Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer vs DEWALT DCN692B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless Framing Nailer
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Framing Nailers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
The Makita drives full round head nails to a full 3-1/2 inches, which is the combination that satisfies the strictest codes. The DEWALT cordless matches the 3-1/2 inch range and removes the hose, on paper collation that leaves no debris.
Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer
Buy itFull round head nails to a full 3-1/2 inches, which is the combination that satisfies codes that reject clipped heads.
- Twenty-one degree plastic collation takes full round head nails, which hold better and are accepted everywhere, including jurisdictions that prohibit clipped heads.
- Drives 2 in. to 3-1/2 in. with shank diameters up to .148, so 16d framing nails are within range.
- Pneumatic, so there is no battery to run down on a tool that fires continuously through a day.
- Makita states the head type explicitly in the product name rather than leaving it to be inferred from the angle.
- Needs a compressor, hose and fittings, none of which appears in the price comparison.
- Plastic collation shatters on firing and throws fragments, which is a real argument for eye protection and a nuisance to clean up.
- Twenty-one degree magazines are bulkier than 30 degree ones and awkward between close studs.
DEWALT DCN692B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless Framing Nailer
Buy itThe full 3-1/2 inch range without a hose, on paper collation that shears cleanly instead of scattering plastic.
- Drives 2 in. to 3-1/2 in. nails in .113 to .131 gauge, matching the Makita on length.
- Cordless and brushless, so there is no compressor, hose or fittings and no line dragged across a deck.
- Paper tape collation shears cleanly and the remnant is often driven in with the nail, so there is no plastic debris underfoot.
- A 55 nail magazine, the largest of the cordless tools here.
- Thirty degree paper tape nails are predominantly clipped head, which some building codes do not accept, so the local rule needs checking first.
- Bare tool, so batteries and charger are a separate and significant cost.
- Cordless framing nailers are heavier at the nose than pneumatic and slower between shots on production runs.
Side by side
| Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer | DEWALT DCN692B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless Framing Nailer | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Framing where the inspector requires full round heads and the shop already runs air. | Framing and remodelling away from a compressor, in jurisdictions that accept clipped head nails. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$$ · premium |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer - Full round head nails to a full 3-1/2 inches, which is the combination that satisfies codes that reject clipped heads. Choose the DEWALT DCN692B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless Framing Nailer instead if framing and remodelling away from a compressor, in jurisdictions that accept clipped head nails.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Framing Nailers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).