Recommendations for a cordless battery-powered 18 gauge trim nailer
- Thread starter RonMiller
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I bought the Ryobi 18g Airstrike nailer as there wasn't much choice for battery 18 gauge trim nailers at the time. (Still isn't) And I was getting fed up with carrying a compressor around.
I was a bit hesitant at buying Ryobi but it was on a deal at the time with a battery and charger that made it good value, I thought if this lasts a year I'll be happy.
Well I use it a lot on trim and have also been very happy with it. It can take a while to get the settings right so the nails sink and also working out which nails not to buy for it but once you have worked out these things, it works consistently well.
I was told at the time of purchase that you need. To get a 4ah battery to get the most out of the tool. I only use the 1.5ah 18v battery that came with it as I don't have any other Ryobi 18v's and don't really want to spend money on their batteries and this small 1.5 ah battery lasts well and works perfectly with the nailer, plus keeps the tool smaller.
I'm waiting for the Dewalt 16g finish nailer to come out down here as I have the 18v Dewalt framing nailer then I can see myself not having to use the compressor for nailing again.
I was a bit hesitant at buying Ryobi but it was on a deal at the time with a battery and charger that made it good value, I thought if this lasts a year I'll be happy.
Well I use it a lot on trim and have also been very happy with it. It can take a while to get the settings right so the nails sink and also working out which nails not to buy for it but once you have worked out these things, it works consistently well.
I was told at the time of purchase that you need. To get a 4ah battery to get the most out of the tool. I only use the 1.5ah 18v battery that came with it as I don't have any other Ryobi 18v's and don't really want to spend money on their batteries and this small 1.5 ah battery lasts well and works perfectly with the nailer, plus keeps the tool smaller.
I'm waiting for the Dewalt 16g finish nailer to come out down here as I have the 18v Dewalt framing nailer then I can see myself not having to use the compressor for nailing again.
I've been looking at getting a cordless 15ga or 16ga to use for installing 1x6 T&G on my porch ceiling, just to make my life easier and not dealing with the air hose. I decided to put together a spreadsheet of cordless battery powered options. This may be useful to help you make a decision.
Cordless Nailers Spreadsheet
PS - I know I'm missing Hitachi and Bostitch's offering, which are gas + battery (like Paslode). I think I have all of the electric only ones, except for The Craftsman C3 brad nailer.
Cordless Nailers Spreadsheet
PS - I know I'm missing Hitachi and Bostitch's offering, which are gas + battery (like Paslode). I think I have all of the electric only ones, except for The Craftsman C3 brad nailer.
I had a paslode but was tired of playing with gas cartridges to make it work. Otherwise a great nailer.
I bought the ryobi due to price and the fact you put the battery in and go. Normally I do not buy cheaper tools as I want my tools to last for the long haul. I have to admit I was skeptical about the ryobi as I am use to festool and other brands.
All I can say is how wrong I was. This tool has impressed me from the first nail. It sinks nails in and the battery last for at least the day. You do have to play with the settings as there is depth and pressure but this is normal with most nail guns.
I liked the quality so much, it has made me look at other ryobi tools in a different view. I now own the air inflators from ryobi
I bought the ryobi due to price and the fact you put the battery in and go. Normally I do not buy cheaper tools as I want my tools to last for the long haul. I have to admit I was skeptical about the ryobi as I am use to festool and other brands.
All I can say is how wrong I was. This tool has impressed me from the first nail. It sinks nails in and the battery last for at least the day. You do have to play with the settings as there is depth and pressure but this is normal with most nail guns.
I liked the quality so much, it has made me look at other ryobi tools in a different view. I now own the air inflators from ryobi
Kev
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I've got to say that I'm seriously considering a Dewalt when the finish nailers hit locally. The framing nailer is getting great reviews and if the finish nailer gets good rep I'll cash my Senco Fusion and go Dewalt for both.
(considering I'm not a fan of the yellow, it'd be a significant leap for me!)
(considering I'm not a fan of the yellow, it'd be a significant leap for me!)
