Cabinet makers prefer various kinds of nail guns for their cabinet-making projects. Among all types of nail guns, it’s challenging to decide the best one. Different companies arrive with attractive features to save your time as well as reduce the toil. So, finding the best nail gun for cabinet making is slightly tricky.
A brad or pin nailer from a reputed brand is highly recommended for woodworking projects like cabinet-making. Cabinet work requires driving nails precisely with maximum perfection. Besides, it requires a nail gun with huge power and durability. After analyzing these facts, here are some top nailer recommendations.
We’ve also emphasized several vital features to find the best nail gun. The nailing type, firing system, weight, and extra features have been experimented with intensively. Also, we’ve gone through the user review to make the final selections.
What kind of nail gun do I need for cabinets?
For smaller projects like molding, cabinets, decorative trim, and others, a brad nailer is the best one. A finish nailer is also useful for cabinet making for its versatility. But, a brad nailer is great for driving nails at any wooden project.
A brad nailer is efficiently designed with a special trigger mechanism. Hence, it’s better at propelling nails than the traditional units. However, using brad nails is also encouraged for its nail availability. Any pneumatic or battery-powered brad nailer’s nails can be found easily.
What size nail gun for building cabinets?
An 18-gauge brad nail gun is the most used nail gun for building cabinets. The 18-gauge nail size is convenient for this type of work because it creates a small hole. Using 16-gauge nails may create some unexpected defects in this type of project.
Besides, using a pin nailer is also allowed as it serves pin nails with convenient length. Usually, pin nails are 1 ¼ inch long and have excellent holding capability. Moreover, its head can’t easily be identified so, it’s also a great choice for cabinet making.
Top 5 Best Nail Guns For Cabinet Making
This section deals with some high-quality and value-for-money nail guns for cabinet making. You can easily pick the best nail gun for cabinet making from the recommendations depicted here.
PORTER-CABLE Cordless Brad Nailer Kit
Another cordless brad nailer for cabinet making is PORTER-CABLE PCC790LA). This model is reliable for its depth adjustment wheel and tool-free stall release lever. With these features, newbies can perform cabinet projects and other woodwork conveniently.
It comes with a 20-V lithium-ion battery which can provide more power than conventional batteries. The battery is included in the package along with the charger. For this reason, you eliminate the trouble of maintaining the compressor and hose.
This nailer weighs below 6 pounds and has an optimal center of gravity. Besides, it has a powerful motor that helps to deliver 18-gauge brad nails consistently. The LED light of this nailer ensures safe work even in a dark environment.
However, the magazine of this nailer can hold up to 100 nails. It has an extra feature of a trigger lock to save the nails from being misfired. There is no contact firing mode in this nailer. But, its sequential firing mode is enough to end most of the woodwork precisely.
Pros
- This nailer has a great balance system with its lightweight
- The magazine capacity is appreciable
- Advanced depth adjustment wheel helps to position nails
- A 20-V Li-ion battery is included
- Trigger lock system resists misfiring
Cons
- No contact firing mode for dedicated projects
- Comes with plastic housing material
Metabo HPT Pin Nailer Kit
For cabinet-making projects, the nails with the smallest head are the desired ones. Metabo HPT pin nailer comes with a 23-gauge headless pin. Hence, it brings more perfection while joining different parts of the cabinet using these nails.
While working with various types of depths, it’s a trouble to adjust the fastener height every time. This nail gun eradicates this trouble by providing an automatic adjustment feature for different fastener lengths.
It’s a common problem of adjustment while working on various surfaces. Metabo has developed this nail gun with the advanced depth adjustment feature. For this reason, flushing drives into different surfaces isn’t a difficult task anymore.
However, people have tension with their nail guns because of the absence of a dual trigger. This nail gun has an engineered dual trigger for the safe placement of its nails. Besides, this feature is helpful to ensure the accuracy of placing nails.
Despite its metal build, it’s very lightweight. People usually face trouble transporting a metal-built nail gun due to its heavyweight. But, the Metabo HPT nailer is only 2 pounds and it’s super easy to carry anywhere.
People have a problem of losing battery power in battery-operated nail guns. As this nailer is air-powered, it’ll offer great power to the user until the work gets finished.
There is also a common problem of ending fasteners very soon. Due to its 100 pins capacity, it can continue the work consistently. Its straight magazine angle allows it to hold these pins of ⅝” to 1-3/8 ” sizes.
Pros
- No-mar tip added for the safety of the surface
- Easy depth adjustment feature for different surfaces
- Appreciable magazine holding capacity
- Automatic pin nails adjustment reduces the hassle
- Less weight makes it highly transportable
Cons
- The absence of a battery can’t run it in difficult places
- The build quality could be a little bit better.
Ryobi P320 Airstrike Cordless Brad Nailer
Many people prefer cordless nailers as it’s easy to maintain. For being a cordless nailer, the Ryobi P320 nailer eliminates the trouble of a compressor or hose. This nail gun is one of the best cordless nail gun for woodworking projects.
People have a problem with fewer nail driving problems due to the low battery-powered nailer. For cabinet making, its nail-driving capacity is incredible. It can drive up to 1700 nails per single charge, which is acceptable for any woodworking project.
It supports an 18-V powerful battery but unfortunately, buyers need to purchase it separately. As this nailer is cordless, you can use it anywhere you want without a power outlet.
