Brad nailer, finish nailer, and framing nailer all look the same as typical nail guns. However, most people don't even know the difference between brad nailer, finish nailer and framing nailer for that reason, they get confused. As a result, some of them think they can use all in similar projects. But in terms of applications, three of them are different.
The main difference they have is in the nail size. Finish nailer uses 15 or 16 gauge nails where brad nailer supports 18 ga brad nails, on the other hand, framing nailer uses different angled and sized nails. That's the reason they serve a different purpose. If you don't know about nails much, this article may seem a bit confusing for you. So let's discuss the nails a bit.
How the size of nails measured?
The nail gauge size represents the thickness or diameter of a nail. The lower the gauge is, the thinner it is. Another term that differentiates the nail size is the length of the nail. Nails length measured in inches.
The common nail sizes are 14,15,16,18 gauges. This number represents how many nails contains in an inch. The 18 gauge brad nail contains 18 nails per inch. And 18-Gauge 5/8-Inch nail means an 18 gauge nail with a length of 5/8 inch.
In addition to that, the extra thing framing nailers nail add is the degree. The magazine's angle and the type of work determine which angled nails have to be used.
What is a brad nailer?
Brad nailer is a tool that can only shoot 18g brad nails for nailing. That is why it is called the brad nailer. Brad means thin nails that can be 18 gauges or 24 gauges.
Because of having a thin nail, the advantage it gets is it can make a small hole in the work surface. As a result, the holes remain unnoticeable and leave no marks on the work surface. That is why generally, we don't need to use putty the work surface for hiding the holes.
In addition to that, because of using a nail with smaller diameter brad nailer helps to prevent split woods while nailing. That is why it is used when the work needs to be done precisely.
But the 18 gauge nails are not strong enough to hold heavy tasks. It is only used in thin wood surfaces and accurate finishing works.
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What is a Finish nailer?
A finish nailer is the nail gun that shoots 15 or 16 gauge nails. That means it uses thicker nails than bread nailers. Usually, woodworkers use brad nailer more, but there is some specific situation where the finish nailer is a preferable choice.
A finish nailer is more powerful compared to brad nailer because it has to shoot thicker nails. And in terms of strength, 15 or 16 gauge nails are made for holding heavy tasks. Besides, it can penetrate thick woods easily.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is that in terms of shooting, there are two types of finish nailers. One is for straight-shooting, another is for the angled shot. That makes the task easier for shooting nails in tight and small places.
Like brad nailers in terms of power source, there are two types of finish nailers, and those are pneumatic and cordless.
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Disadvantages
What is a framing nailer?
The framing nailers are not like other nail guns that we discussed before. Framing nailers magazine contains different angles like 21 degrees, 28 degrees, etc. And the nailer only supports nails corresponding to that angle.
There are different types of angled nail for different types of the nailer. The finish nailer nails come with different depth size, gauge, angles, and materials. That’s why it is a bit hard to choose a perfect finish nailer for your task. But some hybrid nailers in the market support multiple angled nails. In addition to that, in terms of head, there are two types of nails, one is round-headed, and another is clipped head.
Furthermore, because of various angles and types of nails, it makes our work more flexible and easier. Different angle nails are designed to do different tasks. 21 degree nailers are better for tighter work areas because of, its lower angle and it comes with a round head. The 28 degree nails are better for some specific situations, and it has a better holding power than the 21 degree ones. 30 degree nailers can hold up to 80 nails. But, the disadvantage it comes with is the weight which is a bit heavy.
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Disadvantages
Where to use what?
Three of the nailers have a different application. Determining which nailer will be needed depends on what type of job you are doing, and what kind of wood will be used to do the job. Furthermore, how much weight of the wood is also a significant factor here.
At first, an essential thing is brad nailer is for accurate, and finishing tasks. You can use a brad nailer for crown molding, making cabinets or adding some extra strength to your cabinets, and for adding baseboard on your floor, etc. In addition to that, you can use it for holding some partition for gluing properly because whenever the glue is set, you can easily remove brads.
Besides, it is a useful tool for different types of wood-crafting where the thinner piece of wood is needed because brad nailer doesn't split wood, and it leaves no mark on the wood.
On the other hand, the application of the finish nailer is a bit different. Finish nailer works better for hard and thicker woods. If you are using thicker wood for your cabinets and baseboard or if you have to make any permanent structure with wood, you can go for finish nailers.
But if you have to do more heavy duty works, then the framing nailer comes. Framing nailers mostly used for the high volume of woodworks that need durability. It can handle jobs like - framing, roofing, building decks, and wooden stairs, making fences, etc.
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Conclusion
To sum up, brad nailers, finish nailers, and framing nailers are different tools made for different types of tasks. If we think about brad nailer vs finish nailer vs framing nailer, all of the tools may look the same, but the nail size of those plays the most crucial role here.
So if you want to do your regular household task, brad nailer might be the preferable option for you. And, if most of your works are done with thick woods, you can go for finish nailers. On the other hand, framing nailer is for heavy-duty and durable tasks.