The 10 Best Brad Nailers in 2023

If you’ve ever tried to use a hammer to drive a brad nail into trim, you’ll understand how difficult it is and why brad nailers are very important.

Brad nails, also known as 18 gauge nails, are made to be so tiny that they don’t split the trim or moldings, and so they can easily be concealed. Because they’re so tiny, using a hammer to drive them into wood is almost impossible.

Of course, you can insist on using a hammer to drive these tiny fasteners into your trim, but you do so at the risk of hitting your hand with it. That’s why we have brad nailers, a type of nail gun designed to drive these tiny nails into wood.

There are different types you can choose from, and they’re differentiated according to their power source, including pneumatic, battery-powered cordless, and fuel cartridge cordless.

As you may already be aware, pneumatic brad nailers make use of compressed air as their source of power.

On the other hand, the battery-powered cordless requires no air compressor unit to operate. Just the tool and a compatible battery.

Lastly, the fuel cartridge type makes use of air cartridges or fuel cells and a battery as source of power.

What To Consider When Choosing A Brad Nailer

Consider the following features if you want to choose a brad nailer for your woodworking projects.

Nose Design

The nose of a brad nailer is the part that makes contact with your workpiece when you’re nailing with it. It’s also called the tip.

The nose design is crucial because it affects how precisely you can sink nails with it.

Narrow noses allow more precision by making it possible for you to reach tighter spaces with the tip of the nailer.

A narrow nose gives you a better line of sight to place your nails exactly in the right spot you want them to be.

This design can be seen in the Bostitch btfp12233 and the Dewalt DCN680B, which makes both nailers much easier to use.

Tool-Free Jam Release

No matter how good a brad nailer is, there’s always the possibility of jamming. A nail might get stuck in the nose, and you’ll have to remove it quickly to continue your work.

To access the nail and clear the jam, the jammed neck in some nailers needs to be loosened with an Allen wrench. More recent nailers, however, do not require a wrench. Instead, a tool-free jam-clearing mechanism lets you remove the jammed nail by pulling down a simple lever on the neck.

That will save you precious time and make your job easier. If a certain brad nailer needs to be loosened with an Allen wrench to remove a jammed nail, that is your cue to leave it and find something better.

Depth Adjustment

The depth adjustment feature is a must-have feature of any brad nailer. Depending on the size of the nails you are using and the thickness of the material you are nailing into, you might need to adjust how far the nailer sinks the nails or brads into the wood.

In most nailers, it is usually in the form of a dial or wheel close to the nose. Turning the dial clockwise or anti-clockwise increases or reduces how deep a nail will sink when you pull the trigger.

So, ensure the one you choose has a good depth adjustment feature.

Anti-Dry Fire

Another feature you need to check for, which is not a must but also essential, is an anti-dry fire mechanism to prevent the brad nailer from firing if there are no nails in the magazine.

Pressing the trigger when no nails are in the magazine is a dry fire. When you pull the trigger, the plunger or piston inside the nailer will try to push a nail out, but since the magazine is empty, none will come out.

This incident is not good because the force of the piston going down will leave an impression on your workpiece, which you may not fancy if you are working on something delicate. Remember, people mainly use brad nailers because they are most suitable for working on delicate trim.

Besides dry firing damaging the workpiece, it’s also unsuitable for the tool.

If the dry firing continues, it will eventually damage the nailer in the long run. I don’t know about you, but I want my tools to last long. So, if you’re like me, you must prevent dry fires as much as possible.

Buying a nail gun with an anti-dry fire mechanism is the easiest way to prevent it. The mechanism detects if no nails are in the magazine and will only fire once you reload it with nails.

Exhaust Air Control

Exhaust air control is crucial because the air coming from the nailer is already contaminated with the oil meant for lubricating the nailer.

Hence, that air mustn’t be directed toward the workpiece you’re working on.

It should also be directed towards your face because that will be very uncomfortable as you work with the tool.

The ability to change the direction of the exhaust air will help you position it so that it’s not contaminating the workpiece and not directed toward your face.

Nailing Modes Control

If you’ve ever used a nail gun before, you’ll know that there are two main ways to fire a nail with the nail gun.

Bump or contact firing and

Sequential firing.

A good framing nailer allows you to choose between the two modes. With a simple switch, you can change from sequential to bump firing or vice versa.

