How do I choose a nail gun?

Diane
by Diane

I see soo many nail guns. Please please recommend one. I need it for home projects. First one... Build a dog house, wood fence repair. I'm also old, I find it difficult to nail sometimes 😁Not too expensive. (I'm on a fixed income .)

  5 answers
  • This cordless one by DeWalt is good for small to medium sized nailing. Good for casing and such. This one will do up to 2 1/2" nails. It's not going to be a framing nailer, which would be a heavy duty nail gun and not what you're doing.

  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Mar 19, 2019

    Do you have an air compressor? Check out Harbor Freight for a nice DIY option. They won't hold up to pro level use but should work well for home use. Get one that uses more than 1 size nail for multiple purposes.

  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Mar 20, 2019

    Dog house and fence repair require nails with heads on them which means bigger gun then little hobby projects gun. The best bet is to get a small compressor with whatever size gun you need for those nails. A Paslode gun uses a little gas canister with no need for a compressor, but they are exspensive, around $300. But a small compressor with a 1 or 2 gallon tank plus air gun could be close to same price, but they are lighter to carry. Go to a home depot and do some research as to what you like.

  • Tom Stuart Tom Stuart on Mar 24, 2019

    Pneumatic nailers are great but this is not a ‘one size fits all’ situation. I have a light duty electric 18 gauge nailer for light projects, a 23 gauge pin nailer for small finishing projects, and a larger nailer when I had to build a shed with 2x4s.


    Your dog house needs to be sturdy but the frame can be screwed together with a cheap drill with a cord and deck screws. It will be strong enough to stand on. The siding and roof can be put on with an 18 gauge nailer (they come up to 2 inches long.)


    The 18 gauge nailer can also be used for fence repair as long as it is not a big fence. I have used Liquid Nails as an adhesive to assist holding it with the brads.


    Harbor Freight has great prices. Be sure to use it a lot during the warranty period.


    For less than $100 you can get a pancake compressor, brad nailer, and 25 ft. hose then expand if you need more.


    There are attachments for the compressor to fill your tires and nozzles for using air to clean dusty areas.

  • Tom Stuart Tom Stuart on Mar 24, 2019

    Diane, also go to YouTube and search for pneumatic nailers. There are many short videos on woodworking and home use.