Best Framing Nailer
Which is the best nailer for framing? That’s a good question, and there is certainly a lot of framing nailer to chose from. So in order to answer this question what we have done is to scrutinize the Framing nailer reviews that we’ve done here at Top Nailer Reviews. Summarize them (see the table below) and then to come up with an overall winner. The detailed ‘winner’ methodology follows on after the table summary.
Which is the Best Framing Nailer
| Nailer Model | Type* | Nail Size | Nail Gauge | Magazine Capacity | Size (inches) | Weight | Warranty | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paslode 501000 | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | 84 nails | 5.5 x 20.5 x 18.8 | 9.4 lbs | 1 Year | *** |
| Hitachi NR90AE | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.148" | 64 nails | 4.3 x 16 x 17.9 | 7.5 lbs | 5 Years | **** |
| Hitachi NV75AG | Air | 1.75" - 3" | 3x.131 coil nails | 200 - 300 nails | 5.25 x 11 x 13.5 | 5.5 lbs | 5 Years | **** |
| Paslode CF325 | Gas | 2" - 3.33" | 0.113" - 0.131" | 48 nails | 4 x 12 x 14.5 | 7.5 lbs | 5 Years | ***** |
| Bostitch F21PL | Air | 1.5" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.148" | 60 nails | 5 x 14.25 x 20.25 | 8.1 lbs | 7 Years | **** |
| Freeman PFR2190 | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | .... | 2 x 12 x 18 | 17 lbs | 8 Years | *** |
| Bostitch F28WW | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | 100 nails | 6 x 16 x 23 | 7.6 lbs | 7 Years | *** |
| Hitachi NR83A2 | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | 64 - 70 nails | 4.25 x 13.4 x 21.8 | 7.9 lbs | 1 Years | **** |
| Porter Cable FC350A | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | .... | 3.5 x 14 x 14.25 | 13.8 lbs | 5 Years | *** |
| Milwaukee 7110-20 | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.131" | 66 - 82 nails | 4.3 x 16 x 17.9 | 6.9 lbs | 5 Years | **** |
| Porter Cable FC350A | Air | 2" - 3.5" | 0.113" - 0.148" | 64 nails | 6.3 x 19.5 x 23.5 | 14.9 lbs | 5 Years | **** |
*An ‘Air Nailer’ is otherwise known as a ‘Pneumatic Nailer’.
The Best Framing Nailer is the Paslode CF325.
I confess we are biased, we like cordless nailers and we like gas powered. That’s about 60% of the reason that weighed in favour of the gas powered Paslode CF325, as I’ll explain.
A Framing Nailer is the work horse of the nailer world! It’ll be used for heavy duty nailing work such as house building; and it can be used for flooring, fencing and the such – as I say heavy duty nailing. For such work you’ll be sinking nails 2 inches and bigger and any framing nailer worth it’s salt will handle up to 3.5 inch long nails.
And the most powerful nailers are pretty much mostly Pneumatic nailers aka Air Nailers (the term we’ve used in the table above). Pneumatic nailers are very common especially around construction sites. However, the drawback of them is that they require a compressor to power the nail gun. That means a) additional expense since you’ve got to buy or rent one and b) it means that when you are working with your pneumatic nailer you’ll be trailing the compressor cord around the work space. Not the end of the world, but still a hassle!
The Cordless Gas Powered Paslode CF325 Framing Nailer
So for me, this is where gas powered Paslode CF325 steps up. It has the power of a pneumatic nailer but none of the inconvenience, well no compressor and no compressor cord to tangle with either. Simply put this nailer uses a unique fuel cell / battery system to provide exceptional power and performance. Each charge will allow you to deliver a cool 4,000 nails!
The CF325 is also very light – a mere 7.5 lbs. This means that it’s a cinch to use for long period of time (some such nailers weigh in at well over 10 lbs), and you’ll be able to use it overhead without wearing yourself out.
My only small gripe about the CF325 is that the nail strip holds 48 nails. Not small, but neither is it a massive load either. Some of the other framing nailers that we compared against hold upwards to 100 nails. Click here to read in full the Paslode CF325 review.
The Paslode CF325 comes with a 5 years extended warranty.
Click here to view the Paslode CF325.
The Best Of The Pneumaics
Of the pneumatic (air) nailers under consideration, the Bostitch F21PL probably has the edge over it’s peers. Not only is it lightweight (8.1 lbs weight), it’ll take nails from 1.5″ – 3.5″ giving you greater flexibility of jobs you can use it with. And it comes with an impressive 7 years warranty.
Click here to view the Bostitch F21PL.
The other close contender is the Hitachi NV75AG which is even lighter at 5.5 lbs and will hold between 200 – 300 nails at a go (depending upon the nail size).
Click here to view the Hitachi NV75AG.
A Note About Pricing vs Product Quality
And just to put price and quality in perspective, all of the nailers that have made it to Top Nailer Reviews are 4 or 5 star products – they are all good! And price-wise are usually in the $100 – $350(ish) range. At much less than $100 it’s unlikely that you’ll get a quality nail gun that’ll run the course. And for a quality lasting product the price range under consideration is not unreasonable.
Framing Nailers Reviews
Here are all the framing nailer reviews if you want to visit them separately:
- Paslode 501000 Framing Nailer
- Hitachi NR90AE Nailer
- Hitachi NV75AG Nailer
- Paslode CF325 Cordless Framing Nailer
- Bostitch F21PL framing nailer
- Freeman PFR2190 framing nailer
- Paslode CF325 902200 Framing Nailer
- Bostitch F28WW Nailer
- Hitachi NR83A2 Framing Nailer
- Porter Cable FC350A Nailer
- Milwaukee 7110-20 Framing Nailer
- Porter Cable FR350A Nailer
Other Best Nailer Comparisons
- Best brad Nailer
- Best finish nailer
- Best flooring nailer
- Best framing nailer
- Best palm nailer
- Best pin nailer
- Best roofing nailer
