by Milwaukee.

Both are their M18 battery powered versions. Use will be general use to sometimes attach baseboard or bucks/shims for doors/windows.

Why Milwaukee and not a compressor? I already have the M18 battery line of tools and want to keep it uniform.

I'm looking at:

18 gauge
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mi...ly-2746-20/309752194

15 gauge
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mi...ly-2743-20/206862849

16 gauge
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Mi...ly-2742-20/206973454

the 15 and 16 are angled.

I'm pretty novice to this. I've use nail guns before but never saw or questioned their gauge.

From what I understand, the lower the number on the gauge, the larger the nail.

The most common nails we use for framing are the 10D nails but if it's at that point, I will likely call our framer who has his own set of tools. This would be more along the lines of loose baseboard and not wanting to pay a trim carpenter a $120 trip charge to shoot 2 nails.

Never used the Milwaukee cordless nailers.

I have used and still use the Dewalt 18v angled nailgun. It's 18g and accepts up to 2 1/2" angled nails. It's great for molding and trim. I have no problem finding the nails at most local hardware stores.

18g has always been fine for what I needed it for. Since I am invested in the Dewalt stuff and don't want different batteries I will likely replace it with a similar 20V Dewalt when it dies.

It's been fairly reliable and while it's not used every day or even every other day it still gets a lot of use. It jams on occasion but usually, it's because the nail hit something solid like a screw in the finished drywall you can't see. Jams are almost always simple to clear in the Dewalt. I would assume the Milwaukee works similar.

We have two of them (brad guns) at work but I'll be danged if I can tell you which one eyeballing the links. We like them, no complaints that I can recall... though we did need to send one in for repair after having it a while.

I've had one for 2 years and go ahead and buy them, they work great.

The one thing they don't do well is nail at a steep angle. The way the face is designed, they only want you nailing perpendicular to the surface. The bulk means that while it will drive the nail, it'll stick waaaaay out.

This is the only limitation I've found. Weight is good, one battery does thousands of nails.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional.

I guess you're asking which gauge to buy?

Of my framing, finishing (16 ga.), brad (18 ga.), and pin (23 ga.) nailers: The 18 ga. brad nailer has typically seen the most use. (Though the framing nailer is tied, atm, due to the projects I'm doing.) So, of the three you've listed, I'd say the 18 ga. brad nailer would be the most all-around useful.

Caveats: While a brad nailer can do larger trim, such as baseboards, a finish nailer would more typically be used. And, while many use a brad nailer for smaller trim, such as quarter-round, others argue a pin nailer is better, as there's less chance of splitting the wood.

(Mine are all air. Porter Cable and Hitachi/Matabo HPT.)

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Caveats: While a brad nailer can do larger trim, such as baseboards, a finish nailer would more typically be used.

I used to think that too until I got a Milwaukee Cordless 18v /18 gauge brad nailer. I've blown through a couple hundred feet of base using that nailer with 2" brads, and the results have been fantastic. You are right in that I'll go back to my pneumatic 23 gauge nailer for quarter round or cove molding. And I love the Milwaukee for cabinet work (what I use it most for).

That 18 gauge Milwaukee nailer is a big thumbs up recommendation. Just don't be stupid and hang a 6AH+ battery on it. Use is with a couple 2AH batteries and enjoy its light weight. I can't speak to the other nailers as I don't own them.

I have a collection of the Milwaukee tools, just not nailers yet. FYI Home Depot has “special buy of the day” on their website (click specials and offers from the menu then special buy of the day). I’ve seen those and the DeWalts up to half off and that’s when I buy them.

 
I realize you are looking for cordless, I'm just commenting on the choice of nail size. I have a Hitachi pneumatic 15 gauge nailer. I chose the 15 gauge because of its being a stronger nail for structural work. And if it is for finish work, where you are filling the holes, it is only very slightly bigger hole than a 16 gauge. Mine takes 1.25" to 2.5" nails.

I can see the convenience or you don't have a compressor.
Kind of high priced for finish and brad nailers though.
Having many Milwaukee M18 and M12 products I am sure they will work well.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
I can see the convenience or you don't have a compressor.
Kind of high priced for finish and brad nailers though.

Yikes! You ain't kiddin'. I hadn't looked at the prices in his links.

My Matabo HPT 18 ga. brad nailer is currently $60 at Lowe's. My 23 ga. pin nailer $70 and my framing nailer $160. A Metabo HPT 16 ga. finish nailer would be $100. These are all top-rated nailers--both in tool shoot-outs and user reviews.

The Metabo HPT 6 ga. pancake compressor is currently $160, and comes with the 2 in. 18 ga. brad nailer. Add either the finish nailer or pin nailer and you still come in at less than any one of the Milwaukee cordless nailers--without the battery.

Plus the pneumatic tools are much lighter and more maneuverable.

I'm not trying to talk the OP out of the cordless tool, but, man...

The reason I’m going battery is because with new home construction, most of the times I won’t have access to a power supply. Sure ain’t gonna carry a generator and compressor around I don’t get TUG power until all rough trades have been complete and rough electrical has been inspected and passed.

I've long used a pneumatic 1/4" stapler, mostly for doing fence repair out at the far back of my property, attaching wire fabric to a split rail fence. I got tired of dragging the compressor and hose back there and got myself a battery-powered DeWalt 1/4" crown stapler, DeWalt because I already have the battery infrastructure. Much more convenient. My biggest surprise was to find how it operates, it appears that the battery-driven motor does not drive the staples directly, but instead runs a mini air compressor that does the dirty work the same way a pneumatic nailer does. If I were faced with an all-day job, I'd probably opt for the hose-driven tool, but for touch ups and casual re-tacking, the hose-less is far more practical.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
The reason I’m going battery is because with new home construction, most of the times I won’t have access to a power supply. Sure ain’t gonna carry a generator and compressor around I don’t get TUG power until all rough trades have been complete and rough electrical has been inspected and passed.

You don't have power at a temporary pole on the property? When I worked in the trades (100 years ago) we always had a temporary power source on the property before we showed up. We had to run a long extension cord a number of times, but power was always available.