I've actually messed around with insulating cordless nailers a bit—mostly out of curiosity rather than necessity. Wrapped mine in some foam pipe insulation and duct tape once during a particularly brutal cold snap...it helped a little, but honestly, not enough to justify the hassle. The battery still drained quicker than usual, and I was swapping out packs more often than I'd like.
In my experience, pneumatic nailers just handle the cold better without all the DIY fuss. Not saying you can't make cordless work—keeping spare batteries warm inside your jacket or truck cab helps—but if you're constantly dealing with freezing temps, pneumatic just makes life simpler. Plus, fewer misfires and jams mean smoother workflow overall.
Still, if you're determined to stick with cordless, might be worth experimenting yourself. Maybe someone else here has had better luck rigging something up?
I've tried the insulation trick too, but honestly, I came to pretty much the same conclusion as you. A few winters back, I was determined to stick with cordless because I liked the freedom of movement—especially up on green roofs where hoses can be a real pain—but battery performance in freezing weather just wasn't reliable enough. Keeping a spare battery tucked inside my coat definitely helped some, but still meant frequent swaps and interruptions.
Ended up going back to pneumatic for winter projects. Sure, dragging around a hose isn't ideal, but at least it fires consistently and doesn't jam up nearly as often when temps drop. If you're set on cordless though, maybe try one of those insulated lunch bags with a hand warmer tossed in to store spare batteries? Sounds goofy, I know, but it kept mine noticeably warmer and extended their runtime somewhat.
Either way, if cold weather roofing is your norm rather than the exception, pneumatic probably saves more headaches in the long run.
"maybe try one of those insulated lunch bags with a hand warmer tossed in to store spare batteries?"
Funny you mention that—I actually did something similar last winter, and it worked surprisingly well. I used a small insulated cooler bag with a couple of those disposable hand warmers tucked inside. Batteries stayed noticeably warmer, and I got fewer interruptions. Still, it wasn't perfect... swapping batteries mid-job on a slippery roof isn't exactly fun.
Ultimately, I agree pneumatic is the safer bet if you're regularly roofing in freezing conditions. But if you're determined to stick with cordless (and I get it, hoses can be a real hassle on green roofs), I'd suggest trying lithium-ion batteries specifically rated for cold weather. They're pricier but seem to hold up better in freezing temps. Also, keeping batteries indoors overnight and bringing them out only when you're ready to start can help squeeze out extra runtime.
Not perfect solutions, but every little bit helps when you're battling the cold.
I tried something similar last year, but instead of hand warmers, I just kept the batteries in my jacket pockets. Worked okay-ish, but definitely not ideal—especially when you're climbing ladders or bending over a lot. Pneumatic's probably the smarter choice overall, but cordless convenience is hard to beat. Might give those cold-rated lithium batteries a shot next time...sounds promising.
Tried cordless last winter on a green roof install—figured it'd speed things up. Started great, but once temps dropped below freezing, batteries tanked quick. Warming them in pockets helped briefly, but like you said, climbing ladders and crouching over trays all day...not ideal. Curious if those cold-rated lithium packs actually hold up better? Pneumatic's reliable but lugging hoses around plants gets old fast. Might test the cold-rated batteries myself next project and see if they're worth the hype.
