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Building a Fence? Get the Best Nail Gun for Fencing

Are you about to embark on a fencing project? Maybe you need a fully fenced back yard for your dogs or privacy? You’ve probably thought about hiring a company to do that for you, but you didn’t like the prices. That’s where getting all the necessary materials for building a fence comes in and that includes nail guns.

nail gun for fencing

Nail guns are incredibly useful because they can make sure the nails are driven into the right spots. Read on to see why you should get a nail gun, what type of fences work best with each nail gun, and some of the best nail guns on the market. Even if you are not interested in those brands, there are others out there and this guide will help you decide which one (Nail gun, stapler gun or framing nailer) that will be better suited for your fencing or project needs.

Top 3 nail gun picks for fencing

Numax 21 Degree Framing Nailer

We chose the Numax 21 Degree Framing Nailer as our top choice because it’s extremely versatile and its light enough to carry around. It can also help do jobs quickly and efficiently.

PORTER-CABLE Nail Gun

The PORTER-CABLE Nail Gun is a viable contender for our top picks because it has features such as multifunctional LED lights and has the ability to fire 1300 nails in a single charge. It helps that it can recharge in little as 2 minutes.

Freeman 10.5 Nail Stapler

We didn’t want to leave out the Freeman 10.5 Gauge Nail Stapler because they’re a trusted brand that makes extremely high-quality tools. But the tool itself can make a tighter fit and works extremely well on thinner pieces of wood.

Why you need a nail gun for fencing

A nail gun makes building a fence much easier. Also, it’s much faster as well, as they usually drive the nails in the posts much quicker than a traditional hammer and nail. There are also nail framers and stapler guns that are usually used on different materials.

What to consider when choosing a nail gun

Of course, you can choose to just buy a nail gun, load it and hope for the best when building your fence. But you’ll actually want to take the following into consideration so that you can decide whether you need a nail gun, nail framer or staple gun.

The type of fence that’s being built

This is obviously very important. You can’t use a staple gun on a wood fence. Nail guns wouldn’t work well on metal fencing.

For wood/mesh wire fencing, you will want to choose a staple gun. Or you can choose a staple/brad nail gun combo if that is what you want. This kind of fencing, you typically see on farms to keep farm animals contained, such as pigs, cows and more.

If you’re doing traditional lightweight wire mesh fencing, you’ll definitely want to have a staple gun for this kind of fence. But again, you can use a brad nail/staple gun combo to help put the fence together.

For all wood fences, you’ll want to use a framing nailer. They have the power to actually drive nails into hardwood and help keep it in place. These are the best fences if you want privacy or for other reasons.

tools for fencing

How much fence you actually want to build

Are you doing a whole backyard or property that’s many acres? You’ll definitely want to look for something that is lightweight and portable. Are you just doing one side of the yard? You could probably get away with a heavier nail or staple gun.

If you’re going to be using it for other projects

If you are going to be doing more than fencing in the future, maybe you’ll need this tool for other projects like building a shed. Then it’ll be worth your investment.

Projects you can use a Nail Gun for

DIY Wood Fence with Removable Sections

BOSTITCH Framing Nailer

This is a wooden fence project from Instructable with removable sections, making it perfect for smaller yards. The reason we say that is because in case you want to go next door to your neighbor and all you have to do is remove the fence. For these types of fences, you would use a framing nailer or a regular nail gun to ensure that the board pieces stay together. The Numax 21 Degree Framing Nailer would be perfect for this job.

Pallet Wood Fence

Pallet Wood Fence

This is exactly what it says it is, just a pellet wood fence, where there is some see-thru on the other side of the fence, but not by much. You could probably use a staple/brad nail gun for these types of fences, as some areas would look better than just nails everywhere. Some areas will require nails, which is why we recommended a staple/brad nail gun.

Garden Pallet Wood Fence

Garden Pallet Wood Fence

These types of fences are typically seen around a garden, whether it’s flowers or even a vegetable garden. You can use a staple/brad nail gun combo to build this fence quickly and easily. The staple part would be particularly useful especially if putting up chicken mesh (this fence can be used for chickens as well). The project found on Instructable.

Pallet Wood Fence for a Bridge

Pallet Wood Fence for a Bridge

No, we’re not talking about a real bridge. A bridge is like a door that opens and closes. Now that you know what it is, you can use a staple gun to build this bridge as it’s a very small project. We recommend the Freeman 10.5 Gauge Nail Stapler. It’s reliable and will help you finish that bridge in no time.

Wood Privacy Fence

Wood Privacy Fence

If you are looking for complete privacy, you’ll want to build a wood privacy fence. There’s no way for anyone to see through the holes. To build this fence, you’ll want to use either a nail gun or a framing nailer. Either or will help you build this fence easily.

Marble Fence

Marble Fence

This is a cool and unique project that involves cutting precise holes to fit the marble in. You’ll definitely want to use something like a staple gun to ensure that the marble will stay in place when you open the bridge.

