Siding & Roofing Tool Reviews

With siding and roofing tool reviews you put products into the hands of Pros who are often high off the ground. That’s no joke. If you’re testing a DeWalt DW45RN coil roofing nailer or Paslode CR175C cordless roofing nailer you don’t want to have to stop. We also test out products like the Duo-Fast button cap stapler as well as hand tools. Materials are also a big deal, and testing sheathing, fasteners, and other materials makes a difference. Siding & Roofing Tool Reviews From HardieBoard blades to dust mitigation, siding is taking on new roles in remodeling. Dust mitigation has now entered this industry as well and plays a major role. Having an OSHA fall protection plan now plays a major role in compliance for Pros. While roofing is largely unchanged, new solar tiles and advanced roofing tech may change the landscape. We try to stay on top of the latest developments. We hope our roofing tool reviews and articles can keep roofers and siding Pros up to speed.

Bosch Coil Roofing Nailer

Bosch Coil Roofing Nailer RN175 Review

Roofing nailers come in many sizes and shapes. Bosch’s Coil Roofing Nailer RN175 provides several advantages that we wanted to test out in the field. By evaluating it in practical use we hoped to see whether this relative newcomer could compete in a market that has been dominated by a relatively small number of stand-out manufacturers for a long time. The attraction of Bosch’s new line of pneumatic tools includes the advanced technology they use in order to eliminate a lot of the volume typically required in order to reset the tool during each firing of the pneumatic piston. In the case of the RN175, we found that while the tool absolutely has less girth than many competing products, the tool still overall has an equivalent heft and bulk to many of its competitors.

Fasco America SideWinder Windstrips Stapler Preview

Fasco America SideWinder Windstrips Stapler Preview

We personally discovered Fasco’s Windstrips products at the 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas. Windstrips were developed to allow contractors to quickly and easily install felt underlayment while simultaneously providing an advanced level of wind protection. When used with 30lb felt paper, a standard roll will protect approximately 800 sq. ft. of roof area. What Fasco didn’t have at that event was their new SideWinder Windstrips Installation Stapler. This tool is still under development by Fasco, but Pro Tool Reviews got our hands on one to use on a local roofing project. Yeah, we were excited too.

Bosch CET4-20W air compressor

Bosch CET4-20W 4 Gallon 2 HP Air Compressor Review

When you’re on the job framing a house there’s nothing worse than having to wait for your compressor to play catch-up. Those days are likely over with the Bosch CET4-20W 4 Gallon Electric Hand Carry Compressor with wheels. Not only is this a convenient tool to carry around, it’s got the volume and fast recovery time to make sure you can keep working, uninterrupted, no matter what the job. We used the CET4-20W on a variety of jobs and it held its own each time, earning it the nickname “Jack” – as in “be nimble and quick.”

Grip Rite Galvanized Coil Roofing Nails

Grip Rite Galvanized Roofing Nails

Grip-Rite’s Collated Coil Roofing Fas’ners are held together with wire and are perfect for use with nearly all coil-style roofing nailers. They are available in sizes ranging from 3/4″ to 2″ in galvanized (both smooth and ring shank), and from 1″ to 1-1/2″ in stainless steel. Each nail has a 3/8″ broad head. We used a box of 1-1/4″ galvanized to, among other things, roofa 400 square foot addition. The nails loaded easily and the coils retained their shape, thanks to the double wire weld collation method. This made loading easy and jams were infrequent, though the last nail in a coil would often fall away loose within several of our nailers.

Iron Dog Tool Gear

Iron Dog Tool Gear

Iron Dog Tool Gear offer amazing quality and a unique ability to set up your work belt rig the way you want it. With their Versa Clip system, you can configure your gear on the move using the many clip points located on the belt and the bags. Beyond the ability to configure your tool belt, you can now actually get the right size and type of pouch you need. With a vast array of sizes, styles, and tool specific pouches and holders you now will be able to have a place for everything and everything in its place.

Fasco Pneumatic Stapler with Windstrips

Fasco Pneumatic Stapler with Windstrips

We stopped by the Fasco America booth at the 2009 International Builders Show (IBS) and got a look at Windstrips – one of the most innovative, time-saving solutions we’ve seen for drying in roofs. The product has been developed to install easily and quickly while still providing the best wind protection for drying-in with 30 lb. tar paper. A standard 1-1/8″ wide, 350″ roll will protect approximately 800 sq. ft. of roof area.

Hitachi EC119SA air compressor

Hitachi EC119SA Air Compressor Review

The Hitachi EC119SA 4-Gallon Twin-Stack Air Compressor comes with many big compressor features in a compact and portable unit. With class leading power, this unit is ready for action. Featuring a powerful 2.5 HP induction motor that runs at 15 Amps which is coupled to a cast pump iron cylinder that has oversized bearing and is oil lubed.