Lately I have had a bunch of piddly jobs where I didn’t want to drag out a compressor but had to nail some thing both in the shop and on site.
Has anyone used one of those refillable gas bottles for their nailer. Kobalt (Lowes) sells one and I think jacpac is another?
It sure would be handy to shoot brads in to cabinets in the shop or nail up some quarter round. I am tempted.
Does anyone know of any adverse effects to a nailer if used with one.
Webby
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I don't know about adverse effects, but I do know they work real well for brad nailers. One of the guys that I work with has one of the lowes ones, and I've used it a few times. Works just fine, even shooting brads in maple and hickory. Only problem is I've actually seen him walk all the way downstairs and out to his truck to get it, when there's a compressor sitting right there in the bathroom we were working on, kind of silly.
Yeah, I am really tempted. Like tomorrow, I have to trim out a thru the wall ac unit with some stop molding. four peices. If I had the co2 system I would just grab a brad or finish gun and nail away.
The other day I had to replace a funky sunburst pattern deck baluster. used screws but could have shot some finish nails. would have saved me some time.Webby
Also dont know about adverse effects. Ive got the Kobalt (lowes) one. Its not bad. The case is cheap, the belt clip on the co2 valve broke off. Besides that its o.k.
Make sure you have a place that will re-fill the cylinders. When I bought mine, it came with two of the smaller cannisters. I would recommend buying another of the larger ones.
I also built a small rack/toolbox out of plywood to keep everything in. Cut circles in the top to fit the co2 bottles in, keep them upright. I just crab the box and go, use it like a small portable air compressor. Have hooked the setup to my toolbelt a couple of times, but along with a nail gun, that gets pretty heavy.
Have had no problem shooting my trim guns with it ( 23g - 15g). Haven't tried a frameing gun yet. Would probably work, just eat up to much air.
I have the Kobalt setup, it's been a long while since I've used it though - keep forgetting to get my tanks filled...Couple things I remember about it was that for larger guns like a 16ga or 15ga, you cannot shoot real fast as the pressure has a bit of delay to build up after each shot. Not a huge deal breaker, but you have to pace yourself appropriately or you'll get a lot of misfires or half sank cause the air pressure wasn't up in the line cause you were shooting too fast.Also - forget the tiny cannisters unless you are only doing brads or pins - they don't last for as long as the package says.Part of the problem may be that every time you connect and disconnect the tank to the regulator, it pisses away a quanitity of air. And I think it says to not leave it connected if not in use. So little punch list jobs where you are using it and then disconnecting it cause the tanks to last a lot less longer.overall, I like the fact that it makes every gun I have a "portable" gun, but lately I've been using my little Baby Senco and a coil 15' hose - a lot less hassle it seems and it never runs out of air.FYI, the large sporting goods chains refill the Co2 tanks cause they are the same as used in paintball guns.JT
+1 on the little Senco. The small tanks/bottles seem like a real hassle.
Edited 11/6/2008 10:38 pm by kenhill3
I gotta say the pasolode angled finish nailer is the way to go, they make a brad nailer also. I've been using one for years and I think its the best. The little gas cartages last a long time and with a 16 ga nail it would fit all the uses you need except when you need pin nailer.
Pasloade framer is worthless in my experience because they are broke more than they work, but the finish nailer is golden. I cant see why anyone would want to screw around with having a small tank, making sure its got enough gas for what you need to do, get out the guns, nails, still need a hose. Paslode everything you need fits in one fairly small case, keep two gas cartrages, when one dies get another next time you go to hardware store. I know it costs more but the refilling and aggravation of the tank etc.. makes it more cost efficient overall, I'm sure of it.
I like the Paslode concept. Proprietary nails?
Well I guess maybe because the only ones I ever see avaiable are paslode brand. They are readily available in every lumber yard or hardware store Ive ever looked for them in. I only use 2" or 2 1/2" to be honest with ya, I think it can go down to 1 1/2".
Edited 11/6/2008 11:26 pm ET by danno7x
Paslode nails work in both Impulse (cordless) and regular pnuematic guns. I have a Paslode pnuematic 16 ga. gun (and used to have the Impulse too).Paslode nails are very good quality and do work better in their guns though. I routinely use 15 ga. 23 ga. 18 ga. narrow crown stapler, so I got rid of my Paslode gas powered guns and got a small, light, and quiet trim compressor.
Yup. Exactly what I have and use.
No, any standard pneumatic nail will work for Paslode's line.
I would like to add the comment that everyone one of the nailers that I own the owner's manual says not to use bottled gases as a power source. It will void the warranty I guess.
I have a Paslode straight finish nailer (vs. the angled). Uses any standard 16 ga nails (I've used paslode, PC and others with no problems). Great gun, no hoses, a tad noisy though. My dog is scared to death of it. He sees the orange case and he hightails to the back of his crate.
Yea, but every time I'm running my nailers, I'm usually also using my pin nailer and liek to be able to use a stapler if need be. And some times, a 16ga finish nail is just not as hefty as a real 15ga. nail is for jambs and such...I've been tempted, but I'm too impressed with the pin nailer for quite a bit of trim work - that, + the two part fastcap adhesive (spray + gel)JT
I feel ya, we have a 15ga around I pretty much use it for outside stuff. I've used a pin nailer before and would like to own one but cant justify. I have a 18ga brad nailer and it seems just fine for most of the small stuff. Would like a pin if we did more high end stain grade stuff, but 18ga with the appropriate filler really hides well.
Overall if on my dime a small trim compressor would be the best bang for the buck and most useful.
