Customer Reviews
Bosttitch F21PL Round Head Framing Nailer 
2007-09-03
A great tool,this is the cadillac of the framing nailers.
Amazon, has a great price on this nailer.
21 degree full round head nails, are a little hard to find, because this is a new item. However most fastner company's have them, I found out.
The big box stores,refuse to carry them, till they get rid of their clipped head framing nailers.
They are offering free accesories, with the clipped head nailers, free palm nailers,ect to get rid of them. Then they will cary the full round head nailers and nails. At least that is what one store mgr. told me.
With OSHA's new requirements, full round head is the way to go.
Amazon, shipped quickly,I recieved the nailer much quicker, than expected.
Nice Nailer Once it Works 
2007-08-15
I received this nailer brand new, but it was broken right out of the box. I had to take it to a Bostitch service center to be fixed, which then took almost two weeks. It would have been easier to return and buy another one. The problem with the nailer was extremely obvious and should have been caught at the factory. Bostitch should have better quality control. Once repaired, the nailer works fine.
Pretty good tool - worth an extra pair of hands (or two) 
2007-08-14
I'm currently using this sucker to frame my garage. I bought Hitachi plastic collated nails for it. It took me a bit to sort it out, but I was able to find 21 degree full round head nails at Lowes. I've been sticking with the Hitachi nails even though there are cheaper brands - the quality is good.
I used 0.131" diameter 21 degree plastic collated nails, 3 1/4" in length, for all of my framing. I was able to blast a bunch of 2x6's together in no time.
I then used 0.131" diameter 21 degree plastic collated nails, 2 3/4" in length, for all of my sheathing. The nailer handled both of these with ease. I can set the depth so I don't go splintering my OSB with too deep of a punch.
I am currently using the trigger that only allows one shot per pull. I like this feature as I don't go machine-gunning 3 nails on top of one another if I slip during the shot. Sometimes it is a little finicky, as you have to get the tip compressed just-so before you pull the trigger, or it will give you a disappointing "pphhh" and no nail. It also seems to have about a 50% ratio of actually firing the last nail in the clip. A lot of times it misses the last nail altogether. I did jam it once with the 2 3/4 nails because I inserted a partially used clip. The uneven break in the plastic collation misaligned the nail and the piston jammed the nail in the barell. I fixed it with a small screwdriver.
It's pretty light for its size. Some friendly helpers I had with the initial framing all remarked at the size of this thing. It looks big and beefy. You'll have a bit of trouble fitting it between studs that are 16" apart - it's a little bulky in tight spaces. For toe-nailing and mating studs together, I had to shoot at an angle. That's when the tip is most finicky, so you have to brace it on the back with one hand while you pull the trigger. At 90 psi or so it might not fully sink the nail on an angled shot like that. At 120 psi it sinks everything. It's kind of scary. My gun came with a protective rubber tip that is handy for things that you don't want to blemish, but without the rubber tip, the cleated gun is much easier to use for angled shots because the tip bites into the wood.
These problems are avoidable if you are careful. A nail gun is an amazing piece of machinery, as I am surprised that with the violence of each shot it doesn't go blowing apart after a few shots. Yet this thing will shoot and shoot as long as I pay attention to the clip, keep it oiled, and set it aside so I don't trip over it. I've dropped it off the ladder twice and it hasn't complained. It's also nice that you can direct the exhaust in multiple directions, as each shot will create a fine oily mist that you can feel on your arm, hand, leg, or whatever. That's just how it works with air tools. At least you can shoot it away from your face. Also, the rubber grip on the handle is slipping around slowly as I use it. That's kind of irritating, especially when it's hot, because the rubber will slide up and bunch up underneath the trigger. Eventually it will probably fall off with enough use. Could probably use a redesign.
On a final note, I bought this thing used from another online auction site that you can probably guess. It was well used before I got it and it's still kicking. For what I paid for it, I'm quite satisfied. I'd probably still be happy with it if I bought it new for a higher price.