I'm in the same boat looking at a brad and finish nailer. So far, I'm leaning towards the new Ridgid Hyperdrive line. They are pretty new so I haven't seen a lot of first hand feedback, but the reviews seem pretty good. Plus, Ridgid has the lifetime service agreement (not sure if that's legit or a marketing gimmick, but if they cover batteries, that's a big plus for a tool like this)
Corwin
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donwon said:
I also purchased this Ryobi AirStrike nailer. Seems their "system" approach works well for them, as having a lineup of 18V tools where the battery has remained interchangeable through battery upgrades (for years and years) takes the obsolete factor out of the purchasing decision. I went to get some new lawn-care products (weed trimer, blower, etc.) earlier this spring. Originally, I was looking to get corded tools, as that's what I've used for years. But the cordless tools looked nice. I researched the corded tools and decided on the 40V line of tools until I returned to the store and picked them up and saw how much bigger and heavier they were. So, I left with the 18V stuff. Then I got a bit caught-up with the 'System" thing... I could use a little chain saw and tree trimmer. Done. Got their garden tiller, and absolutely love it. Then, I purchased that tire inflator. Great product, but the build quality makes it seem as if it were always just about to fail... They have lights and a fan too. Now, so do I. This has to stop. I really don't care for the quality of Ryobi tools, but for some items, it is just a no brainer simply because you already own the battery.
So, do take caution if you go this route. You may acquire more "inexpensive" tools that you care to own. [scared]
As to that cordless nailer, it works fine. I do find that I want to work faster than the nailer does. But, you cannot speed things along as the nailer needs to cycle. For working off a ladder, this cordless nailer was a blessing -- no air hoses, and so much quieter to work with. I rather like my Ryobi 18a nailer. But then, I use this for household projects, not for working all day on the job.
I have quite a few Ryobi tools. A BT3100 table saw, a R2500 RAS, a R500 plunge router and a lot of 18V tools including the brad nailer. I started with the 18V stuff when they used NiCad batteries. The circular saw was nearly useless it would drain batteries so fast. The reciprocating saw was not much better. But with the lithium ion batteries, I have 3 of the smaller ones, they are very useful tools. The drills and impact driver were always useful as is the light. The jigsaw is very rough compared to my Bosch but useful sometimes when crude is good enough. I also understand Ryobi makes some junk that is not worth owning. So I kind of understand people who stay away. But some of their tools are very much worth owning. I use the BT3100 as a normal table saw but it would be great as a portable jobsite saw, for instance. Rip fence is always parallel to the blade (once adjusted), 3.5 inch depth of cut (belt driven blade), sliding miter table instead of miter gauge - lots of good features. Mine is about 10 years old and had built a lot of furniture. My Ryobi cordless drills are used to put in lockets in solid doors and drilling 1/2 inch holes in steel. Some Ryobi tools are pretty darn useful.
But this is about the nailer. I used my Ryobi to install all the trim in about 600 ft2 of my house. I had a contractor put it up through drywall and I painted and put in all the trim. Window casing, interior doors, jambs, casing and base mould. I have a 16 gauge and 18 gauge pneumatic but nearly every nail was driven by the Ryobi. It worked fine. I used a Bosch pin nailer on the casing returns but otherwise the Ryobi did the job. That does not prove it will hold up for a professional using it every day but I've put on the order of 1000 nails through it and it shows no sign of letting up. I don't know if it's the best choice but I know it will do some good work.
But this is about the nailer. I used my Ryobi to install all the trim in about 600 ft2 of my house. I had a contractor put it up through drywall and I painted and put in all the trim. Window casing, interior doors, jambs, casing and base mould. I have a 16 gauge and 18 gauge pneumatic but nearly every nail was driven by the Ryobi. It worked fine. I used a Bosch pin nailer on the casing returns but otherwise the Ryobi did the job. That does not prove it will hold up for a professional using it every day but I've put on the order of 1000 nails through it and it shows no sign of letting up. I don't know if it's the best choice but I know it will do some good work.
