This is the fastening setup that runs on our trucks, gun by gun. About 95 percent of what we fasten goes through a pneumatic nail gun. Nothing here is on the page because a brand asked. Some of these are guns we have bought over and over since 2021; the rest are the brand we tell you to buy.

The four guns #

Finish carpentry runs on 15 gauge, 18 gauge, 23 gauge, and a 1/4 inch crown stapler. There is no 16 gauge on our trucks. If a guide anywhere tells you to buy one, it is describing someone else's work.

15 gauge angled finish nailer #

The heavy gun. Door jambs, closets, wall cleats, thick casing, exterior trim. It drives a 2-3/4 inch nail with real shear strength.

• Bostitch 15 gauge angled (pneumatic). We like Bostitch for about everything, and this is the one the crew talks about. The 18 gauge is still the everyday gun. Amazon [DAVE?: the current Smart Point model is BTFP72156; is that the gun on the trucks? No Bostitch purchase shows up in the Home Depot or Amazon history, so where do these come from?]
• Metabo HPT 15 gauge angled (pneumatic). Fine. We buy it because it costs less. Amazon [DAVE?: NT65MA4 is the current model; confirm]
• DeWalt DCN650, 20V (cordless). The cordless 15 gauge on our approved list; the kit was bought in 2021. Amazon · Home Depot

18 gauge brad nailer #

Our go-to gauge. Mitered corners, casing, general trim. When a guide on this site says "finish nails" with nothing else, this is the gun. Bostitch or DeWalt: the DeWalt 18 gauge is basically the same thing with a different brand color on it.

• DeWalt DWFP12233 (pneumatic). Five of these bought since 2021. Amazon · Home Depot
• Bostitch BTFP12233 Smart Point (pneumatic). The same gun in Bostitch colors. Amazon
• Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2746-20 (cordless). Our most-bought nailer of any kind: eight since 2021. No hose, no compressor. [DAVE?: is this the daily cordless 18 gauge, or did some of those eight replace worn units? Say it your way and I will use your words.] Amazon · Home Depot
• DeWalt DCN680, 20V (cordless). Also on the trucks; a kit in 2021 and a bare tool in 2025. Amazon · Home Depot

23 gauge pin nailer #

Returns, delicate profiles, mitered corners, small ornament. Joel's call: it used to be optional. It is not anymore.

• Porter-Cable PIN138 (pneumatic). Shoots pins up to 1-3/8 inch. Bought 2021. Amazon · Home Depot
• Milwaukee M12 2540-20 (cordless). Four bought since 2021. Buy this one at Home Depot. Amazon carries no genuine listing for it, only look-alikes at two to three times the price. Home Depot

1/4 inch narrow crown stapler #

Cabinet backs, bead board, panel moulding backs, thin stock. We use one enough to buy it, not enough for every carpenter to carry his own. Metabo HPT or Bostitch are both good here.

• Metabo HPT N3804AB3 (pneumatic). Amazon [DAVE?: confirm model]
• Bostitch SX1838K (pneumatic). Sold as 1/4 inch narrow crown; the crown measures 7/32 inch. Amazon [DAVE?: confirm model]
• Milwaukee M18 FUEL 2749-20 (cordless). Bought 2021. Amazon · Home Depot

Air #

Trim guns do not need much air. These are the compressors and hose that have gone on the trucks.

• DeWalt DWFP55130, 2.5 gallon, 200 PSI. Bought 2021. Amazon · Home Depot
• Makita MAC5200, 5.2 gallon "Big Bore," 6.5 CFM at 90 PSI. Bought 2023. Amazon · Home Depot
• DeWalt DWFP1KIT. The 6 gallon pancake compressor and 18 gauge brad nailer combo. Bought 2022. Amazon · Home Depot
• Rolair JC20, 3 gallon. [DAVE?: we bought a JC20 intake filter on Amazon in 2025; is a JC20 on a truck? Drop this line if not.] Amazon
• Husky 1/4 inch x 50 foot polyurethane hose. Quarter inch, not three eighths. Three bought between 2021 and 2023. Home Depot
• Husky 1/4 inch hose repair kit and universal couplers. Bought as needed. Home Depot · Home Depot

What goes in them #

• 18 gauge brads, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 inch. [DAVE?: the standard says 1-3/4 is the longest 18 gauge we shoot, but the one box in the history is Grip-Rite 2 inch electrogalvanized, 5,000 to a box, bought 2023. Which is right?] Amazon · Home Depot
• 23 gauge pins, 3/4 and 1 inch. DeWalt, 2,000 to a pack. Amazon · Home Depot · 3/4 inch at Home Depot
• 1/4 inch crown staples, 7/8 inch. DeWalt, 2,500 to a box. Amazon · Home Depot
• 15 gauge angled finish nails, 2-3/4 inch. [DAVE?: brand and box you buy; none in the Home Depot or Amazon history]

Cordless or air? #

Both. Pneumatic guns do about 95 percent of our fastening. Since 2021 the cordless 18 gauge has been our most-bought nailer. [DAVE?: one or two sentences in your words on when the crew reaches for cordless instead of the hose.]

The hand tools you carry yourself are a separate list: Carpenter Hand Tools: What to Buy for Your Own Bag.