All 9 Different Types of Nail Guns with Their Uses in 2025

Last Updated on December 21, 2024 by John Patterson

What type of nail gun do I require?

I had the same question when I was starting.

You have an experience that is almost the same as mine.

Since Framer nailers guide is a website where we discuss various kinds of nail guns we thought about discussing the differences between nail guns so you could determine the right nail gun for you.

When you have many home improvement projects to work on, at some point, you will need to search for a nail gun market. Yes, you could also opt for a hammer or shovel, but for high-volume nail work, you’d want to benefit from a nail gun.

Nail guns will save you energy and time at the same time. But first, you’ll want to be aware of which nail gun does what. So I am brushing up on types of nail guns so you can make your own choice!

List of Different Types of Nail Guns

Here are several types of nail guns I am describing. They are given below:

#1. Framing Nail Gun:

Framing nailers is one of those things that people opt for initially. Framing nail guns are used for large woodworks or projects. If you are able to perform construction works such as building decks, framing homes, basement recreation rooms, and construction homes is also great.

These nail guns (framing nailers) are levels and work tremendously for much pacesetter Mexico. Common nails can be of 2 ½”-3 ½” size and they are classified into two types — clipped head and round head. This also includes framing, wood siding, and large carpentry works. Anything else using framing nail guns saves you time on heavy projects.

#2. Finishing Nail Gun:

Differences between Pneumatic and Electric Finish Nailers While you may find it harder to not just continue a framing nail gun because of its weight, you can easily plump for finishing nail guns. And finishing nail guns – in trim work, paneling, smaller crowns and interior moldings.

Finish nailers are also useful for building furniture and cabinetry. Finish nailers use shorter, lighter gauge nails and the lengths are short too. This kind of nail gun can handle 14 to 16 gauges of nails. They are typically 1″ to 2 ½” long. Finish nail guns are dead simple for nailing oak and pine.

#3. Brad Nail Gun (Brad Nailer):

The most versatile one is the Brad nail gun (brad nailer). There’s quite a bit you can get away with doing with trim work and general household repairs. It would be best for a beginner woodworker to go with a Brad nail gun again. Its nails are stronger to offer more holding power,

The other difference is that the nail rail is straight, not angled like a finished nailer. Nail lengths range from ½” to 2″ and are 18 gauge nails. With cordless configurations and standard air hook ups, you can follow suit without a thought in the world with Brad nail guns.

#4. Roofing Nail Gun (Roofing Nailer):

Roofing nail guns are used by people for laying down a new roof. You can do it with nailing asphalt shingles. You want to tame the shingle because when the nail gun drives a nail into the shingle, it’s going to drive too much power through it. So depth-drive adjustment is very needed.

And for getting power, the nails have a wide flat head as the smaller-headed one will pull through. They don’t come in a straight clip of nails but a spiral, to hold more nails in one go. This is the game-changing benefit brought by a high-quality roofing nail gun.

#5. Pin Nail Gun / Pin Nailer:

Pinner on pin nail gun is good for smaller works. For small woodworking crafts and upholstery, you should stick with pin nailers. Due to its small size and power, in DIY projects it will not be difficult to use it.

There is one solution nail gun this kind of nail gun has got both the 22 to the 23 nail gauges, may have your head or with out a go. With this type of nail gun, you can also cover small works like a birdhouse with a trim and a crate with panels. Do you need this nail gun to quickly and neatly finish small projects?

#6. Flooring Nail Gun (Flooring Nailer):

Installing a floor requires you at one point to be on hands and knees nailing the floor in place. You will be able to go much faster and find it much more pleasant than toenailing, even at an angle with a nail gun. You can use that to make a tongue and groove floorboard.

Nail guns for flooring, and air-powered ones make the task easier. The advantage that they have is that you can conserve energy,” because it doesn’t require very much exertion. Moreover, over time, the attrition rate is less.

#7. Staple Gun (Staple Nailer):

Now, when it comes to the gun for furniture building, the most regular one is a staple gun. A staple gun will always hold the materials together, but it will leave bigger holes than any other nail gun. And since a collated nail gun does not require oil, you would not have to deal with oil splattering.

Furniture you handle with a staple gun will bear no scars. So perfection shall be preserved. But refrain from using it for finishing carpentry work.

