My son and I enjoy working on small DIY projects around the house and have decided to possibly upgrade to a nail gun. Since we are absolutely clueless about what to look for, we asking for advice on what brand, size etc tool we would need.

We want to build some shelving for the basement, bookshelves, cross bracing for the ceiling, build small projects such as an aquarium stand etc.

What is the difference between a brad nailer and pin nailer...would we need both??

Thanks for any help....K

first, you want the nail gun to shoot forward and down, not backwards and up.

a brad nailer (and there are two size ranges, 15/16 gauge and 18 gauge) shoots finishing nail equivalents. a pin nailer shoots 24-gauge pin nails up to an inch long, which leaves little tiny holes, and is good for finer work like picture frames.

if you're doing construction work like setting floorboards, putting face frames on cabinets, setting trim, etc. you want a brad nailer.

you also want enough air compressor to not blow it up. we were recommended a little tiny compressor by an aisle-walker at an apron store, and it got hot and took 15 minutes to get back up to pressure first engineered floor we laid. took that Barbie tool right back. they weren't going to refund it until I told them an apron-wearer recommended it. with glowers, they issued the credit.

a good start is a pancake compressor good for at least 2.4 cfm at 60 psi. it will also drive a framing nailer. it is basically useless for air tools, which usually require 2.8 to 4.5 cfm at 80 or more psi. that compressor is not hand-carried, shall we say... .

I did a lot of research on quality nail guns for DIYers last year, and the one thing that seemed to come with the highest praise throughout the internet were the Porter Cable guns. Home Depot sells a combo pack with an oiless compressor, 16g finish nailer, 18g brad nailer, and crown stapler for $259. Search for "PC3PAK".

I've used the finish nailer and the brad nailer a few times for very light work and I have no complaints. Not that I would hesitate to use it for heavier duty work - just nothing's come up yet. I have yet to use the stapler.

TYVM for your replies....gives us some info to narrow down our choices

I would buy a larger air compressor and both an 18 guage nailer and a 16 gauge nailer. The 18 gauge nails are good for finish carpentry work, such as installing baseboard moldings. A 16 gauge nailer uses thicker nails that can be used for general carpentry, such as building a picket fence.

If you get a larger compressor, you can use it with tools that require a lot more air, like a mechanic's impact wrench for working on your car.

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