Selecting the Right Nailer for You
Word Count:
522
Summary:
Unlike some tools, nailers are not intended for general purposes - there is no all-purpose nailer that you can use on all your work. Nailers are meant to carry out specific jobs, so before buying a new nailer it's important to understand the work for which it will be used.
Keywords:
nailers, nail guns, tools, reviews
Article Body:
Unlike most tools, nailers are not meant for general purpose use - there is not an all-purpose nailer that you can use with all your jobs. Nailers are meant to carry out specific tasks, so before purchasing a new nailer it's important to understand the jobs for which it will be used.
The types of nailers available are:
- Framing nailers: These are intended to drive bigger (1-1/2" to 4") box-type nails into larger pieces of wood. These nailers are usually fairly big and heavy and are usually stick-type nail guns, they there are some coil-types available also.
- Finish nailers: These may be also called pin or brad nailers. They are designed for nailing small finish-type nails into small pieces of stock. These nailers are usually smaller and lighter than framing nailers, and they are intended for trim or finishing work. These are usually stick-type nail guns.
- Siding and Roofing nailers: These are intended for the specific task of putting up either siding or roofing. They store large numbers of nails that are designed for the task at hand (siding or roofing). These are usually coil-type nailers.
Once you decide on the sort of nailer you need, some other characteristics that are useful to have and which you should consider are:
- A directional exhaust output. When nails are driven in, air is expelled from the nailer. It's nice to have this adjustment so that this air is not shot into your face.
- A large trigger. If you are going to be working with your nailer in cold weather, you'll want to be wearing gloves. In that case you'll want to have a easy to pull trigger so that you can operate it while wearing gloves.
- A pivot on the air connector . If you move around often with your nailer, this will help reduce the knotting of your air line.
- An easy-to-use depth setting. Nearly all nailers have an adjustment to controlmanage the force with which the nail is put in. Using this adjustment, your nail is not sticking out , or sunk too deep far in. Many nailers need tools, and time, to perform this adjustment, others can be set without using tools and these tend to be quicker to set up. If you suspect you'll need to be changing this setting often, the easier and quicker it is to adjust, the easier it will be to use this nailer.
- If you are planning on delivering a lot of nails, you will want to think about the nail capacity of the nailer as well as the the labor required to load nails into the gun. Buying the correct nailer can save you a lot of time, or cost you a lot of time if you make the wrong choice.
Finally, be sure you look at the reviews for the nailer you are thinking about getting. Researching a tool in a store or on line, it is really tough to be sure how well it will work for you on the job. By consulting the reviews of people that have actually used the nailer, you will get a better feel for how this nailer will work for you.