However, it drives 18-gauge nails and its maximum fastener size is 2″. People tend to use the fastener less than this size. For this reason, it allows the minimum fastener size of ⅝”.
This Ryobi cordless nailer model can deliver 60 nails per minute. Due to its high speed, this is a great choice for cabinet making. The cabinet project ends just before the estimated time after using this nailer.
Its plastic build and convenient 10x3x7 inches dimension make it convenient for transport. The nailer is only 6 pounds weight and never brings any fatigue to the user’s hand.
As an extra feature, the nailer offers a low-nail indicator. With this feature, a user can understand when to reload the magazine and avoid misfiring.
Pros
- Extreme nail-driving power in a minute
- High nail driving capacity per every charge
- A convenient and versatile fastener is used here
- The nail indicator keeps the user updated about the remained nails
- Despite the plastic build, it’s durable in the long run
Cons
- It’s slightly heavy in comparison to the plastic build
- No battery comes with the package
BOSTITCH Brad Nailer Kit for cabinets
This nailer from BOSTITCH is familiar with Smart Point Technology. It features easy nail placement to reduce the user’s toil and ensure work’s perfection.
It’s considered the best electric nail gun for woodworking because of its incredible pneumatic power. With 70-120 psi operating power, it can deliver 18-gauge brad nails without any inconvenience.
Along with the expedient side load magazine, this nailer has a straight magazine. The side load option offers comfort to the user and the magazine angle allows more nails. It’s possible to put up to 100 nails inside the magazine.
As an extra feature, both sequential and contact firing mode is included in the nailer. For this reason, it’s possible to increase the firing rate by pressing the corresponding trigger.
Its tool-free jam-release technology helps to clear the jammed nails easily. Besides, its no-mar pad is protective against creating any stains on the surface and the nailer. However, it’s a plastic-built nailer, and its weight is only 5.16 lbs.
Pros
- Easy to shift between desired firing mode
- Air exhausting feature helps to blow air away from the face
- High nail capacity
- Easy to carry for its lightweight
- Incredible power supply
Cons
- Could come with an improved build quality
- No battery option
Dongya P625 23 Gauge Pneumatic Compact Pin Nailer
Dongya P625 pneumatic nailer is popular for its convenient structure for cabinet-making projects. This nailer is only 1.9 lbs and doesn’t bring any fatigue to hands while holding it. As it comes with die-casting housing, it’s extremely lightweight as well as durable.
Despite its lightweight design, it has a sturdy aluminum build. For this reason, it’s durable in the long run. The convenient 8.5 x 2 x 7.2 inches dimension makes it reliable for transporting anywhere.
Unfortunately, it’s not a battery-operated nailer. But, its powerful pneumatic system is much more reliable than the battery versions. This nailer is compatible with 3/8” to 1” sized pin nails. So, working with various size pin nails is possible with this nailer.
As a part of the extra features, this nailer has an extraordinary hand-gripping system. Its ergonomic rubber grip keeps the palm and fingers out of exhaustion. Besides, its air exhaust system helps to blow air away from your face.
The magazine system of Dongya P625 is side-loading, which is the easiest style. Therefore, newbies prefer this nail gun to perform any woodworking activity. Moreover, it has a minimum nail jamming trouble and drives around 50-60 nails per minute.
Pros
- Special hand grip to remove the fatigue of hand
- Extremely lightweight and easy to carry
- Durability is ensured by its sturdy build
- Almost zero nail jamming and easy clearing system
- Compatible with various sizes of pin nails
Cons
- Pricing is slightly high in comparison to its brand value
- Can’t be operated in difficult areas as it has no battery
Can you use a brad nailer to build cabinets?
Yes, it’s okay to use a brad nailer to build cabinets. The material must be limited to 2 and ½ inches thick to use a brad nailer. Its 18-gauge brad nails come with 2 ½ inches length and so, it’s highly used for cabinet making. The high nail capacity, convenient operating pressure, user-friendly build, etc. makes a brad nailer selectable for cabinets.
What gauge nailer is best for woodworking?
Experts vote for 16-gauge nailers for most kinds of woodworking projects. The versatile 16-gauge nailer is also used in some dedicated works like the exterior trim. An 18-gauge nail is strong enough to tack larger parts together.
Besides, attaching frames, building jigs, and other woodwork brings the best output with the 18-gauge nailer. You can’t find a better option for installing trim work than the 18-gauge nailer. Along with its nail advantages, this type of nailer is very handy.
Conclusion
Finding the best nail gun for cabinet making isn’t easy at all. All the nail guns are full of enchanting features and advanced technologies. Among all of them, you need to find reliable and useful features only. The recommendations made in this writing can be your guideline.
When selecting a nailer for cabinet making, ensure it’s from a reputed brand. The essential features like build quality, nail driving speed, magazine size, etc., should be prioritized. As all nailers have some negative aspects, you must select which one to accept.
Metabo HPT Pin Nailer Kit is overall the best brad nailer for cabinet making. Its magazine holding capacity, lightweight, and depth adjustment features are top-notch. If you’re looking for the best electric nailer, BOSTITCH Brad Nailer Kit should be chosen. For the best cordless nailer, go for the Ryobi P320 Airstrike Cordless Brad Nailer.