Makita 18V Brad Nailer Review & Test (DFN350)

I got my cordless 18V Makita brad nailer (DFN 350Z) about a year ago and have been putting it through its paces. Is it the best nailgun you can buy? No, but it may be the most convenient and does the job it was designed for very well. It fires 15 to 35mm brads, requires no compressor, no cords, and none of the maintenance a Paslode or other gas nail guns would have. A simple but solid 18 gauge C1 brad nail unit and a great addition to your workshop.

Or, if you need something a bit bigger the XNB02Z is 16 gauge and fires 1" to 2-1/2" nails:

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#Makita #Review #Nailgun

00:00 DFN 350z Intro
00:57 Unboxing
01:33 Basic Features
04:18 Intended Uses
05:20 Soft & Hard Wood Tests
09:25 Final Thoughts

[FixitFingers]

I hope this video helps you decide if this little brad nailer is right for you. If this was useful you can now say "Thanks" above or simply like or share it. Hit me up if you have any questions! - James

[woodfather]

That protection against firing when you're out of nails is great, I've been tricked a bunch of times by mine, thinking I've shot a bunch of nails but then the whole thing falls apart when I take my clamps off.

[ColinKlupiec]

Just found this…looking at making something out of 17mm pine non-structural form ply. From those tests I reckon it would go through quite well. Thanks, that was useful.

[UntitledUnlimitedCreations]

Use mine one hardwood trim, still secures the material without issue. I love it

[hunterluxton]

Superb. Very clear and with all the right specifications needed to make a purchase. The info on the type of nails was also very helpful.

Hi James, The Cordless Makita nail gun is good choice. Effective even in hardwood. The front led, trigger lock and depth adjustment are nice features. Your trial tests are successful. Thank you for the introduction and information. It's a very useful tool. See you. Stay healthy and safe. I wish you have a nice weekend. Big greetings. Yours sincerely, Mehmet

[AceWoodCo]

Yeah James! I just picked one up a couple of weeks ago and I'm super happy with it, I only wished it shot up to 2" inch nails like other typical brad nailers and for more renovation work. Glad you made a video on it ( I was debating on making one as well, Great minds think alike 😀), there actually isn't much on this brad nailer so it's nice to see! Cheers man

[SmallFryCreations]

Top review James!! Handy tool for the workshop!!

[JesperMakes]

Nice tool, good review. I'm currently using Paslode for my nails, but I have thought about having a cordless one in my collection.

[briansbuildsandoutdoors]

Nice one James, I have been thinking about adding this to my teal coloured armoury along with the 18v random orbital sander Great review mate, thanks. All the best, Brian.

[SujMenon]

Great product review James. I was secretly hoping it would work properly on hardwood 😁

[AHFxCK]

Great review! Cool little gun, just ordered one, shame it can’t shoot 40mm nails, as 35 are too short really for 18mm trim+10mm gyprock leaving only 7mm into framing, but for that I’ll use my paslode, 18 gauge nails are perfect for where trim lands on door jambs/ window reveal, 16g seems to split it near every time. Won’t have to set up the compressor anymore.

[woodsugardesigns]

Solid review mate. Nice work testing it on hardwood, helps a ton when making the decision on purchasing one 👍

[singlefather]

I have Ryobi 18 gauge. For half the price of Makita or Milwaukee, this gun is pretty powerful and extremely reliable. I am waiting for it to break, so I can get the Milwaukee version. Not yet.

[erykfreethinker]

What a great tool to own James, a long time ago when I was able to work with wood I would have found this so useful.
It may not work with the hardest woods but if you only use these rarely and are nailing through the hard into softer it may be a solution to drill small pilot holes through the hard - but that would depend on accurate positioning maybe.
Thank you for opening my eyes to yet anotherer facet of modern woodworking!

[steven]

Hi great video. I currently use the makita Air finishing nailer running off a compressor. For my job. I carpet treads of stairs and and laminate flooring on the Risers. So I pin the Risers. My question is. Will the makita cordless be as powerful to go through and flush neat finish. Before I purchase. As in the UK its around £400. Just standard 8mm laminate. Thank

[OzSawdustMakers]

My Ryobi brad nailer was one of the best things i have purchased recently. Sure beats a noisy compressor and dragging a hose along!

[MrDavideblur]

Hi ! Great review! After watching this I think I’m going to buy one… Could you tell me what clamps you’ve used on this video at 0:43 for that rectangular frame to achieve squared corners?

[sihaughey]

Concise and to the point. Great vid! I’m off to get one.

[Yannis]

Was hoping it would work for trim out of MDF. Well, well...