# Hitachi Vs Senco & Bostitch



## finakat

Why are Hitachi nailguns seem to be performing better than Senco & Bostitch? Im on a big framing / outdoor trim job and the Hitachi has yet to get jammed yet the Senco does often. I can name a billion things that are horribly made in China & Japan when compared to the US products, but it seems the Japanese have us beat here

Anyways i've never bought a comp/nailer before, im still a helper but I've been practicing trim on all sorts of things at home.

I would like to someday own a line of Max nailguns, but I already know for now im buying used or CPO Senco guns, good deal for the prices. I guess im stubborn when it comes to not buying things from the USA even though god only knows where all of our stuff is produced now. As far as the compressor I want to grab a twinstack Rol-Air or Ingersoll Rand 4 gallon. Both are avail for under $300. They will both more than exceed my needs for years to come. 

Funny, never understood why contractors use these 3, 4, or 6 gal compressors for big production framing. Sure, when they are brand new its all good but then they wonder why they burn out so soon?

Id like to grab a used 12 gallon compressor, maybe an older jenny pump for something like that. That will run framers and sprayers till kingdom come before the 4gals croak.

Oh well...just a late nite rant.


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## Ninjaframer

Hitachi was making light aluminum guns when senco and bostich still made heavy, bulky indistructable hard to Manuver pos's


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## Dirtywhiteboy

I have 5 Hitachis from 23ga. to framer :thumbsup:
I do prefer the Max tico nailer thou


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## WildWill

I've got a couple Hitachi roofers and a framer and a narrow head crown stapler. Love em!

I've got a couple Sencos too but they are are old school and work like dogs.

For some odd reason I've never owned a bostich gun..


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## JustaFramer

I like Senco finish and brad nailers. The XP red cap stuff. Any thing else of theirs is throw away. I still have a snf 40 finish nailer. Little bulky but whatever it works after 20 years. The black cap would have failed by now. 

I have used the Bostich nailers from the framer to the finish stuff. The framer is good for medium duty stuff. The finish and brad set worked.

I like the Hitachi nailer. When it comes to their other nailers. I have no brand loyalty. The stuff works. Some times not so good.


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## Winchester

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> I have 5 Hitachis from 23ga. to framer :thumbsup:
> I do prefer the Max tico nailer thou


This?










I've been looking for a replacement of my strapshot which seems to not want to work in the cold???

I don't know if I can get a coil of these nails here though....


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## chris klee

what is the thing sticking off the side of the gun? has an odd look to it


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## finakat

So I guess Hitachi is just that much better of quality eh? Justaframer thanks for the heads up I was planning on getting the finish and brad first n then maybe considering a different framer


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## Dirtywhiteboy

Winchester said:


> This?
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> 
> 
> I don't know if I can get a coil of these nails here though....


it shoots the bostich coil hard nails, the big ones and small ones


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## GRB

I think it's important to remember that many of the nailers available today are a result of the different manufacturers compromising certain aspects of the build quality to achieve a certain pricepoint. Actually, that's probably true of most tools, Festool products excluded. 

Times are different than 20 or 25 years ago, when almost any pneumatic nail gun you picked up was going to be made well. They had to be, as the buyers were primarily heavy duty users such as manufacturing facilities, commercial contractors, etc. 

If anyone outside of these industries wanted a gun, it would cost them. I remember paying upwards of $400 for a Paslode Mustang finish gun in 1985. The thing was bare bones compared to many of today's finish guns, but I bet it would also outlast most of them as well. 

By the early to mid 90's, the prices for most pneumatic guns had fallen to between $200 - $300. Today there are guns available for under a hundred bucks. Why the heck should we expect these tools to last? They've become disposable, just like many items in society. 

Senco, Paslode, Duo-Fast, Bostitch, Hitachi, & Max used to all make durable, industrial grade guns. Senco sold out years ago & much of what they make today I'd consider to be homeowner quality. But they used to make some fine, fine guns. I have a couple Senco guns that are close to 20 years old & still work just fine. 

The same is true of the other manufacturers, though when they decreased the quality of their lines vary, with Max being among the last to jump on the "Cheaper = More Profit" bandwagon. If you doubt what I'm saying, take a look at their current catalog - they still offer a number of heavy duty guns, but now offer a few nailers that retail for just over a hundred bucks. 

