Originally posted by Steven6095:
...Why are the manual ones not in a favorable light with you?...why am I kissing those dollars good bye? Respectable companies are making manual machines. They cant be that bad can they?...
I didn't mean to imply that manual machines are "bad"; some of them are quite durable and do what they are designed to do. The result of installing v-nails manually vs pneumatically should be the same either way. But generally, machines intended for hobby or light use are manual. Nearly all pneumatic machines are intended for production use.
There are exceptions. The Pistorius VN-M manual, for example, is very heavy duty, but it is painfully slow. The Fletcher 5500 is a foot-pedal-operated version of their pneumatic 5600; much faster than the VN-M, but still slower than the pneumatic version. Pneumatic machines have more moving parts and require more routine maintenance.
Perhaps I was wrong to assume you are -- or intend to be -- a professional picture framer. If you are a photographer or artist who frames only occasionally and in small quantities, then disregard my advice. If you will never build an average of more than ten frames a week, a manual machine may be your best choice. In that case, please forgive me for assuming incorrectly, and shop for a used manual machine; they generally do not hold their value as well as pneumatic machines.
But if you are in the framing business and intend for it to grow, then you will inevitably realize the value of a good pneumatic machine.
Advantage of a pneumatic other than speed and ease of use?
That's about it, and it's usually enough. Many framers who buy manual v-nailers determine later that they could save at least three minutes per frame with a pneumatic machine. With a rented retail space and typical overhead costs, a shop labor rate of $1 per minute is common in framing. That's three dollars per frame.
Saving three minutes per frame may be no big deal if you work at home and build ten frames a week. But whe you're building 50 frames a week in a retail store, saving three minutes on each one could add up to $150 per week of savings. At that rate, you can pay off a great pneumatic v-nailer in about 16 weeks.
The best tools do not cost; they save.