OK, let's see if I can do this in one post...
Gordon, I haven't used the Makita, but my thoughts on them are this; light cheap and disposable. The many Makita tools on professional job sites are used because they are cheap in price and cheaply made. The Makita screw guns, for an example, are about half the cost of a Milwaukee and the guys buy them and throw them away after one or two jobs. That's not my philosophy, I buy American Made when possible and keep them for decades. The Hitachi nailer is one of the best out there, light, good balance and durable, liked by many professional nailers, but not American Made, so I didn't recommend it either. If one is determined to send their dollars and the resulting jobs overseas, buy the Hitachi, pass on the Makita.
Doc, I recommended 8d galvanized because your 3/4" plank is being shot into pine. A very hard surface board into a very soft support board. The air pressure needed to shoot into the hard oak will be higher than required to shoot into the soft pine, an 8d will work fine, a 10 at higher pressure may just blow the oak apart. Bosco is using a thicker board, therefore he needs a longer nail, the 10d. If the oak plank is free or on hand, then go for it, if you haven't bought the planks yet, use Cedar, it's more durable (not stronger but rot and termite resistant) and easier to nail. The best choice in areas that do not have rot, mildew or insects is popular or spruce, won't split or warp as easily and holds paint well. Cedar can be left untreated and unpainted and last for years and insects hate it. Oak is great for strength but you may end up splitting a lot of planks if you nail too closely to the ends or edges.
Gordon, the stainless steel nail is a VERY expensive nail to buy in quantity, it is unnecessary unless used around corrosive chemicals. The galvanized nail will work just fine at much less cost. As for the new copper napthante (sp?) treated wood, as opposed to the formerly used wolmanizing solutions which have been banned by the EPA, they WILL corrode nails over time. A coated and/or galvanized nail will last much longer than an uncoated or galvanized nail when used in pressure treated lumber.
MN
Gordon, I haven't used the Makita, but my thoughts on them are this; light cheap and disposable. The many Makita tools on professional job sites are used because they are cheap in price and cheaply made. The Makita screw guns, for an example, are about half the cost of a Milwaukee and the guys buy them and throw them away after one or two jobs. That's not my philosophy, I buy American Made when possible and keep them for decades. The Hitachi nailer is one of the best out there, light, good balance and durable, liked by many professional nailers, but not American Made, so I didn't recommend it either. If one is determined to send their dollars and the resulting jobs overseas, buy the Hitachi, pass on the Makita.
Doc, I recommended 8d galvanized because your 3/4" plank is being shot into pine. A very hard surface board into a very soft support board. The air pressure needed to shoot into the hard oak will be higher than required to shoot into the soft pine, an 8d will work fine, a 10 at higher pressure may just blow the oak apart. Bosco is using a thicker board, therefore he needs a longer nail, the 10d. If the oak plank is free or on hand, then go for it, if you haven't bought the planks yet, use Cedar, it's more durable (not stronger but rot and termite resistant) and easier to nail. The best choice in areas that do not have rot, mildew or insects is popular or spruce, won't split or warp as easily and holds paint well. Cedar can be left untreated and unpainted and last for years and insects hate it. Oak is great for strength but you may end up splitting a lot of planks if you nail too closely to the ends or edges.
Gordon, the stainless steel nail is a VERY expensive nail to buy in quantity, it is unnecessary unless used around corrosive chemicals. The galvanized nail will work just fine at much less cost. As for the new copper napthante (sp?) treated wood, as opposed to the formerly used wolmanizing solutions which have been banned by the EPA, they WILL corrode nails over time. A coated and/or galvanized nail will last much longer than an uncoated or galvanized nail when used in pressure treated lumber.
MN
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