# M12 Palm Nailer



## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Anyone use this? It seems like it could be good for tight places.m will it drive nails into old wood? Are you able to drive staples too?


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

No you can't drive staples with it. It is good for driving tackstrip into concrete tho.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

You can drive a nail in part way then bend it over to hold the NM though.

Get cletis with it. :laughing:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f14/milwaukee-m12-palm-nailer-21744/


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## svh19044 (Jul 1, 2008)

Goldagain said:


> No you can't drive staples with it. It is good for driving tackstrip into concrete tho.


Yep. My hilti broke and I jokingly gave it a try...and to my surprise it actually worked pretty damn well.

I use it for boxes and new work cans. It's nice for new work cans because you can hold the can even easier in place. :laughing:

I'd call it a novelty, but I actually prefer using it over my hammer so I guess it's worth having.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

I never thought of using it for cans but I can see that working.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> http://www.electriciantalk.com/f14/milwaukee-m12-palm-nailer-21744/


I remember that thread, I love the way b4t says it sucks,even tho he never used it :thumbup:

Do you still use it? Has the novelty worn off or is it still something that you use often?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

HackWork said:


> I remember that thread, I love the way b4t says it sucks,even tho he never used it :thumbup:


And how badly doubleoh7 was trolling everyone. :laughing:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

HackWork said:


> I remember that thread, I love the way b4t says it sucks,even tho he never used it :thumbup:
> 
> Do you still use it? Has the novelty worn off or is it still something that you use often?


I still use it and you can seriously out run a hammer when boxing out a house.


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## SteveBayshore (Apr 7, 2013)

If you try a pneumatic palm nailer, you won't use a battery one. I can't remember the brand, but I have a brand new battery nailer in the shop. Bought it to install conduit bracing under an amusement pier. Couldn't drive more than a handfull of 16 or 20 penny nails. Ridgid pneumatic, 10 times faster, runs all day on small compressor.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

mcclary's electrical said:


> I still use it and you can seriously out run a hammer when boxing out a house.


Good to know, thanks.

I suck with a hammer anyway, I never did much house roping. I wish that it worked on staples too.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

HackWork said:


> Good to know, thanks.
> 
> I suck with a hammer anyway, I never did much house roping. I wish that it worked on staples too.


Try using insulated staples. :whistling2: :thumbup:


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

Wish it did staples, but its great for nailing up boxes and wood blocking.


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## drsparky (Nov 13, 2008)

I have a pneumatic palm nailer and it works great.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

Have you tried that gb staple gun yet?


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Goldagain said:


> Have you tried that gb staple gun yet?



Trash.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

MTW said:


> Trash.


For a rough it sure is but for service or even a small addition where your just running a circuit or two it isn't bad. IMO anyway. Using one all day will take a toll on your wrist tho.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

I'm happy with the Arrow T-75 Romex stapler for #12 and #14, but it doesn't do 10-3, which is the majority of the Romex I run. If anyone knows of a stapler that will work well with 10-3, let me know.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

I've been wanting to try this but i think it has a $300 price tag.

and it does 10/2 and 10/3


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Goldagain said:


> I've been wanting to try this but i think it has a $300 price tag.
> 
> and it does 10/2 and 10/3


Could you post a link to the video?. Embedded YouTube videos show up as errors on the iPad because the forum owners don't care about us.


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## gold (Feb 15, 2008)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjitw3kED6w


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

Goldagain said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjitw3kED6w


That thing is pretty sweet. I hate using a hammer and staples. 

$400 is tough to swallow though.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Yeah, it's pretty expensive. $370 for the kit and $12 for 400 staples.

I also don't like the proprietary battery system.

Milwaukee should make an M12 model.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

Goldagain said:


> For a rough it sure is but for service or even a small addition where your just running a circuit or two it isn't bad. IMO anyway. Using one all day will take a toll on your wrist tho.


Meh, if I am just slapping in a few staples I don't even dig out the hammer, I just use my linemans and pound the puppies in. 

