Yeah, cordless definitely has its quirks right now. Had a similar issue when we redid the fascia boards on our rental units—battery dropped below half and suddenly nails weren't sinking fully. Ended up swapping batteries constantly, which was a pain. But you're right, drills used to be just as unreliable, and look at them now. Give it another year or two...bet cordless nailers will be standard kit by then.
Yeah, cordless nailers are definitely getting there, but they're not quite ready for prime time yet. Had a similar headache last summer when we redid roofs on a few duplexes—battery life was decent at first, but after a couple hours in the heat, performance dropped noticeably. Nails started sticking out halfway, and we wasted way too much time swapping batteries and double-checking depth settings.
Still, I agree with your point about drills. Remember how skeptical everyone was when cordless drills first came out? Now you hardly see anyone lugging around corded versions unless it's heavy-duty masonry work. I think once battery tech catches up—maybe with better heat management or faster charging—cordless nailers will be just as reliable.
For now though, if I'm tackling anything bigger than minor repairs or trim work, I'm sticking with pneumatic. Sure it's a hassle dragging hoses around, but at least I know the nails will sink properly every single time...
Totally get where you're coming from on pneumatic reliability, but honestly, as someone who only tackles roofing once every few years, renting a pneumatic setup has been a lifesaver. Last summer, I rented a compressor and nailer combo for a weekend—cost me way less than buying cordless gear that might not hold up. Sure, hoses are annoying, but knowing every nail sinks properly without fuss is worth the minor hassle...especially when you're watching your budget.
"Sure, hoses are annoying, but knowing every nail sinks properly without fuss is worth the minor hassle...especially when you're watching your budget."
Yeah, I hear you on that. I borrowed a buddy's cordless nailer once thinking it'd save me time, but ended up spending half the day troubleshooting jams and misfires—total headache. Pneumatic setups just seem to have fewer surprises. Curious though, did the rental place give you any grief about returning it with minor wear and tear? Always wondered how picky they get about stuff like that...
Rental places usually expect some scuffs and scratches—it's roofing, after all. As long as nothing's obviously broken, they're pretty chill about it. And yeah, pneumatic nailers might be old-school, but they're reliable...less downtime means less stress on your wallet.
