Nailer - which one to get?

[MrSal]

Thinking of using Lowe's promos to get a nailer...

They currently have a Hitachi 18ga 2" for about 29$ (discounted from 70-80) ... my question is between 18 and 16 gauge will I see much difference? Can I use the 18 gauge for most little projects? They seem so much alike that I question what the 16 ga could do differently than a 18ga ...

Going to 16 ga, the same Hitachi goes to 89 dollars, so pretty much triple.

[Dancin'Dog]

I think it depends on what you plan to use it for.  I had a cheap 18 gauge nailer from Harbor Freight that worked fine for small things, but when I needed to nail trim molding I needed 2" long nails and that was beyond the capacity of it. 


Later I needed to shoot staples, so I had to buy another "nailer" made for staples.  All of my nailers are from Harbor Freight, except the 16 gauge trim nailer which is a Paslode.  The cheap ones work fine. 


If the $29 Hitachi has a 2" capacity I'd buy it.  You won't need 2" nails for most small projects, but it will be nice to have the capacity. 

[sonya]

18 ga good for most projects. Husband says 16 ga  is for nailing thick casing and baseboard, to go through wood, sheetrock and to stud, using 2.5 inch nail. 18 ga is good for 2 inch nail, and nothing longer. And nails are cheaper - box of 1000 will last forever for normal home use.

Fabulous price for 18 ga, go for it.

[MrSal]

I think it depends on what you plan to use it for.  I had a cheap 18 gauge nailer from Harbor Freight that worked fine for small things, but when I needed to nail trim molding I needed 2" long nails and that was beyond the capacity of it. 


Later I needed to shoot staples, so I had to buy another "nailer" made for staples.  All of my nailers are from Harbor Freight, except the 16 gauge trim nailer which is a Paslode.  The cheap ones work fine. 


If the $29 Hitachi has a 2" capacity I'd buy it.  You won't need 2" nails for most small projects, but it will be nice to have the capacity.

Yes its for 2 inches 18 ga nails... the 16 ga uses 2.5'' ... The uses I would use it for are mostly for little projects like shelving, furniture and I am about to build a section of my kitchen cabinets... so I would say for plywood sheets, drawers and such.

Granted I won't use it for structural things, but I can use it as welll while the glue sets in and things like that.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

I have a Ryobi battery-powered one from HD that works great for little projects like you describe.

[smoghat]

I got my ryobi from https://www.cpooutlets.com