Clearly, wooden floors are the latest fad. They bring nature’s aesthetic to your home, not to mention looking like a million bucks. To ensure you can “nail-up” your new hardwood flooring with extraordinary precision 7 style, you’d need the help of best flooring nailers. Built exclusively for this key task, these nail guns make quick work of flooring – fixing hard tiles strongly to the floor with precision & of course, a ton of style!
Available in both pneumatic & electric models, many have certain merits/demerits that make them perfect for one but bad for another. To save you the hassle, find below all about 5 of the best flooring nailers to buy today
So what are we waiting for let’s get into it;
Best Flooring Nailers – Perfect Flooring, Guaranteed!
As good as hardwood flooring can look, it really is an ordeal to nail into floors, and yes, it’s definitely something that you don’t want to do more than once. The best flooring nailers are designed to help make this an easy job – or as easy as it could be. These can fire both nails and cleats at a perfect 45-degree angle, which is key to a seamless floor tile installation. They can also fire staples, a trend popular with modern floor finishes.
Flooring is hard. If it doesn’t done right, you’ll surely be left with a floor that’s creaking, splintered, and wobbly with every step. Protect your new home from such bothering with the best flooring nailers – they really help.
Looking to buy one? Find below the best roofing nailers to buy in 2022;
Best Flooring Nailers Review – 5 Tools Get Your Hardwood Flooring Perfect!
Looking for the best flooring nailers? Join us as we review 5 of the best flooring nail guns that offer the best value for your buck;
#1 3PLUS HFSNSP
2-in-1 Pneumatic Flooring Nailer/Stapler
Ultra-durable & ergonomic, the 3Plus flooring nailer handles both cleats & staples – the former from 1-1/2 to 2 inches and the latter from 15 gauges. The pneumatic nature is perfect for nailing hardwood floors. In fact, the interchangeable flooring plates means that you can use it efficiently on almost all floor tile types.
The well-padded longer handle is ideal for applying the right pressure, and yes, you can remove it & use the shorter handle as well – the choice is nice. The mallet is encapsulated in white rubber for an easier impact.
At 16.5 pounds, this is surely not a lightweight machine. However, it is fairly portable size-wise. The cartridge is decently sized, and it is placed rightly on 45 degree – no need to adjust before firing. Finally, it carries a 1-year warranty.
The Pros
- Supports both cleats and staples – 5 to 16 gauge support and fires nails between 1/5 to 2 inches in length
- Highly ergonomic with well-padded, detachable handles
- Interchangeable flooring plates
- Mallet with white rubber head included
- 1-year warranty
The Cons
- Frequently gets jammed after long hours of use
- Quite heavy
#2 NuMax SFL618
Pneumatic 3-in-1 Flooring Nailer
Numax is a brand that’s known for their affordable yet super high-quality power tools. The same also holds for their new flooring nailer – the SFL618. For starters, the device supports both cleats & staples between 5 to 16 gauges and up to 2 inches in length.
This alone makes it ideal for flooring most casual homes. The build quality is noticeably good. The extended handle helps reduce unwanted strain, and low impact bumper makes it easy to drive in nails without much effort. The mallet id also rubber tipped.
Numax has given us a bigger nail magazine this time around. It can easily hold 90 – 120 nails sans any issues. We especially loved the aluminum & heat-treated steel construction. We feel it can undoubtedly last for years.
The Pros
- Tough yet ergonomic steel construction
- Handy 3-in-1 design – supports L-cleats, T-cleats, and staples, both up to 2 inches in length + 15.5 to 16 gauge
- Larger magazine, which can easily hold 90 to 120 rounds
- Replaceable base plate & longer handle
- 1-year warranty
The Cons
- Tend to get jammed pretty frequently
- Pretty heavy
#3 Freeman PFL618BR
Pneumatic 3-in-1 Flooring Nailer
With the freeman PFL618BR best flooring nailers, you can fire L-cleats, T-cleats, and staples (hence 3-in-1) between 5 to 16 gauges and up to 2 inches. The base plate is no marr and is also interchangeable, meaning you can use it on almost any tiling surface with a solid grip and no worry of damaging the material. The long reach handle offers an excellent grip with its rubber padding. You definitely won’t feel any strain at all.
But hey, this is all standard stuff, right? What makes the freeman especially good?
Aside from offering a reliable flooring experience, the tool comes chockfull of accessories that really elevate its goodness. Along with this aluminium made nailer, you get a carry case, a mallet, s-goggles, oil, and hex tools – all with a 7-year warranty.
The Pros
- 3-in-1 design – works with L-cleats, t-cleats, and staples – from 5 to 16 gauges and up to 2 inches
- Superior steel and aluminium build quality
- Interchangeable no-marr base plate with a longer grippy handle
- 7-year warranty
- Comes with tons of accessories
The Cons
- Lacks advanced features (considering the price)
- Lacks auto depth control
#4 BOSTITCH
2-In-1 Flooring Nailer
Waltzing next into our best flooring nailers review, the Bostitch 2-in-1 floor nailer is all about making floor nailing as comfy & easy as possible – and it succeeds. The hook-shaped handle offers exemplary control while allowing consistent pressure.