#8. Palm Nail Gun / Palm Nailer:

As its name suggests, it nests in your palm. You will have a comfortable operation as the weight is much lighter that any of the other nailers. It is connected to an air compressor and drives as fast as lightning the palm nailer.

It also drives the fasteners deep quickly; up to 1.5 – 3.5 inches of fasteners, while heavy-duty can manage 2-6 inches of nails. Corner and Angle The name says it all: These are great for corners, edges, and ceilings.

#9. Siding Nailer

If you want a Nailer to hit the Siding to your wall, The siding nailer is precisely this sort of work. Meet the latest newcomer to the nail gun family. In the past, most people used framing nailers when nailing siding to the walls.

Eventually, the siding nailer hit the market and eliminated all of the issues with nailing siding. Soft-tip is one of the striking features of the heavy-duty siding nailer can hold the ideal power for the siding work to soften the siding materials are made of hard siding stuff such as Oak or cedar and, it will keep the siding options safe.

Nail Gun Power Type

Let us understand the nail gun differences in terms of power source-

#1. Cordless Nail Gun

The benefit of cordless nail guns is their ability to handle a large range of applications. The Best Punch List Opportunities for Interior Trim Carpentry & Cordless Nailers, they can save you a whole lot of time and money too. Several cordless nail guns include both the framing and finish flooring sectors.

Cordless nailers are highly marketed this time of the year. Flooring nailers (cordless nailers powered by battery) make the adjustment at my place on the floor a great deal extra comfy. Yet likewise cordless framing and finishing nailers also work with beauty.

#2. Pneumatic Nail Gun:

A separate gas-powered air compressor creates the compressed air. The pneumatic nailers have a piston cylinder which continuously takes air from the atmosphere to the gun. Air-operated nailers can be great for thick nails and hard metals— nailing joint brackets, at leasta bunch of nails.

But that one, you have to drag a bulky air compressor into supplying power to. So these are clunky tools, and there’s the rub. A pneumatic nail gun shares the same hammer design and an elongated blade that drives the nail, as seen in a solenoid nailer.

#3. Electric Nail Gun:

So this is much lighter than pneumatic nail guns. So that would mean that you would become very less fatigued when you work with it. So again new to nail guns and we very large amounts of people it should be dealt with easily.

It is sure to be used in residential areas as it produces less noise than others. You don’t have to pressurize it with an air compressor. Electric nail guns are also on the cheaper side because it is 25% cheaper than pneumatic. These tools never require oiling to prevent rust from forming.

#4. Air Nail Gun:

If there is compressed air, air nail guns are functional. It can drive 40 to 60 nails a minute. Because of this instrument `carpenters have turned less beneficiary tools as they can accelerate driving at nay surface.

It must be refilled with air if it is insufficient. An oil-less compressor, if you use this is ideal for home use. An oil-less compressor is fairly inexpensive and not very heavy.

#5. Battery Nail Gun:

Like air-powered nailers, battery-powered nail guns drive fasteners using hydraulic pressure. These portable air conditioners have an internal compressor, meaning no extra ones are required. And features such as strengthened power, proliferating price, and cordless policies of battery nail guns are literally blessings.

These are relatively simple to apply on hardwoods and softwoods, and you can move flexibly. Woodworkers who work with hardwoods and softwoods consider these products as their first choice.

#6. Trim Nail Gun:

Trim nail guns are like static electricity, and you would do with them for laying hardwoods. You might wonder how you are going to deal with hardwood moldings without predrilling, as you will see when you use it yourself.

This ensures that you keep the molds tightly in the right location whenever you tend to nail. Small-size guns would help you complete your work as quickly as possible and fasten weak moldings. You shouldn’t try to win you a little bit bigger nails.

#7. Coil Nail Gun:

For storing the nails, a coil nail gun has a drum. The coil nail guns load like machine-gun bullets. They have either around 100 nails or not. In framing, you can use coil nail guns and framing nail guns.

Since there are plenty of nails, you can make a small roof without reloading. Framing nailers take a little more of a load than a coil nail gun. In practice, you can apply these nail guns to any task.

Final Words 

If you are not aware of the different styles, then you may get confused about which types of nailers you will use for your job. Therefore, I believe you will benefit from this article.

So, a short description of various types of nail guns; They are typical/ general nail guns almost cover all types of nailing works.

As you read through the entire article, you will learn a lot about nailers and which one will apply in one project. And now you can decide which one is working for your project.