We recently posted about Milwaukee’s new cordless air compressor. Well, what about Milwaukee’s new cordless framing nailers? Good news, they’re on the way.
Although a little later than anticipated, Milwaukee’s new M18 Fuel cordless framing nailers are expected to launch starting in June 2020.
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Milwaukee’s new cordless framing nailers are designed to deliver the power to sink nails in engineered lumber and can drive nails at a rate of up to 3 nails per second.
In press materials, Milwaukee Product Manager Sean Kelley says that:
Unwilling to settle for subpar performance, we continued to advance our technologies until we could provide a truly game-changing solution for these users.
He also says:
With no gas cartridges necessary, the power to sink nails in the most demanding materials, and the fire rate to keep users productive throughout their day, these new framing nailers were worth the wait!
Milwaukee press materials remind us no less than 3 times that their new framing nailers do not require any gas cartridges. This means that “no consistent cleaning or maintenance is required.”
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Milwaukee says that the new nailers will deliver a best-in-class fire rate that drives nails at a similar rate as pneumatic nailers.
The tools have been optimized in size to be able to fit between studs, and the weight is balanced to help combat user fatigue.
Extended capacity magazines will be available as an option, accepting two strips of nails to allow for more work before needing to reload.
Both nailers have easy mode selection at the rear, and in the above image you can also see the belt clip on the left and the rafter hanger on the right. The clips do look to be removable, but not reversible.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 21° Framing Nailer (2744-21)
- Brushless motor
- Nail Sizes: 2″ – 3-1/2″
- Nail Diameter: 0.113″ – 0.148″
- 43 nail magazine capacity
- 700 nails per charge on an M18 XC5.0 battery
- Weighs 9.4 lbs
- Sequential and contact actuation modes
- Tool-free drive depth adjustment
- Dry-fire lockout, belt hook, rafter hook, LED worklight, non-mar tip cover
The kit, 2744-21, includes M18 FUEL 21° Framing Nailer, (1) M18 XC5.0 battery, charger, and contractor tool bag. A bare tool, 2744-20, will also be available.
Price: $449 for the kit, $349 for the bare tool
ETA: July 2020
Buy Now via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Kit via Tool Nut
Buy Now: Bare Tool via Tool Nut
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 21° Framing Nailer Extended Magazine (48-08-2744)
- 78 nail magazine capacity
- Nail Sizes: 2″ – 3-1/2″
- Nail Diameter: 0.113″ – 0.148″
Price: $69
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 30° Framing Nailer (2745-21)
- Brushless motor
- Nail Sizes: 2″ – 3-1/2″
- Nail Diameter: 0.113″ – 0.131″
- 51 nail magazine capacity
- 700 nails per charge on an M18 XC5.0 battery
- Weighs 9.4 lbs
- Sequential and contact actuation modes
- Tool-free drive depth adjustment
- Dry-fire lockout, belt hook, rafter hook, LED worklight, non-mar tip cover
The kit, 2745-21, includes M18 Fuel 30° Framing Nailer, (1) M18 XC5.0 battery, charger, and contractor tool bag. A bare tool, 2745-20, will also be available.
Price: $449 for the kit, $349 for the bare tool
ETA: June 2020
Buy Now via Acme Tools
Buy Now: Bare Tool via Tool Nut
Buy Now: Kit via Tool Nut
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 30° Framing Nailer Extended Magazine (48-08-2745)
- 93 nail magazine capacity
- Nail Sizes: 2” – 3-1/2”
- Nail Diameter: 0.113” – 0.131”
Price: $69
Discussion
Let’s take a look at some of Milwaukee’s claims for their new M18 Fuel cordless framing nailers:
“the power to sink nails in the most demanding materials”
“the fire rate to keep users productive throughout their day”
“best-in-class power”
“best-in-class fire rate”
“fire rate similar to pneumatic”
“optimized with the size necessary to fit between studs”
“no gas cartridges”
“no consistent cleaning or maintenance required”
Milwaukee also notes that the nailers have zero ramp-up time, which means less waiting and could provide for a near pneumatic-like feel.
Aside from wanting these new Milwaukee framing nailers in-hand yesterday, is there anything more you wish they added to these models?
fred
The $349 price and verbiage about no-gas cartridges and no consistent cleaning – seems to target the Paslode as its competition:
https://www.toolbarn.com/paslode-905600.html
I don’t recall that the guys hated the Paslode framer’s ( we used them mostly for outdoor punch list or small jobs) we had – but the Paslode finish and brad nail guns – did not get kudos for their smelly combustion exhaust.
PTBRULES
We have a Paslode Straight and Angled Finish nailer, and Framing nailers. They are great tools, that just love to randomly stop working occasionally….
I never what to deal with pneumatic nailer, paslodes are strong and work great, and smell fun. They don’t shoot as fast, but I rarely ever have needed that ROF.
