Paslode Cordless XP Framing Nailer CFN325XP

Apr 26, 2023

Plenty of Pros swear by the Paslode Cordless XP framing nailer. Today we’re going to take a look at the updated version, the Paslode CFN325XP—replacement for the CF325XP.

The major benefit to this Paslode CFN325XP framing nailer is the lack of need for a hose and compressor. Paslode defined how gas nailers work and they hit the market well before any of the pure battery-powered options. To drive its 30° nails, a compact 1.5Ah lithium-ion battery ignites a gas from a cartridge. Paslode claims you should expect up to 9000 nails per charge. Of course, there's also the additional cost of a new gas cartridge every 1200 shots or so which is one of the trade-offs you need to consider.

How does that compare to pure battery power from a power perspective? We had no trouble driving flush into LVL consistently.

There's no firing delay as you find with some cordless nailers which need time to ramp up before each shot, like the DeWalt DCN692. More recent cordless framers from Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Metabo HPT are much better, though. Compared to the immediate reaction of a pneumatic nailer, there is a slight delay, but it's hardly noticeable if unless you’re looking for it.

The nose is reasonably easy to see around though it prevents being able to nail with perfect precision the way some framers do. For the most part, it wasn't too much of a struggle and it's just fine for the framing duties the nailer is designed for.

Why would you want to use a cordless framing nailer that uses gas cartridges when there are capable battery-only options?

One word: weight.

Paslode's design weighs just 7.36 pounds while battery-only designs can push 10 pounds. As a Pro, 2+ pounds of nailer weight makes a huge difference over the course of a long day!

The Paslode owns the recoil control category in both this and their pneumatic models. In our experience with pneumatic and cordless framing nailers, some are a little jumpy off the face but the CFN325XP framing nailer felt great.

The downside of the Paslode cordless framing nailers is that it only holds one stick of nails, making it more of a punch list tool than a primary consideration. At the moment, Paslode doesn't offer any type of extended magazine attachment like some other brands.

Paslode forgoes a thumbwheel for a pinch-and-slide mechanism to adjust the nail depth. It works well but begins to move your hand to a vunerable position, so keep your hand away from the trigger and remove the battery when you’re making adjustments.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between the new and old versions of this nailer, except Paslode is confident you can get 3 shots per second consistently. For all intents and purposes, this is a rolling change that doesn't have a huge impact on how the nailer feels and fires in your hands.

This updated version of the Paslode cordless framing nailer is the same price as its predecessor at $399.99. With that, you’ll receive a hardshell case, a 1.5Ah battery, and a charger.

There's no question you have to weigh trade-offs when you look at cordless framing nailers. The lack of a bump-fire mode and its limited capacity makes this nailer a tough sell as a primary framer. The added cost of gas cartridges is another consideration. That said, if you’re looking to drop the hose and keep the weight in check, Paslode's Cordless XP framing nailer design has a big advantage over battery-only designs.

If you’d like to see what else Paslode has to offer, click here