The Best Flooring Nailers for 2024

Best Flooring Nailers - Top Picks, Reviews & Complete Buying Guide

Installing a floor can be such a troublesome job especially if you do not have proper equipment and tools.

That is when we come in and offer you the right information related to solving this problem.

It is of crucial importance to make the right choice of the tools so as to be able to do your job well.

So, we make a list of some of the best nailers on the market and wrote the reviews which will help you identify whether pneumatic nailers are better than manual ones or not.

Our buyers’ guide includes additional information related to flooring nailers, and we strongly suggest you read it before making the choice for your floor.

Spoiler Alert - Check out my top choice here >>

Top Rated Flooring Nailers

Model Rating Buy Now
DEWALT DWFP12569 Hardwood Floor NailerDEWALT DWFP12569 Hardwood Floor Nailer
4.5
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Freeman PFL618BR Flooring NailerFreeman PFL618BR Flooring Nailer
4.5
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NuMax SFL618 Flooring Nail-GunNuMax SFL618 Flooring Nail-Gun
4.5
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BOSTITCH BTFP12569 Flooring Nailer ToolBOSTITCH BTFP12569 Flooring Nailer Tool
4.3
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PowRyte 500022 Flooring-NailerPowRyte 500022 Flooring-Nailer
3.8
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* Ratings are based on Editor's own opinion.

5 Best Flooring Nailers Reviewed

#1. DEWALT DWFP12569 Hardwood Floor Nailer

Top Pick
DEWALT DWFP12569 Hardwood Floor Nailer
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Number one on our list is given to the DeWalt DWFP12569.

DEWALT has once again made a great tool which is small, reliable and versatile.

When its performance is in question, it is better than the competition.

Modern tools used in flooring jobs use staples to hold flooring in place, but the usage of nails makes the flooring last longer.

The great thing about the DWFP12569 is that it can use both.

The tool is durable and will work well years after you buy it.

What users found amazing is that the tool is small enough so that you can easily and quickly move it around.

Besides all these positive reviews, we have to mention the only negative one which is about the O-ring.

They are prone to failure, which can lead to lost air pressure.

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Pros

  • Reliability
  • Versatility
  • Efficiently sized
  • Great value

Cons

  • O-ring issues
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#2. Freeman PFL618BR Flooring Nailer

Freeman PFL618BR Flooring Nailer
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The second best is also worth considering and almost as great as our top pick.

What we liked about the Freeman PFL618BR is that this is a great flooring nailer for DIYers being that it is super easy to maintain.

Another advantage about this tool is that jammed nails are also easily cleared.

If you have to do the installing hardwood flooring, it will do the job better than other kinds.

When it comes to other positive sides, we like its price, being that it is a pretty good deal.

The reason why this great nailer is only the runner-up is due to its quality scales.

You should know that if you have to get more budget-friendly nails, this model will jam disproportionately more often.

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Pros

  • Designed for hardwoods
  • Great value
  • Maintenance

Cons

  • Excellent if you use high quality nails
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#3. NuMax SFL618 Flooring Nail-Gun

NuMax SFL618 Flooring Nail-Gun
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The third position is always taken by the best for the money option.

The NuMax SFL618 nailer is the affordable model which is not so bad when it comes to quality and it will do a great job for its price.

If you have a pretty small job and you do not need those heavy duty models, this one would be sufficient for you.

It is cheap enough and does a good enough job.

The bigger the job you have it is better to avoid this model.

The negative sides of this tool are that it is not good on all floorings and it is difficult to notice when it runs out of nails.

You have to be very attentive with it as users experienced the bad situation in which that the last row of what they thought were fasteners was really just a series of dry firings.

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Pros

  • Good quality for the price
  • Superior to renting for small jobs

Cons

  • Cannot know when it is out of nails
  • Not suitable for all floorings
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#4. BOSTITCH BTFP12569 Flooring Nailer Tool

BOSTITCH BTFP12569 Flooring Nailer Tool
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The Bostitch BTFP12569 could not be better positioned and is rightfully on the fourh spot.

Firstly, there is a problem with the magazine which does a pretty lousy job of holding cleats in place.

That leads to the situation in which you have got a full magazine and suddenly realize that you have been shooting blanks all along.

Not only the fact that you have been dry firing a full nail gun is the reason not to choose this model, but also a pretty high price.

When it works, it does a great job and it is good on hardwood floors.

If you do not mind the dry firing issue, this can be a model worth considering.

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Pros

  • Comfortable
  • Designed for hardwoods

Cons

  • Price
  • Metal cleat feed issues
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#5. PowRyte 500022 Flooring-Nailer

PowRyte 500022 Flooring-Nailer
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The last models on our lists are usually either those whose performance is awful or the price is so high and not in line with quality.

When the flooring nailers are in question, the last place is taken by the PowRyte 500022.