That being said, I’d by these new Milwaukee nailers if why don’t have reliability issues like the Paslodes, my only dislike of them….
Big Richard
But in reality, it’s real competition would be something like the Metabo HPT NR1890DC. Also an air spring cordless and gasless nailer. Similar price, similar specs with the Milwaukee having the the advantages of being a little lighter (9.4 lb vs 10.1 lb), little more efficient (140 nails/Ah vs 133 nails/Ah), and a much deeper lineup if battery cross compatibility is a major concern. I also don’t know if Metabo HPT offers an extended magazine.
Rudy Hostetler
After two years of cold winters into the Hitachi framers I needed to add air to the chamber. It loses a little over time, same as your truck tires. I bought the valve and did it myself. There was place close By to do it. The rep Told me they would do it for free with the lifetime warranty.
Big Richard
You’re adding air or nitrogen? Air will leak more than pure nitrogen, also nitrogen is dry, air is not (unless you are running your compressed air through a dryer).
Joey Slagle
Been waiting on this for a couple yrs, hope they r better than the trim guns
Jim
I would really like to know why there was such a delay in getting these to market. Was there a design flaw ? a quality issue in production ? As much as I wanted one, I might wait and wait for hands on reviews before buying one.
Josh Walters
Agreed these things were supposed to launch fall of 2019 iirc something must have been wrong for the full pull back. or they couldnt get a crucial part.
Kizzle
Can anyone tell me why most framing nailers are 3.25″ when code calls for 3.5″? I know this one is actually 3.5″, but most aren’t. Do most inspectors just not check? Are you allowed to use 3.25 as long as you use more of them? I know each regions code is different, but it seems pretty universal that 3.5″ nails are required for framing. It’s just something I’ve wondered about for awhile. I am not a framer or tradesman, so I don’t know the ins and outs.
G man
Can’t speak for all brands but the Hitachi 85s used to be “field” modified to accept the thicker nails with a spacer spreading the magazine just enough and the length was not an issue though marketed as 3.25, also the steel magazine can take more abuse than the aluminum ones on the 90s, mine is about 40 yrs old and rebuilt by me a few times, I noticed the newer ones accept 3.5 nails without the the mods.
Matt Roberson
The 2015 IRC actually has fastener tables that give options for fasteners depending on application. There’s 40 some different elements with different specs, but as an example “end nailing top or bottom plate to stud” there’s 4 different options. 3-16d box (31/2″ × 0.135″); or 2-16d common (31/2″ × 0.162″); or 3-10d box (3″ × 0.128″); or 3-3″ × 0.131″ nails.
Now the million dollar question is how many framers are still just putting 2 nails in when using the shorter nails; probably most 🙂
Todd
I had bad luck with battery operated nailers , they break out of warranty, repairs exceed value of gun , they don’t sink nails. My reliable cordless is a paslode which I have had for at least 10 years. Seems the 18 gauge ones are ok and my DeWalt crown stapler I just replaced after 4years. I asked the service guy which one holds up and he said they all suck. The. Paslode has driven nails when my air ones would not, has been very reliable and is simple to service, and I love the smell of propane. In all fairness I have only used the DeWalt and Senco models.
BlueCraft Workshop
The milwaukie nailers are game changers. The brad nailer is amazing, and I plan on adding the narrow crown stapler to my arsenal soon, and the M12 pin nailer once that releases. Reliable and long warranty.
MBri
Has the M12 pin nailer been announced? I’ve been looking at the ryobi one if it goes on clearance at HD, but might wait if there is an M12 coming out eventually.
Matt Roberson
BlueCraft, I haven’t seen anything about additional M12 nailers other than the palm nailer and stapler that are already on the market. Do you have any info to share on a M12 pin nailer?
Doug N
Doresoom on YouTube shared a look at Milwaukee patents recently, which included an M12 pin nailer. Looked awesome.
Scott
The Milwaukee gen 2 guns are unreal. I use the 18 g Brad nailer at work and it’s been flawless about 35,000 nails shot so far not one issue. Not one nail has not sunk. And not even one jam. Getting about 17 to 20 racks of 100 nails per charge 2.0 battery. Better than my dewalt pneumatic.
Andrew D.
Needs a bottle opener.
Seth G.
I love the idea of no gas. But honestly with the weight of the purely battery operated nailers it’s not worth it in my opinion. I feel that Paslode still has the advantage here. They have been around a long time and have been able to work the bugs out. I own a Paslode framer, 16ga angled finish and a 18ga Brad nailer and will not be switching anytime soon. The few times I have had to deal with Paslode customer service the problem was solved very quickly. I have found that if you follow the manufacture cleaning procedure on the Paslodes it makes them more unreliable. I personally run them until they stop and then clean. Has worked great for me for a good 10 plus years. While I think it’s awesome that Milwaukee is developing in different ways everyday I will still with my Paslode’s for the time being.
