Fischer UK launches the FGW 90

Aug 12, 2023

This latest addition to an expanding range of gas nailing solutions focuses on the wood to wood market, with which the brand has become more synonymous in the past five years.

The FGW 90-F is a clipped-head first-fix framing nailer designed to deliver power, versatility, speed and reliability at market leading levels. The brand has developed this tool to the high Fischer standard that is expected from the industry.

Marketing and product manager Dan Czerwinski said: "The Fischer group have been working for nearly three years developing a 1st fix framing nailer that would fit right into the UK market. There has been a lot of involvement and direction from the UK. As a country we are one of the biggest users of this type of product, so whatever we bring to market, as a brand, must be suitable for what we know our customers need! Its been an exciting three years, working through the development roadmap and I’m pleased to say we have achieved what we set out to do. At fischer UK and indeed across the whole group, we feel our product matches the well-known market leaders but can be sold at a price point that is relevant to what the industry wants to pay. I can't wait to see the tools on site and up on roofs across the UK."

The FGW is packed with features that make it stand out from the crowded marketplace. First, the look of the tool is rather unique, and the ergonomics of the nose piece really make a difference when being used in tight or precision critical applications. For every user, though, two of the most important factors are the weight and power. When using a tool all day and firing 90mm nails into various types of timber, every user needs a power to weight ratio that meets their demands. fischer believe the FGW-90 handles this age-old performance question easily. The tool has 95 joules of power and weighs only 3.5kg, making it not only one of the lightest tools available but also a market leading power/weight ratio.

The weight is distributed exceptionally well throughout the tool and the slightly elongated body, and narrower cover cap gives a pinpoint balance center that can be crucial for any users firing nails in large quantities, not wishing to suffer from fatigue.

Lastly, one of the most important features we came across with the fischer gas framing nailer, was the improved battery life with their Li-Ion cell. The battery on the FGW 90-F will fire 8000 nails with a single 90 minute charge. The battery has a higher than standard Ah, at 2.5 Ah, which affords the user much more flexibility and reduces the amount of times your need to recharge the tool. The industry has been critical of the recent movement of supplying only 1 battery per tool with this type of product, however when fischer can deliver 8000 shots per charge, it seems like an intention of efficiency and judgement rather than a cost cutting exercise.

Fischer have become a major player in the timber market since their first product launch of the fischer nail fuel pack back in 2015. In a fiercely competitive market, where each brand seems to offer the same product, or a confusion of different service coatings, fischer positioned their original product slightly above the parapet of the "price fighters" but offered a concise range of high quality, competitive priced products at all Service Class levels. fischer are expected to now sell over 400 million nails per year and are looking to grow this with the introduction of their new wood nailing tool.

Away from the power tool topic and more onto the regulation side, fischer have always been very keen to provide a clear and focused product range. Service Classes or Corrosion resistance is important for the Wood to Wood fastening segment and it can be the cause of many issues and complaints. Service class requirements should always be followed, specifically when your work area is exposed to the elements, often this can be miss-sold and lead to problems later down the line. A quote from the fischer Sales Director, John Craig, clearly highlights its importance in his mind. "We have been fighting a battle since day one with service classes, there is a lot of miss-information and miss selling of product that can lead to a slippery slope of product performance. All fischer nails come clearly marked in 3 distinct service classes. 1,2 and 3. We don't try and sell our products outside of their proper bounds, as we don't feel it's correct to mislead our customers just so we can undercut others. I would rather walk away from a sale then sell a substandard product that I know is going to rust and cause problems as soon as its exposed to the elements. I believe there needs to be stricter adherence to the rules with this product as it's only the customer that will lose out in the end"

Regulation is important in all areas of construction; it not only keeps people on site safe but it also guarantees the product being built and its longevity. For more information on service classes, what they mean and how they should be followed you can find out more.

The introduction of the FGW 90-F, clearly shows fischers intention of revamping and reigniting this saturated market. By providing a tool with, what looks like, excellent features and design. Fischer have continued to stick with their core brand values of providing high quality, safe products with a strong technical backup, we feel like this ever expanding assortment could become an industry leader.

This article was written and paid for by Fischer Fixings UK Ltd

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