When I think of nailers, I think of gas and when I think of gas, I smell problems. That’s not an issue with the new SENCO F-35XP Cordless Pneumatic Framing Nailer, however, as there’s no gas, hose or compressor. Instead, it runs off Fusion Technology.
The SENCO 1st Fix Framing Nailer is designed to consistently fire up to 90mm nails in the blink of an eye. Fusion Technology does away with cells to provide reliability, power and speed. It has a brushless motor and, to prep the firing mechanism, it uses a cylinder of compressed nitrogen to pressurize, shoot and repressurise over and over without any external air source. The advantages of this, is that there’s no hose and it’s also completely odourless.
It actually fires the nail into the surface within nanoseconds, which is one billionth of a second and, to put that into perspective, one nano-second is to one second as one second is to 31.7 years. Impressively, it only runs off an 18V 3ah lithium-ion battery, which takes 30mins to charge to 80 per cent, and around 1 hour to fully charge. When it is fully charged it can apparently nail up to 600 nails per charge. It does come with a charger that indicates when it is charged, and also if there’s any problems with the battery itself. On that battery it will also tell you how much juice is in the tank. I love that it has this additional feature because you can have a quick look before you’re already at the top of the scaffolding.
For a complex piece of technology operating the machine is so simple. It’s turned on from a button just above the battery which allows you to switch from sequential mode to bump mode. In the sequential mode it will show a solid green light, and this allows precision nailing, which means you’ll need to press the trigger each time you want to drive a nail into the surface. The bump mode allows you to keep your finger on the trigger and fire nails continuously. This mode is indicated by a flashing green light, and is perfect when you need increased speed, such as when nailing boards, for instance.
It is compatible for nails ranging from 2” to 3 1/2” including smooth shank, ring shank and screw shank, which covers various applications and, as expected, it does have a depth drive dial on the top. One thing I wasn’t expecting was it to have a nose piece which prevents marring the surface. You don’t usually see this on a 1st Fix Framing Nailer but I think it’s a good idea, especially if you’re working on something that is going to be visible.
The SENCO is also equipped with a multi-purpose light on the tool handle which acts as an instant troubleshooting guide. When it shines a solid green light, it means the tool is energized and ready to fire. A slow fading light means it’s detected an internal high temperature and a flashing red light a fastener jam problem.
The tool is equipped with something called jam reduction intelligence, so it will attempt to recover. If it doesn’t, however, it isn’t complicated to fix. There is an allan key provided on the tool and it’s a case of loosening three bolts to remove the magazine. Once this is off, it will allow you to access and remove any jammed nails with pliers or a screwdriver. Safety precautions, such as removing the battery, must be taken first. The nailer also has a joist hook which can be adjusted to six positions and is ideal for hanging on rafters and joists whilst working. Finally, it comes in a tool bag instead of a box, which has the advantage of being able to carry a selection of nails in there too.
Senco- www.senco-emea.com/
Tibby Singh – www.TibbySingh.com
