Tools & DIY · Head-to-head
Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer vs DEWALT DCN920B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless 21 Degree Plastic Collated 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, the full round head and the .148 inch shank, and removes the hose.
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 in 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 DCN920B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless 21 Degree Plastic Collated Framing Nailer
Buy itFull round head nails to 3-1/2 inches with no hose, the code-safe collation in a cordless body.
- Drives 2 in. to 3-1/2 in. nails in .113 to .148 gauge, matching the Makita on both length and shank.
- Twenty-one degree plastic collation with full round head nails, the head shape codes that reject clipped heads accept.
- Cordless and brushless, so there is no compressor, hose or fittings and no line dragged across a deck.
- DEWALT states 8.65 lb tool only, and the flywheel stays spinning for 6 seconds after the trigger is released to cut the wait between shots.
- A 36 nail magazine, the smallest here, so it reloads more often than any other tool in the group.
- Bare tool, so batteries and charger are a separate and significant cost.
- Plastic collation throws fragments on firing, with the same debris and eye protection issue as the Makita.
Side by side
| Makita AN924 21 Degree Full Round Head Framing Nailer | DEWALT DCN920B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless 21 Degree Plastic Collated 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, including jurisdictions that require full round 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 DCN920B 20V MAX XR Brushless Cordless 21 Degree Plastic Collated Framing Nailer instead if framing and remodelling away from a compressor, including jurisdictions that require full round 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).