Thread: Nail guns - gas or compressed air nowadays

For intermittent use, an air powered one is more serviceable - and as a bonus you get the air compressor for inflating tyres, spray painting and all the other fun air tool things.

Gas ones used infrequently tend to have 'damn, the battery is flat', 'damn, it's outta gas', 'damn, it needs cleaning' problems.

MS is right, batteries and gas don't like sitting around unused, air tools with a few of drops of oil in them can sit around almost indefinite unused.
If your using it for work going site to site a gas gun makes life so much easier, but if it's for use at home where things are setup in your wrokshop, or easy to setup then go air power. Don't know about the current generation of gas guns, but the previous ones struggled in hardwood, a decent air framer does it with ease.

5-$600 will get you a 1/2 decent belt drive compressor and 4-$500 will get you a decent name brand air framer. Might seem a big outlay over a gas framer, but once you have the compressor and hoses, the big variety of air tools look pretty cheap compared to their cordless/240v counterparts.

Thanks for replying !

The versatility of a compressor is certainly attractive but I wont have it permanently set up so it may be a pain for quick jobs away from home.
Then again the convienience of a gas one isnt much good if it wont go when I need it to.

Feels like a compressor is the way to go.

Sam

While I do not have a framing gun, I do have an air operated brader.

Originally I bought an air compressor for checking and inflating tyres, then came the need for air nailers. My air compressor is small enough that it can be put in the back of the station wagon and then used while still in the back or taken out on site. The compressor is charged up at home and while I plug it in on site, have never put in enough brads for it to recharge.

This arrangement has worked for me and is not overtaxing the compressor.

My next door neighbor, a young fellow, is a journeyman carpenter.
Doubled the size of the house. Just finished a 20x24' garage in which he parks a Shelby Cobra 500 Mousetank.
Near as I can tell, he has 4 different air-nail guns running off a serious compressor.
I am surprised at what that boy can get done in a day, including making all his framing rafters from stock 2x4, roof shingling, etc.
I'd go that route in a minute.

The latest generation of Paslode gas nail guns are ok now, the gas formula is better and doesnt go stale any more plus the batteries are now Li so no problems.
If your only intending to use at home, an air compressor is the way to go, as stated before, the variety of air tools and versatility is worth it.
The obvious questions to ask yourself are

A: What type of projects and timber type are you going to be doing / using
B: How often will you be using it
C: Will you be using it away from home on site and relative to A & B

IMO air is the way to go unless you are a tradie.
I have a good bradder and pin nailer for furniture stuff as well as a cheap stapler,about $30 if I remeber correct.
The little bit of framing stuff I have done,to my thoughts did not make sense to spend hundreds of buck so I got hold of a cheapie about $100, have had it for years now with no problems,if it should need repairs I would buy another cheapie instead.
I think the key to getting a good life from these cheapies is to make sure you have clean air and lube as recommended.
I only have a small compressor that is easy to put in the wagon so it goes to the job,not a big capacity but enough if you let it recharge.

This is a really interesting thread. We're going through a major reno at the moment prior to moving into our new house, and we've bought a Paslode framer that takes 50-90mm nails. Worth its weight in gold. But I suspect that after we're finished the house and the shed/garage it won't get a lot of use, which may then result in the problems mentioned. I'm also intending on getting set up in the shed with a compressor and air tools (looking for a compressor now), so I guess I'll have the best of both worlds, and I'll be able to do a direct comparison. I'll be using the Paslode to line the shed internally and put a couple of walls up, so it will get lots of use then. But once I'm set up in the shed I suspect an air bradder will get more use than the Paslode.

To answer Ray's questions
a - 90% pine for things like deck framing, pergolas, fences as part of my handyman sideline.
b - I have two projects in mind and after that not sure, that's why it may sit idle for months at a time
c - buying the framing gun to use mostly away from home but a brad gun would get used at home if I had one.

Handyjack, what size is your compressor ? There's some with two small tanks that would fit in my small sedan boot when SMWBO wont surrender the wagon. Does a smaller tank just mean more refilling ?

I may hire the gas gun for these two upcoming projects ($72 per day) while I weigh up which one to go for.

Interested to see how it pans out for you Poppa.

Sam