It’s very cool to see the 2021 Paslode Impulse FrameMaster get its first upgrade in 5 years.
It’s been 35 years since Paslode introduced the first cordless nailer to the Australian market, and the company has been continually innovating since then. Now it’s very cool to see the Impulse FrameMaster get its first upgrade in 5 years.
The Impulse gas system delivers lightweight, reliable tools with a consistently impressive depth of drive and maximum shots per charge, and the upgraded features on this model are mostly focussed on improving grip, nail-loading speed and cooling performance.
It’s great to see features that have proved themselves in previous models have remained or been tweaked. A good example is a new slip-proof grip, added to the flathead, which allows the tool to stand upright when placed on the ground or flat surfaces.
The nail-loading department shows most of the visible changes, with the addition of a bypass follower and a redesigned lip for quicker and easier loading.
ENHANCED COOLING TECHNOLOGY
The fan cycle has been extended for better cooling performance. Essentially, the fan runs for longer to more effectively cool the gun and allow faster firing of nails.
Well-loved features like the same left and right belt and rafter hook, and those aggressive nose teeth for perfect skew nailing, haven’t been messed with, and the battery compartment has been improved with a more prominent notch for easier battery removal.
The last change, and one everyone will notice pretty much straight away, is the new rubberised grip.
We teamed up with the crew from Timbaworx to give the new FrameMaster a workout. The boys were working on the roof of a second-storey addition.
TEST #1: LOOK AND FEEL
It was good to see Paslode hasn’t tried to re-invent the wheel with the 2021 FrameMaster. Instead, it listened to tradies and made changes to enhance the features we already enjoy, utilise, and appreciate.
The gun itself looks pretty much the same, except for the grip and bypass follower. The way the Paslode feels both when being carried and used is just as important as its performance. Its light weight and excellent balance are a massive part of its success, and the grip is an essential connection between the hand and the nailer. The new grip isn’t too aggressive. It works well and feels good.
Watching John & Ben navigate the roof structure and use the gun installing the framework and roof battens as the metal roofers followed in behind highlighted the importance of a lightweight nailer. Walking across framework and rafters is all about balance, and the less weight an operator has to handle, the faster and more efficient they’ll be.
Asking John about the performance of the gun, he said, “Like most chippies, we’ve been using the FrameMaster as our main framer forever. We also recently purchased the Paslode CoilMaster, which we love.
“This 2021 FrameMaster feels great. The new grip sits well in the hand, but it’s really about the light weight and excellent balance.
The improvements are all good additions, and the new nail loading bypass follower is cool. Anything new takes getting used to, but after a couple of nail changes we loved this speedy new system. All in all, it’s great to see some improvements and features on an already great product.”
TEST #2: POWER AND ACCURACY
Accuracy and precision of both nail depth and placement have long been a strong feature of the FrameMaster. Nothing has changed. Those great big aggressive nose teeth making skew nailing a breeze.
“Working on wall and roof framing is more about correct nail placement than outright speed,” said John, “but in saying that, when you are in the groove and working hard you can quite often be firing nails in quick succession. In our testing, the longer fan runtime seemed to work well. The gun didn’t overheat and allowed us to fire as quickly as we needed. I haven’t ever needed to shoot the FrameMaster quicker than it could go, but some users will like the fact you can now fire faster than before.”
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
There’s nothing quite like the snap of firing a brand-new framer, and the 2021 Paslode Impulse FrameMaster hasn’t disappointed. The latest improvements aren’t groundbreaking, but combine to further improve the Paslode and make this model the best to date. It has great depth of elements from both an ergonomic and performance basis.
Tradies will be happy to see their feedback incorporated into the 2021 Impulse FrameMaster.
Visit: www.paslode.com.au