Please don't purchase this nailer and expect to use it for contractor use. It just isn't that type of nail gun. Slow and methodical is the name of the game with this one. You are not going to be firing nails as fast as you can pull the trigger. It will countersink 2 inch nails through 3/4 oak plywood and into a 2x4. However, there is a delay when you pull the trigger and if you pull the gun away from your workpiece to soon, it will leave the nail proud of the surface. Also, if you don't hold it firmly enough against your work piece then the resulting kickback will leave the nail slightly proud of the surface. If you exercise proper technique and patience then this gun will meet the homeowner/hobbiest use. I use it to reinforce glue joints on some of my projects. I also use this every weekend as woodworking is a hobby of mine. I thought about getting the dewalt nailer but it is a lot more bulky than the B&D and I felt that some of my projects require something that can get into smaller spots. Something you might consider depending on what your application needs are. Also, the cost was 1/3 of the Dewalt and at least half of any other 18 guage cordless nailer I could find at the time. So after reading some reviews on this one I purchased two of them for a couple reasons. First, I like to use differnt size nails on the same project and this would allow me to not have to constantly change out nail sizes. Second, based on some of the reviews I read I felt that if one broke down I would still have one that worked while I sent it in for service. Which brings me to the 2 year warranty that comes standard with this model. 2 months and about 200 nails into it, one of the nailers stopped working. The indicator light was indicating low battery and wouldn't fire. It would do that with all six of my batteries as I have other 18v B&D products. I took it to a local authorized repair center and he said B&D would probably just send me a new one in the mail. No hassles. So in conclusion I would say that this is a decent product that might give you some mechanical problems but the 2 yr manufacturers warranty makes it worth it.
***Update***
July 16, 2010. B&D has had my nailer since 6/21/10 for warranty service. Found out today that they will not be replacing it or repairing it, they will be sending me a check for the purchase price including tax. I asked how they would know how much I paid for it and the rep said they use a regional sales figure that is the same for all authorized retailers. I'll update this review when I get that check.
***Update***
July 26, 2010. Recieved the check from B&D today. I was concerned about the amount I would get but, that concern was unwarranted. The amount covered my cost completely. After this, I am more than willing to add more B&D tools to my collection. Black & Decker FS1802BNB Firestorm 18-Volt 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer
I like to consider myself some what of an expert on B&D Firestorm products. I own just about all the tools from the line and am fairly happy with the performance and price of them. I've written quite a few reviews, most positive. However, this is the worst Firestorm purchase I've ever made. Straight out of the box I loaded the unit with the manufacture recommended brad nails. It fired fine on the first shot then jammed. I cleared the jam, then fired again. It jammed again, I tried a third time, then forth and so on. It continued to jam every time. I took the unit back to Lowe's and got another one...same thing happened with the second nail gun. Even the experts at Lowe's couldn't get this to fire a second nail. They tried for half an hour different things but no luck. This is why I know it wasn't just me. I was very surprised to see B&D come out with a product that simply did not work. At the time I paid $200 for this, I'm sure by now the price has come down drastically. Even so, it's not worth more than $20. I'm sorry to say but you are definitly better off with another brand.
I just got this nailer, and now I don't know how I did without it! It's not available on Amazon at this time, so I had to get it on a well known auction website. This nailer works great for my around the house trim upgrading projects (of which I have many). It loads easily, doesn't fire too loudly (it wasn't loud at all especially compared to nail guns powered by an air compressor), and it doesn't leave a mark on the wood surface other than the small hole where the nail passed thru. This nailer obviously wasn't designed for major framing type jobs, but for trimming jobs it's perfect! I can't wait to start my next project just so I can use this gun more!!! It's sweeeeeeeeeeet!!!!
Beware of this nailer because it's no longer supported by Black and Decker. I ordered this nailer and it arrived non-functioning. I drove it to the Black and Decker repair center thinking a replacement would be an easy process. They confirmed the unit was dead. They then made me aware of the fact that B&D hadn't sold that unit in 3 years and they were shocked that I had a "new" one. They had no way to replace or repair it under the 2 year factory warranty. I then called B&D to confirm this information, and this was confirmed as being correct.
This might be an excellent tool, but without a factory warranty why take the chance?
Research the B&D web site and you can see they only sell a 12volt model at this time.
I was really looking for a cordless nailer that can help me get some house jobs done. I stumbled upon this firestorm nailer from B&D at Amazon. With the reviews it was getting, I was kinda leary to buy the product but finally I decided to get one and was amazed how fast they shipped it. I got it the following day I ordered it! Next day delivery and free! Can't beat that! So to speak, I tried it and works great for my home projects, so far. I love it and makes my work easier. Too bad that not all got pleased with it according to their expectation. - Brad Nailers - 18v Battery - Cordless Nailer - Brad Nailer'
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