DeWalt 20V MAX XR Lithium-Ion 30-Degree Cordless Brushless 2-Speed Framing Nailer with Batteries, Charger and Bag

Why I reached for a cordless framer

I’ve been slowly cutting cords and hoses from my framing kit, and the DeWalt XR framing nailer has been one of the most convincing steps in that direction. I put it through a mix of real work: stud walls in a small addition, blocking and headers, some deck repairs, and a quick garden bed build. By the end of a couple busy days, I had a clear sense of where this nailer shines and where you’ll still miss air.

Build, balance, and controls

This is a substantial tool—on the bulky side for sure—but it’s not unwieldy. With a 4.0Ah battery installed, the balance sits slightly rearward of the nose, which helps when you’re reaching overhead or toe‑nailing. The adjustable rafter hook is stout, easy to flip to either side, and actually holds the nailer where you hang it. The nose has aggressive teeth for stability on framing lumber, and there’s a no‑mar cap if you don’t want those marks on visible surfaces.

Controls are where DeWalt gets the little things right. There’s a big, glove‑friendly selector that toggles between sequential and bump fire, and a second two‑speed switch that’s handy: Speed 1 for shorter nails and softer stock, Speed 2 for longer fasteners or denser material. Depth of drive is a simple dial right at the nose; it’s positive and predictable. Trigger lock‑off is easy to reach, and the dry‑fire lockout reliably kicks in before the magazine empties, sparing both your workpiece and the driver blade.

The rear‑loading magazine takes 30–34° paper‑tape strips, clipped head or offset full round head, and holds up to 55 nails. That capacity is fine for punch lists and small runs, but you’ll be reloading more frequently than with a coil gun during production work.

Setup and nail compatibility

I ran a mix of 2" to 3‑1/2" nails in 0.113–0.131" diameters, both smooth and ring shank, from multiple brands. The nailer swallowed them without complaint. Loading is straightforward: slide the strip in from the back, pull down the follower, and you’re ready. The tool clearly prefers 30–33° sticks, but anything in the 30–34° paper‑tape range seated consistently.

Two included 4.0Ah packs kept me going. Charge time was about an hour and a half per pack on the supplied charger, so with a little rotation I never ran dry.

Power and drive consistency

The XR framing nailer hits harder than I expected from a cordless. On Speed 2 and with the depth set a tick heavy, I was burying 3‑1/2" nails roughly 1/8" below the surface in dense SPF and engineered stock. For toe‑nailing, the nose teeth lock in well, and the tool doesn’t kick you off the mark. If you back off the depth and drop to Speed 1 for 2"–2‑1/2" nails, it’s still authoritative, just a bit more polite.

You’ll hear the flywheel spin up when you depress the contact tip—think small heat‑gun whine rather than the crack of a pneumatic. It maintains spin for a beat between shots, so in sequential mode you can get into a rhythm without waiting on the motor every time. In bump fire, the cadence is good enough for sheathing and blocking runs; it won’t match a lightweight air gun for speed, but it’s quick and consistent.

Jams, stalls, and maintenance

Clearing a jam is tool‑free and fast. The nose opens without hunting for an Allen key, and the stall release lever resets the driver blade if you do manage to stick it. Across a few hundred nails, I had one misfeed when I let a mangled strip get too short—popping the nose and cycling the stall release had me back running in under a minute. Keep the nose clean and the magazine rails free of tape debris, and it stays happy.

One note on reliability: my first sample developed an odd drivetrain noise right out of the box and felt labored on spin‑up. I swapped it for another unit, and the replacement has been flawless. If you hear anything that doesn’t sound like a smooth wind‑up, don’t fight it—exchange it early.

Ergonomics on site

The convenience is real. Not dragging a hose across fresh paint or snaking a line through studs is a productivity boost, especially on remodels and punch lists. The trade‑off is weight. With a battery and a handful of nails, you’re in the 10‑pound neighborhood. For overhead work or long sessions, it’s noticeable. I mitigated that by running 4.0Ah packs instead of larger bricks—the runtime compromise was worth the lighter feel.

Visibility at the nose is decent for a framing gun, and driving accuracy is helped by the quick depth dial and the very predictable trigger. I had an easy time placing nails right where I wanted them on joist hangers and inside corners.

Battery life and charging

Runtime varies a lot by nail length, species, and firing mode, but a 4.0Ah pack got me through a few hundred fasteners on typical SPF framing before tapping out. Two packs in rotation will carry a full day unless you’re in full production mode. The charger’s 1.5‑hour cycle kept pace with my work flow. If you need to drive long 3‑1/2" nails all day in dense stock, budget for more packs—or be ready to switch over to air for the heaviest lifts.

Safety and features that matter

• Trigger lock‑off that you will actually use
• Dry‑fire lockout that prevents empty shots and protects the driver
• Tool‑free depth adjustment with clear, repeatable results
• Tool‑free jam access and a dedicated stall release lever
• Adjustable rafter hook that’s robust and reversible

None of this is flashy, but together they make for a dependable daily tool rather than a novelty cordless.

Where it fits in a pro kit

For remodelers, service carpenters, and small crews, this nailer is easy to recommend. It excels at scattered fastening: building a few walls, setting blocking, adding studs, trimming out a deck, or working in finished spaces where hoses are a hassle. It’s also a great “second gun” on a larger crew—someone can peel off to punch list tasks without tying up the compressor.

For all‑day production framing, pneumatics still hold two advantages: lighter weight and higher sustained firing speed, especially with coil nailers and bigger magazine capacities. If you’re driving thousands of nails in one go, you’ll feel the XR’s weight and capacity limits sooner.

Gripes and trade‑offs

• Weight and bulk: it’s a workout on overhead runs and long days
• Magazine capacity: 55 nails means more reloads during sheathing
• Not as fast as a light air gun in sustained bump fire
• Occasional out‑of‑box variability: listen for clean spin‑up and exchange if something sounds off

None of these are deal‑breakers for the work I do, but they’re worth understanding before you buy.

The bottom line

The DeWalt XR framing nailer delivers real framing‑gun performance without a hose. It drives 2"–3‑1/2" 30–34° paper‑tape nails with authority, offers simple and effective controls, and backs it up with quick jam clearing and practical safety features. The convenience premium is weight and a slightly slower top speed, but in exchange you get mobility, less setup, and fewer trip hazards.

Recommendation: I recommend this nailer to pros and serious DIYers who value mobility and clean workflow over shaving seconds per nail. It’s at its best on remodels, decks, punch lists, and small to medium framing jobs where dragging a compressor and hose slows you down. If your day is nonstop production framing, a lighter pneumatic with deeper magazine capacity will still be the faster tool. For everyone else, this is a capable, confidence‑inspiring cordless that earns a spot on the rack.