DEWALT DC612KA 1-1/4-Inch to 2-1/2-Inch 12-Volt / 14.4-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless 16-Gauge Straight Finish Nailer

No compressor. No hoses. No kidding. And no sacrifices in speed or power, either. There's absolutely no comparison between this performer and the fuel-cell powered competition, which we thought was a great innovation. But there's no costly fuel cell to replace on this tool—-just pop on a recharged XRP battery and get back on the job. The only difference you'll feel between this and a traditional pneumatic is that you're not tethered to an air hose. It's just as fast and fires just as powerfully into both soft and hard joints. We love that you can choose bump or sequential mode for precision or speed, something most nailers don't offer, and the integrated headlight is another impressive addition, really lighting up your workpiece even in the worst conditions. There's a fantastic six-position numbered dial to reference your depths, so you can move easily between, for example, baseboard and crown molding without struggling to reset the depth. DeWalt's covered what would have been our main safety concern: An air tool can't fire without a hose, but what's to keep this one from being accidentally fired? They've built in a contact trip lock-off. We were pleased with the troubleshooting process, too—the nosepiece is clear and very accessible, letting you clear a jammed fastener without screwdrivers or wrenches, though we couldn't get it to jam for us. Rear loading is simple and fast, and it accepts most brands of 16-gauge nails. It's built tough for the job site, but the home hobbyist would love this tool. Just hook it on your tool belt and go; it's one of the coolest tools we've seen, and the kit has everything you need: a one-hour charger, two 14.4V XRP batteries, reversible belt hook, no-mar tip, safety glasses and the heavy-duty kit box.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste