• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Talented Team
    • Anti-hate Speech Policy
  • Terms Of Service
  • Free Printables
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

DIY Home & Garden

A DIY & Gardening Resource

  • Home Page
  • DIY Projects
    • Upcycling
  • Home
    • Cleaning and Organizing
    • Holidays
      • Christmas
      • Valentine’s Day
      • Easter
      • Fourth of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Memorial Day
      • Mother’s Day
    • Home Safety
    • Home Decor
    • Pets
    • Real Estate
  • Gardening
  • Herbal and Natural Wellness
  • Recipes
    • Baking
    • Breakfast
    • Salads
    • Venison Recipes
    • Home Canning and Preserving
      • Canning
      • Dehydrating
      • Freezer Recipes
  • Travel
Home » Staple Gun Versus Nail Gun: What’s the Difference?
Staple Gun Versus Nail Gun: What’s the Difference?

Staple Gun Versus Nail Gun: What’s the Difference?

01/21/2021 By Deborah T

Love us? Share us!

It can be a big dilemma to know whether you require a staple gun or nail gun for the perfect completion of your project. This is because of some crossover in the application of these models. However, a better understanding of the type of tool to use depends on the project that you are performing. To reduce the time you need to learn about the topic, we have researched both tools. We explore their similarities and differences as well as factors to consider while choosing either of the machines.

There is a need for customers to be aware that traditionally both machines depended on air compressors in the operation that many DIYers did not own. However, currently, both tools that run through the use of battery power, hand power, and electricity are available on the market. It is usual for many people to misplace a nail gun with a staple gun since they almost resemble but utilize different ammunition and serve distinct purposes. 

Staple Gun 

The staple gun is among the woodworking devices that use staples in operation. It offers a sturdy grip and helps in keeping the operation material in position. The machine is a permanent quickening solution that utilizes staples with a flat or round head. It provides substantial holding when quickening material to a wood area. Many users prefer a cordless staple gun because they do not require power cords. Hence, users can move them from one position to another on the job site.

When choosing a cordless model, it is necessary to consider various aspects, including the following factors:

  • staple capacity
  • budget,
  • other features (since they come in different construction).

Its operation does not require the use of any oil but rather compressed air, which minimizes your burden of changing oil each time. Besides, this device comes with a fastener diameter gauge for smooth running without leaving marks on the working surface.

The dry firelocks on the machine help in extending the lifespan of a motor enabling the staples to perform according to your needs. Its adjustable exhaust contains a muffler that allows for natural direction to the preferred area without the need for any adjustability tool. This enables the machine to have various applications, including holding the fabric to a wood surface. Ideally, they are useful in keeping material in position when upholstering furniture.

Uses for a Staple Gun

A firm grip of a staple gun help in tightening your upholstery fabric. The proper grip retains the perfect shape every user is looking to achieve when wrapping a piece of furniture such as a couch structure and chair seat. Besides, the machine is useful in making bent laminations for laminating thin strips of the working wood together in the chairs’ curved pattern. Also, an easy holding of laminations together facilitates drying up of the operation glue.

The crown staples can be useful for repairing and building drawers and cabinets during the operation.  You can also use crown staples in holding the image and glass on the back of the picture frames. Generally, it is crucial to use cordless guns for woodworking projects due to their high portability, easy maintenance, and faster storage. Accordingly, you can shift this device quickly at the working place without pulling or pinching.

Nail Gun

A nail gun is a device that depends on compressed air in moving brad nails to the working surface. It uses nails with a small pinhead and a diameter of 18 gauge in operation. The nail gun brad helps in holding pieces of wood together while leaving small holes on the material surface.  They launch nails at a high rate, embedding them thoroughly in a piece of working material within the shortest time hence reducing hours of sweating and toiling. 

