Nailers, pinners & staplers

Since the advent of cordless power, both battery and hose driven nailers, pinners and staplers have become more adroit and flexible. They’re also getting lighter and smaller as design engineers take advantage of advances in metallurgy, plastics, mechanics and electronics.

Before we look at what’s new, just a quick word about definitions. The higher the gauge, the smaller the diameter of the nail, so a 15-gauge finish nail is fatter than a 16-gauge. Brads are 18-gauge, and pins are usually 23-gauge. Some manufacturers might vary things a little, but most nail suppliers follow those guidelines. Pins leave a smaller hole than brads but have less holding power. And some nails are available in plastic for designated guns, so they can be used in fixturing for a CNC without harming the tooling. The power sources are noted too: pneumatic guns require an air hose, electric ones have a cord, and cordless ones are battery driven.

A new 18-gauge cordless brad nailer from Milwaukee Tool (milwaukeetool.com) runs on the company’s M12 Fuel battery system and provides great access to tight spaces. Built around a nitrogen air spring mechanism, it sinks 5/8" to 1-1/2" and weighs only 4.6 lbs. when paired with a 2 Ah battery. Milwaukee is also introducing a new cordless M18 Fuel duplex nailer that combines the manufacturer’s nitrogen air spring technology with a Powerstate brushless motor and Redlink intelligence.

Senco’s (senco.com) new pneumatic Finish & Trim tool set is a family of five oil-free tools that includes a 1-1/4" to 2-1/2" 15-gauge angled finish nailer (TN51P1P); a 2-1/2" 16-gauge straight finish nailer (TN41P1P); and a 2-1/8" 18-gauge brad nailer (BN31M1P). These three tools have dry fire lockout, contact and sequential firing modes, a quick clear latch for jam clearing, and tool-free depth adjustment. Next up is a 1-3/8" 23-gauge pin nailer (TN11G1P) that has an ultra-narrow nosepiece that allows access to tight corners and other hard to reach areas. It also comes with a reversible belt hook that mounts to either side of the tool, and a no-mar pad that prevents damage to the worksurface. And the fifth tool is a 1/4" x 1-1/2" 18-gauge finish stapler (LS61H1P) that has a 360-degree adjustable exhaust that directs air away from the operator or worksurface, and a rotatable belt hook for right- or left-hand access.

Grex (grexusa.com) has improved its familiar P635 pneumatic 23-gauge headless pinner with a new L model that has features such as an auto-lockout with one-touch override, and an on-board adjustable edge guide. The lockout feature on the all-metal pinner (which can shoot nine different lengths of pins from 3/8" to 1-3/8") halts firing when the tool is down to about seven pins. Those can then be fired individually with a single press of the override button. The new L model uses the same core parts as the original P635 but adds new additions including the edge guide that lets a woodworker shoot pins in a straight line without measuring. Just set the offset distance and precisely fire pins – even into the edge of very thin material. There’s also an onboard holder to store the guide when not in use.

Among the newer cordless tools from Makita (makitatools.com) is the GTP01Z, a 40-volt XGT brushless 23-gauge pin nailer that’s built for speed. It has a refined firing mechanism that reduces recoil and the amount of force required, a magazine capacity of up to 120 pin nails, and a narrow nose design that allows easy nailing access in confined areas (the tool is only 10-3/8" long). It can drive six different lengths of nails from 5/8" to 1-3/8" and has a trigger lock, anti-dry-firing, and tool-free depth adjustment features.

Porter-Cable’s (portercable.com) PCC790B is a 20-volt, 18-gauge cordless brad nailer that has been around for a while. It comes with two LED work lights, sequential firing, and tool-free depth setting for nails from 5/8" to 2" length. At 5.1 lbs., it’s described as nimble, lightweight, and balanced.

