Cedar shingles are popular yet slightly different from others that require more precise nailing. Therefore, you need to find the best nail gun for cedar shingles – a nailer that drives the correct nails for cedar siding.
Budget Pick
Freeman PCN65
- Holds up to 400 nails
- Magnesium body
- Ergonomic grip
Edtiro’s Pick
BOSTITCH RN46
- Aluminum housing
- Adjustable depth
- Single guide
Premium Option
Metabo HPT
- 7/8-1-3/4-Inch Nails
- Sideloading magazine
- Easy depth adjustment
You can use a coil siding nailer or a roofing nailer to deal with cedar shingles nicely. Besides, picking a brad or staple nailer with versatile nails and a sturdy build is also preferable if the shingles are thinner. Any nailer with a consistent nailing speed can cope with cedar shingles.
However, you need to go through the prime specifications of any nailer before making the final selection. You need to know the right size of nails to use for cedar siding, the durable the nailer, and the type of technologies and features it has.
Is it Better to Nail or Staple shingles?
We do not recommend using staples for shingles instead of nails. Shingles should be nailed to the roof deck or wall using roofing or siding nails for proper installation. Roofing or siding nails are designed explicitly for shingle materials and are made of materials resistant to corrosion, such as stainless or galvanized steel.
They also have a large head that helps secure the shingles and prevent them from lifting or shifting over time. Stapling shingles can result in the staples being too short or not secure enough to hold the shingles in place, leading to leaks, damage to the roof deck, and premature failure of the shingles.
Following the manufacturer’s installation guidelines and using the appropriate materials and tools to install cedar shingles is essential.
6 Best Nail Guns For Cedar Shingles
Let’s check out the top nails for your cedar shingles projects.
Best Pneumatic Nailer for Cedar Shingles – Freeman PCN65 Pneumatic 15 Degree 42-1/2″ Coil siding nailer
Coil siding nailers are always best for cedar shingles. They can drive 1-1/4 inches to 2-1/2 inches nails for strong holding and better compatibility with those thick shingle boards.
This Freeman PCN65 nailer offers exactly such kinds of nail delivery. It drives 1-1/4″ – 2-1/2″coil siding nails from 1-3/4″ – 2-1/2″. Besides, The 15-degree plastic collated siding nails from 1-¼” to 2-½” integrate your nailing experience.
Once you’re out of nails, you can reload it quickly with its side-load magazine. It is lightweight with its 5.5 pounds weight even after the durable magnesium build. Its sturdy build ensures that it will run in the long run.
The steel parts of this nailer absorb the produced heat and offer better safety to the user. For this reason, it’s highly applicable for other nailing purposes, along with cedar shingles. The popular purposes are: sheathing, siding, decking, etc.
Its grip quality with the ergonomic build is satisfactory enough. As the handle isn’t too bulky, it won’t bring fatigue to your palm.
For having a no-mar safety tip, the working surface will remain clear. Your nailer won’t start firing until it touches the nailing surface.
The user can adjust the desired depth using its depth adjustment feature. It’ll ensure consistent nail driving without wasting a nail.
As this nailer’s magazine holds up to 400 nails, you won’t be out of nails easily. There is a transparent bucket to observe the number of the left nails easily.
The 360-degree adjustable exhaust of this nailer helps to pass air away from your face. You can also use it to remove debris from the workspace.
To prevent misfiring, it features a safety trigger lock. Its bump fire trigger is easily usable to drive nails with precision.
| Pros | Cons |
| Sturdy build with magnesium body | No feature for the accurate nail placement |
| Trigger lock ensures the additional safety of misfiring | Not versatile with different nails |
| Holds up to 400 nails | |
| Ergonomic grip provides huge comfort | |
| No-mar safety tip prevents creating any stain on the surface |
Roofing Nailer for Cedar Shingles- BOSTITCH Roofing Nailer
This roofing nailer for cedar shingles is easy to hold continuously for its 5.8 pounds lightweight. For its 13.38 x 14.38 x 5.12 inches dimension, it’s convenient to operate.
This nailer is manufactured with high-quality aluminum housing. It’s guaranteed to save the nailer from rust even after long use.
Consistent nailing at a speed of 100 nails per minute is possible with this nailer. When the user is out of nail, they can reload the nails easily using the side-load magazine with it. However, the magazine design is a single-action type and comes with being patented.
However, its magazine contains 100 nails of ¾ inch to 1-¾ inch in size. These nails get delivered at 410 in./lbs of the force of 100 psi.
Its skid pads protect the machine from getting any stain accidentally from the surface. Besides, the surface remains clean for using this protection.
