• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Tools First

Tools First

Tool Tips, Guides and Reviews

  • Sanders
  • Saws
  • Power Tools
    • Angle Grinders
    • Biscuit Joiners
    • Cordless Drills
    • Corded Drills
    • Cordless Jigsaws
    • Cordless Reciprocating Saw
    • Electric Hand Planers
    • Hammer Drills
    • Compact Routers
    • Plunge Routers
    • Track Saws
    • Oscillating Multi-Tools
  • Hand Tools
    • Bench Vices
    • Butane Torches
    • Electric Die Grinders
    • Heat Guns
    • Portable Workbenches
    • Laser Measuring Tools
    • Rotary Laser Levels
    • Router Tables
    • Router Lifts
    • Shop Vacs
  • Machinery
    • Band Saws
    • Bench Grinders
    • Benchtop Drill Press
    • Benchtop Jointers
    • Dust Collector Systems
    • Mini Wood Lathes
    • Portable Table Saws
    • Wood Planers

Angled vs Straight Nailers – What is Best to Use?

Updated: 12/03/2018 • Jacob Hanson

When you’re in the market for a nail gun, there are a lot of decisions to make.

One of the choices you might have to make is whether or not you want an angled or straight nailer – and the answer may not be obvious.

So, let’s look at the differences between the two and why you might prefer one over another.

What Types of Nailers Come in Angled and Straight Options?

This isn’t a decision that you’ll have to make with most nailers.

The only two types that come in both straight and angled versions, which are finishing nailers and framing nailers.

Just a quick recap, finishing nailers are used when installing things like baseboards or crown molding. They use headless nails and are sunk all the way into the wood so there are no nail-heads sticking up on a finished surface.

While framing nailers are used in larger projects, like building a deck or framing a house. Framing nailers are usually considered to be the most heavy duty nailing gun available.

What’s the Difference?

Obviously, the shape is the main difference. These nail guns get their shapes from the angle of the magazine.

Why does that matter?

Imagine you’re holding a nail gun in your hand with the tip facing downward, parallel to the ground. A straight nailer is shaped like an L, with the nail chamber extending from the gun and staying parallel to the ground.

On the other hand, an angled nailer has a nail chamber that comes up at an angle. There’s some variation in the degree of this angle depending on the kind of nail gun you’re looking at.

Framing nailers are actually available in different sized angles: 21, 28, 30, and 34 degrees. The higher the number, the sharper the angle, the more room you save.

It’s important to remember that the angle doesn’t affect the angle that the nail is going to enter the wood. As long as you hold the tip flush with the surface, the nail gun will put it into the wood at a perpendicular angle.

These guns are angled exclusively to save space and make them more versatile.

It might seem like this is a simple difference but whether a nail gun is straight or angled really affects what it’s used for.

Angled Nailers

Angled nailers sometimes use heavier gauged nails which are a bit tougher and designed to work in tight spaces.

That means that the nails will be hidden so it doesn’t matter as much if there’s a visible nail head on the surface.

Remember, the steeper the angle, the more space you save.

Nails for an angled nail gun are a little larger, primarily because the magazine’s design allows them to hold larger nails and shoot them into the wood more effectively.

Nails for an angled nailer are often more expensive and not as easy to find as those for the straight nailer.

Pros:

  • Ideal for cabinet making
  • Able to work around doors, corners, and walls when installing trim, paneling, etc.
  • Fits into tight spaces

Cons:

  • Nails harder to find and a little more expensive

Straight Nailers

Straight nailers use nails that are a little thinner and so the nail head isn’t as visible. It’s tough to fit them into tighter spots so they’re mostly used in places where the surface is visible in plain sight.

They’re not as precise and agile as angled nailers, but they’re great for basic building and framing.

Pros:

  • Great for simple, straightforward construction and framing
  • Smaller nail holes are easier to hide
  • A little less expensive

Cons:

  • Bulkier
  • Don’t fit into tight spaces

The Best One for the Job

There’s not right or wrong answer when it comes to angled versus straight nailers.

Like so many other things, it mostly depends on how you’re going to use it.

If you need to get into tight spaces and have a little more control over where you’re driving the nail, and angled nailer is the better choice.

But, if you’re building larger projects and aren’t so concerned with small spaces, corners, and edges, a straight nailer does a great job.

Nailers you might be interested in

  • Brad Nailers – Top Models
  • Flooring Nail Guns – Top Picks
  • Palm Nailers – Best Models
  • Pin Nailer – Best To Buy
  • Roofing Nailer – Top Picks

About Jacob Hanson

Jacob is the Editor at Toolsfirst.com. He used to be the owner of a local construction company with over 20 years experience in the trade. He now enjoys thoroughly researching DIY tools as well as publishing guides to help readers.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ronald Smith says

    06/19/2019 at 9:14 pm

    Mr. Hanson, I am considering purchasing a roofing nail gun for a one time project. I need to roof a 12x 16 storage building and have already bought the shingles and other items. I have a 7000 nail package that say the nails are 1 3/4″x120 and are 16 degree angle. Will these nails work in a 15 degree angle roofing nail gun? The most common guns appear to have a 15 degree angle. The nails were left over after Lowe’s roofed my house. I would appreciate any help your can give me.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Tools First

Tools First aims to provide you with a range of unbiased options when it comes to choosing a tool. Our team hand picks each product based on price, popularity and past reviews to give you peace of mind.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosures
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Knowledge Base
facebook twitter

© 2023 Tools First. All Rights Reserved.