There’s nothing more frustrating than an unreliable tool. We’ve all been there – you arrive on site ready for a busy, productive day, take your much-needed tool out the van and go to use it and then…nothing. Immediately you mind races into overdrive, imagining the hassle of having to send your tool away for days, perhaps even weeks for repair, not to mention the lost hours and income that the unscheduled time-out will cost you.

The good news is that many faults that occur with Paslode tools can be solved or avoided altogether with a little bit of TLC. Every Paslode tool case comes with tool cleaner and lubricating oil, and for very good reason, as a quick spruce up of your tool every now and then can help minimise the build up inside the tool and help to keep you firing better for longer.

We have two tool cleaning videos – one for cleaning and servicing your Ci Lithium tool (IM360Ci and PPN35Ci) and one for the Paslode trim tools (IM65/IM65A/IM50 and IM45 GN tools).

There are also some quick fixes that can be checked when you experience a fault on your Paslode tool which could well save the time and money that sending your tool away to a repair centre would cost you. Here’s a step by step guide to what to do if you come across a problem with your tool.

WHAT SHOULD I DO FIRST?

1) A good thorough clean of your tool should always be your first port of call if you experience any problems and want to fix your tool avoiding the hassle and expense of sending it away to a Service Centre.

2) Check for any nail or brad jams that might be preventing the tool from firing correctly. If that’s all clear, it could be the battery that is at fault.

3) It is easy to test the battery itself in the charger base that comes with your tool. Look at the lights on the charger unit – an alternating flashing red and green light means that the battery is faulty. In this instance take the battery back to the dealer that you bought it from and they should be able to help you.

4) Finally check the nails and fuel that you are using. It could be that the particular batch that you are using has an issue – switch both the nails and fuel cell independently to see if changing either of these solves your problem.

Once you have made all these checks and eliminated your accessories and consumables as the problem, you can start to focus your attention on the tool itself.

COMMON GENERIC TOOL GLITCHES

There are some faults that are not specific to one particular tool model, most of which are easily solved with a bit of investigation work.

CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING FAN

This can occur when the tool probe is stick in a retracted position (as it would be when you press the tool down prior to pressing the trigger). If your probe is free moving, then that suggests that you don’t have a problem there.

FIRING ISSUES

The tool may be firing intermittently or not firing properly at all. First thing to do is to check the bottom of the fuel cell you are using. Fuel has a shelf life, so it goes without saying that if your fuel is out of date it won’t be working at its best, if at all!

Another thing to consider is the external air temperature – we’ve all found ourselves warming fuel cells up in our pockets on a cold winter day. The current Paslode Lithium tools are much more adept to working in colder temperatures, but fuel temperature is still something worth considering before sending your tool in for a service.

CHECK YOUR ELECTRICS

Lastly, electrics can also play a part in your tool’s performance – makes sense when you think about. Damaged or disconnected cables can result in a whole host of tool faults, from lack of power to the fan and lights to the tool not firing or working at all.

Sometimes you can also experience a solid red light – again this can be electrics at fault. It is worth removing the rear cap (where the air vents are) to check that the electrics and cabling all look in order.

HELP! MY IM360Ci / PPN35Ci ISN’T WORKING!

Each Paslode tool has its own quirks and therefore it makes sense that there are some faults that are specific to certain tools or tool families. The IM360Ci and PPN35Ci tools are similar in their make-up, and as such experience similar faults, some of which are easily fixed at home.

IM360CI/PPN35CI FIRING ISSUES

Perhaps you may find you have two nails firing at once or that the tool only fires nails intermittently. First thing to do here is to check that the magazine is properly located and tight to ensure the nails are loaded up correctly to feed into the tool.

Here it is also worth checking that the nose lugs which are used to locate the magazine are in place and fastened tightly.

Finally, check the nails strip – is it damaged or is the paper collation compressed?

FLASHING LIGHTS OR LEAKING GAS

If you find that your IM360Ci or PPN35Ci tool has a solid or flashing red gas light or appears to be leaking gas it will need to be sent back to a Paslode Approved Service Centre for repair.

MY IM350+ WON’T FIRE PROPERLY

As with the other First Fix tools mentioned, there are some nail related steps that can be taken to try and eliminate faults and save yourself service costs.

If the tool appears to be firing blank shots with no nails coming out, firstly check the nose and magazine for any nail jams. Next, ensure the nail strip has not been damaged or the paper collation compressed (if you find the tool double firing it is worth taking this step to check too).

TRIM TOOLS AND THE IM45 FIRING PROBLEMS

There are also some quick fixes that can be carried out to rule out a tool fault for all the Paslode Trim Tools (IM65/IM65A/IM50 Lithium models) and the IM45 GN Coil Nailer.

If you happen to find that your 2^nd Fix tool is not correctly firing brads, leaving indentations in the wood but not firing, or simply firing blank shots always check the brads themselves before assuming there is a fault with the tool. The brads should be free moving in the tool magazine and not jammed in the nose piece.

Try a similar method with any IM45 glitches – the coil nails should be loaded into the drum magazine correctly and the nose piece and magazine should you free from jams.

MY TOOL STILL DOESN’T WORK PROPERLY – WHAT NOW?

If you have carried out all the simple maintenance checks mentioned above, and you are still experiencing problems with your tool it probably needs to be looked at by a trained tool service centre. So what kind of service does your tool require and does it qualify for a warranty return?  Let us explain the servicing options available for Paslode tools.

WARRANTY RETURN

If your tool was purchased within the last two years, it will still be inside the warranty period. If it looks to have a fault, return it to the place of purchase, with proof of purchase. The tool will then be returned to our in-house Service Centre and dealt with accordingly, before being returned to your dealer.

SERVICE WITHIN WARRANTY PERIOD

If your tool has fired around 50,000 shots, there is a chance that the tool may need a service. This is a general maintenance service and would not be included in the warranty of the tool, regardless of whether it is within the warranty period. You can take your tool back to any of our authorised Paslode dealers who can get this process underway for you.

SERVICE OR REPAIR OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY

If your tool is outside of the warranty period and requires a service, or there is a fault with the tool and it needs repairing, you can take it to any of our authorised dealers who will then return it to us. We also have several Authorised Service Centres across the country where your tool can be taken to be looked at. These Service Centres may be able to repair the tool for you in the own on-site tool repair centre.

When returning your tool for service or repair it is always advised that you include with it the battery, charger, fuel cell and nails or brads that you have been using so that we can check everything thoroughly and fully diagnose the tool fault.

Costs for non-warranty services and repairs are chargeable and vary from tool to tool.

For more information on tool repairs or servicing please call our Customer Services team on 0800 833 381 or visit your local Paslode dealer.