Help finding a nail spotter!

**Gregors-07** · 11-03-2010, 04:13 PM

Just wondering if any of you can help me. looking at getting a nail spotter and just wonderng what one's the best on the market at the minute and for the best price.

Thanks for taking time to answer my question.

**belmoreboy** · 11-03-2010, 04:35 PM

Hi Gregors

Just a word of advice on a nailspotter the ones with the wheels look all flash and nice but probably best to go for one with a blade guard, unless you are doing the boarding yourself and sinking all screw heads - it's our biggest compliant on nailspotters - cracked blades when they hit a screw.

the old style columbia spotter has guard like the picture and i think tapetech still has guard

Let me know if youre interested and will wing you over a super smashing price !

happy days !

**Gregors-07** · 11-03-2010, 04:43 PM

Whats your best price for the 3 inch columbia nail spotter and handle?

**belmoreboy** · 11-03-2010, 04:51 PM

hi mate

sent you a pm let me know what you think ta !

**turrican_007** · 11-03-2010, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Gregors-07

Just wondering if any of you can help me. looking at getting a nail spotter and just wonderng what one's the best on the market at the minute and for the best price.

Thanks for taking time to answer my question.

Hi, I would go for the ones with wheels, Just make sure the screw heads have been driven home before you run the spotter, the ones with skid plates become very hard work over large timber frames buildings. If you just do houses then maybe the skid plate one would be ok, as you would only be using it for a short amount of time. But if you doing 1000`s of screw heads then believe me they are

hard work.

**the_legend** · 11-03-2010, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by turrican_007

Hi, I would go for the ones with wheels, Just make sure the screw heads have been driven home before you run the spotter, the ones with skid plates become very hard work over large timber frames buildings. If you just do houses then maybe the skid plate one would be ok, as you would only be using it for a short amount of time. But if you doing 1000`s of screw heads then believe me they are

hard work.

disagree with you there turrican mate,,ive got columbia 3"spotter with the skid plates and think its the dogs dangles,i dont think its hard work with the skidds at all,,could be worse,could be doing it by hand and suppose could be better getting some other numpty to do nailspotting

the skids saved my blade a few times but having said that i dont bang the screws in unless there near internals,cant comment how easy the wheels are never used them....

so gregors the choice is yours....either,or....six or half a dozen.

**TonyM** · 11-03-2010, 06:57 PM

Only an observation, but if you first coat with fast set, your screws should be in before the spotter comes out. Unless you 3 coat your screws with cement that is.

**theblones** · 11-03-2010, 07:03 PM

you beat me to it anthony, i was gonna ask do u guys put setting compound in your spotters

**TonyM** · 11-03-2010, 07:18 PM

I don't. You'd rub through to the coarser filler on sanding and get a crap finish.

**turrican_007** · 11-03-2010, 07:27 PM

We do use filler first, that is when we would check the screws are home before we start spotting, So all the donkey work is done at this stage and the spotter is in no danger of breaking blades, which are £10 each.

**turrican_007** · 11-03-2010, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by turrican_007

We do use filler first, .

Put on by hand.

**TonyM** · 11-03-2010, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by turrican_007

Put on by hand.

And me.

And that's all I have to say about that.

**DMS** · 12-03-2010, 02:14 PM

i would agree with belmoreboy the wheels are being phazed out by most manufacturers, and the skid plate is effective. NorthStar and columbia both do a good nail spotter, if you want a price on a NS 3" with extendable handle let me know