Fences are important for both security purposes and making your house appear more beautiful. As vinyl fences look very ugly, you went with wood fences.
All you have to do is now install the wood fence. You can either call professionals or do it yourself. Let’s assume you went with the latter. Building your fence is quite easy if you have the right tools.
Most people go for the traditional nail and hammer route, which is time-consuming and difficult. This is why you need nail guns for fencing.
Electric nail guns are bad, and battery-powered ones are too expensive. The sweet spot is pneumatic nail guns. As there are gazillions of nail guns available, we have gathered some of the finest pneumatic nail guns to save your time.
Best Pneumatic Nail Gun for Fencing Reviews
The pneumatic nail guns we rounded up over here can give you absolute safety, precise shooting accuracy, multiple shooting modes, and much more. Before you settle down for one, check these pneumatic nail guns out.
You can check out also our Best 21 Gauge Pin Nailer reviews
1. Freeman PCN65 Pneumatic Coil Siding Nailer
If you are someone who is not willing to spend too much yet require the best bang for buck pneumatic nail gun, you just hit the jackpot. Yes, Freeman is not a popular name, but don’t let that distract you.
Nail guns go through a lot, and this is exactly why the build quality matters a lot. Freeman PCN65 has a magnesium and aluminum body that makes it very lightweight.
With its ergonomic rubbery, spotted textured grip, you won’t feel any hand fatigue. Not just that, if you feel like it’s uncomfortable to hold, you can use the hook to keep the nail gun on either your belt or the fence.
The depth adjustment helps you adjust how much you want your nails to shoot through the fence wood.
As the fence will be visible from both outside and inside your house, you have to make sure the nails don’t penetrate too far. You don’t want nails to peak out of your fence, do you?
As the magazine has a side-loading mechanism, you can easily flip out the cover and quickly insert new nails.
The magazine cover is also transparent, so you won’t have to open up the cover every minute to check whether it’s getting empty or not.
The bump-fire, adjustable hook, 360 degrees rotating exhaust is nice to have, but we faced an issue. The trigger feels cheap and weak. So, don’t put too much pressure on it.
Speaking of the trigger, you get a safety lock with this nail gun. This feature will prevent accidental firing. It will come in handy if you have kids around or when you rest the nail gun on your belt.
Highlighted features:
- Lightweight body made with magnesium for high durability.
- The safety lock feature prevents unintentional firing.
- Transparent magazine that is easy to load and can hold up to 400 siding nails.
- Has a working pressure of 70 to 110 PSI.
- 360 degrees exhaust to keep the air out of your way.
- Belt hook to keep the nail gun on your belt.
Verdict:
With its working pressure of 110 PSI and the ability to firewire collated nails from 1-3/4″ to 2-1/2″, Freeman PCN65 pneumatic nail gun will easily penetrate any sort of wood, making it the best pneumatic nail gun for fencing.
2. HBT HBCN65P 15 Degree Coil Siding Nailer
Pneumatic nail guns require an air compressor to work. Having an air cord attached to your nail gun will limit your freedom to move and cause the cord/hose to twist. The former can’t be solved but, HBT got your back on the latter issue.
HBT coil siding nailer is all about flexibility and freedom. Compared to typical pneumatic nail guns, HBT HBCN65P comes with 360 degrees rotating air connector.
No matter how much you twist and turn your nail gun, the air cord is less likely to twist than other big-name brands.
Extending the flexibility further, this nail gun also has a 360 degrees air exhaust. This is a feature missing in even the most expensive nail guns.
When you press the trigger, the air coming from the air compressor needs to go somewhere. If you have a rotating exhaust, you can expel the air in any direction you like, keeping it away from your mouth or hands.
Nail guns and jams go hand to hand. No matter how expensive your nail gun is, it will get jammed once in a while.
To help you clear out the jam quickly, HBT coil siding nailer comes with a tool-free jam release. Just flip open the nose of the nailer and take out the jammed nails. Voila, jam cleared.
Talking about the quality, you get what you pay for. If you intend to use this nailer every day, invest in a more expensive, branded nailer.
This should not be your everyday nailer. Keep it oiled, use the right air compressor, and this will serve you well for monthly usage.
Highlighted features:
- 360 degrees rotating air connector to eliminate air hose twisting.
- Tools-free jam release makes it easy to clear jams.
- One-shot at a time or multiple shots firing mode.
- Comes with safety goggles, oil, and a hard case.
- 360 degrees rotating air exhaust.
- Air pressure ranges from 70 to 120 PSI.
Verdict:
All the features mentioned above are sometimes absent in even some of the most expensive pneumatic nailers.
With its dual firing mode and flexibility to move around freely, HBT HBCN65P is the best nail gun for feather edge fencing, indeed.