The user can get a reloading hint without any complication by reading the indicator. You’ll be notified instantly when the magazine is out of 120 coil nails.
To set nails at the desired depth, its quick-set adjustable depth guide is highly useful. A nosepiece of the nailer features carbide inserts for long-life performance.
This nailer comes with a nail lockout feature that disallows unwanted firing anytime. A single nail won’t even be wasted for having this feature.
When holding the nailer for a long time, its over-molded grip certainly won’t distress the palm. This grip provides sufficient friction to the palm for holding the nailer conveniently.
| Pros | Cons |
| Zero nail lockout prevents dry firing | The magazine contains only 120 nails at a time |
| Its skid pads protect the tool from damaging | Build quality could be more improved |
| Overmolded grip provides extra comfort | |
| Nail reload indicator updates the latest nail condition | |
| Speedy delivery of 100 nails per minute |
Electric Staple Gun for Cedar Shingles – NEU MASTER NTC0040 Electric Nail Gun/Staple Gun
With 5.21 pounds weight and the 9.3 x 2.5 x 10.3 inches dimension, it’s designed for versatile projects. Despite its plastic build, this is an average sturdy staple gun.
It can hold around 200 nails per staple together. Besides, this nailer can hold up to 800 brad nails together.
The over-molded ergonomic grip provides a feel of mitis to the user. There is no chance of slipping the nail accidentally due to the lack of friction.
Along with dominating the necessity of the compressor, it promises to cover wide applications. It’s designed with an adjustable power function to cope with light-duty projects.
This nailer drives 18 gauge brad nails up to 1-¼”. The kit contains 400 pieces of ⅝” and ¾” brad nails. Along with this, the kit arrives with 200 pieces of ¾” staples.
Having a non-marring rubber nose guarantees a flawless finish to the desired project. It will be highly effective when dealing with cedar shingles.
Its extension cord helps to reduce the penetration perfectly. In addition, the quick-release mechanism allows you to dispose of the stuck nail quickly.
| Pros | Cons |
| Hold up to huge (800) brad nails at a time | The plastic build threaten its longevity |
| Its ergonomic over-molded grip offers a better feel | Its 6.6 feet cord length limits the area to work |
| The non-marring rubber nose ensures the flawless finish | |
| Eliminates the necessity of using a compressor | |
| Easy to transport for its lightweight |
Brad Nailer for Cedar Shingles – CRAFTSMAN V20 Cordless Brad Nailer Kit
With only 1.2 hours of battery recharge time, this nailer is a great cordless nailer. The attached 20V lithium-ion battery promises to ensure consistent firing even after years.
In an experiment, a 150 feet baseboard molding was performed in 5 hours without jamming.
Craftsman has launched this nailer with a user-friendly handle and a sturdy build. The handle doesn’t bring discomfort anytime and ensures optimum friction.
For having the dimension of 13.37 x 4.49 x 11.49 inches, it’s expedient to use and transport. The lightweight (7.64 pounds) with an optimum center of gravity promises a good balance from this nailer.
This nail gun continuously fires 18 gauge finish nails even in a tough environment. The package comes with 100 brad nails of 1-¼” inch in size.
Its tool-free depth adjustment helps to countersink nails accurately. For quick setup, this feature is a savior. You won’t need any heavy-weight compressor to run this nailer. This nailer reduces the necessity of hoses or costly gas cartridges too.
Moreover, the jam and stall settings with tool-free advantage reduce the toil of the user. Like other cordless nailers, it comes with a non-marring tip to prevent damage to the work surface.
| Pros | Cons |
| The cordless design eliminates the need for a compressor | Slightly heavy with its 7.64 pounds weight |
| Non-marking tip protects the surface | Using aluminum could be a better idea than using plastic |
| Optimal center of gravity for balancing | |
| Contoured over-molded handle helps to provide better friction. | |
| Contoured over-molded handle helps to provide better friction |
Best Budget Nailer For Cedar Shingles – Metabo HPT Roofing Nailer
This nailer comes with easy maneuverability with only 5.5 pounds weight. The 9 x 4.5 x 10.2 inches of dimension with cordless option keeps it front in installing cedar shingles.
The quick driving system precisely drives roofing nails from ⅞ inch to 1-¾ inches. Its magazine can hold only 120 nails inside it. Due to its side-loading magazine, the user can reload it quickly.
The open-nose jam-clearing technology decreases the trouble for the user. So, you can dispose of stuck nails and protect your nail gun from jamming.
For precise nailing or flush driving, the toolless depth adjustment feature is effective. It reduces the hassle of extra setup in an instant.
