6 Best Nail Guns for Fencing 2023

Driving nails manually into fencing projects requires a lot of experience, time, and effort. That is why nail guns have become so popular since they enhance your work speed and bring precision and accuracy to your work. Also, they help you get the most desired result with minimum effort and time input.

So the nail gun is a must-have tool for carpenters, DIYers, and construction contractors. You can find various nail guns on the market offering different functions like bridging, flooring, siding, roofing, and fencing. Finding the best nail gun for fencing for such a big herd can be challenging, but don’t worry; we have done it for you.

After testing multiple nail guns, we reviewed the six options that we found most suitable for fencing jobs. Plus, a guide, in the end, will help you make a well-informed and calculated decision.

6 Best Nail Guns For Fencing

1. PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX Cordless Brad Nailer Kit

If you are a fan of cordless battery-powered brad nailers, we have got you the best option. This Brad nailer kit belongs to the Porter-Cable cordless series and is one of the most convenient and user-friendly nail guns for fencing. This nail gun works on a 20V li-ion battery and eliminates the need to carry clumsy power sources like gas cartridges.

The battery is powerful enough to deliver 200 consistent shots with a single charge. Also, it supports fast charging for a consistent and uninterrupted work experience. A common issue with battery-powered nail guns is that drive depth gets affected as the battery is consumed.

However, we didn’t notice this issue in this nailer kit, and it offered a consistent drive depth until the final shot. Additionally, we loved the gun’s overall functionality. A straightforward dial lets you adjust the drive depth for maximum accuracy.

It supports nails of sizes between 5/8-inch to2-inch, and the magazine can hold up to 100 nails, depending upon the nail size. Another impressive part of this nail gun is its tool-free jam clearance. All you need to do is remove the battery and then pull the red release lever for jam-clearance.

Also, an LED on the front illuminates the work area for you and lets you install the nail precisely even in the under-lit rooms. The only problem we experienced while using this bard nailer was its oversized head. We found it hard to approach the narrow corners with a bulky head design.

Porter-Cable brad-nailer kit with the oil-free operation, consistent firing power, and least maintenance requirements is one of the handiest nail guns you can buy today. It offers 30-degree ailing action and is compatible with a wide range of nail sizes, so it is the best choice for framing and fencing projects.

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2. NuMax SFR2190 Pneumatic Framing Nailer

While testing dozens of nail guns for fencing, we discovered Numax SFR2190 as the most comfortable and ergonomic tool. It is a multi-purpose nail gun that can handle various construction jobs like siding, fencing, roofing, and flooring like a pro.

Since it is a pneumatic gun, it uses an air compressor that works at 1115 psi and delivers incredible power to the system making it perfect for hardwood and engineered wood. The gun is compatible with nail size between ½-3 inches and offers a nailing action of 21-degrees. 

When coupled with sleek safety tips, these features enable you to deal with all types of nailing requirements of fencing projects. The design ergonomics of the nailer include a secure rubber grip. This grip offers a vibration-free experience with maximum precision and minimum hand fatigue. 

Also, this air gun supports both single and continuous firing modes. A trigger-based shifting mechanism allows you to shift from one mode to another quickly. The guns come with a safety lock to prevent the dry-firing and non-mar tip to secure nails.

Finally, it features a magnesium body making it one of the most rugged nail guns on the market. However, the magnesium body makes it a bit heavier than its aluminum counterparts. Although jamming issues are rare, unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a tool-free jam clearance which is probably its biggest downside.

Numax SER2190 is a powerful nail gun that is suitable for most demanding hardwood and engineered wood fencing projects. An impressively smooth compressed air firing mechanism can fire the nails at an excellent speed with maximum accuracy and precision.

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3. Metabo HPT Cordless Framing Nailer Kit

Whether you or a contractor or planning to fence your own farm or garage, the Metabo HPT Cordless Nail gun is a perfect choice. It is a battery-powered bard nailer kit with a pneumatic spring mechanism and brushless motor that offers consistent and reliable performance for all fencing and repair projects.

The nail gun is powered by a 3.0 Ah battery that supports fast recharging and can fire up to 400 nails with a single charge. Also, the battery features impressive endurance and delivers consistent firing power until the last charge level.

The unique spring drive mechanism that works on a compressed air system and a frictionless motor adds more power to the system, and you can drive at the speed of two nails per second. In addition to impressive functionality, we loved its user-friendly ergonomics.

The unit comes with a straightforward on/off switch that guarantees user convenience and safety. The 21-degree nailing action coupled with a slim head design lets you deal with the corners and curved surfaces with maximum precision and accuracy.

The gun is compatible with the nail size of 2-3.5 inches and offers an onboard tool-free drive-depth adjustment. The only thing we found a bit disappointing is its magazine capacity since it can hold only 37 nails.

However, it offers a quick strip-style feeding mechanism that saves a lot of time and energy on the bigger projects. A limitation of this nailer kit is that it is not compatible with all nail brands, and you may experience severe jamming issues when used with nails or tools of their brands.