Naildrivingman
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I’m in the market for an 18ga battery only nailer. I owed a fuel/battery Paslode years ago. I quickly grew tired of that tool and sold it. Granted a lot of years have passed since, but it would take a fair amount of convincing to get me to go that route again. Is there any new intel on the issue of cordless 18ga nailers?
My coworker has the Ryobi and i'll just say it works. Its not super consistent with 2" nails but for the most part it gets the job done. Its a great convenience to have when doing light work, i wouldnt advise using it for bigger projects though. The wind-up is a bit annoying, but not a deal breaker. If you need to run into a customers house and shoot 10 nails, its a great way to go.
I had the Milwaukee 18g cordless for 3 days before sadly returning it. It was completely unreliable. It failed to sink 2" nails more often than not so for me its unusable. I hope they revisit the idea and come out with a new one, cuz the way it shoots quickly without having to wind-up like the Ryobi was great.
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I had the Milwaukee 18g cordless for 3 days before sadly returning it. It was completely unreliable. It failed to sink 2" nails more often than not so for me its unusable. I hope they revisit the idea and come out with a new one, cuz the way it shoots quickly without having to wind-up like the Ryobi was great.
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http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cordless+18v+nailer+comparison
Keep in mind that Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee are all made by TTI in China.
Keep in mind that Ryobi, Ridgid, and Milwaukee are all made by TTI in China.
Master Carpenter
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I use the Porter Cable 20 volt max 18 gauge brad nailer. It doesn't compare to my Omer pneumatic, but it gets the job done and the price was good. I'd recommend it.
pingvinlakrits
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I came from the Senco Fusion which I owned for quite a long time with no problems. Battery was going out after a few years and a colleague bought it from me.
I got me a Ryobi based on research and I have found it to be a adequate. It is a pretty good and reasonable light nailer. It can struggle a little with the longest nails at times though if setting at max depth and the +- dial on the back to max it is usually fine.
All other lengths can be dialed in to a consistent depth and though I bought it as a stop gap solution it has stayed in the line up on its own merit. With the smaller charger everything fits in a SYS II, charger, nailer, battery and nails.
Will look out for the pinner when it comes - but it had better be both small and cheap.
I have the Makita pinner which is pretty good. The new version which is not much different from the old one. But it is nice.
I ended up having to buy a Makita stapler for a project last week so it makes sense for me to stick with the Makita pinner. It turned out the stapler is very powerful and runs on standard Rapid staples with zero issues and since I have a couple of thousand of them I am happy with that. The Rapid 7.2V stapler I bought for a project involving a lot of fabric to be stapled died on me after two days... ...so I picked up the Makita on sale, still bloody expensive. It is a litte heavy for a stapler but it is very powerful and does not require pressing hard into the material.
Lack of a LED is a slight problem though: I was stapling 35 metres of black fabric in a basement with black roof and panel and a LED would have been bliss...
But I digress. To finish it off I tried a Hitachi 18V nailer after getting less than spectacular reports on Milwaukee and Makita 18V nailers. The Hitachi is truly awesome as a nailer! Easily the best 18V I have tried.
But, it is too heavy for over head use and a little too heavy overall. It does not fit into a SYS either, unless it is a SYS IV where it fits at an angle. In comparison the Senco Fusion is a featherweight and the Ryobi is a comfortable size and weight.
Keeping my Ryobi, sometimes good enough is good enough and I have a compressor kit should I need any more than that.
I got me a Ryobi based on research and I have found it to be a adequate. It is a pretty good and reasonable light nailer. It can struggle a little with the longest nails at times though if setting at max depth and the +- dial on the back to max it is usually fine.
All other lengths can be dialed in to a consistent depth and though I bought it as a stop gap solution it has stayed in the line up on its own merit. With the smaller charger everything fits in a SYS II, charger, nailer, battery and nails.
Will look out for the pinner when it comes - but it had better be both small and cheap.