Ian M
This was advertised for sale in New Zealand on the 4th of March for $649 + gst ( nzd ) which is $451.35 usd. Yep we over pay for tools here. I tried to get hold of one but they were unable to get one. I noticed when checking today it was pulled from the sale.
Rman
What’s the difference between the 28 degree and the 33 degree nails if both shoot full head nails?
Is it just the angle of the magazine to get into tighter spots? If I have clipped nails will they work in these guns?
Paper or plastic collation on the nails ? I’m trying to match my Senco nail gun to avoid multiple nails and lengths.
DanFromMass
Here’s a good article describing the difference in nail gun angles.
https://www.nailgundepot.com/blog/why-framing-nail-guns-have-different-angles.html
OldDominionDIYer
The sight line of these nailers looks much improved. Since I don’t do construction for a living (Mech Eng) and only do projects (some big, some small) I find that having a good sight line is really important. I don’t use these enough to have firmly established the nail target spot from memory which makes the sight line even more important to, shall I say, more casual or infrequent users. I’ve been using the Hitachi (NR1890DR) which accepts 3.5″ nails and it sinks them flush unless I fire off kilter or something like that. Very happy with the performance but not so happy with the sight line or weight but it seemed like the best available option at the time and honestly it has performed well in every project I have used it for. That being said and being already invested heavily in Milwaukee tools I will probably pick this up when it (hopefully) goes on sale during the holiday bargain days.
Jeffrey Sampson
I had the Paslodes gums from framers to finish guns when I was in business as many have already said they were just to unreliable and sold them in the third year just wasn’t worth the problemsame and hassles especially being I had thirteen men and listened to them complaining about one thing after another it isn’t a big deal to use a small compressor inside whether it’s a pancake or otherwise using hearing protection gets old especially on hot days but I would rather keep the men busy all day than fighting with equipment.in have always bought high quality equipment usually Senco nail guns and have had great luck with Milwaukee M18 impact drill combos and many employees like their Dewalt equipment. So personally I wouldn’t invest that kind of money for a nail gun except for myself now that I am retired and the clock doesn’t matter will still wait and see how things go for a couple of years first.
Mike
These cordless nail guns are not for the guys building full houses, they are for the small contractors who build additions or put up a new wall or two, the problem with these nitrogen air guns after a year or less depending usage you have to get the tank refilled or replaced and you have to send it back to Milwaukee or Hitachi depending what brand you have and it can take sometime to get back
DanFromMass
Where did you see anything about refillable nitrogen tanks??
I doubt Milwaukee would make a nail gun that requires you to send it back once a year to be “refilled”.
Big Richard
They utilize sealed nitrogen tanks, and there always is the potential for the tank to leak and lose pressure over time. But we’re talking a few psi over thousands and thousands of shots. I personally have not had or heard of failures in a short time span like a year.
But like with any tool, there will always be a few that prematurely fail.
Scott Moore
Nitrogen does not leak like air. I’ve shot 35,000 to 40,000 nails through the new gen 2 Brad nailer. It’s been flawless not one issue. And getting 17 to 20 racks of a hundred nails per charge. 2.0 battery. Homerun for Milwaukee.
andy
That’s cool, although 40,000 nails is only 10 boxes of framing nails. One large house.
Charles F
nope. I’ll build a house with one. Much easier than air hoses. But I’m not production framing, I’m custom
Lance
Milwaukee dropped the ball. Their first gen nailers were sub-par, their second gen nailers were way too late and pretty expensive, and now their framing nailer is YEARS behind the curve. I’m sure it’s good, but it sure as heck better be after having their competition on the market to benchmark for YEARS!
I bought all Hitachi (now Metabo HPT) 18v nailers. Milwaukee had a chance to get me into their 18v platform with their nailers, but they were just too compromised/expensive and too slow to market.
Abram
A friend of mine is a Milwaukee rep and I tried the nailer on the jobsite the other day so he can talk about the ‘field experience’ during his sales pitches. The machine has a lot of power and sinks 3″ nails really deep in all kinds of material. It is a great nailer that will work well for punch framing when you don’t have a compressor on site.
The main downside is the weight! I used it with a 5.0 battery and it was considerably heavier than my Paslode. I was tempted to buy one because I dislike hoses and compressors and the Milwaukee 18ga nail gun is great. But it weighs a lot!
Corey Moore
I would abandon my career, apologize to my family, take on a fabricated persona and live it flawlessly, make it my assumed life’s goal to become a politician, and pass legislation regarding legal definitions of the term “game changer” if only to shut Milwaukee marketing team up. Dear lord, you made a great nailer, you didn’t invent anything conceptual or functional about nailing.