The same sage continues with the no marr base plates, which are interchangeable – you can use it on almost any tile materials & expect reliable grip and true precision. Nailing wise, you’ll be a bit restricted though, as the tool can fire only L, T cleats, and misses out on staples.
At just 10 pounds, the tool is fairly portable. Combining that with its ergonomics, the tool manoeuvring is quite easy. In all the time we tested, we never felt fatigued. To top it all off, the nailer comes with a 7-year warranty.
The Pros
- Ergonomic handle & fairly portable
- Works with both L and T cleats(standard 15.5 and 16 gauges respectively) with lengths up to 2 inches
- Powerful pneumatic action – enough to nail hardwood & engineered floors
- Interchangeable no marr, wider 1.2-inch base plate
- 7-year long warranty
The Cons
- The magazine reloading system is a bit complicated
- No staple support
#5 DEWALT 2-in-1
Flooring Stapler
Yet another 2-in-1 offering, these best flooring nailers come from Dewalt – a brand known for their ultra high-quality power tool offerings. Adorned in their signature yellow & black paint job, an interesting thing about this tool is how lightweight it is – just 10 pounds! It’s super easy to handle, thanks to the hook-shaped ergonomic handle, which now also holds the port for air compressor, thus keeping the hose out of the way for easy nailing.
The mallet decently sized & the no marr base, which is interchangeable BTW, ensure solid grip and precision while protecting materials from harm.
Coming to the nailing itself, the tool can deal with 15.5 gauge staples and 16 gauge L-cleats, which should be enough for most flooring needs. The tool also requires less CFM rates. It can easily function with just 70 to 110 PSI.
The Pros
- 2-in-1 floor nailing function – supports firing 15.5 gauge staples and 16 gauge L-cleats
- Super lightweight aluminium build (weighs only 10 pounds)
- Lower CFM requirements
- No marr, interchangeable base plate
- Easy to handle
The Cons
- No T-cleats support
- Expensive
The best flooring nailers are an expensive bunch. So it’s important you find the right one for you that best meets your needs
To ensure quality, here’re some things to look out for;
Cleats vs staples, gauge sizes, nail lengths.
Available in types, L shaped, and T shaped cleats offer decent nail power, fix up hardwood flooring tiles, and offer discreet results. On the other hand, the staple nails are super strong but offer less versatility& poorer finish. Gauge wise, choose between 16 or 18 – higher the gauge, the thinner the nails & more discreet the finish.
For best results, get a model that can fire both cleats & staples, some offer 1-1/2 to 2 inches while others do 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches
Consider your flooring needs and pick appropriately.
Comfort and handy features
Flooring is a time-consuming job. To avoid fatigue, go for a lightweight nailer, one with a solid rubber grip to prevent slipping. It should be portable, both for easy storage & nailing in small niches & weirder angles
The depth should be adjustable. The base needs to be mo-marr to avoid floor damage, and it also has to be easy to align.
The best flooring nailers are specialized tools. They can also be pretty expensive. While we wouldn’t want you to skimp on quality, it’s better to go for (unless you’re a pro) bargain models as you wouldn’t be using it as often.
Set a budget; find a unit with the most perks that come under the same. As for warranty, 1-3 years is good, with 4+ being excellent.
Being tools that are seldom be of use, the best flooring nailers have a lot of enigmas around them – come, let’s unravel a few;
1) How does a flooring nailer work?
Unlike other nailers, these are not trigger powered. The user needs to align up the tip to the location, hold the tool firmly & hit the actuator with a rubber mallet to fire the nail. This action will effortlessly drive the nail to the floor.
You’ll need to increase the pressure or apply more hitting power if the nail doesn’t go through the floor or the tiles.
2) Do I need an air compressor to use them?
It depends. The flooring nailers are available in both manual & pneumatic types.
An air compressor is only necessary for pneumatic ones.
3) What does their warranty cover?
In most cases, it covers workmanship and product defects. Some brands also offer repairs or allow replacements if any parts wear out.
Best Flooring Nailers Review – What’s The Verdict? (The conclusion)
Replacing your old tiles or laying new floorboards may seem daunting to you first. However, with the best flooring nailers, it’s now an even more manageable & far easier chore to complete. Understandably, they are a must-have, especially if you work in construction or try your hand at laying your own home floor.
As the above best flooring guide may have clued you in, there’s no need to go elsewhere for the best flooring experience. The above-reviewed tools are spec-rich, easy to use, and are priced very affordably. Whichever one you pick, make sure it’s the right one for you – the included best flooring nailers buying guide can help with it. After using them, keep them well maintained & be sure to store them safely when not in use.
Don’t mind the expenses; they are sure worth it. Why waste time & energy when you can nail your way to a beautiful floor!
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