I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

I'm shopping for a compressor and finish nailer. I already have a
Dewalt 18-gauge brad nailer (D51238K). It was free with a table saw I
bought last year. I'm currently debating between the Dewalt D55155 Air
Compressor and a Porter Cable Pancake compressor. If I go with the PC,
I can get 2 or 3 PC nailers in a combo deal. If I go with Dewalt, I
have to buy a finish nailer. Either the 15-gauge or 16-gauge.

Any experiences that point one way or the other?

Should I get a 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailer?


Thanks for your help,

Steve

"lefty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

I'm shopping for a compressor and finish nailer. I already have a
Dewalt 18-gauge brad nailer (D51238K). It was free with a table saw I
bought last year. I'm currently debating between the Dewalt D55155 Air
Compressor and a Porter Cable Pancake compressor. If I go with the PC,
I can get 2 or 3 PC nailers in a combo deal. If I go with Dewalt, I
have to buy a finish nailer. Either the 15-gauge or 16-gauge.

Any experiences that point one way or the other?

Should I get a 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailer?



Any size compressor with a tank will work fine for any of the nailers. Pick
the one you like best.
I would go with the 15 gauge finish nailer since you already have the
smaller brad nailer.

Been doing some more reading on 15 gauge nailers. Looks like the Senco
41xp is highly regarded. How does it compare to the Dewalt 15 gauge
nailer?

"lefty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Been doing some more reading on 15 gauge nailers. Looks like the Senco
41xp is highly regarded. How does it compare to the Dewalt 15 gauge
nailer?


I have had a 15 gauge Senco for about 17 years now. I like it. It is the
Cadillac. Senco invented the nail gun. DeWalt, too early to tell.

Before I bought my last nail gun I went to the local repair center and asked
them which brand to buy and they said I could buy any name brand except
Dewalt. Yes they even sold Dewalt nailers but did not like them.

Craig

www.vintagetrailersforsale.com


"lefty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

I'm shopping for a compressor and finish nailer. I already have a
Dewalt 18-gauge brad nailer (D51238K). It was free with a table saw I
bought last year. I'm currently debating between the Dewalt D55155 Air
Compressor and a Porter Cable Pancake compressor. If I go with the PC,
I can get 2 or 3 PC nailers in a combo deal. If I go with Dewalt, I
have to buy a finish nailer. Either the 15-gauge or 16-gauge.

Any experiences that point one way or the other?

Should I get a 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailer?


Thanks for your help,

Steve

Leon wrote:

I have had a 15 gauge Senco for about 17 years now. I like it. It
is the
Cadillac. Senco invented the nail gun. DeWalt, too early to tell.

You probably have one of the old American made Sencos, when they were
one of the better guns. Not so any more. Like almost all the rest,
the 15 ga. Senco I just traded off was made in Taiwan, and while it is
a serviceable gun, it is just another gun.

The trimmers I know have all taken back their DeWalts and traded them
for Bostitch. To a man, they hated the DeWalts. The specs were great,
but the guns weren't. Most common complaints were that it jammed, and
that things just "broke" on them. Triggers, drivers, magazine springs,
etc. We have only one authorized service center here, and
parts/service wound up with the guns being in the shop as long as 3
weeks for warranty. That's three or four houses they could have
trimmed out with the gun instead of having it in the shop.

I had excellent luck with all my Bostiich guns, and they seem to last
really well on the job, even in the hands of my guys. If you are
looking for a 16 ga nailer, the Bostitch gun is pretty good; it will
drive a 2" nail through a solid yellow pine knot. If you are looking
for a 15 ga angle nailer, the Bostitch 15 ga is even better than the 16
ga.

Bostitch has some pretty good combo deals on at Amazon, and I think
they have free shipping for most of them. I just got the 15 ga/18 ga
gun combo with the compressor, lines, etc. for a lot less than I
thought it would be. I like the compressor a lot as it has a quick
recovery, pushes a decent amount of air and has a six gallon tank. It
is handy to have two brad guns if you haven't before.

When I am hanging doors, I load one of them with 1 1/4 brads for the
trim to jamb detail, and then the other with 2 1/2 brads to tack
trim/jamb into place before nailing with the 16 gauge.

Great combo for baseboard/shoemold, too. Just use the same brad sizes
and you are are ready for both.

Robert

As to the compressors, I would go with the much quieter Dewalt. JG

lefty wrote:

I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

I'm shopping for a compressor and finish nailer. I already have a
Dewalt 18-gauge brad nailer (D51238K). It was free with a table saw I
bought last year. I'm currently debating between the Dewalt D55155 Air
Compressor and a Porter Cable Pancake compressor. If I go with the PC,
I can get 2 or 3 PC nailers in a combo deal. If I go with Dewalt, I
have to buy a finish nailer. Either the 15-gauge or 16-gauge.

