blackfriday Locating the best framing nailer for your projects means various things to different Pros. Are you a framer or a remodeler? Is price the largest issue, or could it be driving power, weight, or recoil? Whatever your priorities, it’s likely that our Pro team has considered it in this face to face shootout.
Of course, we put our heads together to take this comprehensive list and rank each model towards the end. As a bonus, we earned 4 models that don’t need a hose. Buckle your seatbelt – here we go!
Features that Matter
There are features, however, many make a bigger impact than others. Here’s what we searches for and which models keep these things.
Rafter Hook
That one is pretty evident inclusion and it shows – every model we tested except the Hitachi NR90AE(S1) carries a rafter hook. Some are much better than others, but the majority are pretty standard. The Hitachi 18V hook is big enough to straddle a 4 x4 – and block the way. Hitachi’s NR83A5 doesn’t swivel while Estwing’s swings freely.
Metal Magazine
Plastic magazines have a tendency to work more sluggishly compared to the crisp action of an excellent metal magazine. Our pneumatic framing nailers have metal magazines and all the cordless models have plastic.
Adjustable Exhaust
As the nailer fires, exhaust must go somewhere. Most Pros prefer to carefully turn the exhaust port from their faces in order to avoid have that quick stream of air deliver a tiny particle to their eyes.
Tool-Free Mode Change
In the very best case scenario, you flip a switch to improve between single fire and bump fire modes. A few of our nailers make it so easy. Some have a two-step process for safety reasons, but a couple need a complete trigger change – something we hates.
Dry Fire Lockout
Dry fire lockout aids in preventing harm to the driver blade and reminds you to include more nails before you a run a line without nailing anything. In a great world, lockout would happen after the last nail is fired, but even the very best framing nailer leaves a few in the
