10 Best Roofing Nailers for 2022
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Handing roofing isn’t an easy task, no matter how experienced you might be. However, the most important part isn’t all of the safety gear you might use or the type of roof you are dealing with: it is the tools you are using for the job. The best roofing nailers for each person can come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, and even the tiniest change to their design or the way that the nail gun components work can alter what they are best for. Choosing the best roofing nailer for your current job might seem tricky, but it is easy to narrow down your search if you are patient enough.
View the Best Roofing Nailer, Below.
- BOSTITCH RN46 Coil Roofing Nailer
- MAX USA Coil Roofing Nailer
- HBT HBCN45P Coil Roofing Nailer
- Metabo NV45AB2 HPT Roofing Nailer
- AeroPro CN45N Professional Roofing Nailer
- PORTER CABLE RN175C Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
- Makita AN454 1-3/4″ Coil Roofing Nailer
- DEWALT DW45RN Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
- WEN 61783 Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
- BOSTITCH BRN175A 15° Coil Roofing Nailer
1. BOSTITCH RN46 Coil Roofing Nailer
This roofing nailer uses a special lockout system that makes it impossible to fire when it is empty, a key safety feature that can prevent serious accidents. The easy-to-adjust depth control gives you much more versatility in the long run, and the side-load canister can easily be reloaded in a single step. It can use a 3/4-inch to 1-3/4-inch coil for dealing with varied roof types, and the lightweight magnesium design combined with the durable carbide tips makes it very simple to use for both small and big jobs. Even better, the 70-120 psi range gives you a little more control over its exact power.
This nailer is a very straightforward tool that doesn't make itself too complicated, giving you a great piece of equipment for all kinds of roofing tasks.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. MAX USA Coil Roofing Nailer
This coil roofing nailer has a unique swivel-fitting system that helps you keep the air hose out of the way during difficult roofing jobs, as well as a special trigger lock that acts like a quick and convenient safety. The rapid-fire valve used for the trigger system, as well as the versatile adjustable depth control, means that you can use the nail gun in a massive range of situations without having to swap out for a different tool. Thanks to the tar-resistant design of the nose and the specially-built contact foot, the nailer is also much better at avoiding roof scratches or dirtied components.
This is one of the best roofing nailers for dealing with awkward materials or angles, handling sicky tar just as well as uncomfortable slopes without harming the roof itself.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. HBT HBCN45P Coil Roofing Nailer
This roofing nail gun is designed to drive 11-gauge coil nails of sized between 7/8 inches and 1-3/4 inches, giving you more versatility to work with. The built-in actuation options let you swap between sequential and contact modes at a moment's notice, and the adjustable depth can be altered without needing any other gear thanks to the simple adjustable shingle guide system. Not only that, but the tool's front had skid-resistant materials and wear guard attached to the design for better protection, as well as a lightweight housing made of magnesium to reduce weight and improve maneuverability.
This nailer comes with all the features you might need to handle a regular roof, making it a simple choice for all kinds of standard roofing work.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. Metabo NV45AB2 HPT Roofing Nailer
This roof nail gun comes with a tool-free adjustment system and a carbide-tipped push lever to provide far higher durability during a long period of use, as well as rubber grip pads that help you stay accurate when you are doing roofing work and need better stability. The side-loading system makes it much easier to reload the nail gun between tasks, and the design of the pneumatic power system makes it incredibly useful in harsh conditions. This, combined with the straightforward and easy to use design, makes it ideal for almost any roofing tasks at both personal and professional levels. At 5.5 pounds, it is much lighter than many other models, too.
Unlike many power tools, this design is both simple and efficient, allowing for great results and fast reloads regardless of the job you are working on.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. AeroPro CN45N Professional Roofing Nailer
This high-quality and professional roofing nailer uses a unique moving cylinder to reduce recoil dramatically and allows for either bump or sequential firing depending on your needs: thanks to the single-action magazine, you can use it to rapidly lay down nails whenever it is needed. The 120 nail magazine limit ensures that you won't run out of nails quickly, and you can adjust the depth without needing any other external tools for quick adaptation. Despite its heavy-duty body, the tool only weighs 6.3 pounds, making it surprisingly lightweight given its ability to accept large 12-inch by 1-3/4 inch nails and multiple other smaller sizes.
This professional nailer is one of the best roofing nailers if you need durability and versatility, giving you multiple firing options for a range of nail sizes.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. PORTER CABLE RN175C Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
This pneumatic roofing nail gun uses a compact design that allows for far greater control when you are handling tough roofing tasks, as well as an adjustable shingle guide system and depth settings that make it easier to match the roofing nailer to the current job. The special over-molded grip makes it easier to line up each roofing nail perfectly, and the exhaust can be adjusted without any extra tools to help make the entire unit more comfortable during long periods of use. Other than that, the design is similar to most other roofing nailer tools, making it easier to use no matter how much experience you have.