3. DEWALT DW66C-1 2-1/2
DEWALT has been leading the nail gun industry for a long time now. If you are a person who has difficulty trusting non-branded nail guns, DEWALT will surely please you. But is the brand name all it offers? Let’s find out.
At around 300 bucks, this coil siding nailer is more expensive than most nail guns on this list, and that’s for a good reason.
Many nail guns have depth adjustment, but it’s hard to adjust the depth when you use them yourself. DEWALT DW66C has a tool-free depth adjustment, which means no difficulties adjusting the depth.
You won’t always hold the nail gun in your hands while fencing. If you put it on the ground, you will have to get down every time you get the nailer. This will consume a lot of time and energy.
This is why DEWALT DW66C comes with an adjustable belt hook. Now you can keep your nailer on your belt and access it any time. You can also keep it on your fence.
This nail gun has a maximum working pressure of 120 PSI. So, don’t worry about your nails not penetrating deep enough.
This nailer will go through just about any wood. You can also do light work by turning down the PSI to 70.
The magazine has a 15-degree angle and can support up to 300 wire weld nails and plastic inserted coil nails. Furthermore, you get two firing modes, which are contact and sequential mode.
Last but not least, you get an easy jam clearance feature. First of all, it does not make jam often, but even if it does, you can flip up the jam clearance nose and remove the jammed nails.
Highlighted features:
- Easy to use tool-free depth adjustment.
- Comes with an adjustable belt hook.
- Has a working pressure of 70 to 120 PSI.
- Supports up to 300 1-1/4 TO 2-1/2-inch wire weld and plastic inserted coil nails.
- Jam clearance nose.
- Adjustable air exhaust.
Verdict:
DEWALT DW66C nailer takes the already famous brand to the next level with virtually no drawbacks or cons. With its 90 days money-back guarantee, you cannot go wrong. Easily the best nail gun for paling fence.
4. Freeman PFS105 Pneumatic 10.5-Gauge Fencing Stapler
When we talk about fences, people automatically assume that it’s a wood fence. We forget about vinyl fencing.
As the fencing is different, we also need different tools. So, let’s see what Freeman PFS105 stapler has in store for us.
This is a 10.5 gauge fencing stapler. The smaller the gauge gets, the bigger the nail or staple is. So, you can get an idea about how big these 10.5-gauge staples will be.
They will easily hold your fence for many years without any problem. You can also use the stapler for wood fencing. Two birds with one stone.
Holding the stapler can be a tiresome job. It can easily lead to hand fatigue. To eliminate that, Freeman PFS150 comes with an ergonomic handle that molds into your hands.
Furthermore, if you don’t feel like holding it, you can easily put it on your belt using the belt hook.
Talking about hand fatigue, the only problem with this stapler is that it’s hefty compared to other staplers at this range. It’s almost 6 pounds. We would recommend using the belt hook often.
The anodized aluminum magazine can hold up to 50 staples at a time. The easy release latch makes reloading super convenient. As the whole body is made out of aluminum, you can expect it to last for a long time.
This stapler has an easy jam release nose, just like the other ones. In the event of any jammed nails, just pop out the nose and clear the jam. Saves time and is easy to do.
Lastly, you get 360 degrees rotating air exhaust so that you can expel the air in any direction you want.
Highlighted features:
- Has a working pressure of 70 to 115 PSI.
- It can be used for various fences such as wood and vinyl.
- Aluminum magazine that can hold up to 50pcs of 10.5-gauge staples.
- Comes with an easy-to-clean jam nose.
- Ergonomic handle with belt hook to reduce hand fatigue.
- Adjustable depth and air exhaust.
Verdict:
If you are comfortable with holding a 6-pound tool, Freeman PFS105 pneumatic stapler will surely give you lots of neat features that will both save your time and energy. A good purchase, indeed.
5. Valu-Air CN55R 15-Degree Pneumatic Coil Siding Fencing Nailer
Not every pneumatic nail gun you see has to have revolutionary features. Some just need to be affordable and good at what it does. Is Valu-Air CN55R one of them? Let’s find out.
Valu-Air CN55R is made out of heat-treated aluminum. This means that it can withstand a lot of drops.
It is also resistant to rust, so you can use it for many years, and it will still look new. They claim it to be lightweight, but it weighs 5.5 pounds, so we don’t think the claim is accurate.
One of the most important things when using a nailer for fencing is the accuracy of your firing. This nail gun has an ergonomic rubber handle that fits right into your hands and gives you a firm grip. A good grip ensures accurate fires. It is also very comfortable to hold.
The nail gun has two firing modes, which are sequential and bump fire mode. The bump mode can rapidly shoot nails at about 3 nails per second.