Edit 9/6/07: I've been using the metal connector attachment. This thing is pretty handy if you are using Simpson Strong Ties or a similar metal connector for your framing. Most of the Simpson products require a 1.5" nail (so that it doesn't penetrate the other side of 2x lumber) and this gun won't go that small. I've used the 2 1/4" nails when I'm shooting into a junction or multiple pieces. It makes the work go much faster, otherwise you are stuck with a hammer. The tip for metal connectors has a triangular aligning piece that allows you to line up the nail with the hole in the connector. It works really well but be warned - the smaller the nail the better the chance that this thing will misfire. I had much more trouble with the 2 1/4" nails than the bigger framing nails. Also, I glanced off the connector more than once and shot a bent nail bouncing around all over the place - not like a bullet but enough to be dangerous. The metal connector work is much more sensitive to alignment so be careful. Also - be careful about lining up your shot, especially if you are using one hand to brace boards before you shoot. That nail doesn't care if your hand is on the other side of the board when you pull the trigger. I managed to nick my thumb pretty good at about nail number 2,327 during a 10 hour day. Not bad odds - but you'll be better off if you are constantly aware.
Edit 7/12/08: My F21PL is still going and my garage is pretty much done except for electrical and painting. I took this thing up in my attic to build a knee wall around the perimeter so that I could install foam backer board to keep insulation from spilling out onto my soffits. My attic is full of old fiberglass blown-in insulation, so it's nasty and dusty up there. I used my nailer for a few days and it stopped working. After messing with it I figured I had gotten dust inside and perhaps ruined a seal. I finished framing my knee wall with the Bostitch palm nailer (see other review on here - great little tool). I was able to download a rebuild kit from the Bostitch website instantaneously. There are also blow-up diagrams of all of their tools. I bought several rebuild kits and downloaded the diagram, and I was able to successfully rebuild the nailer and get it functioning again. I expect that with my rebuild kits I will keep this nailer going for the rest of my life. Great product support.
it works 2007-06-01
I'm not terribly sure how a framing nailer is and isn't supposed to work, so I didn't give this a 5 ( drive nails when I pull the trigger? ). It's done everything I have asked of it and is working great.
I had some early on jams, but figured out not to try and use broken sticks ( I'm cheap ) and those jams went down significantly.
I had a bit of trouble locating 21 degree full head nails @ the local Home Depot, but eventually found them in mass quantities only. Seems that another degree setting is more common ( I don't remember what that setting was ). I certainly didn't find Bostitch 21 degree nails, much less the special kind for use with the metal plate tip.
I like this nailer after all 2007-03-17
I am editing this review a year later (14Apr08) with some revisions
I am a professional builder presently building super high end homes on the lakefront of Lake Tahoe. I have used every framing nailer made. Before I bought this nailer I was a Senco and Hitachi user. I needed another nailer so from the recommendation of another carpenter I went with this model. What sold it to me was that I liked the fact that it had another nosepiece that allowed it to be used for nailing hardware.
I have had this nailer for about 5 months now and it has a few problems.
When it was new it would tend to spark a lot when ever a nail was fired. Now that it is broken in it sparks still but much less. Edit.. It no longer sparks.
There was a part missing in the unopened box. I promptly ordered it from Bostich and it came right away. The part was a vinyl rod that adjusts the magazine for varying thickness nails.
The nailer really hammers the nail hard with a loud smack. I worry that it will wear out the hammer driver sooner. The sound with the Hitachi is much quieter and the Hitachi nailer seems to work with much less recoil when sinking a nail.
The trigger on the Bostich is very finicky and will not fire unless you depress the nose "just so" even with the bounce trigger installed. The Hitachi and Senco is an honest trigger that fires every time you depress the nose. Hitachi users say bad words out of frustration when using this nailer because of the finicky trigger.
The rubber pad on the side has a metal part that surrounds it. The metal part is thin and recently it broke. Since a nailer is often left on the side then this weak and flimsy part is in a very vulnerable spot.
The nose has a spring that can easily snag something and fly away. Without this spring the nailer will not work. I spent a lot of time searching in the powder snow once for this spring when it accidentally ejected.
This nailer does have all the modern features that some nailers lack. It has the directional exhaust port and an easily adjustable nosepiece. It will sink a 16d toenail with the depth adjustment all the way down unlike other nailers. It comes with an accessory nosepiece cover that covers the toenail teeth to prevent marring the wood. The nose cover though will not stay on very well and is easy to lose.
If I had my preference I would use cliphead nailers because the magazine holds more nails and the paper collation does not spit eye damaging pieces like the plastic collated strips for round head nailers. Cliphead nails are getting hard to find as misguided architects spec only round head nails. You must use safety glasses when using any round head nailer. The plastic shards are probably not very good for the environment either.
I give it 3 stars still because it works fine most of the time and the hardware nailing feature is nice to have.