Sequential firing is designed in such a way that you must compress the nailer tip to the workpiece before pulling the trigger. You have to do this each time you want to fire a nail from the nail gun.

It must follow the same sequence every time you want to fire a nail: compress the nailer tip – pull the trigger -nail fires – release the trigger and remove the tip from the workpiece, then repeat that sequence.

On the other hand, bump or contact firing requires you to pull the trigger once and bump the nail tip on top of the workpiece as many times as you want.

A nail will fire each time the nail tip comes in contact with the workpiece.

The sequential firing mode is safer, while the bump firing mode is faster.

Ergonomics

Depending on what you’re working on, you may need to use your brad nailer for a pretty long time at a stretch.

This is where a well-designed ergonomic handle comes in handy. Choose one with a rubberized handle, as this will afford you a better grip and prevent it from slipping if you develop sweat on your palms.

It will also ensure the tool doesn’t leave any blisters or bruises on your hand if you handle it for a long time.

A good rubberized handle gives you a soft grip on the tool and provides more comfort as you use the tool.

Pneumatic Brad Nailers vs Battery Powered vs Fuel Cell

The main advantage of pneumatic brad nailers is that they’re lighter in weight, because there’s no additional battery to carry with the tool, no motor and gear contained within. Fewer moving parts makes it lighter and also cheaper.

Pneumatic units are also smaller in size and will fit into tighter spaces than their battery powered counterparts.

However, they’re still quite unwieldy since you have to drag the air compressor hose with it. The user’s range is limited by the length of the hose.

They’re also very prone to cold weather conditions (winter) that cause them to jam or even stop firing. You also have to account for air compressor investment if you don’t already have one, and the noise produced by the air compressor during use.

Battery-powered and fuel cell-powered units are very portable. They can be taken anywhere. No need to carry an air compressor and no need for long hoses. These are best for DIYer’s, weekend warriors and handymen for carrying out projects at home, especially if you don’t want anything to do with the noise of an air compressor machine.

However, battery and fuel cell units are bulkier and heavier, which makes it difficult to use them for a long time without being fatigued.

They’re also more expensive and difficult to maintain. With fuel cartridge or fuel cell units, you have to buy these fuel cartridges continuously throughout the life of the tool, which adds to the total expenses of using that tool.

Batteries and fuel cells also run down, and causes downtime because you have to wait for the battery to recharge, unless you have a charged spare battery. But with pneumatic units, you’ll never run out of air as long as the air compressor is on.

Putting the above points in mind, whether you’re buying a pneumatic unit, a battery or fuel cell powered unit, the 10 brad nailers below are the best we’ve reviewed and recommend for our readers.

1. Bostitch BTFP12233 Pneumatic Brad Nailer Review

Base on the type of nails brad nailers are designed to fire, the design of the tip is a very important factor to consider when choosing one for your projects.

This Bostitch BTFP12233 features one of the best tip designs you’re going to find. It features Bostitch Smart Point Technology which incorporates a smaller nose design on the nailer, making it easy to place nails accurately.

Unlike other brad nailers, you don’t have to compress the tip to fire nails with it as well, which improves the accuracy and prevents denting of the workpiece.

With the Bostitch BTFP12233, you can fire nails from 5/8 inches to 2-1/8 inches length easily. It will fire every nail flush into the wood, even when you’re toenailing with it.

Nail jams are something you’ll not be dealing with a lot when you use this Bostitch nailer, but if you ever had to deal with one, the BTFP12233 features a tool-free jam release lever mechanism you can use to clear the jam easily.

You don’t need any oil to get this nail gun working. It’s an oil-free brad nailer, which means less maintenance and lower risk of oil stains on your workpiece.

It features a selectable trigger which allows you to choose between sequential and contact firing mode, depending on what you’re comfortable with.

You can also adjust the depth of drive or how far the nails sink into the wood using a simple depth control dial that it comes equipped with.

If you’re not working with the tool or handling it, the simple belt hook it comes with will allow keep it within hands reach until you need it again.

All in all, This Bostitch BTFP12233 features everything a carpenter, home remodeller or cabinet maker needs to handle any type of project that involves the use of brad nails.

