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Doing DIY projects on a free weekend doesn’t necessarily mean whipping out an old hammer from the toolbox.
In fact, if you often have to drive dozens of fasteners at a time, a nail gun will be indispensable(Nail guns drive nails faster, which explains why many pros prefer them).
Now, there are a couple of amazing nail guns on the market that can make building a cabinet or a pet house way easier and save you precious time while on it including brad nailers and finish nail guns.
Below we have rounded up some of these tools to point you in the right direction as you shop for the best nail gun for DIY.
Read on to see which nail gun best suits your needs.
Best nail gun for DIY- 3 top choices
Let us be honest, there are numerous nail guns out there and unless you are experienced in carpentry work, you may not know exactly which nail gun is suitable for your DIY project.
Here are the best nail guns we recommend for a variety of DIY projects:
NEU MASTER 2-in-1 Pneumatic Brad Nailer/Nail Gun Staple – Best for anyone under a budget
This is the DIY nail gun I recommend most for you if money is tight- it’s the most affordable out of the three nail guns we love most.
To be clear, this is an outstanding 2-in-1 nailer that’s awesome for DIY projects like Pet Houses and baseboards- it fires both 18-Ga Brad Nails (5/8-inch up to 2-inch in length) as well as 1/4” crown staples (5/8-inch up to 1-5/8”)
Now, there are a couple of things that we like with this nailer..
First, it’s so lightweight (it weighs just 5.61 lbs.) and it’s extremely easy to use on things like small trims and 1/4 inch rounds.
In addition, it works so well – Even staples are ever-so-slightly countersunk!
And there are no clamps at all.
Keep in mind that it comes with additional staples and brads to get you started.
Plus, there is a nice carry case to keep it secure.
Above all, there is nothing it won’t do- from upholstery installation, flooring, picture framing, crown molding to mud-pie kitchen project DIY.
Pros
- Easy to use (ergonomically designed).
- Good quality construction.
- Amazing price!
Cons
- There’s no depth adjustment.
Freeman Pneumatic 4-in-1 Combo Kit – best DIY nailer set
If you’d like a nail gun set that you can use for all your personal DIY projects, then go for the Freeman Pneumatic Combo Kit
Just so you know, this kit has 4 of Freeman’s most popular pneumatic DIY nailers (21-degree framing nailer, 15-ga angled finish nailer, 18-ga straight brad nailer, & 18-ga narrow crown stapler).
The highlights are the adjustable depth (remember that NEU MASTER 2-in-1 Pneumatic Brad Nailer lacks a way to adjust depth), the no-mar safety tip to prevent ugly marks on your work surface,
Oh, and these nailers work like a charm- you probably have not had anything close ..near zero jams, no misfires, load easily, very lightweight….in short, it makes even the toughest tasks super easy!
Moving on, their fasteners are pretty easy to find (even from local hardware stores).
The quality is excellent too and the price quite reasonable considering it’s a multipurpose set of 4 DIY nails guns.
Don’t forget that they come with connectors oil included plus and a handy rugged canvas carrying bag.
I should mention that Freeman has a fantastic customer service team just in case you may need to return the set.
In a nutshell, you will absolutely love these!
Pros
- Easy loading guns
- Feather lightweight
- Good all-round quality
Cons
- A little more expensive.
CRAFTSMAN Cordless Brad Nailer Kit– best cordless nail gun for DIY projects
If you do not find the idea of dragging long hose or electric cords around and having an obnoxiously noisy air compressor every time you are tackling a project, we recommend the CRAFTSMAN Cordless Brad Nailer Kit
It feels quite powerful and knocks nails all the way into wood thanks to the great battery and muscular motor.
In addition, the battery charge lasts for an admirable time- some folks have reported driving around 400 fasteners on a single charge(and it charges incredibly fast).
We also like the built-in meter to help you track the remaining charge- remember the battery charger is included.
It uses standard 18-gauge finish nails (up to 2-inches long) and it drives even the 2-inch fasteners effortlessly into materials
The nailer is actually straightforward to setup and you get to work just about immediately.
Loading the nail gun is easy too and it has a couple of handy safety features including a safety trigger on the handle to prevent accidental firing.
Another nice feature is the adjustable nail depth– it is a dial that you use to adjust the depth you want the nail to sink
I should remind you that like most cordless nailers, it is fairly heavy because of its size(don’t forget there’s a beefy motor and battery inside there)
Other than that, we cannot recommend it highly enough if you’re looking for a cordless nailer for DIY jobs.
Pros
- Plenty of power
- No jamming issues
- Low maintenance nail gun.
Cons
- The instructions are very basic and do not clearly demonstrate how to set it up.
- It’s also a bit pricier compared to the other options.
Best nail gun for DIY – buyer’s guide
Now that you know the top 3 nail guns that we recommend, let us look at some of the features that you should consider when purchasing a nail gun for your DIY projects.
Nail gun features
- Depth adjustment- This feature enables you to control how deep your nail gun fires a fastener into a surface.
- Nail adjustment- If possible, it’s good you get a nailer that can be adjusted to accept nails with different lengths.
- Trigger- You may want to go for a gun that has a larger trigger since you will be having gloves on(oftentimes).
- Jam release feature-Nail guns tend to jam at times. Make sure you get a gun that has an easy to use jam-release feature to enable you clear any nail jam.
- Weight- This is underestimated but quite important since nail guns are handheld tools. Pick a nail gun that you can comfortably use all day long.
Best nail gun for DIY- FAQs (Frequently asked questions)
What type of nail gun is most versatile for DIY?
To be honest, there’s no one-size-fits-all DIY nail gun unfortunately though, for small DIY tasks, brad nailers work pretty well.
But perhaps the most versatile nail gun for home DIY projects is the Freeman Pneumatic Framing-Finishing Combo Kit because it can shoot both finish nails, brads, crown staples, and more.
The Bostitch 6-gal pancake, finish nailer, brad nailer, and crown stapler combo kit can also be a good option for most DIY needs.
Best nail gun for DIY -Conclusion
When it comes to home DIY projects, you probably want a gun that is light for mobility reasons and versatile enough to tackle myriad projects.
For this, we recommend you purchase the Freeman Pneumatic Framing-Finishing Combo Kit(there are 4 tools) if you’re into pneumatic nailers.
Otherwise, go for the CRAFTSMAN Cordless Brad Nailer Kit if you’re looking for a good cordless nail gun.
Be sure to look at our other picks if you feel that these two will not serve you well.
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