Senco Brad Nailer/compressor combo makes me happy

[Bob Davis]

Thanks to good advice from participants in this conference, I determined that a Senco FP18 or FP25XP brad nailer would make me happy. I was also encouraged to spring for a companion compressor to have maximum flexibility. Senco has a nice little package with the FP18 nailer and a very small compressor. Its available at woodcraft or Lowe's for $199 and I bought one. For those you who are Lowe's customers, you may have received a 10% off any merchandise coupon. This little combo with 10% off is hard to beat.

Anyway, I am just thrilled with the nailer and the compressor. At first glance, the compressor looks tiny and some would say inadequate. But this nailer is a very low air user and it seems to be a good match. I like it because the compressor is very easy to move around, even for a guy with back problems. I don't know how I lived without a brad nailer all my life. Its amazing what you can do one.

Bob

[Trent©]

See...TOLD ya! lol

BTW, Bob...it does car tires, too. NO!!!...don't nail them! lol

I bought just the air gun nozzle and the tire inflator at HD...saved $10 over the kit price.

Until I got mine...just recently...I was putting in 1/2" brads with a pair of needle nose and a brad hammer! lol What a difference!

I might just spring for another $20 one of these days...and buy a crown stapler from Harbor Freight!

Glad you like it.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!

[AL]

Congratulations! I'm sure you'll enjoy your nailer. I suspect the little Senco compressor can run a framing nailer provided you don't fire too many nails in succession. Nailers just don't require much air.

How noisy would you say the compressor is?

flexibility.

[Bob Davis]

The compressor is very quiet. Its sounds more like a hum. In fact it reminds of the sound of vibrating hair clippers. Yes, that's exactly what it sounds like. Its almost pleasant compared to my regular racket maker compressor. That reminds me of a question about compressor noise. I'll post in the next message.

Bob

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Air?

I've been banging in nails with my PC nailer and sometimes have a hard time hitting it square with the tip. I do find the handle more comfortable than a hammer though. Now you say I should connect it to compressed air? What does that do? Ed

[AL]

You must have Porter Cable's Bammer.

Heh heh.

[Trent©]

You can fire about 20 nails before the compressor needs to kick in, Al. From that point on...you can simply keep going...and the compressor is fast enough that it'll drive the nails and slowly fill the tank at the same time.

Unless you have yer nails on a 6 foot ammo belt, of course, yer gonna hafta stop and reload. Then the compressor's got cha! lol

On a 1 to 10 scale...10 being the loudest...I'd say about a 3. And its not a high-pitched noise...so its not irritating.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!

[Trent©]

I debated for a long time about getting a power nailer, Ed. Actually, I was looking at the PC (the REAL PC...lol) electric/air combo brad nailer. I wanted the freedom from the hose...especially for my wife to use (she's gettin' into crafty things! lol).

I should have bought one a LONG time ago. I'm sure I won't use it for all nailing projects...especially for projects where you want to partially sink some nails 'till later. But it sure beats a pair of needle nose and a tack hammer...which I had to do in some of my recent remodeling work.

I'm waiting for a good finishing gun to go on sale...or maybe for Christmas. I think I'll get more use out of that than I will out of the brad gun.

BTW...if you decide to use the PC nailer that YOU have with air, you'll need to install a fitting on it...for the hose.

Er...good luck! lol

P.S. I didn't actually buy the nailer, Ed. It was given to me as a gift, kinda...by a friend and his son...to repay me for some computer work I'd done for them. If it wasn't for them, I'd probably STILL be debating about spending the money. lol

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!

[Thomas Kendrick]

Wait no longer. Sam's Club has a PC 15ga. finish nailer in stock for about $175. Unfortunately, I saw it after I had already bought one (and paid more for it). Would have never thought to look at Sam's for a finish nailer.

[Trent©]

Thanks, Tom...but that's WAY beyond my means. lol

A local store here had reconditioned PC's for just over $100...big Fall sale. I shuda got one then...but cheap me procrastinated. lol I guess they didn't have too many, though...and I heard they were sold out in the first day of the weekend sale.

I probably won't need one for a while again. I'm remodeling our sun room...and I got diverted by the wife to stripping and redoing the kitchen cabinets. I should be done with that in a couple of weeks.

Thanks for the heads-up, though.

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!

[AL]

If you're looking for a 15 gauge finish nailer, you may want to consider the Stanley Bostitch N62FNK-2. I picked one up at Menard's for $165 last year. It is oilless and uses T shaped nails (like a brad but larger) which leaves a smaller hole. The PC requires oil and uses a brad with a D shaped head which leaves a larger hole.

[Trent©]

Thanks...I'll look into it.

It looks like its gonna hafta be a Christmas present to me...and probably FROM me! I'm gonna see if I can borrow a coupla hundred bucks from that $4000 Milo's gettin'. lol

Have a nice week...

Trent

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!