Related: Top 10 Best Framing Nailers For Woodworking

2. Wen 61721 Pneumatic Brad Nailer

Considering the low price, I never expected much from this Wen 61721 brad nailer, but after using it, I’d say it’s one of the most impressive and best performing ones you’re going to find out there.

First of all, it’s very lightweight weighing just under 3 pounds, and it’s well designed with an ergonomic rubber handle that makes it very comfortable to hold and use.

It fires brads within the range of 3/8 to 2 inches in length and operates between 60 to 115 PSI of pressure.

Apart from adjusting the pressure of the air compressor, making depth adjustments can be done easily simply by turning a wheel close to the trigger.

The magazine is capable of holding 106 nails which reduces downtime because you’ll hardly run-out of nails, and there’s a transparent window in the magazine that acts like a little gauge, helping you know if you’re running low of nails. Loading the magazine is also very easy because it’s spring loaded.

It’s an oil-lubricated brad nailer, that’s why the exhaust port is located at the back to prevent it from contaminated or staining your material. The exhaust port can also be rotated so you can direct it away from your face or whatever you don’t want the air to come in contact with.

A jammed nail can cause a whole lot of frustration and increase downtime, that’s why this Wen 61721 comes equipped with a tool-less nose latch to open up the nose and clear the jam.

It comes with a ¼ inch NPT air inlet fitting you can use to hook it to your air compressor.

Overall, the Wen 61721 pneumatic brad nailer is definitely one of the best performing budget units you can get for your woodworking projects.

Related: How To Choose The Best Air Compressor For Your Project

3. Dewalt DCN680D1 Cordless Brad Nailer

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of using an air compressor and dragging air hoses with you, one of the best cordless brad nailers you can opt for is this Dewalt DCN680D1.

There’re other Dewalt brad nailers, but this one tops it for me. It has a narrow nose design that improves your line of sight and helps you sink brads accurately without missing the mark or damaging the material.

With the DCN680D1, you have an 18 gauge brad nailer with the capacity to drive brad nails from 5/8 inches to 2-1/8 inches in length.

It’s the ideal unit for fastening decorative moldings, window trims, shoe moldings, and casings.

It comes equipped with a brushless motor which is very efficient. You can power it with any of Dewalt’s 20V MAX Lithium-Ion batteries.

This Dewalt DCN680D1 has everything you need to tackle projects on and off the jobsite, whether large or small, professional or DIY.

It features a tool-free selectable trigger you can use to choose between bump firing and full sequential firing modes.

You can countersink nails at precisely the right depth you want using the tool-free depth adjustment dial it’s equipped with.

Though you’ll have very few nail jams, you can clear jams quite easily using a tool-free jam release lever right at the nose of the tool.

If no nails are in the magazine, the Dewalt DCN680D1 will not fire when actuated. A low nail lockout prevents any dry firing that might damage your material or leave unwanted marks on the surface.

It comes with a belt/rafter hook you can fix on either side of the tool depending on which side of your belt you want to hang it when it’s not in use.

In case there’s a jam, there’s a tool-free jam release lever to clear the jam and reduce downtime.

Overall, the Dewalt DCN680D1 brad nailer comes with everything you need in a brad nailer. It’s got the features of a pneumatic nailer with the freedom only a cordless tool can provide you.

4. Metabo HPT NT50AE2

I’ve reviewed several Metabo HPT nail guns, and I’ve discovered one thing about all of them. They are very lightweight. The Metabo HPT NT50AE2 is no different.

Weighing just 2.2 lbs, it is the second lightest brad nailer in this list. The first one is the Porter-Cable BN200C.

When choosing a brad nailer, it is important that you also consider the weight. The less weight it has, the better it will be. Trust me, if you’re a contractor that works with these things all day, the weight of your tools should definitely be your concern.

The nose should be narrow enough so you can be very precise and place nails more accurately with it. Although that of the Metabo HPT NT50AE2 isn’t the narrowest nose I’ve seen, it definitely fits the description. It also comes with a no-mar tip that can be attached to the nose to prevent damage to the workpiece.

Metabo equipped the NT50AE2 with a solid magazine capable of holding up to 100 brads. This will definitely reduce tool downtime because, the more nails the magazine can hold at once, the longer you can work with it without reloading. The high capacity magazine is definitely a plus for the NT50AE2.

