How deep will nail go?

Hello.
I am about to get a nailer and can not decide on particular model or even type for that matter. I would like to get a nailer that does not drive a cleat any deeper than necessary no matter how hard you hit it (or how high the pressure is). I looked at manufacturers sites, searched this forum and still could not find a definitive answer.

I looked at manual Bostitch MFN200 (my first choice so far) and it looks like the plunger can stop a little lower (because of elastic bumper ring) if you hit it hard enough. My main question is - how deep the nail or cleat is at that time? Is it possible to drive a nail or cleat with manual nailer too deep or even all the way through?

Thank you very much for your help.

 

Greetings: I presently own a Bostitch Pneumatic Cleat nailer, and it will drive the nails too far down if the air pressure is set too high,. Hitting the plunger with the mallet just triggers the air valve and the air pressure does the rest. I have used the Bostich manual nailer, and as hard as I have nailed the plunger, I was unable to force the head of the cleat through the tounge. Most of the problems I had with the manual nailer, was that I didn"t swing the mallet hard enough, especially working close to a wall. When that happened, I would use a punch to set the head farther down. It does take a bit of practice and after 20-30 boxes, your wrist can hurt a bit.

 

That is exactly the info I needed. Did you work with ratcheting manual nailer? Does that one guarantee the proper depth? Thanks again.