Palm nailers are a relative newcomer to the nailer marketplace. These compact tools are not designed to use with a specific type of nail, nor do they need collated nails; rather, they are designed to drive any type of loose nail that you could desire. That makes them extremely versatile and useful.
By no means is a palm nailer going to replace a regular framing or finish nailer. These don’t have the high speed capacity that regular strip or coil nailers do. Rather, they are designed to replace a hammer, making it possible to drive standard boxed nails with little effort.
They are excellent for use in tight places and awkward angles, where it might be difficult to swing a hammer or even use a standard nailer. The fact that you place the nail where you want it, rather than placing the nosepiece of the nailer where you want it, makes these tools an excellent choice for use in cases where you have to drive nails through metal plates, such as in the case of hurricane clips and joist hangers. They are excellent for use when building a deck, which invariably involves hammering nails at odd angles. You can check out our list of the best pneumatic palm nailers in 2022.
Palm nailers come in two basic sizes, standard and mini. The mini nailers are intended for use in driving nails up to 16d (penny, 3-1/2 inches), while the standard can drive nails up to 70d (6-1/2 inches). The larger palm nailers usually come with various nosepieces, allowing them to be used with several different sizes of nails. Standard size palm nailers are the only type of power nailer which can be used for driving large nails, such as would be needed for nailing timber beams for a ceiling or in a log cabin.
When using a palm nailer, a magnet in the tip holds the nail, allowing you to place it exactly where you want it. Pushing down on the nail starts the nailer working, driving the nail into the workpiece with about 2,000 beats per minute.When looking at palm nailers, these features are important: