Nailer/Compressor Combo Input

[TIMBERTODD]

Im going to buy a finish nailer brad nailer/compressor combo this weekend. I have looked at the PorterCable at Home Depot $279. Bostich at Lowes $250. I havent made it to WoodCraft yet. They have a Senco. I was wondering if anyone has any experience or comments about any of these units. I will be using the finish nailer the most for home remodel projects.
TIMBERTODD

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Todd

You cant go wrong with any of them. All those places usually runs specials on them.If you have an ACE Hardware by you check them out also. The guns are usually set up with panckae compressor or a small canister tank but all are oiless compressors. The things to be aware of is. With the compressor being an oiless they are noisier than an oiled one, not really a big deal, they do not last as long as an oiled one, not a big deal because they are cheap but if you use it alot then I would reconsider things. Accasional home use is perfect. Not made to run large guns such as framing and roofing nailers, again not a big deal how many of us do. Some compressors draw more amperage so may be a concern. Can not use heavy duty paint sprayers with them. Do not have the air capacity needed.

The kits come with different setups and guns. Some come with brad nailers and a finishing gun. To me that is the way to go. All those guns are great guns. I have Senco and Bostich in both brad and two different finish nailers. The things to look for in a gun are ease of use. No-mar tips good for nailing molding. Size of nails it can shoot. Ease of clearing a jambed nail. Some guns you flip a lever in the front and the front casing comes off. Very easy to use. Some require a allen key. Need to make sure you oil gun if it requires it. Some guns are oiless. Usually your bigger guns are oil type. Make sure all the fittings are there. I like to convert my guns to quick-disconnect type which means buying additional connectors. I do not think they come with these kits. I think it is a screw on type connection. Could be wrong. I did not buy mine as a kit and in fact they did not sell as a kit.

Good luck toyshopping. Love those days. :)

[pops-shop]

Hey, todd

You might also want to check out Harbor Freight. Yep the stuff is "cheap" but extremely serviceable and will last a long time with regular pm.

[TIMBERTODD]

John, Fred thank you for your help. There is a Harbor Freight in Portland, so I will make a trip there Saturday and check them out.
Thanks again
TIMBERTODD

[cranbrook2]

i have had porter cable finish nailers for about 10 years now and i have never ever had any problems with them.they make some really nice tools. :D

[wisconsinwoodch]

I have a finnish nailer from harber freight, and never had any troble with it . wisconsin wood chuck

[crolf]

I bought a brad nailer from harbor freight sevral years ago. No problems but it uses 1 3/16 brads which i cannot find at our Lowe's or Homdepo. I can only find 1 1/4 and 1 inch brads which is a problem sometimes.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I don't think I ever seen a 1 3/16" brad. Odd size.

[crolf]

You can buy them (1 3/16 brad) at harbor freight.

[LONGHAIR]

I have the Senco kit. I bought the one with the micro-pinner since I already had an Accuset brad nailer and several other nail guns and staplers. I bought the compressor kit to be mobile. That thing is super quiet and super light weight. I had a pancake model from Craftsman..........Noisey and very heavy.
I would never buy another with-out hearing one run first. The Senco kit sells for $189-$200 around here.

[Servcman]

Just got an email ad from rockler today and if you can wait for shipping etc. they have sales on them if they fit the purpose of what you are looking for.
Dennis

[TIMBERTODD]

Thanks again for everyones input. I did alittle traveling around the Portland metro area saturday and compared equipment and prices. I ended up buying the Porter Cable combo yesterday. It has a finish nailer, brad nailer and stapler plus the compressor. I was like a kid with his new toy on Christmas morning. Thank goodness they included fasteners for each gun. After reading the owners manual (maybe one of the first times I have done this) I broke in the compressor and proceeded to load the guns. I grabbed a couple of pieces of scrap wood and went to town. Lets just say those boards wont be coming apart without a couple of prybars. I have never had the pleasure of using a nailgun before. WOW what a nice tool. This is definitley going to speed up my home remodel projects. The compressor is a noisey bugger compared to my 220 shop unit. Oh well, Im always looking for a new way to wakeup my teenage daughter before noon.
TIMBERTODD

[Gunny]

I've had the Porter Cable kit myself for a couple of years and I was happy with it. I upgraded to a higher CFM but moved the PC pancake into my lathe shop where it comes in handy for a variety of tasks, not the least of which is blowing the dust out of the housing etc...

Be sure to lay in a supply disconnect fittings and a stock of teflon tape because you'll be amazed at the number pneumatic tools you never knew existed but now you won't be able to get along without them...

I have a PC framing nailer which is great but cumbersome. Then I picked up a "palm nailer" from Homier.com for $20 and it changed the way I look at tight spaces. It paid for itself the first time I used it in a corner...

Not long ago on DIY Tools 'n techniques I saw a pneumatic "pin" nailer that could actually nail a toothpick to a board. I never realized how important it is to be able to do that |-]...
:D

[LONGHAIR]

That's what most companies call a "micro pinner" .......nailing a toothpick aside, they are really handy if you do any trim work. The hole that is left behind is so tiny that it generally doesn't require any filling at all. All of the models that I have seen/used do not use the spring saftey of a regular brad nailer. This means that you don't have to press on your moulding and potentially dent it. You can actually hold the tool a tiny fraction away from tiny moulding, like glass stop, and it will still fire.
I have a Senco, my brother has an older Accuset and another guy we work with has a Porter Cable.....they all do a great job. They are light duty though, not for everyone. The longest pins are only 1 inch, so you are not going to be able to do anything too big anyway.

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

I find a pin nailer also to be very handy putting frames together. What is great about them the pin will not split the wood if you happen to catch the grain line. I even used it to nail the stops for the CD's when I put these together. I do need to get these back in stock. They were good sellers.
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