I would also not forget to mention the dual firing modes of the NT50AE2. With just the flip of a switch by the side of the tool just close to the trigger, you can change the firing mode from sequential to bump firing, and vice versa, depending on what you prefer.

Depth of drive adjustment is also something important, and Metabo did not fail to equip the NT50AE2 with one. It consist of a simple dial just beneath the handle and trigger. Just by turning the dial, you can adjust how deep you want the nail to sink into the wood.

The exhaust vent is located at the rear to prevent staining the work piece, and you can easily adjust the direction so as to prevent the puff of air from getting into your face.

Conclusively, I would say the Metabo HPT NT50AE2 is definitely the type of brad nailer suited for both DIY users and professional contractors that use this type of tools day after day on the job site.

Related: Router Tool Uses Every Woodworker Should Know

5. NUE Master | Budget Option

If you want a very budget-friendly brad nailer without any bells and whistles, this NEU Master pneumatic brad nailer is the way to go.
This thing is below 40 bucks, which is very cheap compared to some of the premium units that cost over 300 bucks.
Although it’s cheap, it gets the job done. In fact, it’s a 2-in-1 nail gun. It’s a brad nailer, and also a staple gun.
You can use it to drive brad nails 5/8 inches to 2 inches in length, and you can also drive 1/4 inch to 1-5/8 inch crown staples.
The operating pressure for this NEU Master nailer is between 60 and 120 PSI. However, it works better when the pressure is between 100 and 100 PSI.
The exhaust air vent can be rotated 360 degrees to keep contaminants away from your project and from your face if necessary.
Apart from the nail gun, it also comes with 1000 pieces of nails and staples to get you started. They include 400 pcs of 18 gauge 2-inch nails, 400 pcs of 18 gauge 1-1/4 inch nails, and 200 pcs of 1/4 inch and 1-1/4 inch crown staples.
It only uses a sequential trigger; jam clearing is tool-free, and the nail magazine can hold up to 100 nails per load.
In terms of ergonomics, the NEU Master is very lightweight. As a result, you can use it for a long time without getting fatigued in your arm. It also has a rubber over-mold in the handle, making it comfortable to hold.

Related: 16 Types Of Joinery For Woodworking

6. Porter Cable BN200C Brad Nailer

Porter Cable brings something else to the table, with their BN200C brad nailer. They in-cooperated a maintenance-free motor in it, which means you don’t need to oil it to keep it in good working condition.

And since you don’t have to oil it, you eliminate any risk or chance of staining the trim or furniture you’re working on. This singular feature, though possessed by a few other nailers, is what makes the Porter Cable BN200C among the few that stands out in the crowd.

To get the BN200C firing properly, you need to set your compressor to a pressure range of 70 to 120 PSI depending on how much force you need. Provided the pressure is within that range, the nailer will fire. I personally would set it somewhere in the middle, preferably at 100 PSI.

As for firing modes, the BN200C features only one firing mode, which is the sequential firing mode. There is no contact or bump fire mode.

The BN200C can drive brad nails ranging from 5/8 inch in length to 2 inches. So, you can be sure that it’s suitable for any kind of project which will require you to use those size of nails.

Being lightweight is an essential feature of any nail gun. Porter cable made sure the BN200C is lightweight by using magnesium metal for making the frame. With a weight of only 2.6 lbs, the BN200C can be used all day without getting fatigued.

The exhaust of the porter cable BN200C is located at the rear of the nailer. This is so, in order to keep contaminants from staining or messing up what you’re working on.

To alert you when the magazine is getting empty, it’s equipped with a reload indicator at the side, so that you can quickly reload and prevent any dry fire that will definitely occur if there is no brads in the magazine.

Setting nail depths with it is very easy. It is equipped with a pretty decent depth of drive mechanism just beneath the trigger for setting the nail depths easily.

Another useful addition it has is an adjustable belt hook at the side. This will enable you to hang and secure it to your tool belt to keep it within reach, while using another tool.

The rubberized handle is also an essential addition, ensuring you have a good grip on the tool, and maximum comfort while carrying out your projects.

The handle is not the only soft part in the tool. It also has a soft removable non-marring tip that ensures the tip does not dent or damage the workpiece.

7. Craftsman CMCN618C1 Cordless Brad Nailer

The 20 Volts Craftsman CMCN618C1 cordless brad nailer is designed for professional Craftsmen who need a dedicated and reliable tool to carry out trim work and install crown moldings without the hassle of bringing additional accessories such as hoses and air compressors to the jobsite.

