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by Peter Brett - May 2006
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Deal or No Deal?
Speaking to as many tradespeople as I do, I have noticed that a certain make of gas powered framing nailer in an orange carrying case is a favourite. Having used one a few times, I can see why they are. They can speed up jobs and save a lot of wrist strain.
But there is competition. Many of the big name tool brands have similar products to tempt those who favour their tools. So for BeA to enter the market with their Dynamik D90 is a risk, and one of the things I have tried to assess in this review is whether end users and retailers should be thinking about whether the Dynamik D90 is a risk or whether it has some features which may find favour with some users.
There is a basic pattern to framing nailers that seems standard. A bulky top front that contains the gas cell and the power mechanism, an angled nail carrier and a handle and trigger mechanism. The BeA Dynamik D90 is no different from this basic pattern but there are a few minor alterations. First of all, the nail magazine is really quite large and holds 97 nails. The nails slide in easily from the top and the spring loaded shoe holds them firmly ready to be fired.
Secondly, the front part of the nailer housing the gas cartridge and firing mechanism is noticeably larger than many others tools of this type.
Thirdly, and this is the strange bit to me, it seems a bit lighter and easier to handle than some of the others I have tried. So the extra bulk has not resulted in extra weight. I should also add that it is made in Germany. Looking at the way in which it is built you would be hard pressed to find fault. It is robustly and simply made from good quality materials. There don’t appear to be any shortcuts in manufacture, there are no raised edges on metal parts or ill-fitting plastic casings. The moving parts work smoothly, and click positively into place where they should.
The specifications of the BeA Dynamik D90 betray nothing startling. It weighs 3.86 Kgs, and therefore I am glad that I don’t have to heft it round a building site all day. But that is about the sort of weight of similar products. The magazine holds 97 nails and a fully charged battery will drive an average of about 7500 nails. A fuel cell lasts about 2500 nails, and the recommended maximum number of nails driven per hour is 1000 &Mac246; about 17 nails per minute for those macho beasts who can work that fast. Again, it seems to me that these figures are not out of place for a gas-powered framing nailer, they are what we expect from these kind of tools.
I don’t have to use a framing nailer all day and therefore I found making a judgement on the Dynamik 90 quite difficult. To help me out I spent some time with a couple of site chippies who between them own a couple of different brands of nailer. They were initially intrigued by the Dynamik 90 because it is lighter than some of the competition, and this appealed to them. Getting the tools primed and ready for use was, for them, a familiar process, and they were soon ready to go. Using the 90mm long nails supplied for the review they were soon firing away into a practice wooden beam. They both commented that the Dynamik 90 seemed quite smooth and controllable in use, and that the nails were driven home fairly and squarely with no fuss. When I had my turn I could take their points. For a non-regular user, although I was clumsier, I soon reached a level of competence.
Both of the chippies liked the thin and extended end of the firing nose that is able to reach into smaller gaps where other nailers can’t reach easily. They also both commented on the simplicity and robustness of the construction and said that this could be a good thing for cleaning and maintaining the tool. Since regular maintenance is necessary for the safe operation and longevity of this type of tool, anything that makes it easier is surely a plus point.
At the end of the hour or so we spent firing nails into the beam, I asked the leading question:- Would you swop your nailer for the Dynamik 90? Although they both said “no” on the grounds that they had already invested in a system that they knew well, they were able to agree that a tradesman looking to replace a broken nailer, or a new user, should definitely consider the BeA nailer. Certainly it is as competent as the leading brands, I am informed that it has a longer span between services, and it is built to be simple to clean and maintain.
Looking at the Dynamik 90 as it would appear on the retailer’s shelf it is still a contender. It comes in a dark blue plastic custom fitted case. Inside the case there is room for the charger and two batteries and several hundred nails. There is also a dinky sort of system to hold the tool onto a belt when you are a several metres off the ground joining up some roof trusses. It seems to have everything needed to provide competition for the leading brands, so it should have a place in the range.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications