Malco FCG2 Fiber Cement Siding Overlap Gauge Set (Pack of 2)

I used these with Hardieplank. At first look I thought the top of the nailed siding slipped into the deep notch. But it did not fit being 3/8ths. Thought I was sent the wrong size for Harideplank. Then I checked out the video and saw is meant to be attached. It may look like there is not enough "purchase" to hold a 12 ft board but they work just fine for me. Depending on how snug the board is nailed to the sheeting. Most of the time I had to take my hammer and tap it on to the attached board so they fit/seat firmly and to the proper depth. . No big deal even when 25+ feet up on a ladder. I remember reading a review saying they did not keep the boards level when checking after nailing X amount up. IMO, experience it was because the installer did tap snug. As anyone that has done siding knows, each row that is nailed a fraction higher on one side or the other will be out of level X rows higher. As with all siding installation after X rows check for level and adjust if needed.These work great for a one man show or two. Note to those who are working with Hardieplank for the first time esp if working alone. Hardieplank does not have a lot of shear strength. Esp in the hot summer sun. The 12 ft boards are easy enough to hang when standing on the ground. Not nearly as easy when taking up a ladder and trying to set. 10 ft boards are a lot easy to carry up and set.

There was nothing I disliked about this product. I was able to do the installs myself without a helper. And the price was super cheap and came within a couple days. I would highly recommend these. Five stars.

Works great. Easy to use. Handyman best choice for one man job

Picture (1 yellow) Shows correct placement for installation of hardie plank siding. Picture (2 orange) is not for installation, but for removing the hanger after it has been nailed in place.Pic (3) is the button to depress for allowing you to remove the clip from the fiber cement siding.Pic (4) shows 3 tabs/teeth or whatever you’d like to call them, but the middle one is longer and meant to slide behind your lower piece of siding while the ones on each side just sit on top of the existing siding. If correctly put in place and sitting level on the existing piece these easily handle the weight of 12’ siding. They really do make 12’ siding a one man job when hanging. The One big flaw in the instructions and details I received (when blind nailing) was that it doesn’t mention the gap that is sometimes left on the bottom edge. This happens a lot truthfully, but if you can hang it using the clips and nail only one nail[ (one) nail will hold the siding up and the (one) nail will also allow you to pivot the other end if needed to stay level. ] my (one) nail allowed me to hang the siding with minimal difficulty and trust it would be extremely close if not exact in my 7” reveal. I would randomly check the reveal before applying my one nail, approximately 18”-24” away from my hanger/clip and then I would remove the first hanger then move on to the opposite end, prepare to nail this other side and then remove my other clip before checking to be sure the siding laid flat on itself with no gap on the under side of the piece being nailed. I didn’t have this problem with gapping on every piece, but to many to ignore and I didn’t want to have to go back and add finish nails in the face. Except for when I was moving around and installing siding up on ladders it was no trouble to use the hanger/clip apply one nail and remove the clip before nailing the siding off on the studs. Overall these things are great even if a little bit high priced. I’ll continue using mine and would recommend them, just use caution and pay attention and they work well.

This tool enabled me to put siding on the entire garage, with no helper. It is well designed and built. What I found was the most effective way to use it was to put one hanger about 3 feet from each end of the piece to be hung. Set the piece on the two hangers, and then nail one end with one nail. Remove that hanger by sliding it up and away from the nail. Go to the other end and remove the hanger while holding the end up with one hand. Nail gun, apply one nail at that end, then all the way down the board, one nail per stud 16 inches apart. The only mistake you can make is to "trap" the hangers by nailing the board down with them still in there. Just don't do that. Well worth the money, don't even try to make something like it. These are the best.

Quick and easy to use. I admit my Hardy Planks are being screwed into the wall with 1 inch styro-foam over OSB with a rain-wall design. That gives a little cushion on the hook and the screws allow me to tune out any wave as I install each row. The original Masonite siding plank has a shorter exposure height but I found I could bend these to allow a 1/8 additional drop to match. Like little perches you easily set the board on. When your 20 feet high, you don't want to chase up and down ladders to grab fallen tools. These gauges have a hole you could run a string to tether with. Not having to twist knobs or levers, I get consistent board levels every time. No rubber or plastic to age so 30 years from now I anticipate they will still work like new.