Its long-lasting rubber grip provides extra comfort in the workplace. The engineered grip won’t allow the nailer to slip even from the hand with extreme sweating.
As it comes with a carbide-tipped push lever, it reduces wear. There are rubber pads to prevent the sliding of the power tool from the roof. Moreover, it runs at a convenient operating pressure of 70-120 psi.
| Pros | Cons |
| Sideloading magazine for quick reloading | Magazine capacity isn’t worth it |
| The lightweight makes it portable anywhere | Issue of coming out double nails sometimes |
| Tool-less depth adjustment ensures precise nailing | |
| Aluminum housing makes it highly durable. | |
| The sideloading magazine for quick reloading |
Cordless Nail Gun for Cedar Shingles – DEWALT 20V MAX 18GA Cordless Brad Nailer
Dewalt 18ga brad nailer is one of cedar shingles’ best cordless nail guns. For using 18ga brad nails, installing cedar shingles becomes more perfect.
We know that a brad nailer might not be a good option for cedar shingles. But a brad nailer can be a good option if you have lighter cedar shingles. And you do not have a good alternative, but this one is for a cordless nail gun for cedar shingles.
Its tool-free depth adjustment provides a huge convenience to the user. This tool-free feature helps countersink nails precisely while installing cedar shingles.
Besides, the micro nose option increases the accuracy of nail placement in the desired place.
This nailer comes with only 5 pounds weight with an expedient 18.72 x 11.11 x 6.36 inches dimension. So, it’s not difficult to hold for a long time.
You’re always powered by its powerful lithium-ion battery, even in the load shedding problem. For this reason, using a compressor or any gas cartridges is unnecessary.
Its brushless motor offers maximum runtime without jamming nails. There is a tool-free stall release lever that helps to reset the driver blade rapidly. Its adjustable belt hook is highly effective for securing right or left attachment.
The user can select the sequential or contact nailing mode using its selectable trigger. Using this feature, the speed of nail driving can be controlled easily.
Its nail lockout feature is a savior against dry firing. With this feature, the surface remains risk-free from getting unwanted marks. There is a LED light that helps to provide workspace illumination.
| Pros | Cons |
| Eliminates the trouble of cord | Building material could be better |
| Easy jam release feature dispose of the jammed nails | Grip quality isn’t satisfactory |
| A Brushless motor ensures the sufficient power | |
| The nail lockout feature prevents dry firing | |
| Its lightweight minimizes the fatigue of the arms |
Frequently Asked Questions
Here you know some common questions and answers on the best nail gun for cedar shingles.
The nails have 1-¼” to 1-½” length and are suitable for cedar shingles. The nails must be galvanized and manufactured from rust-proof steel or aluminum. You can use the brad or staple nails to install cedar shingles nicely.
Yes, you can use a brad nailer for cedar shingles without any confusion. A brad nailer is also a good pick, along with the framing and roofing nailer. As brad nails range from 1/2-inch to 2 1/2-inch, they suit the desired task.
It’s recommended to use 320 nails per square for cedar shingles. Two nails on cedar shingles must be placed at a 2 cm distance from the edge. However, in the high-wind areas, it’s suggested to use a few more (480) nails to install cedar shingles.
Yes, using a finish nailer for cedar siding is a better idea than using a hammer. The finish nailers come with finish nails that have a smaller head. Selecting the quality finish nailer with the maximum corrosion-resistant advantage is recommended.
Yes, cedar shingle roofs are good since they offer good insulation. You can also save some energy since these roofs are energy efficient.
For standard cedar shake siding, 1-1/2 inch or 1-3/4 inch stainless steel siding nails are perfect. For thicker or heavier cedar shakes, longer nails may be necessary. Make sure the nails are long enough to penetrate the cedar shake and the underlying sheathing or wall framing, but not so long that they split the shakes or protrude through the other side.
You can use roofing nails for cedar shakes, but roofing nails are typically made from galvanized steel or aluminum and designed for use with roofing materials such as shingles and roofing felt. They have a large head and are often shorter than the nails recommended for cedar shake siding.
Conclusion
Installing cedar shingles is all about the perfection of the nailing. You already know about some suitable nailers with cedar shingles. Besides, you know the required fasteners for installing cedar shingles.
Finding the best nail gun for cedar shingles must be easy now. All the depicted nailers come with speedy nailing capacity and convenience of use. Besides, these nailers ensure a sturdy and long-lasting build.
Installing cedar shingles need a good finish, and the mentioned nailers are good in this condition. However, it’s your time to evaluate the high magazine capacity, the reloading convenience, and other features of these nailers.