Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting guide

Having problems with your Craftsman brad nailer? Admittedly, it can be quite frustrating.

But don’t fret….this Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting guide could help you fix it.

Read it to the end.

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting –how to troubleshoot a range of Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer problems

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer not working at all (not operating)

This may be caused by a couple of reasons.

Now, to try and fix this, we will look at the suggested solutions for pneumatic and cordless brad nailers separately.

Craftsman 18 gauge cordless brad nailer not working at all (not operating)

This is typically caused by an array of reasons, all having distinct possible fixes.

See below:

Craftsman 18 gauge pneumatic brad nailer not working at all (not operating)

This fault can be due to any of the following:

• Insufficient air supply
• Damaged head valve O-ring or seal
• Damaged head valve spring
• Head valve binding in cap

So, how do you repair these?

Check air supply

The first and easiest step is to check whether air supply is properly connected or clogged. That’s because it would impede the normal functioning of your nailer.

Disassemble the nailer and check if something is wrong with the previously mentioned components

If there’s no problem with air supply, you have no choice but to take apart your nailer and check on the parts I mentioned earlier.

Here’s is what you can try once you have opened your nailer:

Clean and grease the cap and head valve and see whether your nailer will resume working.

If not, check if the head valve spring, seal, or O-ring is damaged and replace as necessary.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer flashing light

This is a common issue when it comes to Craftsman 18 gauge cordless brad nailer.

Here is what you need to do, depending on how the light is flashing…

If the nailer doesn’t actuate but the left work light flashes 4 times, then this might be an indication that you either have a damaged battery or your battery is low on charge.

Subsequently, first try to fully charge your battery and check if this solves your issue.

If it doesn’t, then you might be looking at a damaged battery and you could hence need to get a replacement.

With that in mind, here’s an original replacement 20v lithium ion battery from Craftsman

On the other hand, if your nailer doesn’t actuate and the right work light flashes continuously, then either there is a jammed nail or the nailer’s mechanism is jammed.

So first check if you have a jammed fastener and clear the jam(More information on how to do that shortly).

However, if there is no jammed nail, then your nailer could be having a jammed mechanism and the best solution here is perhaps to take your nailer to an authorized service center for professional assistance.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting  – Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer won’t fire

Possible causes

Quite a few reasons may lead to your 18 gauge Craftsman nail gun not firing fasteners at all.

These are:

• Empty magazine
• Jammed nails
• Dirty nailer
• Damaged driver blade

Recommended fixes

The first and easiest step to fixing this is to check and make sure that your magazine isn’t empty.

The thing is, an empty magazine will lead to your gun not firing at all.

If that’s not the problem, the next step is to check the nailer for a jammed fastener.

If you find it jammed, scroll below to see how to unjam Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer jam -How to unjam Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer

To unjam it, you will first need to point the tool away from you or anybody close to you – you don’t want a nail hitting them by accident (it happens).

How to unjam cordless Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer

1. Begin by removing the battery and then engaging the trigger lock-off.
2. Take out any loaded nails.
3. Now, lift the jam-clearing latch and then pull up to open the front door.
4. You can now remove the bent nail and if necessary, you can use pliers(long nose).
5. Also, check your driver blade and if it’s in the down position, cycle the stall release lever using only enough force to slide it to the other end of the slot in the housing.
6. You can now close the front door followed by engaging the latch pin under the two arms on the nosepiece. You can now push the latch until it locks into place.
7. Finally, reinsert the battery pack followed by loading your nails and you are good to go.

How to unjam pneumatic Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer

1. Begin by disconnecting your nailer from the air supply and remove any loaded nails.
2. Now release the magazine release lever – located behind the nails.
3. Push down the jam-clearing latch and then pull it up to open the front door.
4. You should now be able to access your bent nail-if necessary, use pliers(long nose).
5. Also, check the position of your driver blade and if it’s in the down position, push it back up using a screwdriver.
6. You can now close the front door and lift the latch to secure the door to the nosepiece.
7. Load your nails and then release the magazine release lever.
8. Finally, reattach the air supply and you are good to go.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting continued

What do you do next, if there was no jam?

Well, you will need to prop the nailer open and check whether its internals are dirty as the presence of debris tends to hinder your nailer’s firing ability.

And you will have to clean its internals to get your nailer firing again within no time.

What if that doesn’t help?

Well, if all the above steps don’t work for you, you will have to check the state of your driver blade.

If you note that it’s in the down position, prop it back into its right state using a screwdriver.

However, if you note that it’s damaged, your best bet is probably to swap it out.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer operates slowly (or loses power)

If your nailer is operating slowly, troubles shoot as below (the table shows potential causes and suggested repairs in each case):

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer skips nails or shoots inconsistently

Again there are a number of varying reasons that could be behind this and each has its own fix.

So let us look at the likely causes and suggested troubleshooting steps in the table below:

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer trigger cap leaks air

This is known to arise from damaged seals or O-rings.

Solution

The best solution here is to open up your nailer and try and look if these components are damaged- replace, if so.

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer nose leaks air

This might be due to one of the following:

• Loose nose screws
• O-ring or gasket cut/cracked
• Cracked/worn bumper

Recommended solutions

Now, to fix a leaking nose, the first step is to check if the nose screws are loose.

If so, be sure to tighten them and see if your nailer will stop acting up(The screws normally come loose due to the vibrations generated by the nailer during use).

Next, if your nose doesn’t stop leaking air, then disassemble it and check on the state of the bumper and gasket.

Again replace as necessary, depending on which is broken.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer cap leaks air

Possible causes

• Loose cap screws
• Cracked/worn head valve bumper
• Damaged gasket or seal

Recommended fixes

To fix a leaking cap air, you will need to first open your nailer and check whether the cap bolts are loose- you want to tighten them and see how it goes.

If that does not work, then what you could be having is either a damaged gasket or a worn head valve bumper.

Now, to know what the exact culprit is, open the nailer and check on the gasket and the bumper- change it out as necessary.

 

Craftsman 18 gauge brad nailer troubleshooting – final words

If your nailer is still under warranty, do not pry it open as this will void your warranty.

Instead, take it to your local Craftsman dealer for assistance and probably a replacement.

Otherwise, try the above fixes before you think of taking it to an authorized service center for assistance.

PS: If there are any tips you feel we might have missed, feel free to let us know in the comments below.

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