Hi everyone,
My old Jambro framing gun has finally died after 35+ yrs of use. Not a bad life eh?
From the reading I've done recently, Jambro is now Paslode.
It's been showing signs of age for a while now. Buries a 4" nail in hardwood on the first fire then progressively less each subsequent fire.
Now, the firing pin won't retract. I pulled it apart hoping to find some worn O-rings but instead found a plastic/nylon/some-kind-of-manmade-material completely shattered inside the barrel. Can't quite work out how it managed to fire at all from looking at the damage.
I intend to try to find a repairman hre in Bendigo....if I can...and see if it can be repaired but I fully expect to be told "Parts no longer available"
Now, when I bought this thing it was an easy job to know which one to buy. Walk onto any job site and note what tools the tradies used. It was pretty well split between Senco and Jambro. The Jambro rep that sold me mine actually stated it was a Senco copy to the point that Senco spare parts fitted it, and I've always bought Senco nails.
Now-a-days, you just can't choose a brand and know you'll be right. Makita isn't Makita anymore for example.
I've searched these forums and found out to avoid the Bunnies offerings....like I didn't already know that.....and a few people have recommended Bostich or Dewalt. But that again brings back the fear that Bostich isn't necessarily Bostich anymore.
I found THIS one on eBay but it raises a question. (Apart from the guy is brand new with no feedback) It says it uses 30deg nails. So I wander out to my shed to read the box of nails and see what I have. No info on degree of angle. Looks kindof-sortof-maybe 30deg???
Other sites show Bostich for example with a 20 or 22deg nail.:?
There's a "Unpainted" Hitachi mentioned in a recent thread on this forum, but it again says 20 - 22 deg nails. It looks interesting.
So, my questions are....what is the industry standard for these nails?
If I get this Senco one on eBay, would nails be readily available?
Is Senco still Senco? Can I still trust the brand?
I paid about 3 weeks wages for my original gun, but I now give it very infrequent use. Maybe once a year I'll drag it out for a small job. My budget today is a couple of hundred. For that, I don't expect a tool I can use all day everyday, but I DO expect it to bury a 4" nail in pine and almost bury it in hardwood. I don't mind having to finish the job with a hammer in that case.
But first up, I want to make sure the common nails for sale everywhere will fit whatever I end up with.
ETA: I've added some pics below.
The recently departed gun with the bits found loose inside and the nails currently used.
Attachment 217453
My current supply of nails
Attachment 217454
Cheers
Jim