Air Nailer & Air Staplers

All framing and pallet nailers are not alike. The higher-end nailers tend to be better balanced, have a longer lasting shock-cushion in the head (to handle the abuse of over-driving), and simply feel a whole lot better in your hand. You'll also find 'comfort' features in the framing nailers, such as directional exauhst ports, improved nail loading methods, and clawed or depth adjustable feeds. After that, it's a matter of personal preference.

If you're new to framing nailers, there's really two types: strip or coil. Coil nailers are best when you don't mind the extra weight to gain the convenience of reloading less often.

Strip-type framing nailers also come in two types: full head or clipped. Clipped head nails have a small half-moon clipped from the nailhead to permit more nails per strip. It also permits the nail carraige to be attached at a sharper angle for improved nailing in tight places.

The other issue with clipped head nails is that they don't have as much surface area at the head (30% less than a full head nail). In high winds, less head-surface is beleived to fail sooner than does a fullhead nail. For this reason, some state's building codes DO NOT permit clipped-head nailing. If in doubt, check with your area's building codes to be sure.