PORTER-CABLE Pin Nailer, 23-Gauge, 1-3/8-Inch (PIN138)

Very pleased w/ this purchase, as I've been with almost all the Porter Cable power tools I've purchased over the years. . . Thus far, I've only used this pin nailer a few times to run trim moldings, and even some baseboards. Next time I'll use a brad nailer, instead for baseboards, as the smaller gauge pin nails do not have the 'umph' to pull the baseboards in tight against the 2x4 studs and/or baseplates. But that was an operator error - so to speak - as I wanted to test the limits & capabilities of this pin nailer. For thin and/or fragile wood or PVC type moldings, including picture frames, face frames, furniture trimwork, etc, it works perfectly!Nailer doesn't require a large amount of CFM to operate, so it'll work fine w/ small compressors, but be careful to set the output regulator's air pressure on your compressor per the pin nailer's operating manual. It is relatively quiet when operated, comfortable to use, light weight, and compact for use in confined work situations. Depth settings are easy to adjust, and I only have encountered a couple of pins that weren't driven below the work surface, and that may have been my fault, and not the nailer's. One should exercise caution when using a pin nailers, as unlike larger nail guns, it's not necessary to have the nose of the tool against the work's surface being fastened; consequently, it's possible to fire nails 'into the air'. This is not unique to Porter Cable's pin nailers, and to the best of my knowledge, all pin nailers share this trait. It also seems well made, and should withstand repeated use on jobsites, as long as one doesn't use it as a hammer!The ability to run various length of pin nails up to 1 3/8 long makes this a versatile nailer. Wish I'd got one years ago.

I build fine furniture as a hobby and demand high quality from my tools as my furniture is quite intricate and I usually work with exotics or semi-exotics. This nailer is absolutely great for a $100. You can feel the quality when you hold it and work with it.I read a lot about different models but couldn't see where I would need longer pins than this gun can shoot and couldn't convince myself to spend $300 on a pinner.I did a couple of projects with it already and it worked flawlessly. It felt great in my hand and I could get to all of the tight spots I needed. I love its ability to shoot the invisible pins at an angle when you take the plastic tip off while doing glue ups or trim work (increases its ability to shoot the pins at a sharper angle)As an example of how strong these pins can hold wood together I did a little experiment. I shot three 3/4 pins to connect to pieces of cherry of about 1/2 inch thick. I couldn't pull them apart without prying them apart with the screwdriver (of course, two pieces of pine would not hold the pins so securely but one could use longer pins with heads (partially braided) and shoot them at an angle to compensate for the softness of the wood, I guess).Usually, you can find something you don't like or not so crazy about in a particular tool. I couldn't find anything negative about it. You look at the gun and notice all the thoughtful details like rubber pads on the side, the holder for a tip etc. Porter-Cable designers did a good homework if they could manufacture this type of quality gun for so cheap.Hope this quick review helps.

Great pin nailer and doesn't require oil like some brands. For finish carpentry you don't want oil staining the wood, so oil-free guns are best in my opinion. Also like larger safety lever as it is easy to pull with middle finger and pull trigger to shoot nail with index finger. Some brands safety is only slightly longer than trigger making it a bit more to fiddle with, but this gun's safety trigger is great.

Purchased this pin nailer primarily for wood working projects. This week I’ve been building a shop cabinet / router table where I used this to mount the safe frame and drawer fronts. Yes, my photo is missing a drawer front… I ran out of hardwood :/Comes in a nice case with safety glasses and a box of nails. The build quality seems rugged and it’s very comfortable to operate. Controls are straight forward as well, just like any brad nailer. It’s very easy to place pins precisely.When I did receive it, I opened the packaging and left the nailer in the garage so I could use it the next day. I milled a bunch of hardwood to 1/2” for the drawer fronts that evening and planned to mount them the following day. The next day I glue up the bottom drawer front and go to fire the pin nailer… nothing. I tried troubleshooting and couldn’t get it to fire. After reading the manual and scouring the inter web I found that in cold conditions it binds up and won’t fire pins. I take the nailer inside and hit it with the heat gun and it immediately starts firing pins. This is kind of inconvenient because I live in IL and it gets cold more than half the year. I’m keeping it because it works really well and I don’t want to go through a return, but in winter months I’m going to store it in the mud room instead in the garage so it’s ready for use.