That’s exactly it—the reliability factor is what keeps me reaching for the coil nailer, even though my arms are usually screaming by lunch. I remember last summer, we were doing a tear-off on an old farmhouse roof in July heat. The cordless was tempting, but after the third battery swap (and still not done with one side), I just gave up and went back to the coil. Heavy as a brick, but at least it kept firing.
I will say, though, for patch jobs or when I’m up there just replacing a few shingles after a windstorm, the cordless is pretty sweet. Less hassle dragging hoses around, especially if you’re trying not to trample the garden beds below. But yeah, for full re-roofs? I’d rather have something that’ll keep going even if I don’t.
Funny how the “old school” stuff sticks around. Sometimes all this new tech just means more things to charge or fix... and less time actually getting the job done.
You nailed it—sometimes the old heavy gear just gets the job done, no matter how much your shoulders hate you for it. I’ve tried a couple of the newer cordless nailers, and they’re fine for quick fixes, but when you’re staring down a whole roof in August, I’d rather deal with the weight than mess with batteries. Funny how the “convenience” tools end up slowing you down on big jobs. Still, I keep both around... never know when you’ll need to squeeze into a tight spot or avoid dragging hoses through the flower beds.
Funny how the “convenience” tools end up slowing you down on big jobs.
I hear you, but I’ve seen a few folks get into trouble relying on just the old pneumatic guns—especially if you’re running off a single compressor and it starts acting up. Batteries can be a pain, but at least with cordless you’ve got a backup if the air supply fails. For me, it’s less about weight and more about consistency. I’ve inspected plenty of roofs where rushed jobs with misfiring tools led to shiners or underdriven nails... doesn’t matter how fast you go if you’re back up there fixing leaks in six months.
doesn’t matter how fast you go if you’re back up there fixing leaks in six months.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen guys rush with pneumatics and end up with half the nails proud or off-center. Cordless is heavier, sure, but when my compressor froze up last winter, I was glad to have a backup. Consistency over speed every time... unless you like callbacks.
Honestly, I’ve had similar issues with speed over quality, especially when I tried to “keep up” with a crew using pneumatics on a steep roof. Ended up redoing a whole section because of crooked nails—talk about wasted time. Ever notice how much more waste there is when folks rush? I also switched to cordless for cold weather, but sometimes I wonder if hand nailing would’ve saved me some headaches. Anyone else feel like the tool matters less than just taking your time and checking your work as you go?