Review on Bostitch 15 Gauge Angled Finish Nailer Kit With DA Style For Enhanced Optimization by Melota Phillips

I'm a handyman that does a wide variety of work, and when I buy new tools I do a lot of research to make sure I'm getting the best tool for my money. I was already bias to Bostitch before I even started researching finish nailers because of the other Bostitch nail guns I own, but because it seemed like they used a different nail than every other gun out there I decided to educate myself on the nails before deciding on the gun.DA style finish nails have a 35 degree angle and a round head, and seem to be made by more manufacturers. Home Depot stocks Porter Cable, Lowe's stocks Hitachi and another brand name, and Menards stocks mainly Grip Rite. FN style are at 25 degrees and have a clipped head, and are made by Bostitch (Lowe's and Home Depot only offer this brand), Senco and Grip Rite. While Porter Cable DA nails are more expensive than Bostitch FN nails, Grip Rite DA nails are cheaper than Grip Rite FN nails by a couple dollars per 1000. Additionally, even though clipped head nails are easier to pull through the back of trim work if you need to remove it, I just prefer the look of a round nail hole over a flat one. Now if you're looking for nail length, I have found FN nails as short as 1" but DA starts at 1 1/4". Both styles go up to 2 1/2". Home Depot and Lowe's only seemed to have FN nails in 2" and 2 1/2", but Menards has a very good selection.This is the first Bostitch nailer that uses DA nails, and it's supposed to be exactly the same as the Bostitch N62FNK-2 15-Gauge 1-Inch to 2-1/2-Inch Angled Finish Nailer that uses FN (not the one currently shown in pictures, but the newest version released in 2011 that comes with a swivel air fitting and belt hook). Porter Cable, Ridgid and Master Force (Menard's brand) only use DA, Senco seems to have switched from DA to FN, and even though Hitachi makes DA style nails I've seen a new model Hitachi nailer that uses FN nails.The older Bostitch finish nailers, ones that don't come with the belt hook or installed air fitting, seemed to have a common problem with the drive rod breaking. The newer versions haven't been out long enough for any reviews that I can find, and I'm not going to comment on durability until I've fired a couple thousand nails through it. So I'm putting faith in the Bostitch name and in American workmanship (Bostitch is Made In US while Hitachi, the only other gun I gave serious consideration to, is Made In Taiwan). The belt hook is a nice addition over the older version, as is including a swivel air fitting which I would have gone out and bought anyway. It also comes with profile tips that match the contours of most trim work, but I'm more likely to adjust the depth setting or use a nail set than change the tip for every style moulding. Overall this gun has all the features to make it the best on the market, so all that remains is seeing if it's durable.