One of my first responsibilities as an apprentice was nailing joist hangers. Flash forward 20 years and a skilled-labor crisis later, and I'm still hand-driving connector nails. In that time, the number of connectors used on a typical build has exploded, and I'm reminded of this every day by an ever-shrinking carpal tunnel. Given my aching hand, I jumped at the chance to try MAX's SuperLocator metal-connection nailer (SN438J). The nailer uses common 10d, 11/2-in. connector nails, and it's the tip of the nail that you use to align the tool to the hole in the metal connector being installed. The tool's slim profile and 34° angle make it easy to squeeze into the tight spaces where this sort of nailing always seems to occur, and when not in use the handy multiposition rafter hook makes it easy to keep the nailer nearby.
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