Exceptional performance, durability, and value

I have completed many projects with my FR350A in the two years I've owned it, including framing out a complete basement and many remodeling projects, and just finished a couple hundred feet of fence framing with ease. I have zero regrets about buying this nail gun.^M
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I am very hard on tools, and started buying the good stuff a few years back rather than have to replace things all the time. I have dropped this gun off the roof, run over it with my truck, dragged it by the hose through mud, left it out in the rain. I have never done any maintenance or adjustment to the gun other than a few drops of oil in the air fitting before use. Despite much abuse, it still works as good as it did when I bought it. ^M
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The depth adjustment is simple and effective. It will put nails through metal brackets with ease (read: don't worry about lining up with the nail holes so much). It has never jammed, it's easy to use, and has never, ever, failed to work properly. What more could you want?^M
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I do not recommend overriding the trigger in favor of pressure actuation. I have accidentally bumped the snout of the gun on my thigh enough times to tell me that is a very very bad idea. Leave the trigger alone unless you wanna explain the metal in your leg to the TSA next time you are trying to clear security at the airport.^M
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Terrific Framing Nailer

I purchased this April 2005 and built a deck with it the summer of 2005. This spring I used it to build a new step from the house to the garage. I'm not sure what the deal is with people that hated this tool, because I haven't found any of those issues. I have other Porter Cable pneumatics and they work great also. You can't go wrong with this Nailer and your local home depot sells the nails for it. Oh and I've never had a jam with firing over 2500 nails.

Light, powerful and agile

I bought this based on a lot of positive reviews that I read while researching framing nailers on several different websites. I must say, I am VERY pleased.^M
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First of all, this tool has copious amounts of power. I was able to sink 3.5" 8d nails with no problem, even while adding a work bench and shelving in my new/old garage which features some really tough dimensional lumber. Further, and in spite of what I had read, I thought that the recoil was minimal.^M
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Some of the reviews I read gave this tool mediocre to above average reviews w.r.t. balance and weight. I'm not sure what inspired these comments. The only issue that I had with balance was when the air hose got caught on something and pulled on the nailer but let's face it, this is an issue with any air tool. In fact, after using it for residential framing for two days straight, I did not notice any fatigue in my forearm or wrist. When I first opened the case, I looked at the size of the thing and assumed that it would be heavy. Quite the contrary. I've had the opportunity to try a few other framing nailers (Senco, Hitachi) and I thought that this felt lighter. Just my opinion.^M
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I live in Chicago, Illinois and have had absolutely no problems finding nails (Lowes and the Borg have multiple selections for this tool). A box of 2500 2-3/8" nails cost me $25.00. Strangely, this is perhaps one item that is cheaper to buy locally when you factor in shipping charges.^M
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I had read somewhere that the exhaust was not tool free. I bought the nailer conceding this fact however I found that it is not true.^M
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I've read a couple of gripes based on the fact that the nailer does not have a holder for the mar-free nose piece. To this I say "big deal." When you are doing framing work, do you really care if you leave toenail spike marks in the lumber when you are face-nailing??^M
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I was suprised to note that, when the magazine is down to 2-3 nails, the gun no longer fires. I don't really see this as an issue though.^M
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One other reviewer noted that it is difficult to remove nails from the chamber if for instance, you wish to change nail lengths/sizes. I own several different nailers including Bostich, Campbell Hausfeld and PC. To date, I haven't found any that are particularly easy w.r.t. removing nails that have already been loaded. On the other hand, loading nails in this gun is simple. You shove a set in the rear of the gun, pull the tensioner back beyond them and let it go. Voila!^M
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To summarize, I am not a professional framer/carpenter. I do not use a tool like this for a living although as a woodworker and homeowner, I probably use my framing nailer more often than most. I think that it is a great product for the money. Can you buy a better nailer? Without even looking, I'm sure you can but at what cost? Finally, the quality of higher-end tools is quite subjective, much like a good pair of home stereo loudspeakers. I think that this particular product is a fantastic combination of quality and value.^M
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Skeptical? Buy one from Home Depot and try it out. If you don't like it, all you have to lose is 35-45 minutes in line trying to return it! ;o)^M
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