One way to get instant jobsite cred

I didn't expect my finish nailer to survive a 12-foot drop off a scaffold onto a bluestone patio.

I expected, instead, to hear the hiss of compressed air bleeding out of the housing. But all was quiet as I quickly climbed down, swooped in, and cradled my poor Bostitch, inspecting its new scratches.

Luckily, I was able to get right back to work—and the scuff marks, as you can see, earned me some priceless credibility.

As a trim carpenter, I run a few miles of crown molding a year. That's a lot of overhead work. And having a featherweight nail gun is a blessing (unless you accidentally kick it). Weighing in at a mere 3.8 pounds, the Bostitch is one of the lightest angled 15-gauge guns on the market.

But what really sold me on the gun is the fact that it's oil-free.

Why is oil-free a bonus? Normally, you have to carry around a small, easily misplaced oil container, squirting a few drops into the nailer's inlet to keep its moving parts lubricated. But you know what happens to an opened oil container—it gets messy. Especially when you mistakenly put too much oil into the gun (it happens) and are about to install some stain grade oak trim. Yikes! Small splats of oil recoil from driving a nail will leave a long-lasting mark.

And, unlike the bluestone scars, they're not marks you'd want to proudly display.