Hitachi NV45AB Coil Roofing Nailer

Many power tools are not designed with protection and consequently spend their lives getting bumped around on the job site. Hitachi's coil roofing nailer is an exception. This nailer has two metal plates, or what Hitachi calls Steel Body Wear Protectors, at the back and front of the machine that act as bumpers to protect the tool's condition and extend its life--which makes sense, when you think of the beating a roofing nailer is subjected to. No question about it, Hitachi's NV45AB is a good gun. We like the way the nailer fires, the guide plate that helps keep nails flush, and how the rubber safety valve in the nosepiece keeps debris out. The grip's great: it's wrapped around the handle and made of a porous rubber that really sticks to your hand so you don't have to worry that sweating will take a toll on comfort or productivity. And of all the nailers we've looked at, this one's definitely in the running for most handsome, with a nice silver finish. But don't buy it for how it looks; this nailer's solid feel and action are reason enough. --Michael Shilling