Brad nailer and stapler both have almost the same concept, but the difference it makes is about its application, nail type, and strength. Many people think a staple gun as a mini portable version of a nailer. But in reality, they both do completely different works, even the type of pins they shoot is not alike. Nailers fire different gauges of nails, and stapler shoots staple instead of nails.
Brad Nailer vs Stapler
Brad nailers:
Brad nailers are like other nail guns that shoot nails. Brad nailers are made for joining multiple pieces of thin woods and holding woods properly for gluing. It also makes a tiny hole while nailing that can barely be seen.
In addition to that, nailers use nails with a flat head. Because of this, the pins can not remove easily, and most of the time, it works as a permanent solution for woods.
Staplers:
On the other hand, Staplers shoot staples that generally do not measure the gauge size, and the width of the staple pin is also a matter here. Staplers are made for joining wood with different light materials or joining thin wood with sheets.
Furthermore, the holding power of these staples is a lot weaker than the nails because the staples are wire made. There are different diameters of wire you can get; still, the thicker ones are also not suitable for joining dense woods.
In addition to that, the staple heads of the staplers are rounded and wider than its body. That is why; these staples can provide a good grip, which can hold thin materials with wood correctly. And the head of the staples also allows it to remove easily from the wood surface by using staple pullers.
Features and Types of Staple guns
In terms of staple pin width, there are three types of staple gun Narrow crown, Medium crown, and extensive crown. The tops are measured by the head width of the staple pin. And the applications of different crowns are also separate. Between three of these crowns, the wide crowns are made for most of the heavy-duty stapling tasks. Some of the staple guns support the multi crown operation.
The thickness of the pin is also important here, and it’s different from the crown size. The thickness is measured by gauge size. For thickness, there are three types of staple pin fine wire, medium wire, and heavy wire.
Fine wires have a diameter similar to 20 to 22 gauge pins, and medium wires are 18 to 19 gauges thick and heavy wires are 15 to 16 gauges. So, the thicker the staple wire will be, the more weight it can handle. So you can choose according to your type of work.
In terms of power source, there are three types of staple guns Manual, Electric, and pneumatic. Manual staplers use a lever and combined with hand force, and it creates pressure for stapling. Electric ones use motors to generate pressure, and pneumatic staplers use pressure through air compressors. But if you think about affordability and carrying manual ones will be the best option for you.
A word of advice will be choosing a staple gun with an oil free mechanism feature. Because staple guns are not for joining woods, it can be used on different surfaces. So, the oil free operation will help to keep the surface away from oil stains.
Features and Types of Brad Nailer
Brad nailer is similar to any other nailers in the market. The only difference in here is, it can only shoot 18 gauge nails. So brad nailer itself is a type of nailer.
Like other nailers, in terms of power source, there are two types of brad nailers, one is pneumatic, another is electric or cordless. All of the nailers use a trigger for creating pressure and shooting nails. For efficiency, pneumatic ones are a suitable option and in case of carrying electric brad nailers are preferable.
Some brad nailers need the oil of running, and some are oil free. Using oil for maintenance is not a big issue for nailers because most of the pneumatic nailers need oil for working smoothly.
Only brad nailer uses a specific size of nails, but there are different types of nailers for different sized nails. And the nail length is also a need to be noticed.
When to use what
Staple guns are mostly used for holding light things properly. It can be used for adding fabric for the chairs or sofas, for adding foam or leather to couches. It can also be used for repairing old wooden stuff like cabinets.
In addition to that, different decorative works like adding carpets on the floors or joining laminated wood sheets together staple guns are the most suitable tool. You can also use it for making picture frames, simple dog or birdhouse, etc.
Brad nailers are more used in finishing and trimming jobs where perfection and précised work is important. Furthermore, it is also used in wooden furnishers like cabinets and chairs to give some extra hold. Crown molding and joining baseboards can also be done by brad nailers.
VIDEO: How To Use A Staple Gun
Conclusion
To sum up, if you want to compare both of the tools, it would not be wise because both are made for different purposes. Staple guns are better for cases where the hole or pin in the work surface doesn’t matter, but keeping a sturdy grip is important. And brad nailer is for actual thin woodworks where perfection gets the most priority.