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Put a brad nailer and a finishing nailer side by side , and it might be unmanageable for tyro DIYers to tell one from the other . There are subtle dispute between the tools , however , that makes each one appropriate for certain kinds projects ( and unsuitable for others ) . When it comes to evaluating the nail — the brad nail vs. finishing nail — they , too , look alike but serve pretty different role .
If you have a project on the horizon for which you might need a nail gun , this template will help unclutter up the brad nailer vs. conclusion nailer confusedness . Ahead , learn about the technical difference between the tools , and the situations in which you would use one type of nailer and not the other .
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Finish nailers are designed to shoot larger 16-, 15-, and even 14-gauge nails.
nail are pin down by gauge , which is the wire diameter used to make them . Higher number are thin , and lower identification number are duncical . The thicker a nail , the more holding power it has .
The legal age of finis nailers use thicker - gauge nails than brad nailer . Typically , finish nailers use either 16- or 15 - gage nail . A few 14 - gauge models be , but they are not common . finish nail vary in length from 1 to 3½ inch .
The larger nail diameter requires more military force to drive it . For this reason , a stopping point nailer is more brawny and weighs a little more than a brad nailer .
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Brad nailers use smaller, 18-gauge nails.
Brad nails ( often just called brads ) , are 18 gauge , which is 0.0475 of an inch . They vary in length from ½ to 2½ inches . By comparison , a 16 - gauge finish nail is 0.0625 - in compact . While the divergence does n’t seem like very much , the shorter duration is a good index number that a brad nail wo n’t hold material of the same maximum heaviness as conclusion nails . They may not have the strength to penetrate hard timber either .
The welfare to being fragile is that the brad is less likely to rive wood when go through it . Additionally , the head of the brad is less obtrusive . Depending on the program of the brad nails , filling and sand may not be required before painting , thus cut back the overall time a job occupy .
For finishing touches on delicate projects, a brad nailer is best.
The easiest manner to grasp the deviation between a brad nailer and a finish nailer is to concentrate on the hard-nosed aspects of these tools and the jobs for which they are well suited .
A brad nailer is a light - obligation tool . It might be used for adding narrow cosmetic casting to homely board or under step tread . These tools are popular with crafters and model makers . They are often used formaking birdhousesandbat box . Some woodman use brad as a temporary mending while glue dries because they are easy to move out and result a very pocket-size yap .
Brads struggle with hardwoods , plywood , and dense particle boards like MDF . They merely are n’t stiff enough to be drive through the denser materials . Most often they close up on themselves , and they ’ll sometimes crush the nailer . Therefore , a brad nailer is primarily used when working with softwood .
Photo: Mark and Theresa Clement,MyFixitUpLife.com
Reach for a finish nailer for trim carpentry projects.
The finish nailer takes over when things get too large or too tough for the brad nailer : The finish nailer has the top executive take for denser materials . It arrest its name from being the tool that implement the complete touches to building labor and is used for installing baseboards , crest moldings , window trim , and door casings .
While it ’s an invaluable peter for the home remodeler , finish nailer are also pop with woodworkers . Finish nail are boastful enough to be used for piece of furniture qualification ( particularly carcasses ) and other solid workshop project . That said , nail head are still relatively diminished and easily hidden with makeweight .
Finish nailers offer two options when it comes to magazine designs.
While there ’s lilliputian difference when count at most finish nailers vs. brad nailers in strong-arm damage , there is one character of close nailer that is easy to identify . The angled finish nailer ’s nail mag is n’t at 90 degrees to the gun , it ’s at either a 21 - degree or 35 - degree angle . This makes it easier to get the nailer into smaller spaces or when instal treetop molding . Frequently the cartridge is longer , so it has high-pitched content and needs to be loaded less often .
However , almost all angled culture nailers take 15 - caliber nail . As 15- and 16 - gauge nails are not interchangeable , it ’s important to choose the good tool at the first . It could also be argued that it ’s not as well-off to nail at 90 degrees with an angled nailer , though the science is soon learned . Brad nailers do not have angled magazines .
Both finish nailers and brad nailers come in cordless and pneumatic versions.
Having read about the brad nailer vs refinement nailer question in some detail , you may now have a better mind of which tool is veracious for your upcoming projects . bang-up DIY enthusiasts and remodelers might receive they postulate one of each . However , there is another choice to be made : Is it good to buy a pneumatic peter ( a democratic professional ’s selection ) or a cordless simulation ?
Pneumatic tools are much chintzy than cordlessnail guns . In fact , it ’s not unusual for them to be a tail of the price . They are also lighter because they have no motor or bombardment . This also means there are few parts that could go awry or hold out out .
The downsides are that pneumatic tools want anair compressorto drive them , which will be an surplus expense if you do n’t already own one . It also means you either ask a commodious power outlet for the compressor or a source to power them . Access to a compressor or power is seldom a problem on professional job sites , but it can be inconvenient at home . So while cordless brad and finish nailer tend to be more expensive , they are easy for the majority of DIY user to manage .
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Brad nailers are less expensive than finish nailers.
Given that brad and finish nailer are generally similar ( except for the top executive outturn ) , you might expect prices to be more or less the same . However , when making comparisons between pecker from the same maker , brad nailers are often 10 to 20 percent loud .
Not astonishingly there are large differences between the prices of budget tools and those from exchange premium brands . It ’s full of life to exhaustively liken feature to verify you are getting value for money . If you ’re in the market for either of these case of nailers , be sure to consult our guide to thebest finish nailersand thebest brad nailers we tested this year .
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