5 Best Nail Guns for fencing

PORTER-CABLE 20V MAX Cordless Brad Nailer Kit

BOSTITCH Framing Nailer

The PORTER-CABLE Nail Gun is driven by a fuel combustion power source that has an included lithium-ion battery with fast charge capability. It runs up to one and a half hours with a two-minute charge, so you’ll never have to worry about not getting your job done. You can use this nail gun in any weather, even if it’s extreme, which is why it’s an attractive choice for a nail gun.

PORTER-CABLE offers fuel canisters and nails so that it’ll be an easy matchup and so that there will always be stock while you are working. The nail gun can be held in a 30-degree angle to keep it stable, and you can work on vertical surfaces easily. It can also output 1300 nails per charge, making it perfect when you’re building a fence. There are multifunctional LED lights that help you see in the dark if you are working without any light. You will be happy to know that it’s very lightweight at 5.9 pounds so you can work a long time without any fatigue. It’s a great nail gun for fencing that’s both powerful and durable.

Pros

  • 200 shot/90 min charge
  • Fast battery recharge
  • Extremely durable

Cons

  • You’ll need to load nails often
  • Holds fewer nails (25-30) than other brands

NuMax SFR2190 Pneumatic Nail Gun

NuMax SFR2190 Pneumatic Nail Gun

The Numax 21 Degree Framing Nailer has a dual mode single and sequential firing method choice, you can work extremely quickly. Depending on the nail size, it can hold 55-60 nails. This framer has a depth adjustment to make sure that there’s a perfect tight fit. The 21-degree, flat nail head that measures two to three and a half inches can be used with this gun, making this nail gun extremely versatile.

When it comes to framing and the smaller details on fencing, this nail gun can definitely do it.

Pros

  • 260-degree exhaust
  • 21 degree
  • Reliable performance with no misfires

Cons

  • Heavy for its size (8.58 pounds)
  • It may not be accurate at times

Freeman PFS105 Pneumatic Staple Gun

Freeman PFS105 Pneumatic Staple Gun

If you’re building a wood fence with wires, you’ll want to consider the Freeman 10.5 Gauge Fencing Stapler. While it’s not a nail gun, it’s still a reliable tool that can fire a ten gauge, ⅞ to 1 9/16-inch staple to hold the materials in place.

There is a comfortable non-slip handle that has stability and makes sure you have control while you are working, as well as a tighter fit. There’s also adjustable depth control that’s dependent on the wood so that you can avoid stapling staples too deep.

Pros

  • 5 gauge
  • Works well on thinner wood
  • Adjustable depth control

Cons

  • Framing only
  • Can’t be used on softer wood as this stapler will drive too deep into it

Metabo HPT Cordless Framing Nailer Kit

Metabo HPT Cordless Framing Nailer Kit

The cordless Metabo Framing Nailer has a rechargeable battery with a large nail capacity before you’ll need to recharge, saving you time to reload each time. The nails that are compatible with this framer are two to three one half inch nails, loaded in a strip-style feed magazine.

There is a unique spring drive system that employs sealed pressurized air to drive nails at speeds of up to 2 per second. It’s worth noting that it’s a 21-degree nailer manufactured at an easy-to-use angle. It’s also quite light at 10.8 lbs, so you won’t get weary of using it.

Another great feature of the nailer is that you can choose between bump firing and sequential firing depending on the job. There is also a safety switch off to prevent you from accidentally create dry fires.

Pros

  • 2 nails per second
  • 0 mAh lithium-ion battery
  • Can work in any temperature

Cons

  • Might not accept all nails from different brands, you’ll have to test and see

BOSTITCH Framing Nailer

BOSTITCH Framing Nailer

Finally, there’s the Bostitch nail gun, which was designed for heavy-duty use. It has a driving power of 1,050 pounds and can convert between sequential and bump firing modes. The nails that are compatible with this nail gun range in size from 1 12 inch to 3 12 inch. The Bostitch is unique in its own way that it’s actually a two-in-one nailer that can swiftly swap nose pieces for framing. It includes a rubber grip and inbuilt skid pads to help prevent marketing when operating the gun.

Pros

  • Extremely powerful 1050-pound driving force
  • Two in one design
  • Uses 1-1/2-inch to 3-1/2-inch nails

Cons

  • If firing rapidly, it may jam

Bottom Line

When it comes time to build your own fence (yay DIY project), you will need a reliable nail gun, framer or stapler. You’ll need to consider which one would be better suited for your fence projects (or any other reason that you need a nail gun for) and the features you’d want the tool to have.

While we think the Numax 21 Degree Nailing Framer is the best option for your fencing projects due to how versatile it is and how quickly it can work through jobs making it extremely convenient. If you thought another brand was better for nail guns that weren’t in our roundup, feel free to let us know as we’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!