- Framing nailers: These nailers are meant to drive large (1-1/2" to 4") box-type nails into large pieces of wood. These nailers tend to be big and heavy and are typically stick-type nail guns, they there are some coil-types available too.
- Finish nailers: These nailers may be referred to as pin or brad nailers. They are intended for nailing small finish-type nails into light pieces of wood. These nailers tend to be lighter and smaller than framing nailers, and they tend to be used for trim or finishing work. These are almost always stick-type nail guns.
- Roofing and Siding nailers: These nailers are meant for the specialized task of installing either siding or roofing. They store high numbers of nails that are designed specifically for the job at hand (siding or roofing). These are usually coil-type nailers.
Once you decide on the type of nailer you want, some other features that are very nice to have and which you should consider are:
- A directional exhaust output. When nails are expelled, air is released from the nailer. It's nice to have an adjustable exhaust so that the exhaust air is not ending up into your face.
- A good-sized gun trigger. If you are intending to be using your nailer outdoors in snowy weather, you will probably be wearing gloves. In that case you will want to make sure you have a good-sized trigger so that you can operate it when wearing gloves.
- A swivel on the air connector . If you move around often with your nailer, this will help reduce the snarling of your air line.
- An easy-to-use depth adjustment. Almost all nailers have some sort of adjustment to controlmanage how deep the nail is put in. Using this adjustment, your nail is not left jutting out , or sunk in too deep far in. Many nailers require tools to perform this adjustment, others can be set by hand and these are almost always much quicker to set up. If you suspect you'll need to be changing this setting often, the easier and quicker it is to adjust, the the happier you will be with your nailer.
- If you are going to be nailing a lot of nails, should think about the capacity of the nailer and also the the effort required to load nails into the gun. Purchasing the correct nailer can save you a lot of time on a job... or cost you a lot of time if you make the wrong decision.
Finally, make sure you look at the reviews for the nailer you are looking at. Checking out a tool in the store or on the internet, it is really tough to know how well it will work in the field. By looking into the reviews of people that have actually used the nailer, you'll get a better feel for how this nailer will work for you.
Bradbennet has sinced written about articles on various topics from Public Relations. Brad has been working as a carpenter for over 20 years. He owns, or has used, scores of different nailers during this time. You can read his