BEST 18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer - Head-To-Head

Link to Article: https://www.toolboxbuzz.com/cordless-...

Milwaukee Purchase Link:
https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=937848...

Makita Purchase Link:

https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=937848...

Several test simulations were used which are considered typical of tasks where a carpenter might use a brad nailer on. The simulations included:

Soft Wood Trim Installation– Brad nailers were used to install Pine trim onto framing lumber, to evaluate hole quality.
Hard Wood Trim Installation– Brad nailers were used to install Oak, Mahogany, IPE and Maple trim over plywood. This test allowed us to evaluate power, penetration of fasteners, depth of drive adjustments and nail hole quality.
Toe-Nail Application– We installed ½” Poplar bead-board was inatalled onto framing lumber by toe-nailing the tongue of the trim. This test evaluated penetration of fasteners, line of sight, and depth of drive adjustments.
Line of Sight and Accuracy Testing – Fasteners were installed onto cross-hair marks, and straight lines, to determine how well users could hit the marks and determine line of sight and accuracy of the contact tips.

18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer – Factors Considered

In addition to the simulations each of the crew members spent time shooting fasteners into varying materials, to evaluate each brad nailer independently. The simulations and individual evaluations were used to determine the Best 18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer, in several categories including:

Size and Weight
Ergonomics
Features -Performance
Power
Price
Best in Class – derived from the above categories
Size and Weight – WINNERS – Dewalt and Milwaukee

Cordless brad nailers certainly benefit from the lack of an air hose, but have to comprimise due to added weight of batteries.

The length, width, and height of the nailers were used to determine their cubic volume, and a rank was assigned based on volume and tool weight. In the accompanying graph, the upper band is the weight of the nailer while the lower band is the size ranking of the nailers.

The lightest brad nailer was DEWALT , at 5.2lbs. followed very closely by the Milwaukee at 5.7lbs. Makita and Metabo HPT were the heaviest brad nailers, approximately 1lb. heavier than DEWALT and Milwaukee.

Best Cordless Brad Nailer – Ergonomics – WINNER – Milwaukee

Ergonomics play a major role in all of our evaluations and testing. Not only does a tool need to perform well, but it’s very important that tools are comfortable, which ultimately leads to more productivity and reduced risk of injury.

Milwaukee finished first for the ergonomics category, coming in 11 points better than the second place DEWALT and 21 points better than the third place Metabo HPT. The team felt that the changes made to the NEW Milwaukee Gen 2 nailer were noticeable and impressive.

Balance

The team felt that Milwaukee was the best balanced nailer, with an even weight distribution


The DEWALT is more top heavy [with 2.0 Ah battery] but that can be drastically improved, by installing a heavier 5.0 ah battery. In that configuration, the DEWALT is as evenly balanced as the Milwaukee, but, slightly heavier.

Milwaukee Tool