6 Best Siding Nailers of 2024 – Top Picks & Reviews
- Pete Ortiz
- Last updated:
When choosing the best siding nailer for your job or home project, you can’t be too careful. They’re expensive pieces of equipment with lots of moving parts, so you want to be sure you pick the right one. The ideal tool will be powerful, adaptable, and easy to use. It will also have adjustable depth control and a good magazine capacity. With so many details to keep track of, the search for the right nailer can be a tangle of possibilities.
We’ve assembled this list of the six best siding nailers to help you nail down the right choice. Along with the reviews, you’ll find a buyer’s guide at the end of the article to help guide your hand as you pinpoint the right selection. Good luck and happy nailing!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2024
Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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BOSTITCH N66C Coil Siding Nailer |
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CHECK PRICE | |
Best Value
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Freeman PCN65 Pneumatic Coil Siding Nailer |
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CHECK PRICE | |
Premium Choice
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Hitachi NV65AH2 Coil Siding Nailer |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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Metabo NV65AH2 HPT Coil Siding Nailer |
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CHECK PRICE | |
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Makita AN611 Siding Coil Nailer |
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CHECK PRICE |
The 6 Best Siding Nailers
1. BOSTITCH N66C Coil Siding Nailer – Best Overall
Bostitch is famous for fasteners, and this gun demonstrates the reason. It’s durable, lightweight, high-capacity, and adaptable. It’s hard to go wrong with this gun.
The firing mechanism is a perfect example of its adaptability. The trigger has two settings. The first is a standard sequential mode. The second is a rapid-fire mode. It also comes with adjustable depth so you can be sure you sink the nail exactly as deep as you want.
The gun has a 350-nail magazine. This lets you get through a lot of work on a single load. It fires coil nails of lengths between 1¼ and 2½ inches at pressures of 70 – 120 pounds per square inch.
The body is a lightweight aluminum design. This provides both durability and ease of use. With a total weight of 4.7 pounds and dimensions of 3.25 x 12 x 11.25 inches, it’s easy to handle and transport.
It also has a few other great features. One of them is a soft rubber foot on the tip of the gun. This prevents damage to your project as you shoot. It also offers tool-free adjustable exhaust. This allows you to direct the exhaust away from you and your project.
It also works on a range of materials. It’s been tested on wood, Hardi board, and lightweight aluminum. That means it has great versatility in terms of your siding needs.
There are a couple of problems with this gun, just as there are with any tool. The first is that it’s underpowered for 2½-inch nails. It seems to handle other sizes just fine, but you’ll end up finishing 2½-inch nails with a hammer. The gun also jams with some frequency. The clearance for the nail heads is extremely tight, which means the nail heads get stuck occasionally. Overall, we think this is the best siding nailer available this year.
- 350-nail magazine
- 1¼ to 2½-inch nails
- Lightweight and portable
- Rubber foot
- Tool-free adjustable exhaust
- Works on a range of materials
- Doesn’t handle 2½-inch nails well
- Gun jams occasionally
2. Freeman PCN65 Pneumatic Coil Siding Nailer – Best Value
Freeman makes one of the best siding nailers for the money. It has loads of excellent features at a fraction of the price of some other siding nailers. If you’re looking for a bargain, this is the way to go.
It has a magnesium body with hardened steel parts. As a result, it’s both lightweight and durable. It weighs only 5.5 pounds. At 13.25 x 11 x 5 inches, it’s slightly larger than other guns, which makes it a little out of balance during use. The operation is also oil-free.
It has a transparent side load magazine that holds 400 nails. Both the transparency and the capacity are of note. Seeing through the magazine allows you to know easily when it’s nearing time to reload. The capacity allows you to work continuously for an extended period of time without having to replace the nails. It handles nails between 1¼ and 2½ inches in length.
The firing mechanism offers two features of note. The first is a depth adjustment that lets you fire to the depth you desire. The second is a trigger lock to prevent accidental firing.
It also has a few other handy features. It has a rubber grip handle. There’s a no-mar tip to prevent damage to your working surface. It has 360-degree adjustable exhaust so it’s not blowing back in your face. It has a belt hook. It also works on a range of materials.
On the downside, this gun is bump fire only. There’s no sequential fire option, and if you try to use it as a sequential fire nailer, it will double fire and jam. In addition, it double fires even when used as bump fire. It has an inconsistent drive. Some nails aren’t driven completely and require a hammer to finish the job. Like many coil guns, this one jams occasionally.