This adjustable roofing nail gun is perfect for handling roofing nails without having to rely on heavy and hard-to-use equipment that is uncomfortable to hold.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Makita AN454 1-3/4″ Coil Roofing Nailer
This fast and reliable roofing nailer is built for maximum performance and efficiency in as many situations as possible, providing a longer-living tool and a lighter body without being weaker or harder to use. It weighs a mere 5.2 pounds and has a one-step adjustment process to make reloading far easier than most nail guns, as well as a tool-free adjustment system to make it much easier to control where the nails are being placed. The front also contains large steel wear plates that are meant to reduce damage to either the tool or the roof it is being used on.
This high-quality roofing nailer offers a range of useful features to make it incredibly easy to use for a long time without feeling uncomfortable or fatigued.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. DEWALT DW45RN Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
This high-speed roofing nailer is able to drive up to ten nails per second at up to 120 psi, making use of its excellent construction to make sure that you get the longest possible lifetime out of its design compared to other nail guns. It is simple enough to use without being too weak to work as a multipurpose roofing nailer, and the ergonomics in the design work alongside its low weight of only 4.5 pounds to provide the best level of accuracy possible. On top of that are the steel and rubber skid plates that make it much harder for the nail gun to slip and damage itself or the surface you are working on.
This roofing nailer's speed makes it one of the best nailer choices for fast projects, but it is also strong enough to work well for individual nails too.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. WEN 61783 Pneumatic Coil Roofing Nailer
This roofing nailer can reach pressures of between 70 and 120 psi for maximum power, firing 11-gauge nails as efficiently and effectively as possible. The adjustable shingles and depth of drive options mean that you can space out each nail very easily, and the large magazine size ensures that you won't run out in the middle of most jobs. The rubber grip helps prevent fatigue while the adjustable exhaust means that the air can be output in whatever direction suits you best, and the entire tool can fit into an included carrying case for easy transport and better protection.
Unlike many nailers, this design is supposed to get you the best results possible without being too over-the-top to use effectively, making it a great all-round roofing nailer option.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. BOSTITCH BRN175A 15° Coil Roofing Nailer
This high-quality roofing nailer uses an upgraded version of an old design that allows for improved performance and better nailing quality, making it easier to get the results you want each time you use it. The dual-door magazine can be opened and closed in various ways depending on the situation, and the oversized depth adjustment and shingle guide options make it much easier to handle for almost any task. Not only that, but the tool's grip is designed to give you the best level of control and comfort possible without interfering in the accuracy or design.
This roofing nailer uses improved features to set itself apart from most other roof nail gun designs, staying comfortable and effective at all times.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Roofing Nailer Buyer’s Guide
Choosing a roofing nailer isn’t as easy as it might sound since there are hundreds (if not thousands) of brands out there that are all competing for your business and attention. Being able to sort out the useful from the useless might seem impossible, but it just takes some time and careful thinking: every person will have their own requirements and preferences in the kinds of nailer they buy, and roofing is a very niche job that can take all different forms depending on the materials involved and the kind of work that has to be done. Figuring out what is important to you and what you can ignore makes it much easier to narrow your search and focus on products that you know you will find useful.
Nail Capacity
Every nailer has a specific kind of magazine that it can use, and certain nailers will just hold more nails than others at a basic level. While it might not seem important to have a large magazine (and it definitely isn’t in certain situations), it can also be one of the most useful features you can get under certain circumstances. After all, a nail gun is still a model of gun, even though it is not as powerful or deadly: the more “shots” you can fire before reloading, the easier it becomes to use in the short-term.
Let’s say you use nailers with 60 nail capacity: you have to refill it twice as often as one with a 120 nail capacity, even if everything else about them is the same. On the other hand, it also means that a full magazine will usually weigh more, and you are more likely to burn through all 120 of the nails quickly since your reloads are so spaced out. Some people find smaller magazines easier to get the hang of since you reload them more often and have a better understanding of how long they will last with a full load. Most nailer magazines are angled away from the front to make awkward angles easier to deal with during roofing, too.
In other cases, identical nail capacities won’t mean that the two are the same. Take the WEN 61782 and Hitachi NV45AB2 as an example: both of them have the same capacity and air pressure, but the WEN 61782 has 1/4 inch air inlet compared to the 3/8 inch inlet of the Hitachi NV45AB2. It is a small difference, but this can change what tools or equipment they are compatible with and how efficient they are in terms of the air they use. The WEN 61782 is also twice as heavy as the Hitachi NV45AB2, even though they seem similar on paper.
Weight
Those two nailers are also a good way to demonstrate how weight can alter the tools dramatically. The WEN 61782 weighs roughly the same as Hitachi NV45AB2 models (unloaded), which would seem like a downside, but it depends entirely on what you prefer. Some people are happy using a lighter model like the Hitachi NV45AB2 due to the extra movements they can make without all of the weight, but other people might prefer that extra mass to help them stay stable when they are using their nailers for very precise roofing tasks.
Some nailer designs even use specific materials to reduce their weight, such as the Bostitch RN46-1’s aluminum housing. Aluminum is known for being strong and lightweight, and it is used in thousands of different designs across hundreds of companies: the Bostitch RN46-1 is just one example. However, even that particular roofing nailer has a weight of only 4.9 pounds while still holding a large number of nails and reaching an operating pressure of at least 70-120 psi.
