The question of whether full round head nails or clipped head nails are better is frequently asked by consumers.

Some people prefer full round head nails as opposed to clipped head nails because they think that they are more robust but it is actually the shank that gives most of the support. The head of the nail only begins to play a role when there is withdrawal; when the nail begins to slip out of the wood. The head prevents the upper and base materials from separating and also from pull through; this is when the nail head is dragged through the upper material

Advantages of clipped head nails are that they are smaller, so more can be fitted into a nail gun magazine. This saves time because the nail gun does not require to be reloaded as often. It also means that the nail gun itself is smaller and therefore lighter.

Full round head nails are generally preferred in hurricane-prone regions of the world as they are less likely to be overdriven into the walls, which can cause building failure.

Brad and Finish nails have rectangular heads that that the same width of as the shank, but a larger breadth. This makes the shank more resilient than both full round head nails and clipped head nails and also decreases the pull through pressure.