Best Finish Nailers for the End of Your Project

Bostitch's updated angled finish nailer has added some nice features that aren't commonly found on the competition's nail guns. This is another oil-free design, which when coupled with the rear air exhaust, helps to eliminate oil stains on the woodwork. It has an integrated air blower, to clear dust away from the targeted part of the wood. What really sets it apart is the new nose design, which is much smaller than other nailers, making it much easier to get accurate shot placement. Depth control is dialed in with a tool-free adjustment and the trigger is selectable for bump-fire or sequential mode, without changing triggers. Finally, it has a 16" on-center gauge for spacing your nails, without having to use a tape measure. This is a great tool all around.

Paslode is another old-timer in the air tool market and like Senco, they’ve been producing professional nail guns for years. This is essentially an upgrade from Paslode’s 900600, changing the batteries out to Li-Ion, instead of Ni-Cad. That gives you more work time per charge and a faster recharge time. While there’s no particular feature that makes this cordless brad nailer stand out, it’s an excellent tool overall with quality evident in every line. At 4.9 pounds, it’s not quite as light as the Hitachi, but it’s still very comfortable to use. With Paslode's long-standing reputation for quality, you can't go wrong with this option.

This nailer weighs in at only 3.7 pounds, making it the lightest finish nailers I’ve seen. That makes a lot of difference when you’re doing a whole day’s work. This nailer also has an on-board air duster, which nobody else has started including yet. Just bump the button and a blast of compressed air clears the debris in the way of driving your nail. It also has selectable trigger mode, saving you from having to change out triggers to switch from sequential fire to bump fire. Depth of drive adjustment is accomplished by an easy to use dial and besides that, Hitachi is simply known for their excellent product quality and longevity.

With this nailer, depth and exhaust are adjustable without using any tools, as well as opening the nose to removed jammed nails. The nailer uses an air filter to reduce dirt in the tool and increase life. All the O-Rings are Teflon as well and it comes with a reversible belt hook and an over-molded comfort grip. The really impressive thing about Freeman's line of nailers is they all come with a seven year warranty. That's says a lot about their quality, considering the company wouldn't dare put a warranty like that on their tools, if they weren't sure that they would survive constant use.

As one of the old-time manufacturers in the business, Senco has produced a lot of great compressed air tools. This one is designed for high volume work, with a very comfortable soft-grip handle and only 4.2 pounds of weight. It comes with a sequential actuation trigger and if you want bump fire, you’ll have to buy that feature as an accessory. The reversed safety foot helps improve visibility of the shot area as well as a tool-free depth of drive adjustment and an easy-clear nosepiece. The magazine has a large window in the side to see how many nails you have left.