The bottom line is that if we keep asking for cheaper tools, we'll get them.


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## GRB

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> it shoots the bostich coil hard nails, the big ones and small ones


Bostitch used to sell that same gun under their brand. Max used to make most of the Bostitch guns in the 80's & into the 90's.


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## Jonesy

I don't know why either, but Hitachi just makes the most reliable nailers.


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## kyle_dmr

I own nothing but Hitachi nailers, half dozen coil framers, couple strip, postitive, roofer, staplers. Blew up a coiler today, snapped bolts and split the feeder in half. No idea how it happened. That being said, i'll still replace it with the same gun. Can't beat them for the money. I'm fairly new to the big boy game still, but my oldest ones are coming upto 4 years now and they are showing signs of early retirement. I can deal with 4 years on a gun that works easily 300+ days a year. Long days at that.


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## finakat

Yeah kyle I hear that I work for a kind of "production" carpentry company the nailers and saws are constantly running its insane. So much different to consider then when you're a "one man show" kind of re-mod guy who works on small houses that are already built.

Im just buying decent tools for myself that I do occasional sidejobs and ofcourse because, im planning on going out on my own someday and I still live home. The last damn frigging thing I wanna be worrying about when I have a house and a business is replacing cheap ass tools I could have bought better years ago


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## flippinfool

Hitachi................ In twelve years of use is the only air tool that has never jambed on me. For plywood you have to use the nose cone so it doesn't blow threw the plywood.:thumbsup:


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## john5mt

Just so you know

If you buy bostich, hitachi, max, or senco, its going to say made in tiawan or made in china. Recently max and hitachi moved all of their pneumatics over to tiawan....so nothing is "made in the USA" or even japan for that matter so dont feel any brand loyalty. 

I have a lot of hitachi stuff. Really like their bigger guns especially. Their new framers are better than anything else ive ever used (but mine was made in Japan, cant tell you about the tiawanese built ones)

I think the senco 42xp is the best 15 GA 

Max makes some good guns too. Their Roofer is the best because of the full round driving pin. (they used to make the old bostich Ridgerunner that is hallowed by old school roofers). Framers are decent but i find the hitachis have more power (which is important with LVL's, Rim Joists, and Glulams

I have yet to like a Bostich gun or have one not die in less than a year for me. They are complete garbage in my opinoin.

Most sencos are overweight and under powered

Grex and Cadex make some excellent guns for a little more money than the typical stuff. i picked up an old Cadex 18ga and it is awesome. Really want to try out the Green Buddy. Max used to make some expensive awesome finish guns from the 15 ga down to the 23. But theyve shipped all their stuff to tiawan and it looks way cheapo compared to the older stuff.

In Short. Stuff is always changing and no one brand has a corner on the market. Try stuff out and read lots of reviews. I am finding its best to buy old guns and rebuild them. They last longer and work better than most of the new stuff. 
I have a mix of different brands of guns determined from what i think the best gun on the market is for that class of gun.


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## redwood

I haven't found one manufacturer to make all air guns tops in all categories.

Currently, I use mostly Hitachi and Bostich. I have two of those Ridge runners.

Senco used to make very good guns, but they were heavy and expensive.

My preferred framing gun today is actually a milwalkee, though I have 2 Hitachi's as well.


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## Northwood

It's unfortunate that while the guns in the last few years have improved from the weight and technology standpoint they have suffered from using cheaper materials and manufacturing. All to meet a better price point (and profit obviously). 
If a pneumatic co. Took more of a "festool" approach building the best gun possible and priced it accordingly it wouldnt sell that well to dyi'ers but I would think it would be very popular with builders. 
What do you guys think?


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## WildWill

Someone should make a company that sells high performance parts for tools. You could then buy that drill that is great, except for the plastic gears. And then go to the Tool Performance Shop and get the upgraded gear pack for that drill. Install and viola you got an awesome drill. For the most part it seems like most of these tools just have a few crappy parts on them that kill them in the end.


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## smalpierre

I've used all three. We've got some bostitch coil framers at work that are ok. Senco is ok too, my friend has a trim gun that's taken a lickin and keeps on tickin - except the noseguard is bent from him dropping it and stuck back. He refuses to fix it. He's also got a Porter Cable stick framer. It's a good gun, but it's way overweight for a stick framer.

They are all good guns, but the Hitachi is king imho.


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