Can a nail gun use staples? Yes, you can drive both 18 gauge brad nails and staples of staple gun with the 2 in 1 combo kit. However, all the nail guns cannot carry the magazine of a staple gun.
Selecting the right nailer has an impact on the quality of nailing. If you fill the nails of a brad nailer inside a finish nailer then it will shoot two nails together. Again you cannot insert the staples inside a framing nailer. If you do so then there will be nail jam.
To minimize all these nailing issues today we are here to clarify the use of staples and nails with the right gun. And we will also show you some topmost combo kits with the budget.
Quick Overview
Nail Gun and Staple Gun; are the Same
A nail gun and a staple gun are not the same. However, we can say that a staple gun is a special kind of nail gun that has more holding power for its two-pronged legs.
As staple gun is a member of the nail gun family some users may guess that with a nail gun like finish nailer or brad nailer they can shoot staples of the stapler gun. It’s totally wrong. A staple gun is for stapler and a nail gun is for nails.
However, there are some staple- nail gun 2 in 1 combo which has both the functions of a staple gun and a nail gun. For example BOSTITCH (SB-2IN1) Brad Nailer 18 Gauge/Narrow Crown Stapler has both the configuration of a brad nailer and a staple gun. What you need is just to adjust the magazine while working.
Why do We Need 2 in one Nailer
2 in 1 combo kit is excellent for professional DIY workers and for woodworking shops. When you need to complete carpentry work like molding or fencing what you need is a budget-friendly nailer. And a combo kit is not more than $150. And BOSTITCH SB-2IN1 combo kit is only $124.2.
Again for fixing furniture, a staple gun is a must. However, if you don’t want to buy a separate staple gun the combo kit is a great option for you which not only saves your pocket but also saves storage.
The only negative side of a combo kit is the bigger nail holes. As the edge of staples is thicker, the remaining holes by the brad nails of the combo kit are larger than the dedicated brad nailer. So you need to use nail-hole filler to hide them.
Nail Gun vs. Staple Gun which is More Versatile
A nailer gun like a brad nailer or finish nailer is more versatile than a staple gun. A staple gun is only used in adjoining the edges of two pieces of wood.
However a nail gun is used for molding, trim work, fencing, deck building, finish carpentry, flooring, roofing, and framing. Even though you can do the job of a staple gun with a finish nailer you cannot do trim work or mold with a staple gun.
The Difference between Brad Nailer and Staple Gun
Nail Size
Brad nailer has 18 gauge semi-headed nails which look like a pin. The thickness of brad nails is 0.0468 inches with a length of max 1.50 inches. So these nails are not as stronger as the nails of the stapler.
On the other hand, the nails of the stapler gun are two-pronged with a crown. The Crown is the joining point of the heads of two legs. And the length of crown staples nails varies according to the need of the application. Normally for carpentry 3/16 to 1-inch nails are excellent especially for joining two pieces of wood. And the holding power of a staple is beyond question. It has more holding power than the finish nails.
Places of Applications
Nailer gun is a versatile tool that has different types based on the places of application. For example, an 8 gauge framing nailer is for framing, a 15 gauge finish nailer is for corners, 16 gauge finish nailer is for baseboard trim. 18 gauge brad nailer is for decorative piece molding and narrow trim.
On the contrary, a staple gun is for joining two pieces of wood together. Again furniture molding and making a staple gun is a must for joining. And for upholstery, a staple gun works excellent.
Power Source
Both nail guns and staple guns have cordless and corded versions. The corded pneumatic nailer and stapler need an additional air compressor with at least 120 PSI (the pounds per square inch). And cordless nailers and staple guns run with the help of rechargeable battery clamps.
Though cordless staples and nailers are portable, they are expensive. Again manual staple gun is handy and cheaper which is easy to use. In our next article entitled with how much does a nail gun cost, we will show you the price list of topmost pneumatic vs. air nailer.
The Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What is the material of staple of stapler?
Answer: Typically staples are made of stainless steel and titanium.
Question: What’s the dissimilarity of a crown stapler and a brad nailer?
Answer: The staples of the crown stapler have two-pronged legs and brad nails are vertical with a semi-headed design.
Question: How to power a staple gun?
Answer: There are 3 kinds of staple guns based on the power source. They are manual, corded pneumatic, and cordless.
Question: Can you fire a two-pronged staple with a brad nailer?
Answer: No, the chamber of the brad nailer cannot hold the staple of a staple gun as the nails have two-pronged legs.
Question: Brad nailer vs. staple gun which is stronger?
Answer: Staple gun is stronger than brad nailer as the nails of brad nailer is thinner with semi-headed design. And staple has more holding power than nails.
Question: Can I use brad nails inside a staple gun?
Answer: No, a staple gun is for only staples. And two in one combo of brad and staple is an exception in which you can use both nails and staples
To Conclude
Now your confusion regarding can a nail gun use staples is totally vanished, isn’t it? Whatever the gun is, either a nail gun or a staple gun you must follow the safety measures while nailing. Do you know why? Because, a recent survey shows that, about 42000 people in the USA have to check in the emergency room with nail gun injuries. If you don’t want to be one of them, take extra precautions like wearing glass, gloves, and earmuffs while working.
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