Best Flooring Nailers - Top Picks, Reviews & Complete Buying Guide
by Scott Miller Updated on
Installing a floor can be such a troublesome job especially if you do not have proper equipment and tools.
That is when we come in and offer you the right information related to solving this problem.
It is of crucial importance to make the right choice of the tools so as to be able to do your job well.
So, we make a list of some of the best nailers on the market and wrote the reviews which will help you identify whether pneumatic nailers are better than manual ones or not.
Our buyers’ guide includes additional information related to flooring nailers, and we strongly suggest you read it before making the choice for your floor.
The third position is always taken by the best for the money option.
The NuMax SFL618 nailer is the affordable model which is not so bad when it comes to quality and it will do a great job for its price.
If you have a pretty small job and you do not need those heavy duty models, this one would be sufficient for you.
It is cheap enough and does a good enough job.
The bigger the job you have it is better to avoid this model.
The negative sides of this tool are that it is not good on all floorings and it is difficult to notice when it runs out of nails.
You have to be very attentive with it as users experienced the bad situation in which that the last row of what they thought were fasteners was really just a series of dry firings.
We know that not many people install floors daily, so they do not need tools which are of high quality and pricey, so looking for a flooring nailer that will suit your needs can cause you pretty much trouble.
We also know that you have a lot of questions and believe that the time spent reading this guide is not wasted as you will be sure that you get exactly what you need and at the best price you can find.
What is the first thing to know when buying a flooring nailer?
Whatever tools you buy, before choosing the certain model, you need to know why you are buying a flooring nailer, that is what your needs are.
Furthermore, you need to think about future jobs as well.
You need to have in mind how often you are going to use the tool, how large a floor you need to install and what your budget is.
Nowadays, there are so many models that guarantee a nice, consistent angle of fastening and the job can be done easily and efficiently.
can be done easily and efficiently.
Installing a floor is a pretty big and hard job, but when buying a flooring nailer, you need to think about your future possible tasks as well.
Investing more money in a high quality tool sometimes is not a wise decision, especially if you need to do the job once.
On the other hand, if you have got a number of floors to replace and some of them are quite large you should purchase a heavy duty tool.
The last thing you need to pay attention to is your budget.
You should get only the tool that you can afford.
The maximum economy is allowed only if you will do this job once in several years.
The difference you will notice between our top pick which is expensive and the last one which is less expensive model is a clean, quality job that makes you satisfied and an uneven job that leaves your back aching from strain.
Which are better: staples or nails?
When determining which one to get, you not only need to assess your work requirements and set your general budget, but you also need to know what kind of flooring you are going to install.
If all this is done, the next thing you should have in mind is want to use to fasten the floor in place, cleats (nails) or staples.
If you have got a specific flooring in mind, you can determine which tool is better if you consult the manufacturer’s instructions.
The manufacturer tends to recommend one over the other and it is wise to go through reviews and only then determine if it is appropriate for certain task or not.
Nowadays, tools which use staples are a fashionable way to set flooring in place.
On the other hand, there are advantages of a cleat as well.
Actually it will allow more give and take as the flooring contracts and stretches over the years.
There are two kinds of cleats, L-shaped and T-shaped.
Their top is shaped to their respective letter and those are metal cleats.
Why some users avoid using them is because they are a lot more expensive than a staple.
However, the quality and results are much better.
We are now sure that you will be able to figure out which kind of fastener you need and make a smarter decision.
Which one to choose: pneumatic or elbow grease?
It is always a question whether to use a pneumatic nailer or a manual one.
The difference is that the pneumatic drives nails in with the help of compressed air, while the manual is based on your strength.
What you need to have in mind is what kind of job you are going to do and what material you are going to work with.
The bigger job, the thicker flooring and harder wood require the pneumatic tool.
The pneumatic one delivers more power and is less stressful on you physically.
Furthermore, it is also consistent.
Manual nailers are less expensive than pneumatic one.
Which one is better depends on the work you have to do, and for small jobs done by young people a manual tool can be a fine option.
It is also acceptable if you do not have a lot of money to spend.
What should I know about ergonomics?
Installing a floor is not an easy job and the constant work can lead to back pain, sore knees, fatigue, and other related conditions.
The companies which produce flooring nailers do their best to make a tool which can minimize it.
You firstly need to wear proper padding to reduce wear and tear on your knees and you need to purchase a flooring nailer that comes with padded handles to make use less stressful.
Additionally, you should get the one with longer handle to reduce the amount that you have to stoop to drive in fasteners.
What about price?
When the flooring nailers are in question, getting a good quality tool at affordable price is not always possible.
You need to determine how much money you are ready to spend on it and you might need to adjust that budget a little to make room for the right kind of nailer.
The best way of deciding is to firstly figure out what you need and then also think about getting the tool that will be able to handle possible future jobs.
Have in mind that staples tend to be a bit cheaper than cleats.
Conclusion
Installing flooring is not done very often, but when it is, you would like to do a great job. As we have already mentioned in our reviews, the best of the best is definitely the DeWalt DWFP12569.
The next one worth your attention is the Freeman PFL618BR.
The best for the money is the NuMax SFL618, but the quality you get is not that great.
If you think about the Bostitch’s BTFP12569 deserves a better position, you are wrong as it does a pretty awful job holding the nails in the magazine.
Our aim was to help you and we believe that these reviews are useful.
You can still go on researching for the right nailer, but if you choose one of our top picks, you will not regret it.
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