Is the budget-friendly Titan TTB970NST 32mm Electric Nail Gun/Stapler a DIYers dream? I put it to the test

A nail gun is a smart and simple way to speed up a DIY project. They're much faster than the old-school hammer method and generally more effective. They use a burst of power to drive a nail or staple into wood in a split second. This lets you quickly move on to the next fixing point.

There are two common types: first fix and second fix. Nail guns and stapler combos, known as second fix (which we are reviewing here) are ideal for securing wooden boards to frames, nailing fence panels to timber, fixing skirting boards, fitting architrave and fastening fabric to wooden furniture frames.

Here, I run the Titan TTB970NST second-fix nail gun/stapler through a series of tests to see how well it tackles the DIY jobs I had in store and if it makes it onto my list of must-have tools.

SPECS AND FEATURES

• Motor: 1900W
• Magazine volume: 100
• Cord length: 2 metres
• Weight: 1.45kg
• Fixing sizes: Nails - 15mm-32mm / Staples - 15mm-25mm
• Nail/Staple type: 18ga
• Firing rate: Max 30 per minute
• Guarantee: 2 years
• Features: Adjustable impact control, Nail - 2 x 32mm strip x 50, Staples - 2 x 20mm strip x 50 / 4 x 25mm strip x 50

UNBOXING & FIRST IMPRESSIONS

My first impression was that it was a basic piece of kit, but it didn't surprise me as the Titan TTB970NST 32mm Second Fix Electric Nail Gun Stapler is a Screwfix own-brand tool. This means it's offered at a very respectable, budget-friendly price of under £35.

There was a distinct lack of packaging – just the box, which held the corded nail gun/stapler, a small box of brad nails, and 20mm and 25mm staples. I like the fact that there was little packaging to get rid of, but a bit more would have kept the contents from moving around in the box.

I also would have liked more nails in the box, but there are plenty to start a DIY project. You can also purchase an additional pack of 2000 for around £5. One thing missing from the box was a carry or hard case to store the tool. But that's par for the course for power tools that sit at the budget end of the market.

The unit is solid enough, with a functional soft grip, but it doesn't match the more expensive power tools I've used. The trigger is a little clunky, and the plastic elements of the magazine suggest they weren't built to last, but time and testing will reveal more. The impact control slider was simple and straightforward, nothing too fancy here.

My overall impression was that I was getting a budget-friendly tool, so my expectations weren't as high as they might have been if I were investing in a high-end power tool. However, I headed into testing with an open mind.

SETTING UP

Setting up the Titan TTB970NST itself wasn't too involved. However, you do need to choose the right fixing for the task you are tackling. Introducing the supplied brad nails (nails with tiny heads similar to panel pins) was straightforward. Simply pull back the fastener retainer and twist it onto the retainer holder. Then place the nail or staple strip into the magazine. Just make sure you follow the insertion instructions. It's pretty simple, but if you've never used a nail gun, it's easy to get wrong.

To finish, pull back and twist the retainer back into place to hold the nails or staples in place. The plastic retainer didn't fill me with confidence; it wasn't a heavyweight piece of kit, but it did the job. But I'm not sure how long it will last.

To finish, set the adjustable impact control slider button. The handle has '+' and '-' moulded into it to help you choose, but they're the same colour as the body, so they're hard to see. If you're using it for the first time, it's recommended to set it to the lowest setting and test it on the material you're using for the project. You can adjust accordingly while testing.

Don't forget to wear the appropriate safety gear before you start. I recommend safety goggles (such as these Site SEY550 Slimline Safety Goggles from Screwfix), work boots and sturdy work gloves at the very least. I'd also suggest ear defenders such as these Dr.Meter Ear Defenders from Amazon.

PERFORMANCE

To test, I used the supplied fixings - nails and staples. To start, I did some quick tests on 18mm plywood and 12mm softwood I had lying around to get a feel for the Titan TTB970NST. The gun has a 2m cord, so you will need an extension - such as this 10m IONOS 2 Socket Cable Reel from Amazon to do most jobs safely.

As recommended, I started on the lowest setting and tried the 32mm nails in 18mm plywood. This was a no. There simply wasn't enough force to drive them all the way in, but this wasn't unexpected. So I turned up the impact control to full and tried again. This time no problem.

Next I nailed together two scrap pieces of 18mm plywood. A job well done; the two pieces were going nowhere, they were securely fastened. I tried the same with some 9mm, 12mm and 18mm MDF and got very similar results. To finish up the nails, I fitted a few feather edge fencing boards I hadn't got round to putting up. Once again, impact control was at full, so there was no problem fixing them in place.

The only issue was that with impact control at full, marks were left in the wood next to the fixing. Not a problem generally, but in some cases, fewer marks are better. Fine-tuning the impact control helped to some degree, but not completely.

Next it was time to test the 20mm and 25mm staples. These are commonly used to attach materials to wood, often for upholstering. Again, I tested both on plywood, MDF and some 9mm and 12mm softwood. Once more, everything worked a treat.

To finish, I decided to give the Titan TTB970NST a sterner test and see how it worked on some 15mm and 35mm hardwood I've kept forever. This proved a step too far, with the nails struggling to fully penetrate the wood. But it was still worth trying.

During testing, I used all the nails supplied (100); they went much quicker than I expected, but new nails such as these Erbauer Galvanised Straight Brad Nails 18ga x 32mm 2000 Pack from Screwfix are relatively cheap - £5.49 at the time of testing. Smaller 15mm nails such as this Easyfix Galvanised Brad Nails 18ga x 15mm 2000 Pack from Screwfix were even less - £2.99.

Finally, a word of warning: if you are adding more than a few nails or staples, I strongly recommend ear defenders. While the Titan TTB970NST is on a par with similar nail guns (the manufacturer's sound pressure level states 95.3 dB(A)), anything above 85db is considered a hearing risk. So keep those ears covered.

FINAL VERDICT

If you're an occasional DIYer who doesn't want or need to spend big on a nail fun or stapler, I would definitely put the Titan TTB970NST on your to-buy list. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked, which was better than I expected. All the supplied fixings powered through the plywood, MDF, softwood, and other materials I tried.

I didn't experience any jams, though I've read a few reviews that have. So my only real reservation is the build quality of certain components. Some plastic parts, like the fastener retainer, worked well but felt a bit flimsy. Only time will tell how well it lasts. But at such a budget-friendly price point, it's hard to resist. And if it fails outside its warranty, you won't need to spend much to replace it.