Tool Deck Fastener Pro Edge - Heavy Duty Deck Fastening System for Wooden Decks & Outdoor Structures | Perfect for Deck Builders, Contractors & DIY Projects

This review is specific to using the tool with Camo's stainless-steel fasteners. As I will explain, there's a substantial difference when using non-ferrous screws.Our project is on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and is close enough to the ocean (about 400 yards) that stainless is the best option for any fastener that might sit in even a few drops of water. Because our deck has the boards installed diagonal to the joints, we bought both the Edge Pro and the Marksman Pro tools. The Edge Pro is not practical when the fastener on the near side of the board is closer than two feet from a wall.The Edge Pro allowed us to fasten 12' boards on both sides in a bit more than a minute. That does not include the time to place the board or to straighten it if needed, but that's needed for any fastening method. Pressure-treated pine boards, especially those in full sun, will shrink noticeably, so we opted to butt them as closely as possible. This meant that the Pro placed the fastener just right on the leading side (with no board in the way) but on the trailing side the other board push it up about an eighth. That still looked fine. Another tricking issue was caused by the diagonal setup. On the leading side of the board, the gun has to be set to the inside of the angle formed by the joist and the board. The trailing side is harder because you can no longer see the joist. We determined that a two-inch offset worked best.Now for the reason this is a four-star review instead of five. Once the collated fastener is advanced into position and the bit is pressed against that screw, there's a regular tendency for sharp end of the screw to drift outward. The manufacturer compensated for this by added strong magnets to the space where the fastener sits, and that likely works great UNLESS you have SS screws. In that case, one has to either wiggle the bit around to coax the fastener back into place or just reach down to guide it while engaging the bit. One the bit pushes the screw into the hole at end of the magazine it is all set.Despite that flaw, this tools saved us a lot of time and bending over. It would often set five to ten screws before one wandered out of place, but sometimes two or three in a row had to be adjusted. Every so often it will eject a screw instead, but we just set those aside to use with the Marksman.We hope to use this tool on a deck that's not near the ocean soon, and then we may get the full value. Meanwhile, with practice and some patience, this device will make all but the smallest decking jobs go a lot faster and with least time spent bent over or on bended knee.The manufacture did not include any information in the instructions about either setting board diagonally or regarding the issues with stainless fasteners. For a tool in this price range one would hope for a bit more comprehensive instructions.Bottom line: definitely worth it, but could use improvement.