Metabo HPT cordless nail gun offers an impressive drive depth and powerful firing mechanism, making it perfect for fencing. It is not a temperature-sensitive nailer that works smoothly on higher latitudes offering the best value for money.

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4. Valu-Air 9021C Full Round Head Framing Nailer

ValuAir Full Round Head nail gun is an affordable yet impressively functional and versatile tool that can handle a variety of framing and fencing projects. This pneumatic nail gun by Valu-Air is ranked amongst the most powerful nailers under $100. This nailer is compatible with nail sizes ranging from ½-3-inch and can fire three nails per second.

Also, the adjustable exhaust and pre-installed NTP make it a perfect fit for various attachments. What we loved most about this nail gun was its building quality. It features an aluminum body that makes it highly rugged without adding extra weight to it. Plus, an ergonomic rubber grip lets you hold the tool comfortably without losing your control.

Also, this gun supports both sequential and continuous firing modes, and the push button lets you quickly switch from one mode to another.  The 21-degree nailing action makes it perfect for framing, siding, and fencing projects. A few of its limitations include frequent air leakage and jamming issues.

The gun jams when used with hard surfaces limit its usability to demanding projects.  Finally, it comes with a hard-shell protective carrying case that aids in compact storage and safe transportation. You can also check out, best concrete nail guns.

Alu-Air 9021C is an affordable yet powerful nail gun that can handle light-duty fencing and repair works. Its lightweight structure, tool-free drive depth adjustment, pre-installed NTP, and dual-mode operation offer impressive control, making it perfect for inexperienced workers.

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5. BOSTITCH Round Head Framing Nailer(F21PL)

Bostitch Round Head Framing Nailer is a powerful tool capable of handling various jobs like fencing, decking, trussing, bridging, and hardie siding. It boasts an impressive, powerful pneumatic power source that delivers a driving force of around 1050 pounds.

We loved the Bostitch nailer’s dependable design that works with a wide range of nail sizes and offers a quick drive depth adjustment. You can use nail sizes between 1.5-3.5 inches for different fencing and repairing jams. Plus, the push button lets you adjust the drive depth for maximum precision and accuracy. 

The nail gun works in both bump and sequential firing, which is another plus. However, shifting mode is pretty time-consuming and is not a good idea for larger projects. Moreover, it has a 21-degree nailing action with a round sleek nailing head that lets you access the narrow spaces and corners with maximum ease and comfort.

Additionally, this nail gun is designed with the comfort and convenience of workers in mind. The ergonomic rubber grip and compact design offer an untiring experience for the workers. Plus, you would get an adjustable rafter hook to hang the machine for a hands-free operation.

The air compressor is installed at the rear instead of the top, offering incredible space clearance for quality work. Finally, it features a sturdy magnesium body making it rugged enough to withstand impact. However, the metal body makes it heavier and bulkier than its battery-powered counterparts. Also, it doesn’t offer a safety lock to prevent dry fire.

Bostch Round Head Nailer is a multi-function machine ideal for various framing jobs, including fencing, bridging, and trussing. Its ability to handle a wide range of nail sizes and deal with both engineered and raw wood surfaces makes it the best nail gun for fencing.

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6. Freeman PFS105 Pneumatic Fencing Stapler

If your project requires you to affix the wooden parts with wires, the Freeman PFS105 Pneumatic stapler is the best tool you can have. This toolkit can fire nails in a wide range of sizes and stables of around 10-gauge. Its straightforward firing mechanism coupled with a jam-free nose-tip makes it equally useful for experienced workers and amateurs.

The most impressive part of the stapler is its lightweight yet sturdy construction. The aluminum construction makes it robust and also keeps its weight low. Plus, a non-slip grip and an additional T-handle offer incredible control over the tool. These features prevent hand fatigue and offer an untiring experience for larger projects.

Since it is a pneumatic nail gun/stapler, it is powerful enough to deal with woods of different kinds. However, it drives the nails and staples too deep into softer woods and damages the material. Therefore it is advised to take necessary drive depth adjustment before use.

The stapler shows serious incompatibility issues with staples and nails of other brands, which is probably its biggest flaw. If you want to get the best out of it, it is advised to use only Freeman staples and oil its internal parts regularly.

Freeman FPS105 is the handiest tool you can find for your framing and fencing projects. It offers everything you can expect from the best fencing nail gun, from a lightweight structure to a non-slip secure grip and a tool-free adjustable drive depth.

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What To Look For While Buying Nail Gun For Fencing?

Framing nailers, staplers, and brad nailers are different tools used as nail guns for fencing projects. These tools work on different power sources and offer different driving power targeting the requirements of various framing and fencing projects.

If you want to buy the perfect nail gun for your next fencing project, it is critical to consider the important features of nail guns. Here is a guide that discusses critical aspects and features you must consider to buy the best nail gun for fencing.

Power Source

The power source is an important consideration since the functionality of a nail gun largely depends on it. Based on the power source, we can divide the nail gun into two categories, Battery-powered nail guns, and pneumatic nail guns.

Pneumatic Nail Guns get the driving energy from a compressed air mechanism. These guns use an air compressor as a power source. Pneumatic nail guns are more powerful than battery-powered nailers and offer 1000+-ponds driving force.

