When it comes to cordless nailers and staplers, two products come to my mind: the Ryobi P320 Airstrike Cordless Brad Nailer and the Ryobi P360 Crown Stapler. While both are powerful and convenient in their own ways, which one is the best for your needs?
To help you choose, I’ve reviewed the two products below, listing their similarities and differences in terms of power, features, and the like. All this information will help you decide which tool to get.
A Quick Look at the Ryobi P320 and P360
Both the Ryobi P320 and P360 are cordless units, which makes them more suitable for people who are tired of using air compressors when working with projects around the house.
Before we dive into the similarities and differences between the products – and their resulting advantages and disadvantages – let’s start with a brief review of each.
Ryobi P320 Airstrike Cordless Brad Nailer
The Ryobi P320 Airstrike Brad Nailer is a cordless tool that will drive up to 1,700 nails on a single charge. To help you work in difficult and cramped situations, it has a convenient low-nail indicator to help you know when it’s time to reload. This feature helps to prevent dry firing and thus, it will save your wood surface finish from dents.
It also has a built-in LED light that will help you maintain accuracy with your current task, especially if you are working in a low-light area. The weight is only 5 pounds, so it’s not that difficult to carry around. Aside from that, it has a tool-less jam release which is a great help in the event of a nail jam.
Like most brad nailers out there that accept 18-gauge nails, it has two modes: contact actuation and sequential firing, so you can adjust depending on what your project’s needs (rapid firing or nailing one at a time). It has a magazine capacity of 105 nails.
Ryobi P360 Crown Stapler
Yet another cordless tool under the 18V system is the Ryobi P360 Crown Stapler, which has an onboard tool-less adjustment that lets you change the depth, which is helpful for one-handed use and multitasking. Like my previous pick, this crown stapler also has a built-in LED light that can be operated from the handle.
Like with most brad nailers, this crown stapler also has an anti-dry fire mechanism, in which a low staple indicator lets you know when it is time to reload the tool. It also has two modes: single sequential and contact actuation, depending on whether you want precision or speed on your project. It has a staple length of 3/8 to 1-1/2 inches.
Weighing 5 pounds, this lithium-ion-powered crown stapler will make up to 1,500 staples per charge with its 105-staple magazine capacity. It uses an 18-gauge 1/4-inch narrow crown staple type. Aside from that, it has two non-marring pads to keep your surface from any firing damage.
Ryobi P320 vs. Ryobi P360: Similarities
So, what makes the P320 and P360 similar, aside from both being Ryobi tools? Here are some similarities that are worth noting:
Weight
Both the Ryobi P320 and the P360 weigh 5 pounds. As both of them are cordless tools, it’s no surprise that they are slightly heavier than a pneumatic tool, so if you previously owned an air-powered stapler or brad nailer, it’s normal to feel a little tired after switching to these cordless units.
With that said, 5 pounds for either a brad nailer or a crown stapler is rather lightweight when compared to other brands or models.
Padding
To protect your surface from being scuffed, both the Ryobi P320 and the Ryobi P360 have two non-marring pads. What’s most annoying when you’re working with a nailer or stapler is if the tool has edges or parts that could ruin the surface of the material you are working on.
That’s why I like that both of these tools have these non-marring pads. After all, since they do have an anti-dry firing mechanism, having preventive pads to keep your surface clean and safe is a small matter. In this way, you’ll feel more confident when working on your project, knowing that the wood surface is protected.
LED Lights
When it comes to accuracy and safety, both the Ryobi P320 and the Ryobi P360 have a built-in LED light. This light will come in handy if you are working on dim areas, such as on a ceiling, and also when making home repairs. It will also work well in a low-lit garage.
Aside from that, when you have a handy LED light, you’ll easily see what you’re working on to avoid making mistakes (and wasting material). Both of these two tools use a grip-style activated LED light for convenience.
Tool-Less Adjustment
No one likes the inconvenience of finding their hands full of tools and accessories when working on a project, which is why both the Ryobi P320 and the Ryobi P360 have tool-less adjustments. This will save time and effort when you’re busy working and you need to adjust the tool on the fly.
Ryobi P320 vs. Ryobi P360: Differences
While both the Ryobi P320 and the Ryobi P360 have many similarities, they also have a couple of differences, such as the following:
Tool Type
The Ryobi P320 is a brad nailer while the P360 is a crown stapler. Aside from using two different attaching pieces (brad nail vs. staple), crown staplers are mainly used for attaching fabric to wood, while brad nailers work best for wood to wood projects.
If you mostly work on projects that solely involve wood, the Ryobi P320 brad nailer is for you. On the other hand, you’re better off with the Ryobi P360 crown stapler if you want flexibility between material types (other than wood).
Capacity per Charge
The Ryobi P320 is a brad nailer that has up to 1,700 nails per charge for its capacity. On the other hand, the Ryobi P360 crown stapler has up to 1,500 staples for its capacity per charge.
Dry Fire Lockout
Although both of them have a low nail or staple indicator, only the Ryobi P360 crown stapler has a dry fire lockout, which is a separate mechanism that prevents you from firing a blank.
Which of the Two Ryobi Products Should You Get?
If you mainly work on wood projects, the Ryobi P320 is for you since brad nails hold wood materials together better. On the other hand, the Ryobi P360 is more suited for projects that involve attaching other materials to wood, such as fabric.
Summary
Overall, both the Ryobi P320 and P360 might be different tools (brad nailer vs. stapler) but they have a lot of similarities when it comes to specifications and convenient features. Whichever tool you choose, you’ll be satisfied with their performance and great features.