The Best Brad Nailer Options of 2023

Mar 18, 2023

Anyone looking for an overall top-quality brad nailer may want to check out the Bostitch Smart Point. This brad nailer fires nails between ⅝ inch and 2⅛ inches long, and it performed well with the longest and shortest nail lengths as well as those in between. Fortunately, we didn't have any brad jams (the shooting mechanism is well tuned), but the Bostitch comes with a tool-free jam release in the event a jam occurs. We fired more than 200 brads through the Bostitch, using single-shot and multishot (or "bump") modes. We toggled between modes by turning a small switch near the trigger. In bump mode, the Bostitch shot a brad every time we pressed the nose of the nailer against the wood. We’re not big fans of bump modes on brad nailers; with trim nailers it's best to align each brad precisely before firing. But for those who want bump-firing mode, the Bostitch performs quite well.

We connected the Bostitch to our air compressor via a hose (not included), and we noted a slight downside: The nipple on the back of the nailer does not swivel. This is a minor inconvenience, but without a swivel nipple, the air compressor hose stuck straight up when we used the belt hook to carry the tool on our tool belt. The other downside is the size of the depth-adjustment dial. It's located on the inner frame below the trigger, which is handy, but at about the size of a dime, it's relatively small, so adjusting it is inconvenient.

On the plus side, this brad nailer comes with a carrying case, three no-mar tips that keep the nailer from indenting softwood, and a built-in pencil sharpener on the back of the belt hook. Performance-wise, the Bostitch fired brads of all lengths into oak, ash, and pine boards without splitting any.

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Read our full review here.

Get the Bostitch pneumatic brad nailer at Amazon, Ace Hardware, Acme Tools, Lowe's, or Walmart.