Pressure
Pressure plays a large part in any air-based power tool, but a roof nailer needs a lot of it to be effective. You need enough pressure to be able to drive nails into the roof materials without being so strong that it damages either the nailer itself or the materials you are using for the roofing. Most models have a pressure of around 70 to 120 total psi, usually with an option to adjust it in this range, but that is not always the case. A nailer for framing and nothing else might have a different range that is supposed to make it the best framing nailer available, compared to roofing nailers that might use a higher psi. Even outside of niche types like an air framing nailer, these psi levels can vary purely based on the design.
Using the Bostitch RN46-1 as an example again, we can see that it has the standard psi range of 70 to 120, but that doesn’t mean that it is identical to other roofing nailers with the same limits. You also get a design, nose piece, wear guards and single-action slide that changes how it works, with the psi levels being nothing but a technical spec to keep in mind. You don’t usually have to go higher or lower unless you are doing a very specific and/or niche task.
Branding
Branding plays a large part in the market for power tools, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. Like any tools, roofing nailers can get very complicated names, and it is not always easy to distinguish one from another if you just look at their unit names. By including a brand name and the name of the product line, such as “Senco Roof Pro,” you are being told that those products are Senco “Roof Pro” roofing nailers, regardless of how complicated the rest of the name can get. If you are trying to find a very specific brand or know that a certain company carries a feature you want, then this makes it a lot easier to find them.
Keep in mind that this brand competition can also make it difficult to find fair reviews on certain sites. Many power tool brands like to arrange roofing nailer reviews that favor their products, usually letting the review creators or hosts earn advertising fees if they link to the Amazon.com product page of that model. Many of these reviews will be legitimate, but it can be hard to tell in some cases.
It also works mentioning that buying from the official company is your best bet when going for any brand’s pneumatic nailer design. Not only does this make sure that the purchase includes a warranty, but it also means that you are getting the product you paid for: a company may have all rights reserved on their tool, but copies or fakes can still exist. The best way to get one for yourself is to find the original companies and make sure that they have all rights reserved on their products: in short, buy from the original company or their partners wherever possible.
What is the Difference Between a Roofing Nailer and a Siding Nailer?
Siding and roofing nailers are very similar, but siding designs generally have smaller nails. They don’t need to penetrate into the surface as far and aren’t usually required to be very supportive or durable, whereas roofing nails have to be as strong as possible to survive the kind of damage they will be up against. There can be other small differences, mainly in the types of nails they can use and the general designs of the tools, but they are often very subtly different.
A good way to tell is the design of the exhaust ports and shingle systems. Roofing nailers have smoother shanks and slightly larger heads, as well as a design that is meant to hold up to more pressure and longer use: this can also include specialized features like multi-directional ports that act as air exhausts. By contrast, siding nailers are less sturdy due to siding being a much easier job and don’t usually get these same features: but, as a trade-off, they are simpler, lighter, and often cheaper.
Can you use a Brad Nailer for Roofing?
A brad nailer is simply a tool to shoot a brad nail (essentially a “finishing nail”) into a surface. They are small and much less powerful in the same way that siding tools are, but they are supposed to be hammered in once they are stuck into the surface. They are thin, headless, and generally aren’t as strong, making them quite bad at roofing in many situations. However, they can still be useful for finishing touches, although a finishing nailer is more suitable in almost every case.
What kind of Nail Gun is used for Roofing?
Framing and finishing are two different types of activities that cover a lot of individual jobs, but the distinction should be quite obvious: framing involves a lot of careful angling and setting up materials so that they can be nailed into place, while finishing is more about making sure that the smaller parts of the projects look aesthetically correct and pleasing. Both are useful, and you will ideally have at least one tool for each job, but framing roofing nailers are much more important in the long run.
You can technically use framing tools for finishing, but the high psi (usually over 100 psi in total) can make it easy to over-shoot the side or surface you are trying to finish, which can result in more visual problems or even harm the material you are working with. Unless you have no other option, you should use the tools in the intended ways, especially if you already own once of each type.
Conclusion
By now, you should have an idea of what you might be looking for in roofing nailers, as well as the kinds of features that might be useful to you during your search. It might take a while to figure out exactly what kind of roofing nailers you need most, but the products listed in the reviews earlier should give you a good place to start: many of them are specially-designed for roofing, and others are designed for a mixture of different framing activities.
No matter what you choose, there’s plenty of options out there, so there’s bound to be at least one that suits your needs perfectly. Eventually, you will find the perfect roofing nailer for your next roofing job, no matter how vague or specific your requirements might be.
Expert Tip
Sequential triggers are the safest option for most situations, with contact or bump triggers being more specialized. If you can swap between them, make sure you choose the right option for each job to avoid hurting yourself.
Did You Know
Not all nailers are pneumatic: some use regular fuel, and others might be powered with large batteries. Make sure you know what you are buying ahead of time.