Cordless Finish Nailer Head 2 Head Testing

Best Ergonomics - Paslode IM250Ali - Ergonomics play a major role in our evaluation of most tools that we test. Not only does a tool need to perform well, but we feel it's very important that tools are comfortable, which ultimately leads to more productivity and reduced risk of injury. The top two picks of our crew for ergonomics fell in the gas powered category including both Paslode and Hitachi. The Paslode IM250ALi stood out among all the cordless finish nailers. The nailer is extremly compact, lightweight, comfortable grip, and a great line of sight. Having been an icon in our industry for many years now it's clear that Paslode has spent considerable time and effort designing an extremely comfortable nailer. Honorable mention has to go to the Hitachi NT65GS which is their 16 Ga straight finish nailer. This nailer is also powered by a gas cartridge which means a very light weight tool with a small body. This tool also has a great grip and one of the best line of sights in all the tools we tested. Best Performance - DEWALT DCN660D1. Honorable mention in this category went to the Senco Fusion F-15. This nailer performs very well but is noticeably slower, and has less power, than the DEWALT. Most Powerful - Ryobi P330The big surprise came when we tested the hardwood (Oak) trim setup. The overall winner for most power was the Ryobi P330, 15 Ga Angled Finish Nailer. This nailer was clearly more powerful than all the other nailers we tested. It easily drove fastener after fastener (2-1/2" length) into the Oak trim and set the head every time below the wood surface. No other tool was able to match this performance, leaving no doubt as to the king of the hill, with respect to power.Honorable mention in this category was the DEWALT DCN660D1, 20V, 16 Ga Angled Finish Nailer. Not only did this nailer do a great job sinking the fasters in the hardwood trim but the tool is able to cycle very quickly (quicker than you'd ever install trim) so that there is no lag between fasteners as observed with gas powered nailers.Best Value - Hitachi NT65GSPurchasing decisions are almost always based on cost and cordless nailers are no different. Not all of the finish nailers we tested came in kits, so we tried to even things up by pricing an equivalent kit if the tool is sold as a bare tool. Hitachi has a huge advantage over the competition with initial cost to purchase. With their two nailers coming in at $220 and $250 they are even cheaper than the Ryobi line. If you consider the gas cartridges in the equation then things get a bit more complicated and an argument can be made that the "battery only" nailers are more economical in the long run. Best in Class Cordless Finish Nailer The winner is decided by the entire testing group, based on all the testing and individual evaluations.#1 Best in Class - DEWALT DCN660D1 - 20V 16 Ga Angled Finish NailerThe DEWALT DCN660D1 was quickly singled out by the entire group as the top pick. This nailer is very well balanced and offers a great grip. It's a powerful finish nailer, able to drive fasteners far quicker than any of us would typically install trim.The ability to grab a battery out of the tool chest or trailer and know it's compatible with a huge selection of tools is extremely valuable to all of us. The only downside to this nailer which we hope DEWALT will address in future models is the LED work light. It's practically useless and really needs to be relocated so that it illuminates the work surface more effectively.#2 Best in Class - Hitachi NT65GS Gas Powered 16 Ga Straight Finish Nailer the crew quickly realized how well it performed and how it's light weight and great line of sight made it another top pick.This nailer has a very smooth depth of drive adjustment and the small circular no-mar tip provides the best line of sight of all the nailers we tested. Best of all, it's almost 2 pounds lighter than the DEWALT weighing only 4.2 lbs and it was the most affordable nailer in the group.The only down side to this nailer is the gas cartridge. All of us think the gas cartridge can be a hassle at times and prefer options without them.#3 Best in Class - Ryobi P330 15 Ga Angled Finish Nailer. This tool was a total surprise to our crew because of its awesome power. None of the other nailers came close to the power of this beast! In addition, it had the best LED light of all the nailers and is also one of the most affordable in the group. Combine this with Ryobi's vast line of tools that run off their 18V Li-Ion battery platform and its hard not to add this to our list of top 3 cordless finish nailers. The big downside to this nailer is its weight. Weighing in at 8.7 lbs this tool is more than double the Hitachi and over 2 lbs more than the DEWALT.