Makita AN924 Framing Nailer

We used the new Makita AN924 Framing Nailer on several jobs over a period of several weeks including a complete home remodel. The work required the construction and modification of more than a few stud walls. Having used a Hitachi NR90AE nailer for over a decade, the Makita AN924 held its own as a powerful framer that includes all the bells and whistles. It also keeps its weight in check—and a light nailer makes the day go more smoothly.

PROS

Drives nails consistently
Nose spurs grab onto studs
High capacity, top-load aluminum magazine
Simple switch for single or bump actuation
Dry-fire lockout
Lightweight

CONS

No significant drawbacks

Recommendation

Every feature of the AN924 is focused on efficiency. You get lots of power, aggressive spurs for control when toenailing, and a top-loading magazine that holds a lot of nails. The former model, the AN923 loaded from the rear. A selector switch near your thumb makes for easy switching in and out of bump-fire. You can find slightly lighter pneumatic nailers and heavier cordless framers, but Makita has put together an impressive package at a great price.

Performance

Magazine

Our crews haven’t strayed far from pneumatic framers due in part to habit but also to the cordless models’ extra couple of pounds. If a gun is reliable and reasonably light, we use it. The Makita AN924 framing nailer proved to be both of those things. But it sweetened the deal with its excellent aluminum magazine. The maximum 21º plastic collated nail capacity of 73 is on the high end of the range—two full sticks as you’d expect. It gets bested by its predecessor the AN923 at 74 and the Paslode F350-S which holds 84.

We like having fewer reloads, and the top-loading design makes it as easy and quick as could be. This was one of our favorite features.

Driving Home

This Makita framer hits nails hard. That power paired with nose’s aggressive spurs meant that nails go where I want them to go. Although some Pros might not consider precision critical in framing, it does enhance your speed.

All that power generates a burst of exhaust, of course, which exits through the top of the tool’s body. There’s no exhaust adjustment, which I don’t consider a big deal on a framing nailer.

All The Extras

The hook is reversible and adjustable. You can set it to either of two widths. I liked this option as the narrower works for your tool belt while the wider handles the hole in the top of your ladder or a wide beam.

An easy switch toggles between single and bump-fire. You also get a tool-free depth-of-drive adjustment that works well—though I rarely needed to adjust it. A dry-fire lockout mode lets you know you need more nails. I would expect all nailers to have this by now—but they don’t. Finally, the rubberized Makita logos on both sides function as protective bumpers. The whole package includes oil and a 1/4-inch NPT air fitting, so you don’t have to make that unpleasant trip back to the store.

Price

The 8.3-pound Makita AN924 framing nailer with 3-year warranty will set you back $229. That seems quite competitive in the field (which you can check out in our recent framing nailer shootout. However, the Hitachi NR90AE(S1) (now Metabo HPT) with 5-year warranty is quite a bit less expensive at $179 and weighs just 7.28 pounds. The well-reviewed and lighter weight Milwaukee 7200-20 also matches the price and includes a 5-year warranty.

The Bottom Line

The Makita AN924 nailer is an excellent tool with solid value. Although its 3-year warranty is a couple of years shy of its closest competitors, it otherwise keeps pace with the field’s top-performers. It also drops almost a pound off the weight of its predecessor, which otherwise did very well in our recent shootout.

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