Edit 13Apr08 I give it 4.5 stars now. I like this nailer because it really has a large piston and can completely sink a toenail into hard LVL. I do a lot of framing with LVL and this is the only nailer that will not make you reach for your hammer to finish driving the nail home. I am used to the trigger now and it no longer frustrates me. I did have to take apart the trigger once and clean it. The trigger started to blow air and the nailer would not shoot. A less mechanically inclined person might have sent it to the shop for a repair. No parts were very worn, it just needed a cleaning. The broken part on the side bumper has not been a problem. This nailer has held up well so far. I frame about a third of the time so this nailer has about 6 months of heavy use behind it now.
nice nailer 2008-07-07
I decided to get one of the refurbished models, and I have been happy with it so far. The price was around $100 cheaper than a new one. The nailer arrived in like-new condition with the metal connector tip and sequencial trigger included. I bought this for jobs around the house, so I cant really compare this to professional nailers, but I have used a Porter Cable frame nailer and I would say that the Bostich performed as well as the PC and is probably 5 pounds lighter. Also, the PC did not have a metal connector option. So far, I have used this nailer to replace about 50 feet of privacy fence. I used 2 3/8 galvanized RH nails using 100 psi, and the gun performed perfectly. The depth adjustment is easy to use and works well. Loading new strips of nails is very easy. My only complaint is that the gun does not come with any kind of case, so I will need to find a tool bag large enough to store this. Overall it seems like a great nailer.
air nailer 2008-07-03
this is a pretty good air nailer. The only problem I've had is sometimes it does'nt shoot all of the 2 3/8 inch nails,but does just fine on the 3 1/2 inch nails.
not a bad tool 2008-04-19
I received this F21PL at work (I am not in construction), whereupon I opened it immediately. I came to find out Stanley had shipped 2 framing nosepieces for the nailer, and forgot to send a metal fastener nosepiece. Getting on the phone I was met with a great response which netted me the correct piece in the mail 3 days later. I was impressed by their responsiveness. Having tried out only framing nails, I have found the same shower of sparks from the tip of the nailer as others have reported. Otherwise it seems to work quite well, although I wish the framing tip had a more agressive face to it to aid in toenailing. Overall I would give it 4.5/5 stars.
Worked fine for me. 2008-04-18
Had the coil roofing nailer and loved it so I bought their framing nailer too. It has worked fine for me and has no trouble driving a 3 1/2" nail.
If you need to fasten lots of metal clips and hangers... 2007-10-05
...then perhaps this is the nailer for you.
At the price I was able to buy it for, I am very happy with my Bostitch nailer. It was a factory refurb, but it looked, felt, and even smelled like brand new. To be honest, I think Hitachi nailers (at least the ones that I have used) have a smoother action. Don't get me wrong, the Bostitch works great and I haven't had a jam yet, but the Hitachis seem just that much easier to fire, especially in difficult toe-nailing positions. At any rate, I could not get one for anywhere near the price I got my refurb Bostitch for on Amazon. And the Bostitch has the special nose that lets you attach metal straps and other hardware to wood. I have used this feature in commercial applications about a dozen times (over 1000 collated joist hanger nails used so far) and it rocks. It is so effective nailing metal hardware that I have yet to use a brand new palm nailer that I bought for that purpose. The instruction manual says that the metal connector nose can only be used with the sequential trigger which, for me, would mean changing the trigger every time I wanted to fasten metal connectors, but I have been using it with the "smart" trigger without any problems. Of course, I don't try to "bump" fire into the tiny holes of the metal connectors, that would be asking for a lot of trouble, but it does work using the sequential mode of firing with the smart trigger (I suppose the folks at Bostitch are justifiably worried about the danger of a nail ricocheting off of a metal connector in the event of an accidental double fire and that is why they say that the metal connector feature can only be used with the sequential trigger). The Bostitch also has a quick and simple tooless depth adjustment system, which I can't even imagine not having this day in age, tooless exhaust port adjustment, an inch scale printed on the side of the nail magazine so that you can properly space your shearwall nailing without having to take out your tape, and the ability to accommodate the skinniest to the fattest of nails.
Maybe sometime in the future, when I make more money and can afford to have a second nailgun lying around, I will buy a Hitachi and covet it and not let anybody else touch it, but in the meantime I am completely satisfied with the value of the Bostitch nailer and its unique ability of nailing metal connectors to wood. It pays for itself with that task.
