DeWalt 5/8 in. x 18-Gauge Glue Collated Straight Brad Nails (1000 per Box)

A small fastener that earns its keep

Short, thin, and easy to underestimate—5/8-in brads are the kind of consumable I reach for constantly during finish work, even if they aren’t the star of the show. I’ve been using these DeWalt 5/8-in 18-gauge brads for trim details, cabinet tweaks, shop jigs, and tacking tasks where a longer fastener would either blow out, telegraph through, or split the work. They’ve proven consistent in the gun, predictable in wood, and forgiving on delicate mouldings. They’re not for everything, and I’ll get into those limits, but for their intended jobs they’re reliable and easy to live with.

What these brads are (and aren’t)

At 5/8 in long and 18 gauge, these are short, light-duty brads designed for interior use. They come in glue-collated strips for straight-magazine 18-gauge brad nailers and use a small T-head. The smooth shank and uncoated finish keep them clean and easy to drive, but they won’t offer the same withdrawal resistance as longer or coated fasteners. Translation: use them to pin thin material to a solid substrate, to hold glued joints while the adhesive cures, and to discretely secure delicate trim without risking splits or large nail holes.

If you’re thinking baseboards to studs or heavy casing, grab longer brads or even 16-gauge finish nails. These 5/8-in brads shine for shoe molding, scribe molding, tiny returns, outside miters, cabinet face-frame bead, light lattice, screen beading, and small craft or shop projects where you don’t want the fastener to show—or blow through—your work.

Consistency and collation quality

Collation quality is where budget brads often cause headaches. With these, the strips are cleanly glued and durable enough to handle jobsite shuffling without crumbling. They load smoothly in a straight 18-gauge magazine and don’t shed flaky glue that gums up the nosepiece. Over multiple boxes, I’ve had no jams attributable to the collated sticks themselves. The glue line holds the strip together until the magazine spring does its job, which is exactly what you want.

The brads themselves are straight and uniform. I check for bent tips before loading; with these, it’s a non-issue. That uniformity shows up in depth consistency, which is as much about the brad as it is about the gun and air pressure.

Driving performance and depth control

With an 18-gauge brad nailer set to a moderate 70–90 PSI and the depth-of-drive adjusted, these brads seat reliably just below the surface in both softwood and hardwood trim. In poplar, pine, and MDF, they sink with minimal fiber blowout—more tidy dimples than craters—so filling is quick. In oak and maple, I back off the pressure slightly and let the gun’s depth setting do the last bit of work to avoid crushing fibers around the head.

The chisel point does what it’s supposed to do: it reduces splitting in small, fragile stock. On thin returns or narrow beads close to the edge, I haven’t had issues with splits as long as I keep a sensible distance from end grain. Like all chisel-point brads, these can follow grain if you push your luck near an edge. Simple fixes help—angle the gun slightly, stay off the very edge, and don’t chase a stubborn spot; move over a hair.

One note on technique: because these brads are short, they’re excellent for tacking parts while you adjust alignment. I often place a couple of 5/8-in brads to hold a miter tight, then come back with glue and longer fasteners in hidden locations where needed. Used that way, they act like removable clamps but leave almost invisible holes.

Fit and compatibility

These are straight brads for straight 18-gauge nailers. They’ve run flawlessly for me in a DeWalt brad nailer and a couple of homeowner-favorite guns from other brands. They won’t fit an angled brad nailer, and they definitely aren’t compatible with 16-gauge finish nailers or 23-gauge pinners. If you’re unsure, check that your gun accepts 18-gauge brads down to 5/8 in length; most do.

I like that the strips aren’t excessively long; they load easily without having to fight the magazine door. A 1000-count box lasts a surprising amount of time for trim and jig work, and at 0.4 lb per box they’re easy to toss in a pouch or drawer without adding weight.

Finish quality and hole size

The small T-head leaves a tiny oval imprint that’s easy to hide. In paint-grade work, a swipe of lightweight spackle or wood filler disappears after a quick sand. On clear-finished hardwoods, I match a filler stick to the grain and the holes all but vanish. Compared to 16-gauge finish nails, these leave significantly smaller holes, which saves patching time and helps preserve crisp moulding profiles.

For ultra-invisible fastening where the piece isn’t going to see any real stress, a 23-gauge pin might leave an even smaller mark. But 18-gauge brads like these have noticeably more holding power while still staying discreet—ideal for shoe molding, returns, and the non-structural parts of casing assemblies.

Materials, corrosion, and where not to use them

These are uncoated, interior-only brads. In dry interior spaces, that’s perfect: they drive clean, don’t leave residue, and won’t fight you coming out of the strip. I wouldn’t use them where moisture is a factor—exterior work, damp basements, or splash-prone areas—because plain steel can rust and telegraph stains through paint over time. If you’re installing trim near frequent moisture, look for galvanized or stainless options.

MDF, poplar, and pine all behave well with these. In brittle hardwoods, keep the pressure sensible and use the depth control. In plywood face veneers, I’ll switch to a slightly longer brad for better bite into the plies, but for edge banding and thin appliqués, the 5/8-in length is just right.

Limits and realistic expectations

I regularly see brads misused as a cure-all fastener. A 5/8-in 18-gauge brad won’t meaningfully secure a baseboard to a stud or a door casing to drywall and framing; you need more length to engage the framing and create withdrawal resistance. Use these to tack delicate pieces, to pair with glue for strength, or to secure thin trim to a firm substrate. If you treat them as light-duty fasteners that protect the appearance of your work, they’ll shine. If you try to build framing with them, you’ll be disappointed.

Tips for best results

• Adjust pressure and depth: Start low on PSI and fine-tune with the tool’s depth setting to avoid overdriving.
• Mind the grain: Stay a bit off edges and angle slightly to minimize deflection.
• Pair with glue: For lasting strength in trim assemblies, brads plus adhesive is the winning combo.
• Keep the nose clean: Wipe the nosepiece occasionally; glue-collated brads are clean, but a little maintenance keeps depth consistent.
• Test on offcuts: Different woods react differently; a couple of test shots dial in your settings fast.

Value and availability

There’s not much to romanticize about consumables, but consistency matters. These brads are uniform, reliable, and come in a practical quantity. The 90-day return window is a nice safety net, though I can’t imagine needing it unless you grabbed the wrong length. If you already keep 1-1/4 in or 2 in 18-gauge brads on hand for general casing, adding a box of 5/8 in brads rounds out your kit for the delicate end of finish work.

Recommendation

I recommend these DeWalt 5/8-in 18-gauge brads for anyone doing interior finish work who needs a short, discreet fastener that won’t split delicate trim or leave noticeable holes. They feed reliably, seat consistently, and excel at the light-duty tasks where longer nails are a liability. Just use them within their lane—tacking thin mouldings, securing small returns and beads, and holding glued joints—and they’ll make your trim work cleaner and faster. If you need to anchor baseboards or casings to framing, reach for longer brads or a heavier-gauge nail; that’s not what these are for. As a complement to the longer sizes in your nail drawer, they’re an easy yes.