Duo-Fast FloorMaster 250BN Flooring Nailer - Review
Duo-Fast FloorMaster 250BN
Most likely, you’re familiar with the FloorMaster 250BN if you’re reading this review. Just in case, though, here’s a quick synopsis. This angled finish flooring nailer has a unique tip that allows you to blind-nail closer to a wall than traditional flooring nailers. The questions are – does it work and is it worth the cash? After giving the tool a test drive through some pretty dense ¾” teak, I’d have to say “Yes” and “Yes” – especially if you install floors for a living.
I’ll admit that I had issues when I first used the FloorMaster. The fasteners kept blowing out the tongue or actually coming back up through the wood’s surface. After some research and a couple of phone calls, I discovered it was in fact, operator error. By increasing the air pressure to just over 110psi and futzing with the depth of drive (which is quite simple, actually), I was able to put the fasteners right where I wanted and at the perfect depth – tongue intact. I mean, come on, we’ve all had those days when even our most trusted tools seem to turn on us, haven’t we?
The FloorMaster 250BN allowed me to blind-nail within about 7 inches of the wall. That’s a decent gain over the almost 12 or 13 of my traditional flooring stapler. I’m installing 5 inch planks, but on a standard-width floor, you’re getting 2 extra courses of wood that won’t require face-nailing.
It took a bit of getting used to holding the nailer at just the right angle to drive the fastener, but once you get the muscle memory going, you’re home-free. Other than that, I’d say a couple of test runs to make sure the depth is set correctly for the material you’re nailing through and into will make you a pro at its use.
As for capacity, it will hold 2 strips of 16 gauge nails for a total run of 100 fasteners, with a range of 1/1/4 – 2 ½ inch lengths.
When you’re not using it as a flooring nailer, it doubles as a finish nailer perfect for installing base and shoe molding.
For $199, you get a couple of additional tips and an extra trigger to swap out, transforming the sequential nailer into a bump-fire. It all packs neatly into a blow-molded case all weighing in at around 4 pounds.
The tool can save you time and leave your client with fewer potentially visible nails than a standard flooring and finish nailer combo. Sounds like a win-win to me.
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