The Top 5 Best 18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailers Reviewed
The Best 18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer | The Best Value 18 Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer | ||||
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Model | Milwaukee M18 FUEL GEN II 18-Volt 18-Gauge Brad Nailer | Ryobi 18-Volt ONE+ Cordless AirStrike 18-Gauge Brad Nailer | Dewalt 20-Volt Max Lithium-Ion 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer | Porter Cable 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer | Metabo 18V Brushless Li-ion 18 Gauge Straight Brad Nailer |
Fire Rate | 3 Nails Per Second | 1 Nail Per Second | 1 Nail Per Second | 1 Nail Per Second | 3 Nails Per Second |
Weight | 5.35 pounds | 5 pounds | 5.3 pounds | 5.1 pounds | 6.5 pounds |
Warranty | 5 Years | 3 Years | 3 Years | 3 Years | |
Size | 11.9”x10.2”x3.3” | 11.73”x10.24”x3.5” | 12.99”x11.6”x4.5” | 13.9”x12”x5” | 12.75”x11.75”x4.25” |
Capacity | 110 | 105 | 110 | 100 | 100 |
Price Check |
Are cordless nail guns any good?
The biggest benefit of cordless nail guns is that they eliminate the need for a heavy compressor and hose.
The biggest sacrifice when switching to cordless from pneumatic is the fire rate. Unless you are planning to bump-fire, the fire rate is not a big deal.
Cordless nailers are a bit heavier than traditional nailers because they need to house a motor and a battery. From my personal experiences, I have not found the size to be an issue.
I have grown to prefer using a cordless nailer over a pneumatic because I don’t have to worry about tripping over hoses on the job or lugging a tank around.
What is the best 18 gauge cordless brad nailer?
The best 18-gauge cordless brad nailer: Milwaukee 2746-20 M18 FUEL
What we like:
-lightweight design
-5-year warranty
-small size/easy to maneuver
-fast fire rate
What we don’t like:
-expensive
Milwaukee M18 18ga Brad Nailer Review
The Milwaukee M18 18 Gauge Brad Nailer is arguable the best 18 gauge cordless brad nailer on the market. Its weight is on par with the competitors, coming in at 5.35 lbs with no battery. Milwaukee’s 5-year warranty is one of the best in the industry. The M18 18 gauge brad nailer is one of the smallest battery-powered brad nailers, which makes it a strong pick. The only thing that we do not like about Milwaukee’s 18 ga nailer is the price.
Coming in at around $280 with no battery, it is one of the more expensive nail guns in this review. If you have to have the best of the best this is the one for you.
Best Value 18-gauge Cordless Nailer: Ryobi ONE+ cordless airstrike 18v brad nailer
What we like:
-lightweight design
-small size/easy to maneuver
-low price
What we don’t like:
-nothing
Ryobi 18-gauge Cordless Brad Nailer Review
Ryobi is often known as the go-to brand of diy’ers because of its lower price point. From my personal experience with this tool, I can tell you that this is not just the “cheap” option. This nailer puts up a good fight when compared to some of the other more expensive nailers.
A guy on my crew has the 18ga Ryobi nailer and another guy has the Dewalt. The guy with the Dewalt is jealous because the Ryobi was almost half the price and performs in a comparable manner.
The Ryobi nailer weighs 5 lbs without a battery, which makes it the lightest on the list. The size is competitive with Milwaukee. The warranty, at 3 years, is not the best but it is still substantial when you look at the price point.
Overall, the Ryobi is competitive with the “expensive” nailers and comes in at around $130 without a battery. I’d say the only thing keeping the Ryobi 18ga from being the best 18 gauge cordless brad nailer is the slightly slower fire rate. Although, I have never had an issue with the fire rate.
Honorable Mentions
Metabo 18-gauge Cordless Brad Nailer
What we like:
-overall performance
-lifetime warranty
What we don’t like:
-cannot buy the bare tool
-on the heavy side
Metabo 18-gauge Cordless Brad Nailer Review
Metabo is the rebranding of Hitachi. They are based out of Japan and they make nice tools. The Metabo 18 gauge cordless brad nailer is no exception. This nailer is not the lightest, weighing in at 6.5lbs. The nailer is heavier than competitors by about 1-1.5 lbs, which could make your arm tired or stronger after a long day. The size is not bad, it is not the smallest on the list but it is also not the largest. One of the major selling points is the lifetime warranty.
Overall, it is an excellent option if the weight does not matter to you. As a plus, the nailer is sold as part of a kit, which includes a battery and a charger.
Dewalt 20-Volt Max 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer
What we like:
-lightweight design
-performance
What we don’t like:
-price
-bulky head/top-heavy
Dewalt 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer Review
Over the summer I spent some good time using the Dewalt. It is solid. The weight at 5.3lbs is on par with the rest of the nailers. I did not have any issues as far as performance. Dewalt has a 3-year warranty and they make great tools. The only downsides I noticed were the size and price. The nailer is not huge, but I found the head to be rather bulky compared to other nailers.
The price at $250 for the bare tool and $300 for the kit are high compared to the Porter Cable or Ryobi, but about the same as the Milwaukee. If you are already on the Dewalt platform, I do not think you can go wrong with this nailer.
Porter Cable 20-Volt MAX 18-Gauge Cordless Brad Nailer
What we like:
-lightweight design
-performs well
-great price
What we don’t like:
-size
Porter Cable 18ga Cordless Brad Nailer Review
The Porter-Cable 18ga nailer is another budget-friendly option. The nailer performs well and its weight, at just over 5lbs, makes it one of the lightest cordless nailers on the market. The biggest drawback to the nailer is the size. The nailer is the largest, in terms of dimensions, on the list. The larger size could make it harder to use in tight spaces.
Overall, this is a great option and for $150 bare tool and $180 with a battery, I do not think you can go wrong. All things considered, the Porter Cable nailer is one of the best 18 gauge cordless brad nailers.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, the top 5 best 18 gauge cordless brad nailers. Feel free to check out our other reviews and blog posts here: Cordless Tool Reviews, Corded Tool Reviews, Hand Tool Reviews, Blog
What is the best cordless brad nailer?
All the nailers on this list are great options and each has its perks, but the best 18 gauge cordless brad nailer ultimately comes down to preference and budget. An example: If you already have Dewalt batteries you might want to go with the DeWalt nailer for convenience.
What nailer should I avoid?
I am a huge fan of Makita, but being completely honest I would recommend staying away from the 18v LXT 18ga brad nailer. I wanted to purchase this one for myself, but there seem to be too many issues with dry firing.
Check out our new post where we put the Makita XDT13Z vs XDT14Z vs XDT16Z cordless impact drivers head to head:
http://timstoolreviews.com/cordless-tools/xdt13z-vs-xdt14z-vs-xdt16z/
Awesome post! I ended up going with the Milwaukee, I’ll see how it goes.