The pneumatic nail guns are ideal for challenging and heavy-duty applications. Also, these guys have a faster firing speed and require less maintenance than battery-powered air compressors. However, these guns have limited mobility and maneuverability since they have an air compressor connected with them.

Another limitation of pneumatic air compressors is that they don’t offer a ready-to-go experience, and setting up the air compressor is time-consuming. So pneumatic nail guns are ideal for professional contractors who regularly work on bigger and demanding fencing projects.

On the other hand, cordless battery-powered nail guns offer a ready-to-go experience and high mobility. Hence, they are ideal for light-duty finishing and repairing works. The advanced battery-powered nails guns come with powerful batteries, making them ideal for various applications.

Firing Modes

Nail guns usually feature two firing modes, sequential and bump firing. Bump firing mode is when you keep on holding the trigger, and for every bump against the work surface, a nail is driven. This firing mode enhances your work speed and is ideal to complete big projects and meet project deadlines.

However, you have little control over the tool in this firing mode, and only an experienced worker can deal with the nailer in this firing mode. Sequential firing mode requires you to push the trigger and safety tip to fire a nail. So these nail guns are ideal for inexperienced workers.

Also, a single firing mode is ideal while working on corners and narrow spaces where continuous firing is impossible. The good news is that advanced nail guns offer both sequential and bump firing modes. So it is highly recommended to invest in these highly versatile nail guns.

Nail Compatibility

The compatibility of nail guns with a specific size of the nail is very important. In general, nails used in fencing range from 0.5-3.5-inch in size, so you should go with a gun compatible with this size range.

Also, it is advised to buy a nail gun that is compatible with a wide range of sizes. Also, there are different types of nails used in fencing projects. So you must look if a particular gun is compatible with the types of nails you are using.

Compatibility With Other Brands

It is another critical consideration since nail guns only work with the tools and nails of the same brand. They show compatibility issues with other brands’ attachments.

For example, they show incompatibility with nails, air compressors, batteries, and chargers of other brands, limiting their functionality in different environments. So you must go with a dependable nailer that works smoothly with nails and attachments of other brands.

Depth Adjustment

Depth adjustment is another important feature of nail guns. While making a fence, you need to fire the nails at different depths and angles depending upon the joint requirement. Also, the drive depth requirement is different for every material.

Therefore it is ideal to go with nail guns offering quick and tool-free depth adjustment features. Advanced nail guns feature dial-based depth adjustment allowing you to get the most accurate drive depth, adding precision to your work.

Jam-Clearance

When you are working with nail guns or staplers, jamming issues are inevitable, and no product is free on jamming issues. These issues can happen due to mishandling, compatibility issues, and many other reasons. The thing we need to consider is the jam clearance mechanism.

Some nail guns require you to unscrew the whole body to access the internal parts and resolve the jamming issues. But the advanced nail guns offer a tool-free jam-clearance. They feature a lever-based mechanism allowing you to fix everything within minutes without opening a single bolt.

Design Ergonomics

Framing or fencing is a hectic job that requires a lot of physical effort. If you want to improve work quality, it is critical to have user-friendly tools in your hands. There you must look for nail guns having compact and lightweight bodies. These guns are highly portable and offer an untiring experience. Also, an ergonomic grip lets you hold the tool comfortably and fire the nails precisely.

If you buy a pneumatic nail gun, it is advised to buy the one with an air compressor at the rear instead of the top. It gives you impressive space clearance and also lets you access narrow spaces and corners. The head design is also very important. It is advised to avoid bulky head designs since they may limit your access to corners and narrow spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of nail gun do I need for fencing?

A framing nailer with pneumatic source power is an ideal choice for fencing projects. Fencing and framing projects have almost the same requirements, and an air-powered nailer provides enough power to complete the most demanding fencing projects.

Can I use a brad nailer for fencing?

Yes, you can use the bard nailer for light-duty tasks in fencing projects but cannot totally rely on them. Brad nailers offer narrow nailing action and are ideal for light-duty repair and finishing works. So it is not a recommended option for demanding fencing projects.

Is it better to screw or nail a fence?

If you are making a wooden fence, nails do the job better than screws. Nails can hold the wood tightly without damaging it. However, if you are working on metal or engineered wood fencing, you can also use screws.

Conclusion

We can safely conclude that it is impossible to achieve the desired results without having the perfect tool in hand. Before making a purchase, it is critical to calculate your project requirements and estimate your skill level. It will help you find the nail gun that suits your needs best.

Here are our two favorites from the list:

• NuMax SFR2190 Pneumatic Framing Nailer for its sturdy construction, impressive driving power, dual-mode operation, and fast firing speed
• Valu-Air 9021C Full Round Head Framing Nailer for its affordable price, powerful firing mechanism, fingertip drive depth adjustment, and user-friendly ergonomics

A safety lock is an important feature of any nailer kit. This safety mechanism is used to prevent dry fire. This feature is really helpful to avoid damage, injuries, and jamming issues.