Campbell Hausfeld Finish Nailer Goes Battlestar Galactica

When I say “pneumatic nailer” do you automatically think of a boring nail gun that simply fires nails into wood? If you’re tired of the “ho-hum” nature of nail guns, Campbell Hausfeld may have the answer to your pneumatic boredom: their new 2-1/2″ Finish Nailer Kit. It looks like a sidearm you might use to shoot a Cylon, and it’s loaded with features not normally found on the nail guns of many competitors:

• Low Nail Indicator
  A pneumatic nailer’s worst nightmare. . . running out of nails. This CH nailer sports a low nail indicator LED so you always can re-load just in time. Definitely beats counting nails fired.
• Anti-Dry Fire
  The only thing worse than running out of nails, is then dry firing your nailer resulting in a big dent in your work surface. CH thoughtfully included an anti-dry fire mechanism to spare you this indignity.
• Tethered No-Mar Tip
  No-mar tips are really handy, until you lose them. That’s why CH put a leash on theirs. If you’re using the standard tip, I’d be slightly concerned the no-mar will sometimes get in the way.
• Adjustable Exhaust
  Pretty standard on most nailers. Let’s you dial the exhaust away from you. Or, if you prefer the windblown look; be sure to aim the exhaust port at your hair. By the time you’re done, your hair will look like Conan O’Brien’s.
• Laser Placement
  If you have worked with your nailer much, you’ll likely be pretty sure where the nail will go. If the laser placement on the Finish Nailer lives up to it’s claims, you’ll now be exactly sure where the nail will go, even when using it for the first time.
• Swivel Plug
  Pneumatic hoses can be a tangly pain, especially right around the nail gun in tight places. Until someone invents a hose-less pneumatic nailer, the swivel plug is the next best thing.
• Stud Finder
  I’m a little skeptical on this one. After having used several stud finders with less than perfect results, I’d be amazed if this works well in most typical uses. In case the built-in stud finder isn’t as accurate as you’d like, we recently reviewed the Zircon i700 stud finder and found it to do a pretty good job.
• Bubble Level
  I think having a bubble level is handy for things like drills and nailers. Sometimes awkward nailing positions make it hard to get a feel for how plumb or level things are. A built in bubble level at least gives you a rough idea if you’re lined up right.
• Quick Clear Latch
  Designed to make clearing any mis-fires quick and painless.
• 3 Position Switch
  Choose your preference; safety off, normal trigger fire mode, and “bump” mode which fires each time you have the trigger depressed and press it into the workpiece.
• Special Blue and Silver Finish
  Who needs boring black machismo when you’re packing a nailer? Not you, if you’re sporting this Battlestar Galactica color combo! Like I said earlier, it even shoots lasers.

All in all the new Campbell Hausfeld Finish Nailer packs an impressive array of features into a pneumatic nailer. And it’s designed to run without oil. I’m not sure what that means for the tool’s longevity, but it does make for more convenient use in the short term. Maybe some of the folks at CH can chime in via the comments to enlighten us on oil-less pneumatics and their longevity? CH also has details on their full line-up of new pneumatic nailers on their pneumatic nailer site.

As an added bonus, the CH finish nailer even comes with it’s own carrying bag, great for quick draws to blast those Cylons with your laser, before nailing that wood trim together. The Campbell Hausfeld 2-1/2″ Finish Nailer Kit CHN70699AV can be yours for $150 at Amazon. If you’re lucky enough to be reading this article in September, 2009, and lucky enough to win, the CH Finish Nailer can also be yours for the bargain price of zero dollars in our September Free Stuff Giveaway.