The SmartPoint line of nailers from Bostitch (bostitch.com) are specifically designed to reach into tight corners, and the BTFP family here includes an 18-gauge brad nailer (12233), 16-gauge finish nailer (71917), 15-gauge angled FN (72156) and DA (72155) style finishers, and a 23-gauge pinner (2350K). In finish guns, DA models generally have a handle angle of about 34 degrees which can be quite useful in tight spots, while the FN lies flatter (and some say more comfortably) at around 25 degrees. There are more DA models on the market, but FN gun reservoirs can usually carry more nails. DA was originally conceived by engineers at Senco, and the D means 15-gauge while the A denotes a round brad head and smooth shank. FN nails, created by Bostitch, have a more rectangular head and the letters simply indicate ‘finish nail’. DA and FN nails are not interchangeable and will cause jams if inadvertently switched.

Many of the latest finish and brad nailers from DeWalt (dewalt.com) are 20-volt cordless tools that use the company’s Max battery system. The batteries are interchangeable, so a woodworker can choose the Ah rating based on needs. DeWalt is still introducing air-powered guns in this smaller range, too. Among the newer offerings are 23-gauge cordless and pneumatic pinners (DCN623B and DWFP2350K); two pneumatic and one cordless 18-gauge brad guns (DWFP12231, DWFP12233, DCN680B); four 16-gauge finishers including cordless angled, pneumatic straight, Precision Point pneumatic and cordless straight models (DCN660B, D51257K, DWFP71917, DCN662B); and cordless angled, pneumatic angled, and DA angled 15-gauge finish guns (DCN650B, D51276K, DWFP72155).

DeWalt also makes cordless and pneumatic narrow crown 18-gauge staplers (DCN681B and DWFP12232), and a pneumatic 18-gauge finish stapler (DWFP1838). The company supplies a variety of specialty staplers for flooring, fencing, and electric wiring applications.

In March 2017, Stanley Black & Decker acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings. Today, the Craftsman catalog (craftsman.com) includes 18-gauge narrow crown staplers, 16-gauge finish nailers, and 23-gauge pin nailers in both cordless and pneumatic models. The V20 cordless tools have brushless motors, tool-free jam release, and LED lights. The matching V20 batteries come in 2, 4, 6 and 9 Ah versions with a variety of chargers.

Metabo (metabo.com) makes pneumatic staple and brad guns, and the company has a new 18-volt cordless nailer, the NFR 18 LTX 90 BL, which can set two nails per second, and has single shot and contact triggering. It can handle nails up to 3-1/2" in length. The woodworker can choose between single shot mode and contact triggering, and there’s tool-free depth adjustment. The gun has blank shot protection and a safety shutdown after 30 minutes of inactivity. One of the more intriguing description notes is that the gun has a “multi-position” but there are no photos or details given on the website. The gun does, however, work with all 18-volt battery packs and chargers of the CAS brands (more details at cordless-alliance-systems.com).

Paslode (paslode.com) has added a 16-gauge angled finish nailer and says that this is “the lightest cordless finish nailer on the market” at 4.5 lbs. It’s designed to fit into tight spots, offers an excellent line of sight, and drives 12,000 nails on a fully charged battery and 1,200 nails on a full fuel cell. The Paslode’s Fuel System uses both gas and electric power. The company has also just introduced a new cordless 30° framing nailer.

The KBAT161002 is a 23-gauge pneumatic pin nailer from Kobalt, available from Lowe’s (lowes.com), that fires 1/2" to 1" long pins.

Wurth (wurthmachinery.com) lists a 23-gauge tool that shoots both micro-pins and micro-brads and has an auto-adjustable pusher for different fastener lengths. Identified as WR11191W, it comes with a lock-out to prevent dry firing.

Originally known as the Guangdong Meite Mechanical Co., Meite USA (meite.com) has added a 16-gauge 7/16" continuous firing crown stapler that shoots staples from 1" to 2" in length. The N851F has an adjustable rotating exhaust on top of the housing and a magnesium body to help reduce fatigue.

Originally published in the August 2024 issue of Woodshop News.