BOSTITCH Metal Connector Nailer, 1-1/2-Inch (MCN150)

I've put in just enough joist hangers and hurricane clips to know how much "fun" holding boards with one hand, metal connectors with the other, stubby nails with the third while accurately swinging a hammer with the fourth is. So when I saw that the "pain" of buying a strap shot was a fraction of the pain of previously smashed fingers, I emailed Bostich to see if it would shoot nails through pronged truss plates like used on most residential trusses, since my current application had truss plates located under my intended hurricane clip location. Of course I got the "official" answer of "not recommended". So I gambled anyway and purchased the smaller strap shot for 1-1/2" nails and bought the beefier .148 nails. The gun is very light weight and compact as compared to my 15 year old Bostich framing nailer. Loading is simple. Finding the target hole is easy since the nail extends beyond the tip, so even when you can't see it, you can slide it around and "feel" the hole. Unlike a normal nailer that requires pressure on the sleeve around the nail, slight pressure on the exposed nail is needed to unlock the firing mechanism. The trigger is sequential trip, so no double fires. Although their specs say "It has a built in safety that prevents the tool from firing when not placed properly into the connector hole," this is either incorrect or my gun is defective. No worries, when I missed the hole in the strap, it had no issues with making new holes in 18g "Strongtie H2" hurricane clips and the lighter truss plates were no issue either. I even shot some nails to anchor 7/16 osb in a tight place my framing nailer won't fit. Through all this I was using 95 psi which is the max on my old framing nailer. I was nailing into seasoned southern yellow pine and yes, I did need to bump most nails with a hammer, but a bit higher pressure may have been all that was needed (max on this gun is 120). It was going so well, I had 90 clips @ 10 nails each done in a very short time. Part of the time savings was time not having to move the ladder to get into a good holding/nailing position for each clip, since I could reach 24 OC and nail the next ones from the same position. When all was said and done, I had used 900 nails, no jams, no deflections, and no bent nails. Be aware that a "feature" to prevent jams, prevents the gun from working when only 5 nails are left (who reads instructions anyway). This caught me off guard since the lead nail tips back into the nailer for this, making me first think the gun was broken. But no fear, loaded another strip behind it and the 5 were realigned and ready to shoot. Nice molded case, mine had an extra cavity molded to hold a palm nailer too, which fit my old Senco palm nailer perfectly. Money well spent. Dad always said, "Use the right tool for the right job." Believe me, this is the right too!

I have now used this for two deck projects, including installation of 100+ hangers, and it hasn't jammed a single time or given me any other problems. Would definitely buy again

Used this for a couple of days installing joist hangers on a old deck that needed a lot of work..Using this nail gun saved me a lot of time and frustration as hand nailing hangers that take 5 or 6 nails on each side of the joist takes time.I would definitely recommend this gun .Its a Bostitch so its built to last and rebuild kits for it are available.Doubt you would need to do that for quite a few years if you keep it oiled.It holds a clip of 24 nails so you do need to reload it frequently.Other then that its worth the 200$ I paid for it.

Awesome tool! Purchased for a deck project and was amazed at how well it worked. The nails protrude from the end so you can easily line them up with the hanger holes. Slight pressure against the nail 'unlocks' the gun to fire. It has very little recoil and being lightweight and small meant I could position it in tight spots while using my left hand rather than right and still put the nails where I wanted them. Work with all the various brackets including single joist concealed hangers. The gun was slender enough to fit in and set all the nails. The hanger on the gun works well and is tapered just enough that it slips over the beam without much effort but tight enough to hang securely. The only small issue which other have discussed as well is that the last few nails don't fire until another stick is put in to prevent jamming. Once I was aware of that feature, not really an issue.It comes with a nice case that actually has a depression for a palm nailer as well. Good combination since the gun only drive 1-1/2" nails and I used the palm nailer for longer nails in tight spots. Now I can keep them both in one place. So far I have gone through two cases of strip nails without a hitch. In the end it actually made the project fun and made quick work of all the hangers and hurricane straps.

The nailer is great, but good luck getting the actual nails without waiting months.

Bostitch 1 1/2 placement nail gun great performanceEasy to use, fits in small spaces, light weight, durableAnd great for the price.

Great product. Currently building my own home and installed over 200 rafter ties and joist hangers and this thing really was a time saver. For the money it was beyond worth it. Once you figure out what pressure setting puts the nails in properly, you’re well on your way. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting air tool oil for these types of tools and only putting in 2-3 drops in it before and after use. I have several air tools and have had them for years without issue because of putting recommended oil for each tool. Don’t waist your time nailing in anything by hand if you can avoid it. Work smarter, not harder. I’m a 15 yr power lineman and know all to well the effects of manual labor to the body and this tool was a welcomed addition to the toolbox. Unless you just are the lucky one to end up with a lemon, you won’t regret this purchase. Highly recommend.

Great work multiplier. So much more productive.But... hopefully nobody is learning how to use one from the pictures in this ad. Amazon shows a picture where they are using the 1.5" strap nailer for the diagonal on a joist hanger. Those got to be 3.5" nails according to Simpson.