"Once you get used to managing battery rotation properly, it's pretty seamless..."
Yeah, cordless is tempting, but honestly, the upfront cost still makes me hesitate. I've stuck with hoses—just learned to route carefully after nearly tripping off my ladder once. Lesson learned, wallet intact... for now.
I hear you on the upfront cost—cordless nailers definitely aren't cheap, especially if you're looking at a solid brand. But after wrestling hoses around my roof for a week straight, I finally bit the bullet and went cordless. Honestly, it was mostly out of sheer frustration. I had one too many close calls, tangling hoses around my feet or snagging them on shingles. The final straw was when I accidentally yanked the hose and knocked my coffee off the ladder tray... tragic morning.
Anyway, once I switched, I did notice a big difference in workflow. You mentioned battery rotation—yeah, that's a bit of an art. I ended up marking mine with colored tape to keep track of which ones were charged. Sounds silly, but it worked surprisingly well. Still, hoses have their perks too—no worries about power running low mid-job or batteries aging out over time.
Bottom line: cordless is nice, but if you're careful with hose management (and your coffee), sticking with air-powered isn't a bad call either.
I get the appeal of cordless, especially after your coffee tragedy—been there myself, though mine involved a sandwich and a gutter full of leaves. But honestly, after trying both, I'm still leaning toward air-powered. Maybe I'm just old-school, but I find cordless nailers a bit overrated for roofing specifically.
I borrowed a buddy's cordless nailer last summer to redo my shed roof. At first, it felt like freedom—no hoses, no compressor noise, just grab and go. But halfway through the job, I started noticing the battery fade. Even with two batteries rotating, I was constantly checking charge levels and worrying about running out of juice mid-row. It wasn't a huge roof either, just a small shed, but it still slowed me down enough to be annoying.
Plus, there's the weight factor. Cordless nailers tend to be heavier, and after a few hours up there, my wrist was definitely feeling it. With air-powered, the gun itself is lighter, and once you get used to managing the hose (and keeping your coffee safely out of reach), it's not that big of a deal. I rigged up a simple hook on my belt to keep the hose behind me, and that solved most of my tangling issues.
Don't get me wrong—cordless has its place. If you're doing quick repairs or smaller jobs, it's super convenient. But for bigger projects or extended use, I still think air-powered is more reliable and less hassle overall. Just my two cents...
Totally get where you're coming from on the battery anxiety—been there myself, and it's not fun. Did you find the cordless nailer had enough power consistently, or was it fading noticeably as the battery drained? I've only used cordless for smaller trim jobs, never roofing, so I'm curious how it held up driving longer nails through shingles and plywood.
I've always stuck with air-powered for roofing too, mostly because of the weight issue you mentioned. After a few hours, every extra pound really starts to matter. But I gotta admit, dragging that hose around can be a pain, especially when you're already balancing on a steep pitch. Does your belt hook trick really help that much with tangling? Might have to try that next time...
Either way, sounds like cordless might be handy for quick fixes or tight spots, but maybe not the best for a full roof job. Glad I'm not the only one who's had a snack-related roofing mishap, though—sandwiches and gutters sound like a rough combo, haha.
I've had similar battery fade issues when using cordless tools for heavier jobs. Last summer, I tried a cordless nailer on a shed roof—nothing huge, just plywood and shingles—but halfway through, the nails started sitting proud. Had to swap batteries constantly, which got old fast. Air-powered definitely feels more reliable for bigger projects, even with the hose hassle. Might give that belt hook trick a shot next time though...sounds promising.