McClary (or others that box out with a palm nailer): My dilemma with boxing a house with the palm nailer ( which I am intrigued by, since I may be roughing a 5 unit townhouse in the next few months) is what do you use to set receptacle box heights? Traditionally I just set the head of my hammer on the floor, set the bottom of the box on the top of the hammer, grip the box to the stud with one hand, and pound the top nail a couple times, bottom nail a couple times (to keep box straight), and then pound them home. Do you actually measure out each receptacle or do you cut a stick or piece of conduit to length for that task?


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## svh19044 (Jul 1, 2008)

Going_Commando said:


> Meh, if I am just slapping in a few staples I don't even dig out the hammer, I just use my linemans and pound the puppies in.
> 
> McClary (or others that box out with a palm nailer): My dilemma with boxing a house with the palm nailer ( which I am intrigued by, since I may be roughing a 5 unit townhouse in the next few months) is what do you use to set receptacle box heights? Traditionally I just set the head of my hammer on the floor, set the bottom of the box on the top of the hammer, grip the box to the stud with one hand, and pound the top nail a couple times, bottom nail a couple times (to keep box straight), and then pound them home. Do you actually measure out each receptacle or do you cut a stick or piece of conduit to length for that task?


I use my laser and mark every stud for recep. And switch height.


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

svh19044 said:


> I use my laser and mark every stud for recep. And switch height.


Really? Does that save time over using your hammer for receptacle height and tape measure for switch height? I don't have a laser, but it is on my buy list, especially if I am doing much more new resi construction. 

Honestly, I thought I would hate roping new houses, but it is actually kind of a fun change of pace. It is waay less physically demanding than commercial construction, and is cleaner. I haven't gotten to the twinkies/gatorade diet yet though. :laughing:


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Going_Commando said:


> Really? Does that save time over using your hammer for receptacle height and tape measure for switch height? I don't have a laser, but it is on my buy list, especially if I am doing much more new resi construction.
> 
> Honestly, I thought I would hate roping new houses, but it is actually kind of a fun change of pace. It is waay less physically demanding than commercial construction, and is cleaner. I haven't gotten to the twinkies/gatorade diet yet though. :laughing:


No, using your hammer is definitely faster than setting up the laser and marking out and then going back to install the boxes.

Some people use a stick with notches cut out for the receptacle and switch heights


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

HackWork said:


> No, using your hammer is definitely faster than setting up the laser and marking out and then going back to install the boxes.


Yeah, I hadn't done it that way in a while, since I had a hiatus in California and was working on a 10,000 sq ft resi reno where the boxes were cut into plaster, but I saw Shockdoc mention it and it triggered that memory. I also tried out his "pull romex to far box, pull back loops at each box, bend over and shove into box" trick, and that is pretty quick as well. Clever fellow, he be. :thumbup:


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Going_Commando said:


> I also tried out his "pull romex to far box, pull back loops at each box, bend over and shove into box" trick, and that is pretty quick as well. Clever fellow, he be. :thumbup:


How else wpuld you do it?


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

chewy said:


> How else wpuld you do it?


I was taught to run to each box, strip sheath, push into box, and then on to the next one. I have only done reno/service residential work, and commercial with MC so doing larger scale new rough is a new experience for me, so I still have to figure out how to speed up at it. When you are only roughing a kitchen remodel or something, then it doesn't make things that much faster. Also, a lot of the work I have done has been rewiring older houses where finished walls are up, so there isn't any stapling near the box anyway, since the romex is fished in the walls.


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## BababooeyHTJ (May 31, 2013)

Goldagain said:


> I've been wanting to try this but i think it has a $300 price tag.
> 
> and it does 10/2 and 10/3


Looks hacky, I'm sure that its a pain to stagger staples when needed. Looks like it needs a ton of room. Meaning you still need to carry a hammer and staples. Uninsulated staples on NM looks hacky to me. I'm sure it either staples up too loose or too tight. I highly doubt that it comes out looking as professional of a job as someone who is halfway decent with using staples and a hammer.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

Did you end up buying it?


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## Majewski (Jan 8, 2016)

I still haven't bought this damn m12 nailer.


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