With the constant advancements and innovations, daily electrical tools have seen a great change in almost every subsection. With nail guns being one of the hundred, it might sound tempting to get a decent nail gun. It often ends up being a daunting and infuriating task. Here we have discussed 16 gauge and 18 gauge nailer thoroughly.
There are various types of nail gun sizes are currently existing in the market. Basically, The most common and used nail guns are 15, 16, 18, 23, and also other sizes. A higher gauge will result in a thinner nail size. Generally, 15 and 16-gauge nails are used in finishing nailers. 18 gauge nails are used in brad nailers. Identically, 23 gauge nails are used in pin nailers. The 16 gauge and 18 gauge nailer is the most versatile and efficient tool for workers.
We should do some mechanical research and to give you a comprehensive overview of the mentioned nailers with better clarity. Ideally, as a professional carpenter, you might need to buy a handful of multi-purpose nailers to suffice your requirements. However, things become much trickier when you are a DIYer looking for a versatile nail gun.
Know About 16 Gauge Nailer
The 16 gauge Nailers are thicker, but not significantly from 15 gauge but incredibly distinct from the higher gauged nailers. Accordingly, these nailers help prevent a sudden collapse of your project by giving thicker trim stability and reliability.
A 16 gauge nailer is surely needed to install wooden racks and boards such as crown molding. The 16 gauge nails go in as deep as 2.5 inches. It is compared to the standard driving size of 2 inches. Besides, They are much more stable in output and in holding power than the thinner-sized nails. It fits perfectly for tasks like installing door frames or baseboards.
Advantages of 16 Gauge Nailer
- It provides better stability and enhanced support
- Extra-holding power keeps things intact
- Perfect for joining planks
Disadvantages of 16 Gauge Nailer
- Not suitable for temporary assembling
- Works relatively poor with thin materials
Our Top 16 Gauge Nailer Pick
If you’re looking for a 16 gauge nailer, we recommend you check out the NuMax SFN64 Pneumatic Nail Gun.
NuMax SFN64 is a lightweight four-and-a-half-pound machine with a durable aluminum body and an ergonomic handle. NuMax SFN64 is the best affordable 16 gauge nailer you have in your hands.
This nail gun also contains a quick jam release that cleans the magazine without taking the whole thing apart. NuMax SFN64 fires 16 gauge finish nails falling under the bracket of 1-2.5 inches.
Better known for its exterior finish and interior woodworking, it specializes in dealing with cabinetwork, crown molding, and window cases. Firing nails is super fun with a high magazine capacity of a hundred nails. The sturdy-looking body built on aluminum ensures excellent durability for the years to come. Being Lightweight, you will never feel fatigued working for long hours with this nailer.
Pros
- No-mar Tip for a clean workspace
- Durable aluminum construction
- The anti-dust cap ensures clean internals while firing nails
Cons
- Jamming issues while working for long hours
- May split and crack thinner and more delicate wood
- Requires filling and sanding of nail heads
Know About 18 Gauge Nailer
Better known for attaching extremely thin trimmings, 18 gauge nailers are used for dealing with the construction of delicate constituents. With a diameter of 2/64 of an inch, the 18 gauge nailers prove themselves perfect for simple, delicate tasks.
A very evident factual description of the perfection of an 18 gauge nailer is its penetrating power. It can go through a small plank of wood without leaving any trace marks behind. You could fire hundreds of nails into some decorative frame for your door, and there won’t be even a single nail catching your naked eye. In addition, one can do framing-related work like house framing or installing hinges with both nails and screws, but it depends on the project. Moreover, large-scale projects always secure the need for nails whereas temporary structures and smaller projects secure the need for screws.
The same can’t be said for the 16 gauge nailers. It will also get the job done but will leave tons of marks behind. Of course, the holding capacity and strength of 18 gauge nailers are not comparable to 16 gauge nailers. But it is an absurd reason since the former specializes in delicate detailing works like repairing furniture and detailed woodworking.
Advantages of 18 Gauge Nailer
- Minimize the risk of cracking through thin surfaces
- It holds thin constituents amazingly
- Perfect for delicate tasks
Disadvantages of 18 Gauge Nailer
- Inability to penetrate highly dense materials
Our Top 18 Gauge Nailer Pick
If you’re looking for an 18 gauge nailer, you may like the DEWALT DWFP12231 Nail Gun.
With a lightweight, compact design and sturdy black reliable magnesium body, this nail gun under the trademark of Dewalt delivers exceptional performance in firing eighteen gauge nails ranging from 5/8 inches to 2 inches in length.
The tool-free-depth adjustment, and tool-free jam clearing, let you adjust the nail depth and maintain cleanliness without any hassle. The rear exhaust doesn’t allow the contamination to deteriorate the body. Also coupled with the long-life maintenance-free motor, and ensures a stainless workspace.
Since It Weighs 2.6 pounds, you will find no difficulties while working for hours in congested spaces without any fatigue. With the integrated rubber ergonomic grip at the handle, Dewalt guarantees a perfect nailing experience with this amazing nail gun.
Pros
- Durable magnesium body
- Maintenance-free powerful motor
- Great portability
Cons
- There is no actuation mode, just the sequential firing mode.
- Less strength
- Lacks the power to penetrate MDF properly
Differences Between 16 gauge and 18 Gauge Nailer
Driving/Penetrating Capacity
While most of the nail guns can drive 2 inches in any condition, there are tons of instances where you need to drive nails deeper. The 16 gauge nailers are thicker than the 18 gauge types have better penetrating power of about 2.5 inches compared to 2 inches of the latter. Both are decent enough; all of the choices get down to the tasks you need to do with it.
Stability and Reliability
Yet again, 16 gauge nailers provide better stability according to the holding power. It can prevent a collapse even between a few meters thick planks. It is nothing like the 18 gauge nailers falling behind in the parameter since both are intended for different tasks. But it becomes slightly inconvenient to hold surfaces when they get any thicker with the former gauge type.
Versatility
Well, both of them are versatile in their own way. The 18 gauge is far superior since it gives a lot more creative options to explore in the detailing work. The 16-gauge nail goes perfectly fine when you deal with thicker surfaces.
Final Words on 16 Gauge and 18 Gauge Nailer
Having so many distinctions clears the vision of requirements to choose 16 gauge and 18 gauge nailer efficiently. A 16 gauge nailer is more value for money because of the stuff you could put together with its help.
A 16 gauge nailer fails when you need smoothness and delicacy for the smaller tasks. It’s where the 18 gauge nailers come to save you. The positivity you get on 18 gauge nailers is the size of holes on the surface after firing, is invisible! In the mean time, a 16 gauge nailer leaves a bigger footmark. Consequently, it finally gets all down to what you need today.