The Best Framing Nailers for Any of Your DIY Construction Projects

Staff

The heavy-duty sibling of smaller finish and brad nailers, framing nailers are essential if you plan on tackling any kind of structural remodeling to your home. They’re also designed for maximum durability, allowing them to stand up to the rugged environments of busy work sites, and use a long, angled magazine that helps to streamline their body for maximum maneuverability. They’re not suitable for delicate projects or materials, but if you’re adding an addition to your home, putting in a deck, or assembling a tool shed, a reliable framing nailer is worth its weight in gold.

What to Consider

Since all framing nailers are going to perform the same task—sinking framing nails—the biggest factor to take into account is their individual power source. While pneumatic nailers have practically unlimited runtime, it can be a hassle to drag around a compressor and air hose. Paslode models that use a gas fuel cell are more convenient while you work, but you’ll need to keep a supply of cells on hand, and these models are also very expensive. Battery-powered options also allow you to be more mobile, but their high price and limited runtime may not be practical for some users.

How We Selected

Our experiences as residential and commercial carpenters, as well as time spent on a variety of construction projects, have given us a lot of insight into what makes a great framing nailer. We used this experience — in addition to online research and other expert opinions — to populate our list with the most trusted names in framing nailers, like Metabo, Paslode, and Bostitch. It’s worth noting that if you notice a lack of Hitachi products in our picks, that’s because Hitachi nailers are now sold under the Metabo name, and we’ve found no evidence to suggest that the quality of their products has suffered.

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1

Best Value Option

Metabo HPT

Metabo HPT NR90AES1 Framing Nailer

2

Best Overall

Metabo HPT

Metabo HPT NR83A5 Pneumatic Framing Nailer

3

Best Fuel Cell Option

Paslode

Paslode 906300 Cordless XP Framing Nailer

4

Best Lightweight Option

Bostitch

BOSTITCH F21PL Round Head Framing Nailer

5

Best Pneumatic Paslode Option

Paslode

Paslode 501000 Pneumatic Framing Nailer

6

Best Coil Nailer

Metabo HPT

Metabo HPT NV83A5 Coil Framing Nailer

7

Best Low-Budget Model

Freeman

Freeman PFR2190 Pneumatic Round Head Framing Nailer

8

Best Battery-Powered Option

Metabo HPT

Metabo HPT NR1890DRS Cordless Framing Nailer Kit

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