Post by henrun on Oct 25, 2019 23:10:22 GMT -5
Makita has a very chunky DBN500 nailer which seems both awkward and not that good. Hitachi/Hikoki makes an excellent 18V nailer that performs great but is also quite heavy and does not fit in anything less than a #3 Systainer.
My baseline models are the Senco Fusion F18 18ga which I had a couple of years and a Ryobi 18V nailer that was a bit slow but actually does quite well - both the Senco and the Ryobi are lightweight and fits in a #1/#2 Systainer with batteries and accessories.
When I do any type of volume work I use an Omer air nailer with a small Aerfast compressor, the Omer takes both pins and brads and is my go-to gun. Sometimes it is nice to bring an extra 18V tool for the small jobs and thin stock and that is where the new Makita comes in. The Makita is based on the 23ga pin nailer and seems to be more or less the same machine. I have the pin nailer and they are pretty much identical. The new Makita 18ga nailer is limited to 35mm brad length, in 5mm increments from 15 to 35. Any sizes inbetween will not fit, it will cause jamming - at least when tested with Senco 32mm brads.
I bought the Makita unseen in the flesh and was positively impressed by it and when I looked at the Hikoki equivalent (not available over here) I found out that they have on that does 40mm - so I pulled the trigger on that one too:
For size the Makita is smaller no matter how you swing it.
Grip is great on both.
The Makita has a 2Ah battery with battery gauge mounted, making it very small and nimble.
The Hikoki has one, and one size only at the moment with the MultiVolt 36V battery which is 2.5Ah (5Ah when mounted on a 18V machine).
This makes the Hikoki heavier than the Makita and I doubt that Hitachi will release a compact battery any time soon.
The Hikoki is larger to begin with so for ergonomics the Makita is a clear winner - but you still have to take into account that the Hikoki is still not really that large and that the battery is a higher capacity battery and also that the Hikoki accepts longer brads.
The LED light on the Makita is not more than "ok", the Hikoki has two LED's and the one on the right side is angled up making for a much better illumination of the work/target area.
Grip is better on the Hikoki, balance is equal though the Makita is lighter.
Performance?
Well, there are no complaints at all with either machine.
The Makita has a slight lag when pressing the trigger. It does sink the 35mm brads all the way and consistently. The recoil is very low. I think it works better than the pin nailer Makita makes. I wish it would take 40mm brads but I would not want to have it if it wasn't consistent so I think Makita knows the limits and built a very handy nail gun. It is a keeper for sure and has been used twice in the field already.
The Hikoki is clearly a bit stronger. The trigger is instant - feels more like a "real" nail gun. Recoil is noticeably higher than Makita but still low. The "advantage" is knowing there is some recoil and when you hold it firm against the surface the Hikoki is very consistent. Tested both with same Senco 35mm brads at first and they are both really nice to use. The Makita with a slight lag and less recoil and the Hikoki with instant action and little more recoil. Switching to 40mm brads for the Hikoki and it sinks them all the way too with very consisten depth drive.
Both nail guns are great tools in my book: take up very little space and does the job. I can't pick a favorite but the Hikoki does 40mm and instant trigger, has a better LED (two of them) and still fits in a #1 Systainer. Weighs more than the Makita and the "large" MV battery is the only option at the moment. With the performance it is still a very handy gun. It feels sturdier and better made than the Makita too. Unfortunately the MV batteries work on 18V machines but not the other way around so I can't use my small 3Ah compact 18V batteries on the Hikoki which would have been great!
Hikoki does actually offer the same machine in 18V - but that one "only" does 35mm brad nails, same as the Makita. If I would compare the Hikoki and Makita 18V machines that would be a draw for sure but I would give it to Hikoki for better LED and instant trigger.
Makita is a bit "softer" in use and has no real advantage over the Hikoki MV but if you are happy with 35mm brad length it is very small and very consistent in use. Paired with a 2Ah battery you are good to go for at least 500 nails in the smallest 18V package on the market.
Price is about equal, the Makita was just released a month ago and entered the market at a campaign price. The Hikoki MV and 18V sell in Japan for the same price as the Makita, not surprisingly.
Both come easy to recommend. I made a short off the cuffs video with them both, though I did not have a proper support for the Iphone so take it for what it is worth. Will try to upload it now.