Digger wrote:
On 2/15/2013 4:49 PM, Mike Marlow wrote:
Digger wrote:

Leon, apparently your experience has been vastly different than my
own...I do also hold great respect for your knowledge and
contributions to the forums here and spend considerable time gleaning
little tidbits of useful information.

Although having been a lurker for many years, rarely a contributer,
once-in-a-while I do poke my head up and take my chances... :-)

I run a 20gal tank w/ single head @ 125lbs max feeding about 150' of
3/4" buried & overhead lines @ 100lbs. The lines are tapped with above
ground connectors & shutoffs at various locations around the property.
In theory at least, the 3/4 lines should multiply available tank
volume and serve as medium buffer for sustained output in high demand
ops.

However, I cannot push enough air through through a 1/4" line at more
than 25' to sustain a typical non HVLP paint gun for more than a few
seconds, much less most other high volume air tools. But I would agree
that in most apps, even 50ft of 1/4" line should not be an issue for
any nail shooter I have used either.

snip

I do have a good sized compressor for the heavy weight work in my garage,
but I also have a couple of portables for off-site stuff. One of them was a
gift from my son - it is a tiny little 2 gallon unit. He bought it for $39
at Lowes.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_409360-30449-0100261_0__

I took this little thing out to the garage and gave it a test the day I got
it. Hooked up a 25' coil of 1/4" line and my nail gun. I drove 25 16gauge
nails into a 2x4 before it started to leave them proud. That's with a
compressor that only builds 100 psi. But... holy cow is it quiet. You can
stand right next to it and talk in a normal tone of voice.

Make no mistake - 1/4" line is perfectly acceptable for nail guns. Look
around when you're out and about, and you'll see it in use all over the
place. Read what people here are saying they use - it works.

From what you posted, I'd suspect you have way too much hard line installed.
You said 3/4" right? You would not have needed anything more than 1/2".
That's a lot of difference in terms of the volume of air you have to fill
up. It's not just 50% more.

In your case, I believe you when you say you can't drive nails with 1/4"
line, but I'd also expect you'd have the same problem with 3/8" or 1/2"
line. Either something is wrong with your gun, or maybe your problem is
related to the oversized hard line you installed. Still - 1/4" should be
throttling that back once you get it up to pressure. I'm going with a
problem with your gun.


I can drive them, but not flush after a few quick pulls, depending upon
material, gun, nail and length of run. However, the difference here
between 3/8 and 1/4 is dramatic, and especially with paint guns and high
volume air tools.

I also have a small portable 6gl pancake (PC) that I absolutely love for
travel & indoor use ...not so quiet though. :-)

I'll post a pic er two of the air line setup in next day er so, 1,000
words et al, but my own thinking says not enough constant pressure for
those runs ...max the tank at 150, regulate to 100 and it would likely
be fine. Sorta the same relationship that amperage has with voltage.
But, in the end you may turn out to be 100% correct and my Hausfields
(much bigger guns) are indeed faulty.

Anyhow, this horse has been ridden enough and ready for the barn so, I
say the conversation has been interesting and will likely lead to better
days for us both...

Thanks,


As I mentioned to Mike, hard runs with hard 90 degree turns will restrict
air flow more than a gradual smooth bend in a hose. Before suspecting the
gun I would bypass the pipe, go directly from the compressor to the gun via
a long 1/4" hose. If you have several hard bends in your setup you could
be dramatically restricting flow.