Nailers are not your usual power tools and a general, all-purpose nailer does not exist. There are many different types, makes and brands of nailers and every type is meant for a specific purpose. Some are meant for thinner, lighter materials while others are meant for denser, heavier materials. Here are the reviews of some of the more common types of nailers.



Framing nail guns ? These carry large box-type nails that are about 1"-4" in size. These nailers are mainly meant for driving nails in thicker, denser materials. They tend to be stick type and also quite big and heavy.

Roofing nailers ? Roofing nailers are an excellent example of tools made for a single purpose. These nailers carry special nails for the purpose of roofing and roofing only. They can store a large number of nails at a time and are usually coil-type nailers.

Siding nailers ? Sliding nailers are also highly specialized nailers and they are built for the purpose of nailing down siding. They come with a large magazine meant to carry nails made especially for siding. These too tend to be coil type nailers.

Finish nailers ? These nailers are also called brad and/or pin nailers. They are meant for, as the name suggests, finishing work and hence the nails tend to be much smaller and smoother. They are usually stick-type nailers and are used fit on finishing touches like trimmings. They are generally much smaller and lighter than framer nailers and are meant for lighter, smaller materials. The nails on these nailers are often rounded and specialized so that they can be hidden with putty.

Pneumatic nailers ? pneumatic nailers are a general category division of nailers based on the way the nails are driven. Pneumatic nailers drive the nail through pneumatic or air pressure. These can be very effective and are usually used for there high precision.

Coil type nailers ? Coil type nailers use coils (springs) instead of pneumatic pressure to deliver the nails. These are used by professionals who need to use the nailer all day long without the nailer becoming too fatigued to be used or getting damaged from high amount of use. These can also hold t he largest number of nails or fasteners with every load.

Palm nailers ? As the name suggests, palm nailers are designed fit inside your palm and are meant for narrow places where you cannot hold up a full-fledged nailer. These come in especially handy when working in spaces like between wall studs or ceiling josts.

Headless pinners ? These are meant for very delicate and high precision work. They are used mainly craftsmen who are creating handmade items and need to use delicate fasteners to hold items together. These nailers use fasteners/nails that have no head and thus they can easily be hidden. In addition, the nails make very small entry marks that can easily be hidden.

Staplers ? These are for very thin materials like fabric. They use crown-type fasteners and are used for non-constructional purposes mainly.