Big Richard
I’d vote for you on that platform alone.
David burke
Yes… the sales pitches seemed a little coked out with a bunch of jargon. Hurts their products.
daniel
Im die maker in metal stamping sealed nitrogen cylinders have been in use for over 30 years.
The nitrogen cylinders we use are rated for 1 million inch stroke. So 3.5 inch nail divided 1 million should be close the number for nails the cylinder should last. 280000 nails.
If they use the same type and quality of cylinders
Rudy Hostetler
That is really interesting. Is that with no refilling. Another part of the equation is heat/cold and also rapid fire for a few hours will build up a fair amount of heat, will this break down the seals faster.?
Rudy Hostetler
Also the stroke is probably closer to 4.5” so around only 222,222 shots.
Mark
30 or 21 degree? Whats the best option before I purchase. Or maybe the most versatile.
Andrew D.
In my experience, I use my 30⁰ Paslode, engage the safety tip, and then lay the magazine down flat against what I’m working on to get a toe nail in to set up to nail the board in properly. A 21⁰ would drive in at a steeper angle, maybe not give as solid of a hold, especially with shorter nails. Note, I am not a professional framer.
Charles F
Practically speaking, in the field we all use 21. The nails will be easier to find etc.
Given that and cross compatibility with framers, it’s 21 all day long for me
Rudy Hostetler
Some places are require the larger diameter nails and full round head. If this is a requirement I would get the 21*. Otherwise the 30* magazine holds more nails and is at a better overall angle.
andy
11 pounds ready to fire versus about 8 with the Paslode. 37% more weight is a lot.
Rudy Hostetler
If you add a little aluminum hook, not the Pneuhook, which has an additional end. Just an aluminum hook, a10’ section of polyurethane hose and a hose end that brings it to 9.28 lbs. My Metabohpt weighs 9.97 with 3.0 battery, and 11.3 with multivolt battery. So a 6.0 would put you at about 10.6-10.8. Every body forgets that even a 10’ section of super light hose, plus the end is about 1.1lbs, besides resistance to drag. This brings the percentages a lot closer.
andy
Good point. Especially if you’re up on a ladder and seem to have 30′ of hose dragging you down. I just know in actual use my cordless Hitachi NR1890DR kills me versus my air NR90 , which I specifically use versus the ubiquitous pro NR83, even though they seem to last 1/5 as long.
Charles F
who can calculate how long an NR83 lasts? I’m still on my 20 yo one.
I’ve used it as a sledgehammer a fair bit too. And it ways approximately as much…
Rx9
I own 2 compressors and an 18 ga pneumatic brad nailer. I also own a cordless 16 ga finish nailer. The cordless is used 97% of the time for me. Whatever advantage air nailers have in size and weight is completely negated by the fact that they are tethered to a heavy, unwieldy compressor. I love my air tools, but the convenience of not having a cord is the most important feature for me.
Cordless nailers, whether battery or gas cartridge actuated, have a big set of advantages: You don’t have lug around a compressor, plug it in or gas it up/ start it and wait for it to reach pressure. All you have to do is put on the battery and turn it on. There is no compressor noise.
That said, pneumatics have several adavantages:
They are considerably cheaper.
They have more specialty applications. They are lighter and smaller.
Air compressors, unlike proprietary battery systems, allow you to mix and match manufacturers.
Air compressors ultimately allow for greater overall energy for a given tool size.
Quentin Argile
I was very excited about this nailer. Add battery and nails, its too heavy. I am a “Smarter not harder”-type. But 11-12lbs is a bridge too far, for me.
Sam
So. Youd get use to it. Better than a stupid hose dragging around an getting caught on stuff. Idk. Ive adapted to heavier tools. The m18 fuel 2732 circ saw is a good example. Sucker is heavy, complained for about a day or two. Now I dnt care. Lol with a 12.0 on it.
framerG
paslode cant be beat. lot lighter and always works. it just sucks to buy the fuel.
Charles F
I will buy this immediately. As a pro, the gen 1 M18 nailers were awful. The gen 2 M18 nailers are amazingly good.
I’ll still buy the compressor too
Justin
Both the 21* and 30* guns have 2 threaded holes at the base for attaching the magazine, one is toward the front the other the rear. Can anyone confirm or deny that they are the same gun? And if one had either and both the 21* and 30* extended mag you could shoot both?
Scott Dalgliesh
That’s exactly what I’m wondering. Wanted to buy a 30* nailer and 21* extended mag to switch to for 95% of our work. 30* is great for pickup and specialty work, but 21* full round are code here and inspectors won’t accept clip heads for bulk of work. Really hope my thought logic works.
FramerG
Paslode and many other brands have been making full head 31′ nails for many years now. They have a full head that is offset on the shank of the nail.