- Lightweight and portable
- Transparent magazine
- 400-nail capacity
- 1¼ – 2½-inch nails
- Depth adjustment
- Trigger lock
- No-mar tip
- 360-degree adjustable exhaust
- Bump-fire only
- Double fires
- Inconsistent drive
- Jams occasionally
3. Hitachi Coil Siding Nailer – Premium Choice
Hitachi makes a high-grade siding nailer. It has a reasonable capacity, rapid firing rate, and a variety of features.
The side load, tilt-bottom magazine has a 200-300-nail capacity. The mechanism makes it very easy to load. It should be noted that the magazine sometimes comes open on its own. It can also be difficult to close.
The trigger can be set to either sequential or contact mode. This allows for rapid firing up to 3 nails per second. It also has a tool-free depth adjustment. It fires either wire or plastic sheet collated nails up to 2½ inches long.
Other features include adjustable exhaust. There’s also a no-mar tip on the nose to prevent damage to your project. There’s also a plastic shield surrounding the nose to keep wire collation contained. It’s a handy added safety feature.
At 6.6 pounds, it’s heavier than some other units out there, but it has solid balance with dimensions of 11.4 x 5.1 x 11.1 inches.
It has a number of fairly common problems. It occasionally misfires and jams like many coil nailers. It also has an inconsistent drive, so you may need to keep a hammer handy.
- 300-nail capacity
- Easy to load
- Sequential or contact mode
- Handles nails up to 2½ inches
- Plastic tip shield
- No-mar tip
- Adjustable exhaust
- Misfires
- Jams
- Inconsistent drive
4. Metabo NV65AH2 HPT Coil Siding Nailer
Metabo makes another solid siding nailer. At 4.8 pounds and 11.4 x 5.1 x 11.1 inches, it’s smaller and lighter than some other models, which will prevent fatigue while working for extended periods.
It has a transparent side load, tilt-bottom magazine for easy reloading and clear visibility. It can handle 1½ to 2½-inch wire collated nails or 1½ to 2 ¼-inch plastic sheet nails.
The trigger can be set to either sequential or contact modes for rapid firing. All it takes is the flip of a switch. It also comes with tool-free depth adjustment so you can get precisely the depth you need.
The nose of the gun has a couple of key features as well. It comes with a no-mar nose cap to prevent damage to the substrate. It also has a plastic shield to deflect wire collation during firing.
It works well on multiple materials and comes with adjustable exhaust.
There are a couple of problems with this gun. The first is that it’s prone to jam, which creates frustration and reduced productivity. There’s also no belt hook included.
- Lightweight and portable
- Transparent side load, tilt-bottom magazine
- Tool-free depth adjustment
- No-mar nose cap
- Plastic shield
- Adjustable exhaust
- Prone to jam
- No belt hook
5. Makita AN611 Siding Coil Nailer
Another option for a siding nailer is Makita’s model. It has wealth of features including a few unique ones, but there are a number of problems that balance that out, which is why it only makes number five on our list.
It has a three-mode selector switch. It can be set to lock, bump fire, or sequential firing. This gives you the option of preventing accidental firing, regular operation, or rapid fire. It also has tool-free depth adjustment with nine settings in 1/16-inch increments.
Air control is also solid. It has a built-in air filter to prevent dust and debris from clogging the system. It also has a multi-directional exhaust.
It has an easy-load nail canister with nail size adjustment that can handle 200-400 nails for continuous work. The canister is transparent so you can see when you’re getting low, or what size nails you currently have loaded. Speaking of nail sizes, it can handle both wire collated and plastic sheet nails between 1¼ and 2½ inches.
It has rubber bumpers on the body to prevent damage. Unfortunately, the nose isn’t as well protected. It leaves circular marks on the substrate.
The purchase includes a hard case and safety glasses.
There are several mechanical problems with this unit. It misfires frequently. It can also stall when the air recycles to chamber a new nail. This is problematic when trying to work quickly. It also jams. The trigger seal is weak and can blow, which will cause leaks.
- 3-mode selector
- Tool-free depth adjustment
- Air filter
- Multi-directional exhaust
- 400-nail capacity
- Large and heavy
- Leaves marks on the material
- Misfires
- Delayed air recycling
- Jams
- Weak trigger seal
6. Valu-Air CN55R Pneumatic Coil Siding Nailer
Bringing in the bottom of our list is the Valu-Air model. It’s a serviceable gun with a few caveats.
The body of the gun is heat-treated aluminum and is 12 x 12.2 x 4.96 inches and 5.5 pounds. This makes it larger than some, but middle of the road in terms of weight.