Let’s first mentions some positive facts.

The tool is comfortable to use, being that you can move it around and run nails through it all day.

But that is all about its qualities.

The 500022 is tough to get adjusted for specific flooring depths, and this is not considered well if your flooring job needs consistency.

You can encounter problems when you move from one flooring job to the next with different specifications.

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Pros

  • Comfortable

Cons

  • Not very adjustable
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Flooring Nailers: The Ultimate Buying Guide

We know that not many people install floors daily, so they do not need tools which are of high quality and pricey, so looking for a flooring nailer that will suit your needs can cause you pretty much trouble.

We also know that you have a lot of questions and believe that the time spent reading this guide is not wasted as you will be sure that you get exactly what you need and at the best price you can find.

Flooring nailer

What is the first thing to know when buying a flooring nailer?

Whatever tools you buy, before choosing the certain model, you need to know why you are buying a flooring nailer, that is what your needs are.

Furthermore, you need to think about future jobs as well.

You need to have in mind how often you are going to use the tool, how large a floor you need to install and what your budget is.

Nowadays, there are so many models that guarantee a nice, consistent angle of fastening and the job can be done easily and efficiently.

can be done easily and efficiently.

Installing a floor is a pretty big and hard job, but when buying a flooring nailer, you need to think about your future possible tasks as well.

Investing more money in a high quality tool sometimes is not a wise decision, especially if you need to do the job once.

On the other hand, if you have got a number of floors to replace and some of them are quite large you should purchase a heavy duty tool.

The last thing you need to pay attention to is your budget.

You should get only the tool that you can afford.

The maximum economy is allowed only if you will do this job once in several years.

The difference you will notice between our top pick which is expensive and the last one which is less expensive model is a clean, quality job that makes you satisfied and an uneven job that leaves your back aching from strain.

Which are better: staples or nails?

When determining which one to get, you not only need to assess your work requirements and set your general budget, but you also need to know what kind of flooring you are going to install.

If all this is done, the next thing you should have in mind is want to use to fasten the floor in place, cleats (nails) or staples.

If you have got a specific flooring in mind, you can determine which tool is better if you consult the manufacturer’s instructions.

The manufacturer tends to recommend one over the other and it is wise to go through reviews and only then determine if it is appropriate for certain task or not.

Nowadays, tools which use staples are a fashionable way to set flooring in place.

On the other hand, there are advantages of a cleat as well.

Actually it will allow more give and take as the flooring contracts and stretches over the years.

There are two kinds of cleats, L-shaped and T-shaped.

Their top is shaped to their respective letter and those are metal cleats.

Why some users avoid using them is because they are a lot more expensive than a staple.

However, the quality and results are much better.

We are now sure that you will be able to figure out which kind of fastener you need and make a smarter decision.

Which one to choose: pneumatic or elbow grease?

It is always a question whether to use a pneumatic nailer or a manual one.

The difference is that the pneumatic drives nails in with the help of compressed air, while the manual is based on your strength.

What you need to have in mind is what kind of job you are going to do and what material you are going to work with.

The bigger job, the thicker flooring and harder wood require the pneumatic tool.

The pneumatic one delivers more power and is less stressful on you physically.

Furthermore, it is also consistent.

Manual nailers are less expensive than pneumatic one.

Which one is better depends on the work you have to do, and for small jobs done by young people a manual tool can be a fine option.

It is also acceptable if you do not have a lot of money to spend.

Flooring nailer

What should I know about ergonomics?

Installing a floor is not an easy job and the constant work can lead to back pain, sore knees, fatigue, and other related conditions.

The companies which produce flooring nailers do their best to make a tool which can minimize it.

You firstly need to wear proper padding to reduce wear and tear on your knees and you need to purchase a flooring nailer that comes with padded handles to make use less stressful.

Additionally, you should get the one with longer handle to reduce the amount that you have to stoop to drive in fasteners.

What about price?

When the flooring nailers are in question, getting a good quality tool at affordable price is not always possible.

You need to determine how much money you are ready to spend on it and you might need to adjust that budget a little to make room for the right kind of nailer.

The best way of deciding is to firstly figure out what you need and then also think about getting the tool that will be able to handle possible future jobs.

Have in mind that staples tend to be a bit cheaper than cleats.

Conclusion

Installing flooring is not done very often, but when it is, you would like to do a great job. As we have already mentioned in our reviews, the best of the best is definitely the DeWalt DWFP12569.

The next one worth your attention is the Freeman PFL618BR.

The best for the money is the NuMax SFL618, but the quality you get is not that great.

If you think about the Bostitch’s BTFP12569 deserves a better position, you are wrong as it does a pretty awful job holding the nails in the magazine.

Our aim was to help you and we believe that these reviews are useful.

You can still go on researching for the right nailer, but if you choose one of our top picks, you will not regret it.


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