Nail guns can greatly increase productivity when completing tasks where multiple nails are needed. 1st fix nail guns are typically used for jobs such as fencing and roofing whilst second fix nail guns are used for jobs such as fitting door stop around a door frame or any task where you don’t want a large exposed nail head. Both types of nail gun fire collated fixings. The 1st fix nail gun will take D-head nails whilst the 2nd fix gun will use brads which are much lighter with little or no head on them making the fixing less visible. 

There are many makes of nail guns on the market. The most famous brand is no doubt Paslode and customers will often ask for a Paslode. Similar to the Hoover of the vacuum cleaner world. However other popular makes include Hikoki, used to be Hitachi, Dewalt and Makita.  

Different nail guns use different methods for powering them. The most common method would no doubt be gas powered nail guns. These also have a small rechargeable battery to provide power for a fan built into them as well as providing power for the spark to ignite the gas. The gas is supplied in a cartridge which slots into the gun. These nail guns are popular as they are cordless. However, there are some drawbacks. The gas must be in date. As it goes out of date you will start to see misfires. The gas is also expensive. Gas can also freeze in cold conditions causing malfunctions. They are also not as fast as some of the other options as the fan has to purge and cool the gun between each shot. 

Some nail guns are powered by compressed air. This is an excellent system. The gun can be lightweight making it easier on the wrist when completing large jobs. They are also generally faster to reload as there is no heat to dissipate. The downside is that they have to be attached via an airline to a compressor which would need an electric supply to power it. 

The latest guns are now battery powered. The advantage of a battery powered gun is the is no requirement for expensive gas or a compressor. They tend to be more reliable than the gas nailers as there is less to go wrong. The only drawback is you will likely need two rechargeable batteries for long jobs. The other comment some users make is that they are a little heavier than the gas nail guns as they have a heavier battery. They are also considerably more expensive to purchase than gas nail guns due to the additional cost of batteries and a charger. 

So with all these choices in mind we have had to decide which way is best to go for our hire fleet. Up until recently we have been running gas nailers. We have had issues around our own gas stocks going out of date before being retailed. We also have had problems with misfires and jamming. So with this in mind we are now moving to cordless battery powered nail guns. This means there is less cost for the customer on consumables and an easier to maintain gun for us. We can also stock nails without worrying about the gas going out of date. We have opted for the Dewalt DCN962. We supply this with two 18v 5ah batteries and a charger meaning you will be able to work continuously. 

If you need the latest in nail gun technology for your next project give us a bell and get your hire booked in.