I have the Makita pinner which is pretty good. The new version which is not much different from the old one. But it is nice.
I ended up having to buy a Makita stapler for a project last week so it makes sense for me to stick with the Makita pinner. It turned out the stapler is very powerful and runs on standard Rapid staples with zero issues and since I have a couple of thousand of them I am happy with that. The Rapid 7.2V stapler I bought for a project involving a lot of fabric to be stapled died on me after two days... ...so I picked up the Makita on sale, still bloody expensive. It is a litte heavy for a stapler but it is very powerful and does not require pressing hard into the material.
Lack of a LED is a slight problem though: I was stapling 35 metres of black fabric in a basement with black roof and panel and a LED would have been bliss...
But I digress. To finish it off I tried a Hitachi 18V nailer after getting less than spectacular reports on Milwaukee and Makita 18V nailers. The Hitachi is truly awesome as a nailer! Easily the best 18V I have tried.
But, it is too heavy for over head use and a little too heavy overall. It does not fit into a SYS either, unless it is a SYS IV where it fits at an angle. In comparison the Senco Fusion is a featherweight and the Ryobi is a comfortable size and weight.
Keeping my Ryobi, sometimes good enough is good enough and I have a compressor kit should I need any more than that.
pingvinlakrits
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On a "typical day" with the Ryobi with a lot of nailing I get one or maybe even two misfires, usually when the nails are running out. They are easy to clear and for most days there are no misfires at all.
The Senco Fusion had fewer misfires but overall I think they are on par for the course.
The Hitachi feels like it is in another league - with a weight penalty.
Good to hear that the new DeWalt is a sound performer. I think that in the next couple of years we can look forward to 18V nailers being pretty good across the board and abominations like the Bosch (came and went, largely unnoticed) and Makita (chunky meatloaf with poor performance) are a thing of the past.
The Senco Fusion had fewer misfires but overall I think they are on par for the course.
The Hitachi feels like it is in another league - with a weight penalty.
Good to hear that the new DeWalt is a sound performer. I think that in the next couple of years we can look forward to 18V nailers being pretty good across the board and abominations like the Bosch (came and went, largely unnoticed) and Makita (chunky meatloaf with poor performance) are a thing of the past.
Henrik R / Pingvinlakrits said:Will look out for the pinner when it comes - but it had better be both small and cheap.
I just got the 23ga pin nailer the other day. It is smaller and lighter than the 18ga nailer. It doesn't feel too heavy with the shorter battery on it. The 4 AH battery is a little clunky though. It doesn't use a nose trigger and it also doesn't have the pop the top spring clamp to clear jams, you have to loosen some Allen screws. That keeps the business end pretty sleek.
There is a 2nd pre-trigger by the main trigger as as "safety". It would be easier to nail yourself with this one than the 18 or 16. I haven't built any real things, but I nailed few bits of scrap trim onto to plywood and it leaves a tiny little pin hole as advertised. A little dab of filler and it will be gone.
It cost $129 at the Homey Depot.
Oh, I've just a DIY guy, but I've put in several rooms of baseboard with the 18 ga nailer and I agree with most of the previous comments. It actually works pretty well and it hasn't borken yet. I'm pleasantly surprised.
I have tried many of the cordless nailers over the years the early DeWalt NiCad which was good but slow, Paslode which was so expensive to run, Bostich which was so sensitive to cold that even in my workshop I had to heat up the gas in my hands or pockets.
No I have the DeWalt 1st and 2nd fix nailers there is a world of difference, long lasting power, cheap nails, very rarely does it miss fire. The only issue is that they are quiet large but then when space is tight I can always revert back to an air nailer.
The other brand worth looking at is the Milwaukee, they have some highly rated nailers
No I have the DeWalt 1st and 2nd fix nailers there is a world of difference, long lasting power, cheap nails, very rarely does it miss fire. The only issue is that they are quiet large but then when space is tight I can always revert back to an air nailer.
The other brand worth looking at is the Milwaukee, they have some highly rated nailers
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