Cold weather can affect nailers in many ways, especially those that use fuel cartridges and even pneumatic ones. It can make them to jam, and even stop firing altogether. The Craftsman CMCN618C1 however is weatherproof, allowing you to carry out projects even during the winter months without jamming, as long as you keep it dry.

Design and Build Quality:

The Craftsman CMCN618C1 is well-built. Although it’s encased in hard plastic material, it feels really solid and sturdy.

The narrow nose design aids visibility and ensures very accurate nail placement on the trim.

Jams rarely occur, but if it does, there’s a tool-free jam release mechanism right at the nose of the nailer for freeing up the jammed nail so that work can continue.

A tool-free depth adjustment dial is included to easily drive nails at their appropriate depth, whether it’s a 1 inch nail or a 2 inch nail.

Firing Modes: Sequential firing mode only.

Performance:

When fully charged, the Craftsman 20 Volts Max brad nailer can fire over 500 nails on a single charge, making it ideal for both small and large projects.

It can fire different sizes of 18 gauge nails with ease, from 1 inch to 2 inches. This makes it a very versatile tool for installing different types and sizes of trim and moldings.

Ergonomics:

It features a good contoured rubber over-molded handle design to enhance grip and improve user comfort during use.

The unit also features 2 bright LED lights to improve visibility when working in low light conditions.

When not in use, an included belt hook makes it easy to hang it away on your tool belt and retrieve it once it’s needed again.

Cons:

The major downside I found is that it has only one firing mode, which is the sequential mode. There’s no bump firing mode which can be used to set multiple pins at the same time. You have to pull the trigger and compress the tip each time you need to fire a nail.

Another downside is that it’s a bit heavy and bulky. You should know this is not the lightest brad nail gun on the market. Pneumatic units are lighter, but they’re not portable, requires you to drag hoses along with you, which is quite cumbersome.

Related: 5 Important Questions To Answer Before Buying A Refurbished Tool

8. Porter-Cable PCC790LA Cordless Brad Nailer

Another cordless brad nailer that dazzled me by its quality and performance is the Porter-Cable PCC790LA brad nailer.

The fact that it is one of the best-selling cordless brad nailers out there stands testament to the fact that it’s really a top quality nailer.

Just from a first look at the Porter-Cable PCC790LA, you’ll easily discover that it comes with a body that is ruggedly built, with nice rubberized ergonomic handles. Well, the performance does not betray the looks. It does perform well, and it’s got nice features as well.

The tool comes with a 1.5 Ah 20 volts Max lithium-ion battery which powers the nailer, and a charger is included as well. But it doesn’t come with a case to hold them.

Clearing jammed nails is very easy with the Porter-Cable PCC790LA, because it comes equipped with a jam release lever for opening the nose and removing any jammed nails from it.

Also included is a depth of drive adjustment dial for adjusting the depth of drive according to the thickness and hardness of the wood you’re nailing.

The Porter-Cable PCC790LA brad nailer is one of the few ones that comes with a LED light to illuminate what you’re working on. This will be especially useful and help you to be more precise when nailing the inside of cabinets, or any area of your work that is not properly illuminated.

Weighing just 5.9 lbs, it’s the lightest cordless brad nailer in its class. With all these features, I’m sure you can see why the Porter-Cable PCC790LA makes this top 10 list of the best brad nailers.

What I like about it

For a brad nailer to be effective, it has to deliver consistent power and driving force to sink the brads to the set depth consistently. That is where the Porter-Cable PCC790LA really shines a lot.

You don’t have to wonder whether it will leave some nails above or below the wood surface, it really sinks them to the same depth every time you pull the trigger.

Obviously, I also like the fact that you don’t have to use a compressor and drag and air hose around with the Porter-Cable PCC790LA in your hands.

Like I said earlier, I also like the overall rugged look of the nailer. It really makes you feel confident that it will hold up over time.

Where it can be improved

After firing one nail, the Porter-Cable PCC790LA takes about a second to fire another nail, which is a little bit slow compared to other nailers in its class. It’s not very slow, but some might view that as slow, and I think that little delay can be removed to improve the overall performance of the nailer.