We were able to put 680 pickets using 3000 nails within 2 days. A few jams here and there, but that’s to be expected.
The only problem we have with it is the lack of a depth adjustment feature. Yes, the amazon page says it has one, but it’s a false claim. They tell you to adjust the air pressure to adjust the depth, but that does not work.
The side-loading magazine can hold up to 350 wire collated nails from 1inch to 2-¼ inches. The nail gun has a working pressure of 70 to 120 PSI, which is more than enough for fencing.
Highlighted features:
- Heat-treated aluminum body for best durability.
- Ergonomic rubber handle for firm grip and comfort.
- Sequential and bump firing mode.
- Can shoot up to 3 nails per second in bump fire mode.
- Has a working pressure of 70 to 120 PSI.
- A side-loading magazine can hold 350 nails.
Verdict:
The lack of a depth adjustment feature is understandable, considering how low-priced the nail gun is. All the other features make up for it, though.
With its 3 nails per second firing mode, Valu-Air CN55R is definitely worthy of the “best air nailer for fence pickets” title.
What Is the Best Type of Air Nailer for Fence Pickets?
When talking about fence pickets or paling, you have five options. Coil siding nailers, framing nailers, staplers, brad, and finish nailers. All of them are pneumatic, so don’t worry about that.
Every nailer we just mentioned does the same thing, which is shooting nails, then why can’t you use whichever you like? Good question, and here’s why you can’t use whichever you like for fencing.
Framing Nailers
Framing nailers are one of the roughest and tough nailers you can find on the market. As the name suggests, they are best for framing and doing heavy-duty jobs. They are specially made to fit in tight corners and fire nails at a high impact velocity.
This is exactly why framing nailers have less precision/accuracy. As they shoot at high speed, there is a big chance that the nails will blow through the fence pickets and will be visible from the opposite side.
You don’t want that. You need a smooth finish with strong holding power. Framing nailers give you a strong finish, but the lack of good accuracy and smoothness makes them an average-quality nailer for fencing.
Brad or Finish Nailers
As brad and finish nailers are identical, we thought of explaining them both on the same point.
Brad nailers use 18-gauge nails, and finish nailers use 14 to 16-gauge nails. The lower the gauge number, the thicker/bigger the nails.
Brad nailers are a no-no for fencing. They are only good for indoor woodworks that use thin wood. As they use 18-gauge nails, they don’t even have half the holding power needed for fencing.
You should only use brad nailers for light-duty jobs. Finish nailers use a bit bigger nails, but they are still not enough for fencing. We would recommend avoiding both brad and finish nailers for fence pickets.
Staplers
We’ve been talking about wood fencing all this time. Now it’s time to talk about vinyl fencing. If you are going for vinyl fencing, you can’t use the nailers mentioned above even if you want to. This is where staplers come in.
When using a stapler for vinyl fencing, make sure to get the one that has the lowest gauge possible. For example, we have a 10.5-gauge stapler on our review above.
The lower gauge you have, the better holding power you will get. But, if you are going for wood fencing, staplers are not recommended, no matter how low gauge they are.
Coil Siding Nailers
Last but not least, we have coil siding nailers. These nailers are perfect for fencing. They shoot at a high impact velocity and have a depth adjustment feature to adjust how deep you want to shoot the nails.
Another great thing about these nailers is that they have some sort of protection at the tip, so when you are dealing with softer woods, they won’t leave any marks.
Coil siding nailers can shoot 1-1/4-inch – 2-1/2-inch nails, and because these nails have a large head, they provide the necessary holding power to keep a fence together for many years.
When talking about the size or type of the nails, coil siding and framing nailers shoot almost the same ones. The only difference is that you get better control over siding nailers.
What to Look for While Buying A Pneumatic Nail Gun for Fencing?
Now that you know which one is the best air nailer (pneumatic) for fencing, you can just rush out to buy one, right? Well, no.
When buying a pneumatic coil siding nail gun for fencing, you have to make sure there are several important features present.
This section of the article will shed light on those important features so that you don’t miss out on any. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Jam Release/Clear Feature
From the most high-end pneumatic nail gun to the cheapest nail gun, the one thing you will notice is the nail jam.
The only difference is that the expensive ones encounter nail jams less frequently than the cheap ones. As you will get jams despite the price of your nailer, it is better to have a solution for it.
The solution is the tool-free jam release nose. It is located above the tip of the nail gun. If you face any nail jams (which you will), you can just flip open the nose and remove the jammed nail/nails.
This saves your time and energy, and let’s quickly get back to work, without this feature, who knows what you will have to do to get those jammed nails out.
Working/Operating Pressure
As we have said earlier, fencing requires a fair amount of holding power. When shooting 1-1/4-inch – 2-1/2-inch nails, you will also need a fair amount of working pressure to ensure that the nails will go all the way through the fence.
