What size brads/nails for fixing fence boards?

[MisterBoy]

Got a bit of a fencing job and considering getting a battery-powered nailgun, rather than using screws as I have before.

Various grades around and I would like to be able to use it on other things, I don't want a specialist fencing tool so I'm wondering if a lightweight gun used for internal trim would be adequate? A big first-fix gun would be total overkill, right?

I normally go Dewalt but am considering Ryobi One+ as it won't get heavy use, what length/gauge of nails would be normal for fixing the fence boards to the rails?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

For heavy fencing like Norfolk (hit and miss) fencing I would use a 1st fix gun. For lighter stuff I'd look at a 15 ga or 16 ga gun. Nail length depends on your board thickness, but you normally need nails 2 to 2.5 times as long as your material is thick get a good fix, e.g. 16/8mm thick feather edge board overlapped will need something like 50 to 63mm nails

 

[MisterBoy]

Thanks, I think all our stuff is plain 16mm boards (not feather edge). The Ryobi options are 18Ga (50mm) or 16Ga (65mm) so I guess you'd say even the larger one is really a 2nd-fix gun, the smaller one is just for trim? Sounds like you'd advise even their bigger gun is a bit on the smaller side, and the smaller one is too weedy?
Price difference body-only is actually only a tenner, seems the larger one needs a bigger battery but I'm thinking to get an adapter for my Dewalt batteries as I have several 5Ah ones.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

We use 18 ga guns for trim work like pinning smaller mouldings in place (e.g. false panelling on flush doors etc) and where material is pre finished and a loss obtrusive pin hole is required (e.g. oak architraves with a clear lacquer finish). 18 ga has very little structural strength

16 ga pins are quite a bit heavier, but still have limited holding power so must be used with care whereas a 1st fix nailer is often too heavy for the sort of cladding, etc that would have traditionally been done using 1 to 1-1/2in oval nails