Really don't understand your comment about needing 15ga for jambs though. Maybe because I put a 3" screw in each of the hinges? The rest of it is nailed through shims with 2 1/2" 16ga nails, sorry but I don't buy the fact that that isn't sufficient enough for the doors. Would you care to share your view? I still find the pasloade would be the best for guys that find themselves doing small jobs all over a house or different houses in the same day for efficiency. I also use it a lot to tack all types of stuff in place, easy to do with one hand and easy to pull off if you change your mind.
I too have the Kobalt co2 system. I would have been better off spending my money on a little senco compressor.
If you want to work compressor free because of lack of electric power I think you would be better off with a big beverage service co2 tank or a scuba tank. The scuba tank would be cheaper and easier to fill for me locally but I haven't figured out what I would need to regulate the pressure to 100psi so I keep a large co2 tank and regulator around.
I just filled up my paintball cylinder today for the kobalt system and it cost $2.50 for a small bottle. Essentially 25 cents and ounce. The big pain in the butt is taking the time to get it refilled. I would need five or six bottles to make the system really useful. I would only use it for a brad nailer as you would go through bottles to quick to make it worthwhile.
When I first saw the system I thought it was the coolest thing ever and had to have one. Now that I have it and always seem to be in need of a refill I wish I had gotten a baby senco compressor instead.
Karl
I lucked out and found about 4-5 of the larger bottles at a rummage sale for $1 each - but haven't gotten around to getting them filled, new orings, etc...Having a few bottles like that make it a much more feasible setup I'd think.for those thinking of getting the Kobalt system, you do get a free second tank - make sure you get the larger one as your free one - I also made the mistake of getting the smaller one as a second.But for $89 total, considering the tanks are $25-30 each, that makes the entire system regulator about $30 - not bad considering it makes all of your nailers totally portable.JT
I bought my Kobalt kit about a year and a half ago and ordered it off the lowes website.I only got one tank??? and a coupon for a free exchange for a full tank when my original is empty.Did I miss out on a second tank I should have gotten or did they add the second tank to the kit just recently?Karl
I bought mine when they first came out and the text on the package said that not only did it come with a tank - if you rang it up at the register with another 2nd tank (lg or small), the 2nd tank would be free.JT
I have a Powertank CO2 system designed for airing up tires and running power tools for offroad vehicles and expeditions where there is no power and no on-board air compressor is available. I originally bought it to carry on my Land Cruiser while hunting and camping.The tank and regulator come in a kit and you can get 5, 10, or 20lb CO2 cylinders that are 'bling' aluminum and get them refilled at welding supply shops. You can also use the regulator on rental tanks from the welding supply house and that cheapens the deal up considerably. When I trade in our rental tank it costs $12 for 20lbs of CO2. A refill of the Powertank is around $10 for 10lbs.The Powertank regulator is great, designed to operate from 5psi to 200psi and works great. It is also specially built to handle the cold and condensation that occurs when you pull a large volume of CO2 as is common when airing up tires of running 1/2" impact wrenches and such. This cold air can also be hard on hoses so high quality urethane are best, the harbor freight cheapies will harden and crack in half. Using a high quality oil helps prevent freezing your tools but I've never had a problem, for nail guns the CFM is so low that the problem never develops.Realistically, for finish nailing and all trim work you could literally run for weeks if not months on 20lbs of CO2. It is silent, relatively small and light for aluminum tanks, and comparably priced to most mid-range electric compressor setups.I've got a Honda powered compressor, Hitachi 2.5hp electric, and the Powertank and for any inside work I use the CO2.
I used a Bevco 20# cylinder from my beer cooler to do all the trim in my kitchen, dining room and living room, cabinets and all. It didn't make a dent in it. I had a "balloon" inflator regulator that seemed just about right for my brad nailer. I just swapped the input spud with a CO2 and screwed a hose in where the inflator tip goes (1/4 npt).
This is not as portable as the little tanks but you can still carry it around. 30' of hose seems plenty. It is also silent, not a bad thing inside the house.
I would second using a larger CO2 tank. I have a couple, one 5# and one 10#. They are old CO2 fire extinguishers. They are aluminum and fairly light weight. I got them for free from the guys that check the extinguishers yearly. Fitted with a regulator off ebay ($26) they work great. I usually leave the compressor in the shop and haul these unless I am on a big job. They are $5-$7 to refil depending on what shop I go to.
I have read that CO2 is more corrosive than air so I make a point of oiling my tools well. You could also use beverage CO2 cans but they can get a little bulky and want to tip over. I had a crown job a while back and was working 12' up on scaffolding and just strapped my little tank to the staging and it rolled around with me.
Oh yeah...the best part, no compressor noise to deal with!
Yeah I would like to have a small compressor also. Decisions, decisions. Thanks everyone for the good info.
I would definitely get the bigger bottle. I too like that it makes everything portable.
Webby
I was at the local lumberyard today that used to be San Lorenzo Lumber, then it became Lumbermans, now it is Probuild. Anyway the point is they had the Senco baby compressor, a senco finish nailer (not sure what guage but it shot up to 2.5" nails, hose, oil, nails, glasses all packed into a combo kit for "$149 --While supplies last".It looks like you have a probuild in Charleston. You might give them a call and see if they are running the same promotion as the Soquel, CA store on the compressor combo kit.The last thing I need right now is another compressor and finish gun but it looks like such a good deal I find myself wanting to go back in the morning and grab one before they are gone.Most of the reviews of the senco compressor are positive.Karl
Hey thanks for the info. I will check it out.Webby
Check these guys out too.http://www.turanairsystems.com/Construction.php
Gonna be $50 during the Black Friday sale at Lowes.
http://s3.bradsdeals.com/images/bf-2008-lowes.pdf
Hey, thanks.Webby