It has a side-loading canister with a 200-350-nail capacity. It can handle 1¼-inch to 2¼-inch plastic sheet nails or 1-inch to 2¼-inch collated wire nails.
The trigger has two-mode actuation. It can operate in either bump fire or sequential mode.
Other features include a rubber grip, multi-directional exhaust, and a rotating belt hook.
This model has its share of problems. First of all, there is no depth of drive adjustment. The manual suggests regulating air pressure to adjust drive depth, but this is an unreliable method. Regardless of air pressure, this gun has inconsistent drive depth. A hammer and putty will be your friend over prolonged use. The gun also jams, sometimes shoots multiple nails, and misfires. It also reloads slowly, which limits the speed at which you can work.
- 350-nail capacity
- Two-mode trigger actuation
- Multi-directional exhaust
- No drive depth adjustment
- Inconsistent drive depth
- Jams
- Shoots multiple nails
- Misfires
- Reloads slowly
Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose the Best Nail Gun for Siding
Buying a new siding nailer is an expensive proposition. As a result, you want to be sure you’re getting the best nailer for your money. With dozens of variables, it can be difficult to sort the good from the bad. We’ve created the following buyer’s guide as a pairing with the reviews above to help make your search as user-friendly as possible. Keep the following information in mind as you continue your search for the perfect siding nailer.
Nail Capacity
A large nail capacity is a huge benefit to your work. The greater the capacity, the longer you can work without having to reload. In turn, this increases productivity. Look for a nailer with a capacity of 300-400 nails.
Depth Adjustment
Depth adjustment allows you to customize your firing depth. This is important because different materials have different levels of resistance. Wood siding has lower resistance than concrete siding planks, and so will require a different firing depth adjustment. The advantage here is preventing over-shooting, which results in a hole that will require patching or under-shooting which will require a hammer to resolve.
Firing Modes
Look for nailers with multiple firing modes. While a standard sequential nailer is perfectly respectable, the option to bump fire can significantly speed up your project. Add in a lock setting, and you’ve got additional safety as well, as the lock setting prevents accidental firing.
Magazine
The type of magazine a nailer uses can be a big benefit or a pain. Side-load, tilt-bottom magazines are very easy to load. A clear magazine allows you to keep an eye on your nail supply. This can let you know when you’re running low or what size nail you currently have loaded.
Size and Weight
The ideal nailer is well-balanced and lightweight. A heavy nailer can result in serious fatigue during extended use. A poorly balanced or overly large unit is awkward to use. Additionally, smaller nailers are easier to store and transport.
Firing Speed
Efficiency is critical to most jobs. It’s a shame when productivity is interrupted by a nailer that’s slow to chamber. Keep an eye out for guns with solid firing speed. Speeds of 3 nails per second are generally a solid bet to keep your project moving quickly.
Adjustable Exhaust
It’s annoying and potentially dangerous to have bursts of air blowing in your face while you work. That’s where adjustable exhaust ports come in. They allow you to direct the exhaust away from yourself and your project. Look for models with 360-degree adjustments.
Safety Measures
When it comes to protecting yourself and your project, there can’t be any higher priority. There are a number of ways to accomplish this. In terms of your safety, collated nail wire can be ejected to the side when a gun is in operation. A plastic guard can contain it and prevent it from going where you don’t want it to. In terms of protecting the project, there are two great precautions that can be added to a nailer to prevent damage. A rubber tip on the point of the gun prevents dents when firing. Rubber bumpers on the body of the gun can also help prevent damage.
Comfort
When you’re using a tool for an extended period of time, comfort is important. Look for tools with a rubberized grip and an ergonomic build.
Nail Sizes
Versatility is important with any tool. The more sizes of fasteners you can use with your nailer, the greater the variety of projects you can work on. This doesn’t just apply to longer nails. The rule of thumb is that the nail should be twice the depth of the material. So, if you’re working on ½-inch material, you’ll want something that can shoot 1-inch nails. So, look for the widest range of nail sizes.
Conclusion
That concludes our round-up of the six best siding nailers. Our top pick is the Bostitch N66C coikl siding nailer. It’s lightweight, portable, and versatile. For a bargain, the best nailer for the money is the Freeman PCN65 pneumatic coil siding nailer. With high capacity, depth adjustment, and a no-mar tip among other features, you can’t beat the price.
With the range of possible tools out there, you can’t be too careful when selecting the right nailer for your workshop or job site. After examining these reviews, hopefully, things have begun to clarify about what should be your next choice of siding nailer. If not, the buyer’s guide is sure to help guide you on your way.
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