Thread: Framing Nailers and Compressors

The Hardest thing about buying a gun like that is the first time you carefully put it on the ground.After you cry about the first few scratches putting it down becomes easier

do you nail straw bales together?

Yeah. How else are you going to get them to stick together?

Hi Grunt,

In answer to your original question, Speedy's response was spot on. A nail gun uses intermittent bursts of air and not a continuous stream like an air motor pulls. Therefore even a small compressor will handle it. If you find occasional nails left proud, that is easily fixed by increasing the set pressure of the compressor so that the lowest cut in pressure is above 90 psig.

Be aware that a so called 2 hp 25 litre compressor is not as advertised. You will be lucky if the motor is really more than 1 hp and the tiny tank is useless for many applications such as spray painting. Nevertheless, the amount of air available will run a nail gun.

In fact you have a more basic decision to make. What you have to decide is 1) Do you go with a gas gun or a pneumatic gun 2) Do you buy a professional gun or a Chinese cheapie. As someone who imported thousands of Chinese compressors and nailguns I can tell you that you should be able to buy a Chinese made framing gun for around A$175. It will build a house. We even used to supply spare pistons and drive blades with our guns enabling a complete rebuild. That is a good solution if you don't envisage a lot of use for it after the house is finished.

Gas guns have a very mixed reputation and cost a lot to maintain and run. It's your call really. It might also be worth checking out a long term hire with option to buy deal where you can use the gun and send it back if you don't like it or buy it out of it's hire contract if you fall in love with it. Good Luck.

Digging an old post, but I bought a Scorpion framing nailer (uses senco/bostitch 34 degree nails) from Mitre 10 for $139 a couple of months ago. So far I've pushed over 1000 nails out of it, without any trouble. A lot of the nailing it has done has been into 60 year old hardwood, and after working out the depth adjustment (owners manual is useless), I haven't had a proud head.

I have had trouble firing a single nail if i push the head onto the surface and pull the trigger, I occasionally get double shots. A builder I was working with told me to punch fire it, i.e. pull trigger and punch head onto surface. Using that method I haven't had any double fires.

I have a "2.5hp" 40L tank supercheap auto compressor (with upgraded regulator) and it has no trouble keeping up with the nail gun. I have the regulator set to 90PSI. I did adjust the pressure switch so that the compressor can maintain 90PSI, it was dropping down under 80 before cutting back in, and leaving a few proud heads on the half a dozen "shots" between the pressure dipping under 90PSI and it cutting back in!

Cheers, Dean

One thing to consider when looking at a framing nailer: clip head or full head nails. I have a PC clip head and it works great but some municipalities are now outlawing construction using cliphead nails.

Grunt - You forgot rule 4. You just rent Beer and Coffee.

Paul

Has anyone read or heard about the Hitachi gas gun?? I own a Bostitch and its fine. I have seen a use a lot better guns though.
I have no idea but i heard the Us max guns are supposed to be it and a bit.
They have new gun with compressor and i think its sells for around the $8500.00 mark. It supposedly shoots through 10 or 12mm steel then flick a switch and will do normal timber.

Having built half a house witha porter cable framing gun and a small compresser , it did leave some nails proud but it was light enough to carry up to the second storey . Dont let it turn you off as i find its perfect my five other guns ....so you have to hammer the odd nail still saved
my shoulders from a lot of pain..

Originally Posted by sinjin

Has anyone read or heard about the Hitachi gas gun?? I own a Bostitch and its fine. I have seen a use a lot better guns though.
I have no idea but i heard the Us max guns are supposed to be it and a bit.
They have new gun with compressor and i think its sells for around the $8500.00 mark. It supposedly shoots through 10 or 12mm steel then flick a switch and will do normal timber.

Yes .I bought a hitachi gas gun .It was $416 AU including delivery .It arrived in three days .

Check earlier posts.

It has real grunt and fires nails home in hardwood..I love it.

It uses paslode nails and gas fuel cells.Dont have to worry about the us charger if you own a hitachi battery charger more than likely it will charge the battery.

Highly recommended tool.

Originally Posted by sinjin

Has anyone read or heard about the Hitachi gas gun?? I own a Bostitch and its fine. I have seen a use a lot better guns though.
I have no idea but i heard the Us max guns are supposed to be it and a bit.
They have new gun with compressor and i think its sells for around the $8500.00 mark. It supposedly shoots through 10 or 12mm steel then flick a switch and will do normal timber.

The gun your referring to is the japanese made MAX HN75 with the MAX POWERLITE compressor.It operates at 320psi.To fix timber to 10mm steel there is another gun available,the MAX HN120 which costs around $2400.00.I have the HN75 gun and compressor which cost me $6000.00.I feel it was worth every cent because it has so many advantages over a conventional compressor and gun.A bit of an indulgence bit if your a tool head like me you can justify anything.

Bostich is a good 'middle of the road gun' certainly better than the trade air that bunnings pedals.
One thing about cheaper compressors. I have a small GMC 2HP 40L that I use for the nail guns and had the following problem. Using a Senco framer with 75mm ring shank nails in treated pine, it would not drive them home properly unless with 100 PSI or more.
I even tried greasing the nails.
The original regulator is an el-cheapo that does allows to crank the pressure up but the cut off pressure goes up too, so the cut off pressure will go well above 120. Not a good idea with this cheap compressors. So I replaced the regulator with one that allows to change the differential. Now it kick in at 100 and stops at 120. Of course after the German regulator and the water trap, my compressor cost more than a much better one. . Still it works day in day out. Water comer out a bit reddish lately. Wonder how long the tank will last.

I don't know if you ever used a framer gun, but just in case remember to keep your left hand well away from any possible path the nail may take if missing or going straight through. Don't hold the noggins with your left hand even if they are a touch too short and wont stay there. Use goggles, a friend of mine lost one eye using a T nailer building a counter frame. Skew nail hits a knot come out the wrong way ... bang.