Posted on Leave a comment

Dewalt DCN690M1 20V MAX XR Lithium Ion Brushless Framing Nailer Review

DeWalt DCN690M1 20V Brushless Framing Nailer

Dewalts new DCN690M1 Spiker looks like it will be a winnerDCN690M1 20V Framing Nailer

  • Brushless motor delivers more power in a smaller package and more work on each battery charge.
  • The large turning knob makes for easy tool-free depth adjustments.
  • Profiled nose piece makes the nailer less likely to slip out of position, especially handy when toe-nailing.
  • Shoots at a rate of about 2 nails/second in rapid fire bump mode.
  • Magazine holds 55 nails.
  • LED fault light indicates low battery power and motor stalls.
  • Motor stalls that prevent the driver blade from returning to top position and prevent nails from sliding into the nose are easy to fix with stall lever located on the front of the nailer.
  • 20V Max – 4.0Ah Li-ion battery (Only 1 Battery some in the kit) has a 3 LED fuel gauge to let you know how much charge is left in the battery.
  • Low noise, low recoil and vibration, no storage or combustible gases, no toxic fumes or chemicals.

New for 2014: Dewalt has launched the DCN692 cordless nailer with Dual Speed Settings

The primary improvement over the older DCN690 is that the DCN692 features two user-selectable speed settings. Speed Setting 1 is for driving shorter 2″ to 3″ nails with the benefits of lower vibration (lower operator fatigue), faster nail driving and more nails fired per battery charge. Speed Setting 2 delivers more power for driving longer 3-1/4″ and 3-1/2″ nails. Dewalt says that the Dual Speed Settings deliver the speed and power to drive nails consistently, similar to pneumatic nailers.

What’s to likeDewalt Nailer 20V Max

The DCN690M1 is battery powered only – not a gas and electric hybrid. This means no gas cartridges to store, no combustible gases, no toxic fumes or chemicals.   Cost savings Dewalt electric versus gas/electric hybrids should run at about the cost of 1 gas cartridge per 1000 nails fired.  We had a Paslode nailer in the shop, so we did a side by side comparison. The Dewalt was quieter firing with noticeably less snap than the Paslode when nails are driven. Made us wonder if the nails were being driven completely. They were. We just need to get used to the quieter sound. No difference in driving power between the two nailers. At about 9 lbs the DCN690 weighs slightly more than the Paslode cordless, but is well balanced and easy to handle. The DCN690 fires the same nails as the Paslode and Senco nailers, 30-34° paper collated, from 2″ up to 3 1/2″.  With a height of 13.75″, this Dewalt nailer is compact enough to fit easily between 16″ center studs.

What’s to not like

Only 1 battery. Not sure what Dewalt was thinking here. Expect users to let them know about it. Have to use an allen wrench to unfasten the nose from the magazine and drop that end of the magazine down in order to sort out a nail jam. On the other hand the bolts holding the nose piece to the magazine are easy to access.  There is a momentary delay before firing while the motor winds up, but this is only noticeable in sequential/single fire mode. It motors right along in bump fire shooting about two nails per second.

Posted on 2 Comments

Makita BL1840 18V 4.0Ah Li-Ion Battery Review

Review of Makita BL1840 18V 4.0Ah Battery

Makita’s 4.0Ah battery has arrivedMakita 4.0 Ah Battery

Same weight and power, lasts longer

The BL1840 18 volt 4.0 amp hour lithium ion battery weighs the same as their 18V 3.0Ah battery and delivers the same power, but lasts longer, taking over 2,000 charges.

Fast charging

Makita says the new battery recharges in 36 minutes with existing DC18RC and DC18RA Makita chargers – no need to buy a new charger.

Compatibility advantageMakita 18V 4.0 Ah Compatibility

The new battery is compatible with over 100 tools in the existing Makita tool line up. If you already have Makita tools, check the bottom of the tool where you slide on the battery. If the connector base is yellow (with or without a STAR) or black with a STAR the tool will run on the new 4.0 Ah battery. Tools with a black connector that does not have a STAR will not run with the new battery

Memory chip built in to battery

The new battery has a built-in memory chip that communicates with the charger’s CPU. This intelligent charging technology allows the charger to recall the battery’s charging history, analyse it’s condition and usage, then charge the battery accordingly.

Electronic chip embedded in Makita tools

All Makita power tools with a connector bearing a STAR (whether the connector is yellow or black) have a chip fitted in them that monitors the performance of the tool – how hard it’s working and how it’s responding – and relays this to the battery to make sure that enough power reaches the motor. This protects the motor from drawing more power than the battery can deliver. Battery cells are protected from damage that makes them inefficient at holding a charge which reduces runtime – batteries spend less time on the charger and tools spend more time in your hand.

Battery protection system

The BL1840 incorporates the Makita battery protection system that delivers over-discharge, temperature and current protection that improves battery performance, life cycle and overall battery life. But this applies only to with tools marked with a STAR.

Intelligent system

Putting all these intelligent features together makes the new Makita 18V 4.0Ah Li-Ion battery more efficient to deliver longer tool running time and longer battery life.

Summarizing, the new battery features Lithium Ion technology, long runtime/battery life, takes over 2,000 charges, plenty of power, same weight as 3.0Ah battery, re-charges in just 36 minutes with Makita chargers and fits all Makita tools with ‘STAR’ and/or yellow connector.  For more information on the 4.0 Ah BL1840 visit our online store.