Compressed Air vs Electric vs Cordless Nail Guns
How to Choose the Best Tool for Framing, Finish and Brad Nails
Apr 7, 2009
Nail guns use electricity, gas or compressed air to fire nails into wood. A skilled operator can accurately place a nail every few seconds, significantly faster than with a hammer. Not to mention with fewer bent nails, bruised thumbs and dented wood. Total construction time can be more than halved.
Popular brands include Bostitch, Paslode, Porter Cable, Hitachi, Senco, Stanley, Arrow, DeWalt and Black & Decker.
Pneumatic or Compressed Air Nail Guns
These are the most popular, and the most powerful, nail guns. Used by professional contractors, they are also suitable for DIY homeowners.
Advantages
- Powerful. Able to nail 3.5 inch framing nails into hardwoods.
- Bump fire (contact actuation) mode is available, for fast (but less safe) nailing. New models allow quick switching between bump and sequential fire modes, without having to disassemble the gun.
- Some models have a dust blower for convenient cleaning of the work surface.
Disadvantages
- Air hose is unwieldy.
- Air compressor is heavy and expensive.
Corded Electric Nail Guns
Electrical nail guns have limited power. They are typically available only for small brad nails.
Advantage
- Convenient. No need for heavy and expensive air compressor.
Disadvantages
- Not powerful enough for large (framing) nails.
- High peak current (15 amps) means thick 12 gauge extension cords are required.
- High peak current can sometimes trip circuit breakers.
- Need to press gun down with both hands to make full use of limited gun power, when driving large nails.
- Slower than pneumatic nail guns.
Cordless Battery (Rechargeable) Nail Guns
Battery-powered guns are actually more powerful than corded guns. They are available for medium sized trim/finish nails.
Advantages
- No clumsy air hose or electrical cord.
- Can be used anywhere, even in places without mains electricity.
- Bump fire (contact actuation) mode is available.
Disadvantages
- Not powerful enough for large (framing) nails.
- Expensive.
- Heavy.
Cordless Gas Nail Guns
Gas nail guns use fuel rods (cells) for power. An electrical battery is used to ignite the fuel. They are less powerful than pneumatic guns but are still powerful enough to be used by contractors for framing.
Gas guns were popularized by Paslode. Other manufacturers now make compatible models, which are able to use the Paslode fuel rods.
Advantages
- No clumsy air hose or electrical cord.
- Can be used anywhere, even in places without mains electricity.
Disadvantages
- High initial cost.
- Needs replaceable fuel rods (about one rod every 500 nails).
- Slower than pneumatic nail guns.
- Needs frequent cleaning.
- Use at high altitudes (above 5,000 feet) requires the use of special fuel rods.
- Doesn't work well in cold weather. Need to keep a spare fuel rod warm in the pocket, swapping fuel rods regularly.
Nail Gun Features
Whether pneumatic, electrical or gas; here are some features to look out for:
- Warranty. Warranties can range from 3 months to 5 years, with 1 year being average.
- Weight. Nail guns range from 4 to 8 pounds. Heavy guns absorb recoil (kickback) better but can be tiring to hold the whole day.
- Oiled or oil-free. Nail guns that require oiling last longer but can leak oil on to the work surface, and blow out an oily mist from the exhaust.
- Tool-less adjustment. New models don't need tools for unjamming or depth adjustment.
- Nail availability. Especially for angle guns, finding suitable nails can be a problem. Availability of compatible nails should be checked before buying a gun.
The Best Nail Gun
The majority of nail guns are pneumatic. A compressed air nail gun is the safe, conventional choice. An air compressor is required, but the serious DIYer will have other uses for an air compressor: cleaning equipment and the work area, inflating tires.
While less established, a cordless nail gun is a viable alternative when an air compressor is not practical.
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