To me though, a less than 1 second delay is not really a big deal to me, provided brad nailer sinks the nail properly, which the Porter-Cable PCC790LA brad nailer does exceptionally well.

Plus it’s a battery powered brad nailer, it may not catch up with a pneumatic nailer in terms of speed, but you get to escape the stress and noise of a compressor and dragging a hose along with you.

9. Ryobi P320 Airstrike Cordless Brad Nailer

The RYOBI P320 Airstrike is another cordless brad nailer that affords you the chance of dumping that air hose and a noisy air compressor, which you need to power a pneumatic one.

With the P320 Airstrike, you can easily sink brad nails from 5/8 inch to 2 inches and size easily. The nailer sinks the nails well and leave no proud nails for you to set.

It’s equipped with a lot of features which are found in most of the other nailers I’ve talked about in this article. For instance, you can fire nails easily with the two firing modes, which are the sequential and contact firing modes, and you can easily switch between the two modes depending on what you prefer.

If there are no brads remaining in the magazine, the RYOBI P320 Airstrike will not fire because it’s equipped with an anti-dry fire lock that prevents it from firing in such cases. That does not only protect your work from damage, but also ensures the longevity of the tool.

You can also increase or reduce the depth of drive with an attached depth of drive adjustment dial. And like the Porter Cable, it’s equipped with two LED lights to illuminate what you’re working on.

An ergonomic rubber grip handle makes it easy and comfortable for you to hold and use the nailer for long period of time.

Let’s be frank, Ryobi are not the most popular power tool manufacturers, and personally, I’ve not reviewed a lot of their tools. They might not even be your favorite power tool brand. But after using the Ryobi P320 Airstrike, I’m sure you’ll begin to notice more of their tools, because this one performs really well for me.

What I like about it

There are many features of the RYOBI P320 Airstrike brad nailer that really appeals to me. But the most important one, and actually the one that really matters to most people is that it really sinks the brad nails well. It got enough power for that.

No matter how many fancy features any nailer has, if it does not sink nails properly, nothing else is going to matter. The RYOBI P320 Airstrike really performs in that aspect.

Ergonomically, it’s very easy to hold and comfortable to use.

Where it can be improved

There’s pretty not much to be improved about the RYOBI P320 Airstrike brad nailer. The only think is that it becomes a little bit heavy with the 4 Ah battery installed, and you may feel the weight when doing overhead work.

Besides that, it’s one hell of a tool, and I’m sure it will exceed your expectations.

10. SENCO FinishPro

We probably would not post this article without mentioning the SENCO FinishPro 18 gauge pneumatic brad nailer in it.

It’s highly durable and feels solid and sturdy when held in the hand. It’s also very lightweight because it’s made with high quality magnesium components. As mentioned earlier, it’s a pneumatic brad nailer. Which means, you have to own a compressor to use it.

With the SENCO FinishPro brad nailer, you can fire nails from 5/8 inches in size to 2-1/8 inches flush into any wood you intend to use it for.

It equipped with a selective actuation trigger to easily switch between sequential firing and bump firing modes.

When firing nails you have to check the red indicator that warns if the nail in the magazine is running low, because it will dry fire if there is no nail in the magazine. Though there is no anti-dry fire mechanism, but with the indicator, you can reload your magazine in time and prevent any dry fires.

The tapered nose design really makes the nose very narrow and makes it possible to fit the nailer into tight spaces and place brads more accurately.

If you looking for a good brad nailer to carry out any kind of finish cabinetry work, install door and wind casing, or install moldings, then consider choosing the SENCO FinishPro. It’s portable, countersinks brads well, easy to adjust, and it’s definitely one of the best brad nailers you can get your hands on today.

What I like about it

With a tool weight of 2.48 lb, it’s really lightweight and easy to use. If you’re going to be sinking nails for a very long time, especially overhead, you can be sure that a lightweight tool will definitely make a difference on how your hand feels at the end of the day.

Where it can be improved

It dry fires when there’re no nails in the magazine. When it does, it leaves an impression or dent on the trim. Many modern nailers are designed not to fire if the magazine is empty. This one is not. It fires and dents the trim.

So, I’d advice you watch the reload indicator frequently to ensure the magazine is not empty.

The SENCO FinishPro is a top quality unit. However, I think having an anti-dry fire mechanism will definitely make it a better.

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