There are two tasks of the nail gun that involves concentrating a perfect deal of hammering force in a single blow of mechanized and loading a new nail after the ejection of the previous nail.  During the process, a motor powered by a battery makes two drive axles of rotation. The front axles shift a little scooper plate into it while the rear axle moves a train gear that turns a small triangular metal cam.

It would help if you always used protective goggles with side shields when using a nail gun. It is necessary because of the high potential of throwing splinters and chunks into the face or eye each moment a nail fires into the wood. Wearing safety gear will ensure your protection against nail firing. So you should never skip eye protection when using a nail gun. Also, ensure that any surface you are nailing is free of loose working material to avoid accidental firing.

Similarities and Differences Between Staple And Nail Guns

Choosing between a nail vs. staple gun depends on the plan of fastening your material. The type of working wood dictates the demand for the kind of a device. Also, it determines your method of fixing the piece of equipment permanently. You should consider our similarities and differences between a nail and staple gun for better determination of a suitable device.

Similarities 

  • Both cordless staple guns and nail guns are useful in joining two materials together.
  • They both use compressed air in driving the fastener into the surface of your working wood.
  • Both machines have an excellent design for driving either a nail or staple into a material surface with the increased force depending on the fastening device you are using.
  • The design for both tools makes them useful on furniture, with the nail gun being highly versatile on other applications.
  • Both of them work to give a long-lasting solution.

Differences

Staple Gun Nail Gun
  • Leaves large holes on the surface of the working wood.
Leaves minimal marks of holes on the surface of the working material
  • Designed for upholstery project only
Can be useful for numerous woodworking projects
  • It has a more sturdy grip and helps in keeping the working wood in position. 
Has thin brad nails glued together lightly and contains a flat head.
  • Useful in building furniture out of wood 
Used for delicate carpentry tasks.

 

recover a chair
How to recover an ugly chair cushion in 10 easy steps

The Bottom Line on Knowing When to Choose a Staple Gun Versus Nail Gun:

Of course, there are many cordless staple and nail guns with comparable features to each other. But you should make the best decision basing on your task and preferences. The similarities and differences for each tool can enable you to purchase the right device for your operation.

Although these tools are different with somewhat similar appearance, cordless staple guns are the best devices for your selection. They are highly portable and shifted from one position of the working place to another and very simple to maintain. Besides, our esteemed customers need to visit our website for more information before purchasing to avoid operation inconveniences. 

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Deborah T
Deborah T
Editor and author at DIY Home & Garden, a Word Innovations publication
Deborah Tayloe is a full-time blogger, children's book author, and freelance writer, contributing to large publications.

She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Natural Health from a fully-accredited program and is a Certified Herbologist. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.

Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."

Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.

Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
Deborah T
Latest posts by Deborah T (see all)
  • The Explosive Truth of PYREX vs. pyrex - 08/15/2023
  • Viola, Violet, and Pansy: Close Relatives But Distinct Flowers - 08/11/2023
  • Purple D’Oro Daylily: A Regal Touch of Elegance - 08/10/2023
Tweet

Filed Under: Home Tagged With: DIY, diy tools, nail gun, staple gun, toolkit, tools

About Deborah T

Deborah Tayloe is a full-time blogger, children's book author, and freelance writer, contributing to large publications.

She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificate in Natural Health from a fully-accredited program and is a Certified Herbologist. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.

Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."

Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.

Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.

Primary Sidebar

Click for details on our latest travel deal

book vip cancun travel

Here’s Why You Should Plant Sunflowers in the Garden:

https://youtu.be/ZwvPDTbs9U0

You Won’t Even Notice You Tossed These Cluttery Things:

https://youtu.be/z16ZRMC4wbE

Don’t Suffer, Try This Bath to Soothe Itchy Skin:

https://youtu.be/SUxl9UL7QDw

Footer

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

DIY Home & Garden is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DIY Home & Garden does not constitute or intend to provide medical, health, financial, legal, or other professional advice. This website is for entertainment purposes only.

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Terms Of Service
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 · DIY Home & Garden

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

DIY Home & Garden
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.