DeWalt 20V MAX 15° Cordless Coil Roofing Nailer (Tool Only)

A compressor-free roofing day that actually worked

I left the compressor and hose in the truck and spent a week roofing with DeWalt’s cordless coil roofing nailer. By the end, I wasn’t missing the air line one bit. This battery-powered 15° nailer isn’t a replacement for every roof on every crew, but it’s a very capable, genuinely fast option for repairs, punch lists, and even small to mid-size re-roofs if you plan your batteries. It combines the familiar feel of a roofing gun with enough power and runtime to make you forget it’s cordless for long stretches.

What it is and where it fits

This is a 20V MAX brushless roofing nailer that drives wire-collated, 15° roofing nails from 3/4 to 1-3/4 inch. The canister holds up to 120 nails, and it supports bump actuation for speed. There’s a tool-free depth wheel, a tool-free adjustable nail tray for different coil diameters, and a stall-release lever for clearing problems quickly. As a “tool only” configuration, it ships without a battery or charger, which suits anyone already on the 20V MAX platform.

In my hands, it slots neatly into three roles:
- Repair and insurance work where dragging a hose is a hassle or a hazard
- In-progress fixes on roofs already staged and cluttered
- Small to medium re-roofs where mobility matters more than maximum peak pace

If you run a high-production crew that lives on ridge vents from sunup to sundown, a pneumatic setup still wins on all-day weight and infinite runtime. For everything else, this cordless option is compelling.

Setup, ergonomics, and balance

The loading process is straightforward. Flip open the canister, set the coil onto the adjustable tray, feed the leader into the nose, close it up, and you’re live. The tray’s tool-free adjustment makes a difference: setting the nail diameter correctly is critical for smooth feeding. Once set, I had no trouble switching between 1-1/4 and 1-3/4-inch coils.

The handle and grip contour are classic DeWalt—secure, with enough circumference to feel planted when you’re bouncing across OSB. The integrated belt hook is stout and swings onto a ladder rung or parapet cleanly. Bare tool weight is 8.7 lb; add a battery and the total creeps north of a pneumatic roofing gun with a whip hose. That extra mass is noticeable late in the day, but the freedom from hose drag and snags offsets it. Over slippery granules, not having a tether pulled me off balance fewer times, which is worth a lot.

Power, speed, and depth control

The brushless motor has the snap you want for laminated shingles. DeWalt rates it at up to three nails per second, and I was comfortable keeping a steady 2–3 nails per second in bump mode on straight runs. Power-wise, it consistently drove 1-1/4 and 1-1/2-inch nails flush on architectural shingles over 1/2-inch plywood and OSB. I only needed to bump the depth wheel mid-day when the sun softened the shingles and the deck warmed—normal roofing conditions that affect drive with any gun.

Depth adjustment is tool-free and repeatable. I set flush for field shingles and tweaked slightly shallower around ridge and hip where layered material can invite overdrive. Underdrives showed up when the battery dropped near empty, which is typical for cordless nailers; swapping packs solved it.

On drip edge, step flashing, and valleys where material stacks up, the gun still put nails in cleanly. If you like to feather trigger pulls around delicate areas, don’t worry—bump mode isn’t mandatory. I used controlled shots near transitions and bump for open runs.

Runtime and battery strategy

DeWalt’s estimate is up to 500 nails per charge with a 2 Ah pack under standard conditions (asphalt shingles on 1/2-inch plywood). That’s in the ballpark of what I’ve seen. With compact packs, plan on several swaps during a day. With 5 Ah packs, I comfortably covered a few squares at a time before changing batteries. Your result will vary with shingle thickness, nail length, temperature, and how often you’re on bump. The bottom line: bring more battery than you think you need, and you can absolutely roof continuously without the compressor.

One practical note: keep your spare batteries shaded on the roof. Heat shortens effective runtime, and warm packs come off the charger slower. A little forethought with charging rotations keeps the gun fed.

Jams, misfires, and maintenance

Any roofing gun can get fussy if the coil is set wrong or the nose fills with tar and grit. This one is no different. My early hiccups were self-inflicted: a loose coil tension setting and an off-size tray position caused double advances. Once I matched the tray to the coil and kept the feed path clean, misfeeds were rare. When they did happen, the stall release lever cleared the driver quickly without digging for a hex key.

Best practices that helped:
- Set the nail tray to match the coil diameter; don’t guess
- Stick with quality wire-collated coils; inconsistent wire welds cause headaches
- Brush granules and debris from the canister and nose throughout the day
- Wipe asphalt build-up from the tip to maintain consistent set depth

If you treat this tool like a pneumatic gun that never needs attention, you’ll be frustrated. Give it the light maintenance it asks for, and it runs smoothly.

Accuracy, consistency, and shingle care

Drive consistency is excellent when the depth is dialed in. I didn’t see the “walking” that some lighter pneumatics can produce in bump mode on dusty granules. The shoe engages predictably, and the recoil is manageable even in awkward body positions. Overdrive is possible if you set depth too deep on hot days; shaving the wheel back a click or two keeps heads where they belong.

It’s worth stating the obvious: this is a roofing nailer, not a cap nailer. It’s perfect for shingles and flashing, not synthetic underlayment caps.

Durability and service

I put this nailer through several months of regular roofing work—repairs, small re-roofs, and a couple of long days that counted as “medium” jobs. It’s held up: no looseness in the canister door, no trigger oddities, and the driver still hits with authority. Roofing is hard on tools because of asphalt, UV, and grit; regularly clearing build-up goes a long way. DeWalt backs it with a 3-year limited warranty, 1-year free service, and a 90-day satisfaction period. That’s a solid safety net for a tool that will see tough conditions.

Usability details that matter

• The 120-nail canister reduces reloads versus stick options and feels similar to a pneumatic coil gun workflow.
• The bump mode toggle is easy to reach with gloves, and the gun spools quickly after a pause.
• The belt hook is strong enough to trust when you’re repositioning, which makes a bigger difference on a cordless than you’d think.
• The overall footprint is compact enough to work near ridge vents and around solar standoffs without gymnastics.

Where it falls short

• Weight: It’s heavier than a typical air roofing gun, especially with a larger battery. Your forearm will notice by late afternoon.
• Sustained, all-day production: If you’re trying to match the ceaseless pace of a compressor feeding multiple guns, the battery swaps and added mass will slow you a hair.
• Technique sensitivity: Coil setup and keeping the feed path clean are non-negotiable. Sloppy loading equals misfeeds.

None of these are deal-breakers for the intended use, but they’re worth understanding before you buy.

Who will love it

• Roofers and remodelers who value mobility—service calls, tie-ins, storm response, and punch work
• DIYers with occasional roofing projects and an existing 20V MAX kit
• Small crews who already carry multiple DeWalt batteries and want to leave the compressor behind for smaller jobs

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt cordless roofing nailer for anyone tackling repairs, small re-roofs, or mobility-first jobs where hoses are a liability. It drives standard 15° wire-collated roofing nails with consistent depth, hits a genuine 2–3 nails per second in bump mode, and delivers practical runtime if you bring a couple of charged packs. You trade a bit of weight and some battery management for zero hose drag, quick setup, and safer movement on the roof. For high-volume production crews, a pneumatic system still makes sense; for everyone else, this cordless nailer earns a place on the truck.