh nails
It should, as long as they are the full headed, 21 degree, plastic stripped nails.
Can you run this with 100 psi compresor
Yes. I run mine at 120 psi frequently
I bought one of these from HF it was the 21ª used it 9 times and now can't eve find parts for it HF doesn't carry repair parts
for some of these banks. It goes south on you"r on your own. I replace it with a name brand.
Sorry to hear you had a bad experience.
Cant get mine to sink nails all the way no matter what I do to it. Usually leaves between 1/8-1/4” sticking out.
Sorry to hear that. What is your psi set to on your compressor? Have you adjusted it with the thumb screw near the tip?
@@berlinbuilds I’d have to look at the compressor to see the psi, I don’t use it often, I’ve ran the adjuster full bore both ways and it didn’t make a difference.
I run mine at 120 psi and it works fine. Best of luck to you. I hope you get it figured out!
@@berlinbuilds I’ve ran mine up that high. I’m gonna tear it down at some point and see if I can figure out what is going on.
@@stranger5088 check your hose size, I bought a impact gun and it sucked until I used a bigger hose, then it rocked. Just a thought.
Are you aware of any finishing nails that would work in this gun? Along the same size as the ones you were using, but with a finish head....
You’d need to get a finish nailer. I usually use a 15 gauge or 18 gauge for most trim work, depending on what you are doing.
@@berlinbuilds Thanks for the reply. I'm working with brickmold around a window frame. I have a 16 ga. finish nailer, but those seem awfully small. I don't even see collated finish nails larger than 15 ga.
Are you putting the brickmold on the exterior side of the window? I’d probably go with a 15 gauge nailer and 2.5” exterior nails for it in that case.
The product description says it weighs 8.6 lbs. Maybe your rafter hook is exceedingly heavy. :)
Or maybe my arms are exceedingly weak sauce 🤣
What kind of nails u get?
I get the 21 degree framing nails (full heads, not clipped). I've bought some from Harbor Freight but I've also ran mostly Metabo and other brand names through it.
@@berlinbuilds ok so its held up gd so far?
@@Eastbaypisces Yep! Still going strong!
Do you need to oil it?
Yes. I'll admit I'm terrible at doing so, and the thing still runs like a champ.
How many p s I is the gun
I run it between 80 and 100 psi usually.
Good nail gun. Pretty sure Harbor Freight cloned it from a Rigid nail gun design.
That wouldn’t surprise me at all. I’m glad you like it!
Just bought this gun but I forgot the oil! 😂🤦♂️
I did the same thing! Took me a couple of days to get around to it.
You mentioned you had your air compressor set to 122 psi; the Banks manual states not to exceed 120 psi although that's probably within the acceptable range. I hope they don't cancel your warranty. My Porter Cable framing nail gun had the pin that holds the trigger fall out shortly after I purchased it. I substituted a paper clip which worked fine but made me suspicious of the build quality. Unlike the Banks unit the Porter Cable did not have dry fire protection (probably because it is older), as a consequence after it quit, I disassembled it and the plastic parts inside had shattered. The quote to repair it was close to the price of the new Banks 21 degree unit so I purchased the Banks nail gun figuring it couldn't be any worse then the Porter Cable unit.
I think you'll be really happy with it. That's awesome that you were able to get your Porter Cable rigged up and working with a paper clip! You're right, hopefully they don't cancel my warranty!
I bought this nailer in a pinch to do a bathroom framing job. It immediately shot out sparks on at least 75% of the nails driven but I was able to finish the job. Shortly after the nails would no longer sit flush and would stick out of the wood even after changing the psi and gun settings. It now sits in a drawer as a backup. As a professional I would avoid this gun. Even if you're a DIYer I would avoid this nailer. Spend a few extra bucks and get yourself a nail gun that will last many years and cut down on the headaches of jams and protruding nails. I love a lot of Harbor Freight tools but this is not one of them.
Dang. Sounds like you got a lemon. Mine has been going strong still with almost no issues whatsoever. Maybe return it if you’re still in your window. I think you’d be pleasantly surprised by how tough this little unit is.
The mostly tools of Harbor Freight made in China and Harbor Freight support customer with 3 month warranty for their tools. The most trouble with tool always happens after 6 months. Most of other store are always give 12 months warranty for their tools. The price from other store higher a little bit but the warranty is longer and quality is better. Should think twice before shopping.
Definitely in some cases. This one has been really good for me so far and only has seemed to get better with more use.
They sell extended warranties with just about everything. That being said, they've started offering much longer warranties with their higher end tools.
They are $100 and nails come in 2000 to 3000 to a box. Don't need that many. Guess renting at home Depot.
Hey, renting is not a bad option if you've just got a small project!
Is this in any way a paid video?
CZcams has started paying me some money for the ads played on the video (I just got monetized about a month ago), but other than that not at all. I mean, it's a pretty low budget film! It'd be nice if Harbor Freight or Banks wanted to start paying me, but that's not the case. I honestly like this nail gun, so I wanted to let other people who are curious about it know my experience.
👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💯🫡🍻
Thank you!
If you don't oil it every other time you load it, it won't last long. If you oil it, it will run for thousands of hours.
Haha, solid advice! I’ve been terrible at oiling mine but the dang thing keeps on going!
Proof I'm a COVIDIAN (of the COVID generation) I get uneasy seeing him waiste that piece of wood...I'm like NOOOOOO....dang woods gotten expensive
Me too! I filmed this before Covid! Dang lumber prices.
Weighs 12 lbs and won't fit between 16" joists
It is a bit bigger gun. It’s really good for a lot of DIY projects, even framing basement walls to finish a basement, but if you’re wanting to fly trusses and do some serious framing I’d recommend going with a different gun.
Thanks Dude!
Sitting outside Harbor Freight and your review helped me out.
Just subbed ya!
Maybe you can sub me back too.
Thanks,
Greg
Glad it helped! Good luck with whatever projects you are getting it for!
@@berlinbuilds Thank you, no coupon but I think it's a super nice gun for even $100.
I did get the 27 month replacement for $20, so $120 total for a tool that will take care of 4 upcoming projects and if it jams or breaks they swap it out.
Can't lose.
Best of luck with your channel and thanks again.
😎👍
Awesome! Best of luck to you! I’m really happy with mine so I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, especially at that price point.
Bought one made it all of 10 nails in junk
Dang. Sounds like you got a lemon. Mine is still crushing it. Maybe try taking it back and get a different one? Did you check your psi on your compressor?
@@berlinbuilds yeah I just returned it for a refund true could of been