Thread: Battery Power V Pneumatic for nailer and stapler

the battery ones are great for when you want to put nails somewhere the air compressor isn't.

At work we have a Makita stapler and several air ones. No one uses the Makita - slow and less punch to it, they even grab the old school mechanical stapler if out of range of air hoses . Presume pin guns are in a similar category. Have bought (cause was very cheap) Aldi random orbit -air -my little compressor wont really drive it properly. Rotary tools need more air.

So portability is a plus for battery and power a plus for air.

In my small workshop space is an issue and anything other than a small compressor is going to get in the way. But it also means being able to use a short hose.

Any thoughts on long term reliability - I guess a small compressor and a battery powered tool might have about the same shelf life.

Thanks

Hi Fluddman. Speed can be an issue. A client lent me their Ryobi battery nailgun and while they are convenient, there is a noticeable lag before the nailgun is ready to fire again. Pneumatic nailguns are as quick as the user. The other advantage is that no electronics are involved with pneumatic tools and they are easily repairable. I just have to remind myself of this occasionally when I am lugging the compressor, hose and gun out of the ute just to nail a few nails in

I have had both battery & air types. Now I have gas & air types.
IMO gas guns are much better than battery guns, but more expensive. Buy once, cry once.
For me, it's horses for courses. Each one is better for different work.
If you are making smaller items, air may suit you better.
Also, battery guns will fail/cost much, much sooner than gas or air.
If you go down the air path, make sure you turn compressors on before you buy. A loud compressor may do you & your neighbour's head in.

I have the AEG battery brad nailer, as an alternative to having to lug the compressor and air hoses for fixing trim and moldings around an old Queenslander while renovating. Mountain Ash is spot on with the lag on a battery gun. In the shed I would pick up an air gun over the AEG gun for ease and speed of use, plus the AEG nailer is quite heavy for a brad nailer.

I have gas, air and battery (greedy). For a workshop, I would go air. It depends on what you are using it for though. Gas/batt are great for portablility, but definitely lack power in hard timbers.,,, Also, can be delayed in response time. Graham's comment about noise of compressors is a good one. Festool (and probably others) make whisper quiet compressor, I don't have one
Also, batteries can and do fail over time and are expensive, but if you run a set of tools using that battery, not so much an issue.
Also, for a hobbyist, gas has a definite shelf life, and is not cheap, so that needs to be considered, if only occasional use.
I disagree with Graham about gas vs batt. With the exception of framing guns (which is not what we are discussing), I ditched gas fixing guns a decade ago, in favour of batt. I found the smaller gas guns unreliable (in the extreme).
You can even get battery powered compressors now (but that's for another thread). (I am expecting a battery powered generator any moment ).

TM

What everyone said about compressor noise ! Check the hose you buy too - my Bunnings 20m (powerfit ?) is stiff as a board and I need to leave it in the sun to warm up to have any hope of getting it in shape to store.

Originally Posted by Sam

What everyone said about compressor noise ! Check the hose you buy too - my Bunnings 20m (powerfit ?) is stiff as a board and I need to leave it in the sun to warm up to have any hope of getting it in shape to store.

Put the compressor outside the workshop to lessen the noise, it is a two minute job to plug an airline in. I have commonly used airlines longer than 20 metres to run tools with no issues.

The price difference when I was looking at pin guns about twelve months ago was rather significant to get a decent battery unit, noting that I already owned a compressor.

The other thing to consider is that once you have a compressor, you will find a lot of other uses for it.

Thank you all. I'm leaning toward air. Will check out compressors tomorrow.

Thanks

I think it does come down to what you're nailing

I also have the AEG angled brad mailer. But I commited to the AEG system a while ago (stupidly, should have gone Makita or similar) for the hand full of things I've actually had to pop a nail in it's been great. Helped out when putting floor boards in 4x bedrooms etc.

Putting nails in things every day I would 100% go air. Once a week I'd go battery.

In a workshop type environment I think air is going to be best choice, the guns are much smaller and lighter and less to go wrong with them, plus they are cheaper.
Battery and gas come into their own for portability which is their strongest point which is not a big advantage in a workshop environment
If you look in most workshops you will see they favour air even though they most likely have gas or battery gear as well for their onsite installations.

Look at the Chicago Air brand at Sydney tools, they are deathly quiet and mine has been flogged for at least 10 years, including running spray guns,secret nailers,and framing guns and heaps of other stuff and it still purrs away. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one. Air is the go, just make sure you have a regulator and a water trap, and drain the tank regularly. I’m selling all my gas/battery guns off at present as I find them not being used much at all now, the air ones are more convenient,and quieter. The gas guns have definitely contributed to my considerable hearing loss over the years, no doubt.