We know Paslode from their high-quality power tools. Over the past few years, this company built a solid reputation in the woodworking industry for their excellent framing nailers. One such model is the Paslode 902600 CF325Li. This is a cordless lithium-ion framing nailer that has a lot of positive reviews and recommendations. But is it worth the money?

Power:

The Lithium-ion battery version (Paslode 902600 CF325Li) is an upgraded version of the NiCAD model - which is able to shoot 4000 nails per charge. This version shoots an impressive 6000 nails per charge, 2000 more than the past generation NiCAD model. That's a big improvement!

More impressively, Lithium-Ion is more efficient than NiCAD which means that this CF325Li unit can hold a charge 5x longer and can fire 50% more nails per charge. If you don’t use your framing nailer often, you will appreciate this feature. If you do use it often, the battery life is 5 hours of constant use and only requires a recharge time of 15 minutes or so.

Paslode also redesigned the battery and the way it interacts with the nailer. To switch it off, simply flick the ON/OFF power button and the device either turns on or turns off. In the past, you needed to take the battery completely out of the nailer to switch it off. It is now easier to power off this nailer in a way that most people are used to switching off their power tools. Once turned off, the fuel cells are totally disengaged and will not fire.

Capacity:

The Paslode 902600 CF325Li is not the best framing nailer in terms of capacity, especially magazine capacity. It is also not meant for heavy-duty nailing on very tough material. Its magazine capacity is quite small, as it can only hold 48 paper collated nails of 2 - 3-1/2 inches in length, which is a terrible turn-off since this model shoots an impressive 2-3 nails per seconds and the fastener size makes it quite versatile.

We think that the magazine capacity could simply have been bigger. It would have been so much more attractive and practical. However, for general purpose nailing, DIY projects, and other small-time nailing - it is still plenty! If you are willing to reload the magazine every time, it can shoot an impressive 6000 nails on a single battery charge.

User-friendly:

This unit is made almost entirely of plastic. However, it does not feel cheap in any way. It still has a solid feel and the plastic contributes to making it an even lighter and more portable framing nailer. It can also withstand falling and scratchings quite effectively.

The CF325Li is also lighter than the NiCAD model. It is more maneuverable and not having a cord means that there is no tangling that can become a potential hazard on the job.

The fairly small dimension and light weight of 7.25 lbs make this model quite maneuverable. In addition. it is comfortable to hold over an extended period of time due to an elastomer coating on the handle. Finally, the 30-degree magazine slant provides greater visibility to your nailing - as well as being more ergonomic.

Other features:

• Belt Hook: The tiltable belt hook can easily clip on your belt. You can move the clip to the right or the left, whichever is more convenient for you.
• Depth-of-Drive Adjustment: The depth-of-drive can be quickly and easily be adjusted with a pull or push of the nose piece.
• Nose Piece: The nose piece is sharp and pronged-shaped which easily digs in soft material. This provides more accuracy, stability, and prevent slipping when nailing.

Price

The Paslode 902600 CF325Li is not an entry-level framing nailer. It has a price to match its advanced features, especially the excellent efficiency of the battery and fuel cell in this model must come at a price. Few nailers can compete with it in terms battery autonomy and recharge speed. It competes directly with the excellent DeWalt DCN692M1; which is another reference gas-powered framing nailer that is a little bit more powerful but also more expensive.

Taking into account the features, performance, and ease of use of the CF325Li, we think that it is reasonably priced and good value for money. Check Price for the current price.

Expert Reviews

Experts like and use this framing nailer from Paslode every day. Here we have one of the guys at ToolSelect.com reviewing this nailer, Ben Bond. He covers the most useful features with a hands-on impression. In essence, he talks about the improvements in the battery compartment, the general build quality and even shows you how to change the fuel cells.

Ben equally does not like the small magazine, but other than this small caveat, this framing nailer gets a thumbs up from him. He recommends it only for small DIY nailing tasks and nothing too excessive. We suspect his verdict has to do with the small magazine capacity. You can check out the video below:


Pros/Cons of Paslode 902600 CF325Li

Pros
:

• Fairly lightweight at 7.25 lbs.
• Cordless: Very maneuverable and no wires to get in the way.
• Efficient battery can hold a charge for 5 hours.
• 6000 nails in one full charge and 1200 nails per fuel cell.
• Speed: Can shoot 2-3 nails per second.
• Battery recharges in 15 minutes
• Prong-nose for stability when nailing.
• Belt Hook for convenience.

Cons:

• Small magazine capacity of only 48 nails.

Who Should Buy?

The CF325Li is an excellent framing nailer. It is powerful and efficient. We feel that it is just as good as the DeWalt DCN692M1 which is a professional framing nailer offered at a more expensive price point. The specs, the features and the price of this model will not disappoint. Despite all this, we still have our reservations. We recommend the CF325Li to everyone who requires casual nailing on wood only, mostly for DIY tasks and small-time nailing. Although, it can most certainly keep up with heavy-duty nailing.

After all, its 1200 fuel cell autonomy and rapid fire rate of 2-3 nails per seconds do qualify it as “heavy-duty”. However, the small magazine size will mean that you will constantly have to reach out for nail refills. If this is a non-issue for you, then go ahead and use it as a heavy-duty framing nailer. It will serve you well.