Makita (Gen 2) XTP02Z 18volt 23 Gauge Pin Nailer Review

Why use a 23 gauge pin nailer? - Different gauges of nails all have their pros and cons. Each gauge of nail does something a little better than the others but at a small cost. The larger the nail you use, the more holding power that is available but it comes at a large hole that needs to be filled with wood filler, plugged with a wooden plug, or leave it as is (if you dare!). The smaller the nail that you use the less holding power it has but the smaller the hole into the wood is. The 23 gauge pin nailer is the smallest gauge nailer available. It shoots a tiny, "pin" like, section of metal. This is called the pin. There isn't a head on the pin nail and that is what allows the nail to be so valuable. With no head, it only leaves an entry hole as big as the shank of the nail and with the nail being so small, the hole is almost invisible (compared to other gauge nailers).

A 23 gauge nail produces a small hole but struggles with holding power. They are typically used to tack something in place until glue can cure and do all the heavy holding from there on out. You definitely need to use it appropriately.

Makita 18v 23 Gauge Pin Nailer - XTP02Z

Makita has a previous cordless 23 gauge pin nailer and when they decided to come out with a second generation tool, they started from the ground up. They went and talked with contractors on the jobsite and woodworkers in the professional woodworking shop on what features and capabilities they wanted. They gathered all this feedback and came out with the XTP02Z. A game change for us in the workshop. We have said it over and over and we will say it again. Whenever you can cut the cord or hose and keep at least 80-90 percent performance, it is a great thing. The 18 volt 23 gauge pin nailer from Makita is no different. It allows us to work on a cabinet job without fussing with the hose and the noisy compressor. Yes, the unit has some performance issues when you get to the 1 3/8" fastener length and some thicker hardwood but that isn't entirely practical in the woodshop or on the job-site. We will touch on that below. Let's dive into some specs!

Performance

The performance of the 18 volt 23 gauge pin nailer from Makita was absolutely satisfactory. In our testing and use in our daily shop jobs and projects, it performed perfectly. In our testing we did manage to find the limits of this unit. When shooting the max fastener (1 3/8") into certain hardwoods, we found that the nailer could not drive the fastener flush. Depending on the species of wood and the density, the nail could be a 1/16" proud or a full 1/2" on the really hard wood. We take this with a grain of salt and hope you do too. If you think about it, what do you really think you will be doing with this gun? Attaching edge banding, face frames, trim work, etc. This would fall into the smaller lighter work category. A perfect environment for the 23 gauge pin nailer! The material you will be shooting into will be a bit thinner and into some dimensional lumber or plywood. In our jobs and projects into the shop that we used this tool in a real world situation, it performed without any issues for us.

We go back to the statement we made above, you need to use the right gauge nailer for the job. If the 23 gauge pin nailer isn't going to cut it, you may want to step up to a 18 gauge brad nail or drop your fastener length in your pin nailer down a bit.

Conclusion

We are extremely excited for this second generation tool to hit our shop and we know you will be too. It is packed with a bunch of solid useful features and design elements that will help you get the job done faster, more efficiently, and more enjoyable (no hose!!!). With that being said, this gun has limits and you need to know that going in. It cannot shoot the max fasteners into everything you throw at it. Our Porter Cable pneumatic 23 gauge pin nailer doesn't have the fastener length capacity for the 1 3/8" fastener so we don't have the opportunity to shoot them but with the new Makita 18 volt 23 gauge pin nailer, we have that ability. Yes, we will need to use it appropriately but we now have that ability.