Campbell Hausfeld Angle Finish Nailer CHN70600 Review

Recently Campbell Hausfeld introduced a new line of air nailers (www.chnailers.com) as well as a new line of air compressors (www.chcompressors.com) primarily aimed at the DIY market. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to test out the 15 gauge Finish Nailer CHN706000 which will retail for around $139 at your local home center.

Out of the Box

Well I was not terribly impressed by the packaging for this tool, there is a pikaboo window which is probably unnecessary and the inside was a thin plastic shell with twist ties holding the tool in place. It reminded me of opening a GI Joe toy when I was little which was kind of cool from a nostalgia point of view but didn’t give me super high hopes for the tool. Also the nailer requires 2 AAA batteries and **batteries not included, again another flash back to childhood but in this trip there was no childhood glee. Not that it’s important, if the lower packaging costs are what keep the price down super, put it in a plain brown box I wouldn’t care. Eventually I found some batteries and we were good to go.

New Technology

All the new CH nailers have some new/adapted technology incorporated into them. The CHN70600 finish nailer has the most added technology of the new nailers including laser pointer, low nail warnings and even a stud finder. This seemed like a lot of technology, before I ever got my hands on it and to be honest I’m still not convinced it is necessary. The laser pointer works great but when you line the nailer up it’s only about an inch away from the work surface. It’s right in the middle of the tiny window in the shoe and you can even push the nose against the wood before pulling the trigger to get it super lined up without the laser. The low nail warning also works fine but you can see the cartridge with the nails going down. The nailer also has Anti-Dry Fire feature which locks up when you are almost out of nails which is a much better feature and seems like it would neglect the need for the warning lights. Finally the stud finder, which is hanging on by a thin piece of plastic below the no-mar tip, was tested. At first I didn’t think it even worked and then read the directions to figure out how to calibrate it. Once calibrated the stud finder worked pretty accurately although since it hangs it wasn’t totally flat against the wall so I found myself pushing the stud finder plate against the wall with my free hand which made this job a two handed operation. Also I’m left handed and the stud finder trigger is set for right handers. I am still wondering about the speaker on the left side of the tool which beeps when it finds a stud. With sawdust, drywall and everything else on a jobsite is that speaker going to hold up?

Low Tech Improvements

If all the electronics weren’t enough there are some other technological improvements that don’t involve laser beams. There is a small level on the back on the nailer, and when I say small I mean tiny. I’m not really sure how necessary a level is on a finish nailer anyway but it is not easy to read. It was fine outdoors but inside it became much harder to read and typically you will be inside with a finish nailer. A low tech feature which I thought was a real good idea was the swivel air hose connector which seems obvious to put on a tool like this as it is more comfortable, convenient and allows the hose to hang in a more natural fashion which I think would result in less malfunctions with the air inlet in general.

Most Important – How Does It Work as a Nailer

Like when you get a new iPhone with all the bells and whistles where you can stream video from NASA astronauts but can’t make a phone call across the street. I think the most important question to answer is how does the Finish Nailer work as a Finish Nailer?  Overall I have to say I was very impressed with the how the tool works for what it is intended, and really isn’t that most important. The tool feels well constructed, the nail depth adjuster helps set the proper nail depth and loading the nails was very easy. I did find at 70 psi (minimum) I wasn’t getting the nail to get all the way through the wood and drywall every time however at 90 psi it worked beautifully every time. The tool can operate in “sequential mode” or “bump mode” which allows you to hold down the trigger and nails to fire when the nose is compressed. I didn’t have any nail jams while using the tool but clearing a jam seemed pretty strait forward to fix with the easy to open latch on top of the tool that exposes where you would have a jam.  

Overall

I think overall this is a real nice nail gun for the price. The swivel plug, adjustable exhaust, ADC nail depth adjuster and Anti-Dry Fire are all real nice features for any nailer. I personally don’t think some of the electronic features were necessary and could see running out of batteries, never replacing them and still think it’s a good tool. I get that a lot of the added electronic features on the tool give a less experienced user more confidence in what they are doing. The lasers and stud finders will sell more tools and probably will hold up fine to occasional use by a DIYer over the next several years. I will say I would look at these features completely different if this tool was going into stores like Ohio Power Tool to sell to professionals than I do knowing the tool is made for the DIY shoppers at the Depot Center. Can I see these features ever making it onto pro tools, nope. 

The tool has been donated to the www.ColumbusIdeaFoundry.com (thank you Campbell Hausfeld) where it has already begun taking abuse and will certainly get used for everything it was never intended. I will update down the road several months on the long term performance of this tool, stay tuned.      

   

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