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by Peter Brett - February 2007
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Light & Fit for professional use
Some of the products have been innovative, like the Ranger Duo, a cordless nailer/stapler for professionals, but the Tacwise 400EL nailer seems to me like a very good product, not for its innovations, but for the simple reason is that it is extremely efficient at what it does - i.e. nailing. This quality appeals to professionals and Diyers alike.
What is immediately obvious when you pick the 400EL up is its compact size and light weight. With a full magazine of nails it weighs in at just 1.7 Kgs. It is just 30 cm long along the base and stands just 20 cm high. Compared to some other nailers it will obviously fit the bill when it comes to fitting into smaller spaces and between obstacles.
Compact size would not mean much if the size meant that the performance of the tool was seriously hampered. But what is impressive about this machine is that it will punch out 40mm angled nails as fast as you can pull the trigger, (30 per minute) and the nails will go fully home in a very controlled fashion.
Bigger nailers I have tried have not been able to do this, despite being specified to do so, so it is quite refreshing to find a compact machine with such capability.
We all seem to expect that our power tools come in cases these days, and the Tacwise 400EL is presented in a robust blow moulded case. There is a good enough space for the two and a half meter long cord, a stand, and about 1,500 angled nails, as well as a couple of spaces for extraneous bits and pieces. Plastic catches work easily enough to open and close the case.
I couldn&Mac226;t find any faults in the moulded ABS body of my sample, it was well screwed together with no untidinesses anywhere. Small patches of inlaid rubber on each side of the main handle provide good gripping surfaces, without being over the top. The handle is large enough for the largest hands or gloved hands, and the trigger is large and sensitive.
There is more rubber padding over the top of the electromagnet housing. This is important because it still helps to use a second hand to steady the machine and absorb a bit of the recoil when you want a nail truly driven flush with surface.
This little nailer follows in the Tacwise tradition of having the nail magazine made out of sturdy alloy extrusion, which is the firmly held to body of the machine. This feature makes Tacwise nailers and staplers genuinely easy to load, as well as easy to check on how many nails or staples are left in the magazine. Fixing the occasional jam is also a lot easier because the cover slides well back to reveal the offending nail. A strong and positive catch, big enough not to be fiddly to use, holds the cover closed. There are indicators on the transparent cover to show not only the length of the nails being used, but also the approximate number left. Nails of sizes 20, 25, 30, 32, 35 and 40mm will fit the stapler, so many end users will have all their particular sizes of nails covered. I have never had any trouble with the magazines of any Tacwise nailers/staplers that I have used, despite some heavy usage, so it is clearly a system that works well and has stood the test of time.
A small hex key is supplied and held neatly to the base of the magazine if it is needed to remove the nosepiece should a serious nail jam occur.
An innovation introduced with the Ranger, and continued, I am pleased to say with the 400EL, is the little wire floor stand. This slides into a slot under the magazine and holds the machine upright, ready for instant use in jobs such as nailing floors for example. It saves a lot of hassle having to pick the machine up from its side from a flat surface - it is just standing straight up ready for use.
As you would expect from a nailer these days, there is a safety switch in the nose. This has to be pressed firmly to the work before the trigger will fire a nail. The spring on it is strong enough not to be pushed down accidentally. A removable rubber nosecap is also provided. This is used when the material being nailed is soft or likely to be marked by the action of the nailer.
For the retailer, Tacwise products seem to be a safe bet. Tacwise offer a 28 guarantee of a full refund or new exchange tool for anyone who purchases a tool that may be faulty, and of course there is also a standard one year warranty.
In all, this is a very likeable machine. Its compact size and efficiency make it very easy to use. I can see that it will become a favourite with pros and amateurs alike because of these qualities.
Independent Review by Peter Brett
Airstream Communications