Any experiences that point one way or the other?

Should I get a 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailer?

Thanks for your help,

Steve

If you ever plan on getting a framing nailer,
buy acompressor large enough to handle one.
Framing nailers take a lot more air than finishing
nailers, a small pancake won't work with it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"lefty" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

I'm shopping for a compressor and finish nailer. I already have a
Dewalt 18-gauge brad nailer (D51238K). It was free with a table saw I
bought last year. I'm currently debating between the Dewalt D55155 Air
Compressor and a Porter Cable Pancake compressor. If I go with the PC,
I can get 2 or 3 PC nailers in a combo deal. If I go with Dewalt, I
have to buy a finish nailer. Either the 15-gauge or 16-gauge.

Any experiences that point one way or the other?

Should I get a 15-gauge or 16-gauge finish nailer?


Thanks for your help,

Steve

Leon wrote:
"lefty" wrote in message
oups.com...
Been doing some more reading on 15 gauge nailers. Looks like the Senco
41xp is highly regarded. How does it compare to the Dewalt 15 gauge
nailer?


I have had a 15 gauge Senco for about 17 years now. I like it. It is the
Cadillac. Senco invented the nail gun. DeWalt, too early to tell.

I use Bostitch guns, save for a Makita brad nailer. I pretty much ask
around what guys like and Bostitch (especially for roofers) comes up
the most. Chicks wearing Daisie Dukes is second. I got the Makita
brad nailer because it came with the compressor I bought. Check out
the MAC700KIT (google/froogle it). It's an oil-lubed design which is a
lot quieter. So far I love it, and the brad nailer is great too.

JP

I have the porter cable, but haven't used the dewalt. The porter cable
had been a great compressor. I have no complaints about the nailers
either. I bought a full size framing nailer and used it with this
compressor to frame up a 1200sqft basement. It's done everything I
wanted. It even barely works with an impact wrench. My only compaints
are that it's loud enough to wake the dead, and the vibration makes it
walk a little.

brian

I have PC nailers and one from bostich. All have been good. I think
nailers are one of those tools where it's hard to make a bad one. A
lot of people here also really like the $15 (iirc) harbor freight
nailers even. For a pro using the nailer every day, the brand probably
matters. But for the home user, it seems not so much. I'd get the one
with the best combination of price and features.

brian

I used a full size framing nailer with the small pancake porter cable.
It did run a lot, but it worked just fine. I'd say I could frame an
entire 8' wall with top and bottom plate and nail it into place before
the compressor needed to refill. It would usually refill in less time
than I needed to pull out and arrange the 2x4s for the next wall.

brian

Oil-lubed compressors will be quieter but they actually contain just a
small quantity of oil. Oil-less you don't have to be concerned about
setting it on a sloping surface but they are loud. A 2 h.p. compressor
will recover pressure quite rapidly.

On 7 Feb 2006 05:56:07 -0800, "brianlanning"
wrote:

I have the porter cable, but haven't used the dewalt. The porter cable
had been a great compressor. I have no complaints about the nailers
either. I bought a full size framing nailer and used it with this
compressor to frame up a 1200sqft basement. It's done everything I
wanted. It even barely works with an impact wrench. My only compaints
are that it's loud enough to wake the dead, and the vibration makes it
walk a little.

brian

Here's another question. What diameter hose is recommended for running
the various nailers?

There's a hose that comes with the PC compressor nailer kit. iirc,
it's about 5/8" outside diameter. Inside is probably 3/8" or maybe
1/4". It doesn't take much. Those coiled air hoses that a lot of
people hang from their ceilings look skinnier.

brian

What are my nail choices/requirements for the Dewalt, Senco, and
Bostitch?

Proprietary nails? Available in small quantities?

"Leon" wrote in message
. com...

"Tom H" wrote in message
t...
If you ever plan on getting a framing nailer,
buy acompressor large enough to handle one.
Framing nailers take a lot more air than finishing
nailers, a small pancake won't work with it.


That is just wrong. A pancake will easily handle a framing nailer.

Unless you're nailing off roof/floor sheeting or wall sheating then you have
to slow down but it is doable.

Gary

"Tom H" wrote in message
t...
If you ever plan on getting a framing nailer,
buy acompressor large enough to handle one.
Framing nailers take a lot more air than finishing
nailers, a small pancake won't work with it.


That is just wrong. A pancake will easily handle a framing nailer.

The small, oil-free Ridgid compressor looks good. It has a LOT of
power; enough to even satisfy some HVLP sprayer specs.

Mike

You are going to need more than one gun.