Your pneumatic nail gun should have a working or operating pressure of at least 70 to 110 PSI. Here PSI stands for pounds per square inch and measures how much force your nail gun can output.
When using your nail gun, you should set the PSI to the maximum to not have any difficulty firing the nails. Remember that you will also need an air compressor that supports the PSI you used.
Soft Rubber Tip
To shoot your nails, your nail gun has to make contact with the surface. When you press the trigger, compressed air passes through your nail gun and shoots the nail. During this time, your nail gun will hit the wood and cause a kickback.
If you are working on softwood, this hit will leave marks on it. And trust us, you don’t want that. It looks super ugly. This is why you need some sort of protection on the tip of your nail gun.
Typically, this protection comes in the form of a rubber tip. As it’s rubber, it absorbs all the shock and ensures no marks on the wood. The rubber tip is visible, so you won’t have to look up the highlighted features.
Types of Nails
There are four types of collated nails for nail guns. Paper, plastic, glue, and wire collated. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.
As different projects need different types of collated nails, you should get a nail gun that supports multiple types of nails rather than a single type.
Usually, most pneumatic nail guns support two types of collated nails. The first is the plastic collated nails, and the second is the wire collated nails. If your nail gun supporters of these two, you are all good.
Magazine Transparency
This is not a must-have feature, but it saves a lot of time. When your nail gun magazine is transparent or has some sort of cut, you can have visuals on the nails.
If you have visuals on your nails, you can tell when the magazine needs reloading so you can be prepared for it.
Magazine Capacity
In short, the bigger the magazine capacity you have, the less you will have to reload. When you spend less time reloading, you can spend more time focusing on the job at hand.
It is a bit annoying to get into a flow, and then suddenly, your flow gets disrupted because there is no nail inside the nail gun. A good magazine capacity is 300 to 350 nails per round.
Belt Hook
Suppose your job requires 1 hour to complete. During this 1-hour time window, you won’t hold your nail gun all the time.
When you don’t need the nail gun, you will have to put it down. The problem is that when you need the nail gun again, you have to get down and get it. This puts pressure on your body.
This is why your nail gun should have a belt hook. You can easily put your nail gun on your belt and continue doing your work.
When you need it again, you can quickly grab it from your belt. You can also put the nail gun on the fence.
Safety Lock
This is arguably one of the most crucial features you should have on your nail gun. As you know, nail guns are very dangerous.
They can shoot sharp nails at high speed, so obviously, you wouldn’t want those nails inside your body.
A safety lock, when activated, prevents the trigger from being pressed. If you have kids around your workplace (which you should not), they are likely to press the trigger because you know kids.
The trigger won’t work if the safety lock is on, and your kids will be safe. This is not only for kids. Even adults sometimes mistakenly press the trigger.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of oil should I put inside my pneumatic nail gun before installing fences?
Ans. Regardless of your task, the oil you put inside the nail gun should be the same. The generic name for this oil is pneumatic air tool oil. You can find it on Walmart, home depot, and amazon.
Are the pneumatic nail guns for fencing listed here cordless?
Ans. As the name suggests, these nail guns are pneumatic, using air compressors to shoot nails.
You will need to connect your air compressor to the nail gun via a hose, so no, these nail guns are not cordless.
How do you use a pneumatic nail gun for fencing?
Ans. The first thing you need to do is set the required PSI on the air compressor. If you want 110 PSI, set it to 110.
Next, connect the air compressor to the nail gun using a hose. Now all you have to do is contact the wood with your nail gun and press the trigger to shoot nails.
Why does my pneumatic nail gun for fencing keep jamming?
Ans. Nail guns will get jammed often, but if your one is getting jammed too much, you are not putting in enough oil before using it. Sufficient oil is needed for jam-free nailing. Put 3 to 5 drops of oil every time before using the nail gun.
Can I use roofing nails in my pneumatic nail gun for fencing?
Ans. All the pneumatic nail guns we have over here are coil siding nail guns (excluding that one stapler), so no, you can’t use roofing nails in your pneumatic nail gun. It will cause the nail gun to get jammed.
Final Words
Whether you are a person who loves to do their job or a veteran who has made gazillions of fences, pneumatic nail guns should be your priority when dealing with fences.
No matter how experienced you are with nails, the hammer is to be avoided at all costs. Not only do hammers slow you down, but there’s also a possibility of severely hurting your fingers.
Not to mention how ugly hammered nails look. No matter how you look at it, a pneumatic nail gun is the only option you have. In this guide, we gathered some of the most well-received pneumatic nail guns to save your precious time. Using our buying guide, we are sure that you will purchase the best pneumatic nail gun for fencing.