CAMO MARKSMAN Pro-X1, Deck Tool for Edge Fastening Installation, 1/16" Spacing, Fits 5-1/4-5-3/4" Wood Decking (0345002)

This tool let me build a 10X25 deck with ease and great results. Even though I had 3 drill bits, I only needed 1 to insert almost a thousand edge screws. The automatic spacing works great. Of course straight boards work best. The unit is still basically new after several days of use.

My husband loves this thing. He wanted a deck when screws were installed on the side of the wood so there would be less water contact on the wood. Just the thing. It is a durable tool, not cheaply made, that I can see him using on other projects and loaning to friends. Easy to use. we thought the price was reasonable.The only thing is, however, that you have to use the screws that are specific for this tool. I don't think you can load it with regular screws.

OK, I like this product but I don't LOVE it.1. It goes over the surface of the deck board, across the joist and you simply screw it into place. Couple issues with this...a. If the board before it is a little proud (sticks up more than the one you are currently working on) then it will screw more into the TOP of the side of the board instead of just the side of the board.b. If you miss the joist by a little bit, it doesn't pull the screw down far enough and the tool gets stuck between your board and the previous one. A good yank helps to get it out but you don't want to ruin the tool so it gets a bit finicky in this situation. Then you can push that screw into place by forcing it with the drill.c. If your joists are offset (as they are with our PATTERNED deck, I can imagine a simple design would be easier) then you have to reset the tool quite often.d. It states that the screws will automatically "start" (I can't remember the exact phrasing) and only needs a little bit of pressure on the drill. I find if it doesn't "start" you need 2 hands, one to run the drill and one to put some back pressure on the drill but in reality you need a third hand to hold onto the tool as it falls off the board pretty easily.I don't have solutions to these problems but seems like an engineer could come up with something to make this tool a bit more functional.Overall I am pleased with the functionality of t his tool and would definitely buy it again, even knowing about the flaws above. It would be helpful if they had an FAQ section on their instructions to address some of the above issues and solutions to make it work a bit better out of the box.We have a HUGE deck (600 sq feet) to do so the quantity of screws 1750 will get us through most of it!

I used this tool to screw down the 5/4 x 6 inch pine boards on the 12 x 16 foot deck. It is a solidly made tool and is simple to use. You must use the specified screws. The end result is screws installed on the beveled edge of the boards. The screws are counter sunk slightly and are less intrusive than face screwing or nailing the boards. The tool's screw guides insure the screws are driven at the proper angle and depth. A tip: the screwing will tend to creep a the board a bit as it bite into the flooring board and then the underlying joist .. so screw down starting with the board edge that does not yet have a board screwed down .. else you may get a slightly wider gap between boards. Another tip: these screws will not always back out .. so make sure they are where you want them.

I just finished an 800 sqft deck using this tool. It is simple to use and durable but here are a few tips/tricks I learned along the way.-The tools spacing ability is good but not sufficient. If you are laying a 10ft board and you just use this tool to space it then the board will probably be crooked. How much will depend a lot on the materials. I bought two of these and would use one at each end which helped a lot but many of the boards were still not straight. I would recommend using additional spacers to help keep the boards aligned.-Don't push down on the handle. Sure, it's tempting, but I can guarantee you'll break it off. I was very careful and it did not happen to me but I could see how easy it would be to break. If you are trying to squeeze the tool into a tight space, place your palm on the flat area below both handles and gently rock the tool a little.-If you are really in a tight spot, remove the spacer (the 1/16th spacer removes completely) and use it by itself.Why only 4 stars?-The tool is a tad expensive. It is of good design but there really isn't much to it. Materials wise, it probably should only be $25-$30.-The screws are decent but I did break a few and they are pretty expensive. For the same price you would get a much higher quality deck screw.-The star bits are only ok quality. A couple of mine bent and rusted. On top of that they are well overpriced compared to regular star bits.-Boards are not very easy to remove. I had to pull up a couple of boards for various reasons and it wasn't easy. It wasn't super complicated, but it was definitely more complicated than face screws would have been.