- Framing nailers: These are meant to drive large (1-1/2" to 4") box-type nails into bigger pieces of material. These nailers are usually big and heavy and are usually stick-type nail guns, they there are some coil-types available too.
- Finish nailers: These nailers are sometimes referred to as pin or brad nailers. They are designed for nailing smaller finish-type nails into smaller pieces of material. These nailers are most often lighter and smaller than framing nailers, and they are usually used for trim or finishing work. These are almost always stick-type nail guns.
- Siding and Roofing nailers: These are designed for the specific task of installing either siding or roofing. They store high numbers of nails that are designed for the job at hand (siding or roofing). These are most-often coil-type nailers.
Once you decide on the type of nailer you want, some other attributes that are helpful to have and which you should consider are:
- An adjustable exhaust vent. When nails are nailed in, air comes out the back of the tool. It's very nice to have an adjustable exhaust so that the exhaust air is not shot into your face.
- A large trigger. If you are going to be working with your nailer in snowy weather, you'll want to be wearing gloves. In that case you will want to make sure you have a easy to pull trigger so that you can use it while wearing gloves.
- A pivot on the air connector . If you will be moving around a lot with your nailer, this will help reduce the tangling of your air line.
- An easy-to-use depth adjustment. Almost all nailers have an adjustment to controlmanage the depth to which the nail is put in. Using this adjustment, the nail is not left sticking out of the surface, or sunk too deep far in. Many nailers require tools to change this setting, others can be set without using tools and these tend to be much quicker to adjust. If you suspect you will want to be making this adjustment often, the easier and quicker it is to adjust, the the happier you will be with your nailer.
- If you are planning on delivering a lot of nails, should think about the capacity of the nailer and also the ease with which nails can be loaded into the gun. Choosing the right nailer in this regard can save you a lot of time, or lose you a bunch of time if you make a bad decision.
In conclusion, be sure you check the reviews for the nailer you are thinking about buying. Looking at a tool in a store or on the internet, it's really problematic to know how well it will work for you on the job. By looking at the reviews of people that have actually used the nailer, you'll get a much better feel for how this nailer will work for you.
