The Duo-Fast DF350S Framing Nailer that was supplied to us for testing came in a large cardboard retail box along with some safety glasses and a user manual. The Nailer came fully assembled, except that there was no included air fitting installed. The only reason that we point this out is because it turned out to be a slight inconvenience to us. Just when we were getting ready to run some tests, we turned on our compressor, got the hose out, and then, lo and behold, there was no fitting on the nailer.
Note: Duo-Fast is now Paslode
Build Quality and Features
Now we can guess why there might not be an included fitting, since there are a few different quick coupling systems out there, but in our experience about 85% of the users out there use a universal 1/4″ quick connect coupling. Needless to say we had to run down to our local Home Depot and pick up the required 3/8″ to 1/4″ adapter and a 1/4″ swivel style universal quick coupler.
The overall body of the Duo-Fast DF350S is made of aluminum with a black over-molded rubber grip on the handle area of the nailer. The exhaust cap on the back of the nailer directs the air out the top away from the user. Since the cap is made of solid metal, it is designed to actually be used to tap lumber into position when needed. The firing mode selection involves removing the trigger pivot pin and then either raising or lowering the trigger to a different position that allows for the switch between sequential and bump firing modes.
There are small graphics molded into the trigger that make it easy to figure out what mode the nailer is in. We like this style of using a simple switch to swap between modes, and the trigger selection worked very easily and effectively during our use of the tool. There is a tool-less depth of adjustment knob that makes it easy to set how deep the nails are being driven. The magazine is made of an extruded piece of aluminum, and the nails are inserted on the top side of the magazine. The magazine will hold a total of 70 nails (two strips).
We had two favorite features on this tool. The first was the installed rafter hook that is both removable and switchable from one side of the nailer to the other. There is nothing more handy than being able to safely hang the nailer by the hook rather than having to balance or wedge it somewhere while you get your next framing member into position to nail it. The other feature that we really liked was the dry fire lockout, which lets you instantly know when you are out of fasteners and keeps you from blowing divots into the wood for several shots before realizing you’ve drained the magazine.
Testing and Use
Testing the Duo-Fast DF350S nailer was a joy. The nailer has a nice balance to it, and while it does weigh about half a pound more than one of our other favorite lightweight framing nailers, the Hitachi NR90AE, we still really enjoyed using it. What makes this nailer so likable is some of the handy features that it comes with, which we already pointed out. The ability to knock around a piece of lumber with the back of the nailer is a huge help, and the rafter hook is a lifesaver. We actually used this nailer on a construction project, and it was handled just about every day during the construction of a new 2200 square foot raised beach-style home. Since we made good use of it throughout all phases of the construction, we shot just about every type of fastener imaginable through it.
Just a quick note about fasteners, the folks over at Duo-Fast thought it best to send us a box of their 20-degree 3-1/4″ full round head paper collated bright framing nails to use in the Duo-Fast DF350S (which we greatly appreciated). These nails were fantastic! No little piece of plastic would come flying out of the nailer when we would shoot nails in place. There is nothing worse than nailing something at about head level and having one of those little pieces come flying back to hit you in the face. Anyone who has used plastic collated framing nails knows exactly what I am talking about!
Just as an experiment, we cycled a few sticks of the paper collated Duo-Fast nails in some of our other framing nailers that were designed for 21 Degree fasteners and that worked flawlessly! Actually, when we compared the 20 and 21-degree nails we had on hand, there was no real visual difference in the angle. It seems to us that the 20 and 21 degree nails can be used interchangeably. And this is exactly what we did. We used the Duo-Fast DF350S to shoot some 2-3/8″ galvanized ring shank to attach wall sheeting on the outside of the beach house. We also used 2-1/4″ inch ring shank to install roof sheeting, 3-1/4″ galvanized ring shank for installing deck board and of course we used thousands of 3-1/4″ round head framing nails.
In all of our use of the Duo-Fast DF350S, we never had a single jam, no matter what nails we were shooting. The other thing that we noted is that this nailer was always able to drive the nails flush into whatever material we were fastening. We nailed regular kiln-dried white and yellow pine lumber, pressure-treated lumber, and LVLs all with equal success. The only issues that occasionally came up were when we tried to toenail studs; the spurs that protrude off the sides of the nose were not quite as aggressive as some of the other nailers we have tested.
If the tip slipped, we would not get nicely placed nail shots. Otherwise, the nailer’s compact size allowed it to fit in between normal 16″ on-center stud spaces with no problems.
Conclusion
Duo-Fast DF350S full round head framing nailer is a well-designed tool that has a number of features that most professionals will definitely appreciate. The rafter hook, metal exhaust plate, and dry fire lock out are all things that make this nailer a great performer, which is why we gave this nailer an 8/10 on our Performance rating. For our Value rating, we gave this nailer a 7/10 since it does well to compete with other pro-grade framing nailers and would be worth considering if you are in the market for a new round head framing nailer.