(1) 15 gauge for "long nails" for baseboard.
(2) 16 gauge for the smaller stuff
(3) 1/4" crown stapler that shoots a 1.5"
(4) 18 gauge brad nailer 1 1/4"
(5) A pin nailer is on my wish list
(6) framing nailer for larger stuff
(7) palm nailer for weird stuff

I consider 1-4 the basic setup.

I have the Porter Cable pancake and all of the
above guns in Porter Cable.



lefty wrote:

I'm starting on several projects that will require finish work. All of
my windows will be replaced. And I'm remodeling my kitchen/dining
area. I will have all my window casement to replace, some door
casement, and all of my baseboard on the main level. When I finished
my lower level, I hand nailed the trim. Never again!

wrote in message

You probably have one of the old American made Sencos, when they were
one of the better guns. Not so any more.

Like framers around these parts no longer use Senco ... they've all gone to
Hitachi. There is a van based industry around here that makes the rounds of
construction sites selling nails and repairing compressors and nail guns
on-the-spot ... the guy that was in front of one of my sites told me
yesterday that he hasn't seen a Senco on a framing crew in a while.

times change ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/13/05

Framing nails come in boxes of 2000. Brad and finish nails come in
smaller quantities such as 1000 since they don't take up much space
anyway.
You would do well to used brand-name nails in your nailers. There are
very few "proprietary" nails that only work in specific nailers.

Swingman wrote:

Like framers around these parts no longer use Senco ... they've all
gone to
Hitachi. There is a van based industry around here that makes the
rounds of
construction sites selling nails and repairing compressors and nail
guns
on-the-spot ... the guy that was in front of one of my sites told me
yesterday that he hasn't seen a Senco on a framing crew in a while.

times change ...

Not around here either. Almost everyone here in San Antonio uses
Hitachi and just a few other odds and ends. The only reason I am so
heavily invested in Bostitch is that like in the old days, they will
replace any soft parts free because I am buying my nails and guns from
them. They only come about once a quarter though, so when the guy
comes in from Houston he spends a long day here repairing everyone's
guns out in the back of the lumberyard where I get my nails.

I'll bet you remember Swingman that back in the 70s, it was only
DuoFast and Spotnails in the field. We saved for months to get our
first nail gun (even then the framer was $495 + tax), and it was a
Spotnails since we couldn't afford a DuoFast. At that time, if you
bought nails and oil from the one of the two local suppliers, they gave
you ALL the parts you needed free (except the driver) if you would buy
a case or two of nails and staples when you needed a repair. They came
around in an old converted mail van (one of those big old box jobs like
they deliver bread in) and they had everything they needed in there.

I don't know of anyone that uses DuoFast anymore for anything since
they have gone the Taiwanese route like the others, and I think
Spotnails is out of business except for a few items here and there.
For that matter, we only have two different companies here that
actually go out to the jobsite to peddle nails and oil, and they have
no way to repair guns. You still have to drive to the broken gun to
their shop and leave it.

Here's something nasty about the lumberyard guns: the DeWalt guys that
repair the DeWalt guns have a $65 bench fee for any gun that is not
under warranty. So if you just need a seal, you will buy the full seal
kit (probably around $18 - $25) and then pay the $65 for the 15 minutes
it took to put them in. Ouch.

I have no idea what happens if you buy a Ridgid gun, or a DuoFast. I
can only imagine something similar.

Robert

Talked to a guy at Seven Corners Hardware in St. Paul, MN tonight. He
recommended the Dewalt D55155 compressor over PC pancake compressors.
He also recommended the Hitachi finish and brad nailers. He said
Dewalt, PC, etc. are all made by the same company. They see too many
problems. Hitachi and Senco are the way to go. He just liked the
Hitachi products more. Another contractor supply store recommende the
Hitachi as well.

So as of right now, my package would include:

Dewalt D55155 compressor
Milton Flex hose, 1/4"
Hitachi 15 gauge finish nailer
Hitachi 18 gauge brad nailer

Unfortunately, none of this stuff will ever be on sale. But I have a
month or so before I will be forced to purchase. I'll keep my eyes
open for any deals. 7 Corners hardware is priced the same as Amazon,
Home Depot, and others. Advantage is they service everything they
sell. I will have to put money in the hands of the local guys, I
think.

Check them out:

www.7corners.com

Lefty: you may be just fine with the DeWalt compressor. A few years
ago they bought one of the finest compressor companies (to me anyway)
we ever had in the states, named Emglo.

They made great little and big construction type compressors that ran
and ran without any sign of problems. For a while, when you bought the
DeWalt compressors that were the same style of the Emglo, it was indeed
an Emglo.

As for buying local.... you bet I would. One of these things breaks,
and you can be on your own pretty easily.

Robert