Pulling the trigger on nail gun purchase

For professionals and do-it-yourselfers alike, nothing makes a job easier and faster than a power nailer. Nailers not only substantially speed up your work and save a lot of stress on your arm, hand and wrist, but they reduce wood splitting and hammer dents, eliminate predrilling in hardwoods, and accurately set your nails at or below the surface of the wood.

COMPRESSED AIR

The most common power supply for a nailer is compressed air, which is created by an air compressor and routed to the nailer through a hose. Compressed air is reliable, easily adjusted and consistently powerful, but requires the additional expense of an air compressor that needs to be taken to the jobsite and set up.

With compressed air, you have more nailers to choose from, ranging from big framing nailers to smaller, more precise finish nailers. One example of a professional-quality, air-powered framing nailer that would also be at home in the do-it-yourselfer's shop is the new Paslode PowerFramer 350 ($279). At 7.5 pounds this is one of the lightest framers on the market, but the PowerFramer was designed with enough power to drive 3-inch nails into dense engineered-lumber products. This nailer shoots a variety of different nail types, in sizes ranging from 2 inches to 3 1/2 inches in length. And it's definitely durable, with -- according to the manufacturer -- the ability to withstand a drop from a two-story building.

At the other end of the spectrum are the finish nailers, which are designed to drive thinner nails with much smaller heads. An example of a very nice finish nailer is Paslode's new 16-gauge Angled Finish Nailer ($199, with fitted case). The angled head on this nailer makes it easier to get into tight locations, and at 3.75 pounds it's light, powerful and very well balanced. The thinner 16-gauge nails reduce the chances of splitting the wood and also leave a smaller hole to putty. This particular nailer will drive nails ranging from 1 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches in length, which adds versatility.

CORDLESS

Cordless nailers offer the convenience of not having to set up an air compressor and not being tethered to an air hose, but the tradeoff is less power and the need to keep a charged battery available.

DeWalt, another manufacturer of professional-grade tools that are also very suitable for home improvement use, offers several very nice cordless finish nailers that range in voltage from 12 volts to 18 volts (average cost $349 to $379, with case and batteries). These nailers are available with a straight magazine for faster nailing in higher-production applications, or with a 20-degree angled-head magazine for tight spaces and greater single-shot accuracy. The DeWalt guns shoot 16-gauge nails in sizes ranging from 1 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches long, and an 18-volt battery will give you enough power to shoot upwards of 800 nails. ...CONTINUED

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