I was considering buying a cordless finish nailer (e.g. Paslode w/ power cartridges) to do trim in my new house. My idea was to eliminate always dragging an air hose around w/ me and the consequences of doing that (marring trim/finishes/doors/walls/etc.). They are over twice the price of conventional pneumatics. And my options are more limited (brands, max. nail length).
Any experience (good and bad)? Do the power cells last a reasonable time length? Are they expensive?
Maybe I should just invest in the lighter more flexible air hose and buy a standard nailer.
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This compressor, a 25ft. Flexeel, and my standard trim guns are all I need to keep from dragging hoses around and doing damage.
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what is flexeel? ... so you still have electrical power ... and then just go room to room, right? What's the compressor cost roughly? Looks nice.
Found it on line $119 ... looks like a nice unit.
I did all the trim, cabinets and such in my house with a CO2 cylinder hooked to my pneumatic 18ga nailer. A regular 20 lb bevco tank didn't even seem to be affected much by driving hundreds of 1 - 1 1/2"brads (maybe a couple pounds lighter). I just had a 25' "curley" hose on it.
If you have oner or know someone who can loan/rent you one that is the way to go for a one off job. The only trick is getting one with a regulator that will do 60-80 psi. A balloon inflator regulator does a great job at around 65# (the typical fixed setting) but I had one already.
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It's the old "double edged sword". I've got Paslodes and pneumatics. The Paslodes are great, especially for smaller jobs. (Adding some crown, replace a door, etc.) I really prefer the pneumatics for a large job. And it doesn't take a huge compressor, as was pointed out, to run a trim gun. I came across a "closeout" at Home Depot a couple of weeks ago; Senco 2/12" angle trim nailer, brad nailer, stapler combo with rolling storage bag for $99.00. (I really didn't need any more guns, but too good a deal to pass up, so my sons will end up inheriting an older gun or two.) Add in small compressor and a quality 50' air hose like the Flexeel (I use a Ridgid) and you're still cheaper than a Paslode. (Figure the gas cartridges, and you'll probably want an extra battery since it's about a 2hr. recharge. I recall about $50.00 for the battery) You'll have a compressor for future use to inflate tires, blow out your shop vac filter, etc. Granted, I was in the right place at the right time to get the deal on 3 guns, but for around the same price you can find a single gun to do the job if you shop around. I've seen specials that include a gun or two and a pancake compressor (Porter Cable comes to mind) for $200.00 or so. I've also got the CO2 setup mentioned above (just had to try it) and it's also great in certain situations. Don't think I'd recommend it for a one time deal unless you're into paintball and have a canister or two already. Just my opinion.
If you're doing casing, you're probably going to need 2 of the Paslode guns. The 16 gauge for nailing to the stud and the 18 gauge for nailing to the jamb. I have both of them and they're great tools and work well (but probably not as reliably as pneumatic).
I'm looking for an excuse to buy a 15 or 16 gauge pneumatic finish nailer. They're cheaper to operate, they're lighter, they're more reliable and other than the noise of the compressor, they're quieter (you should really wear ear protection when using the cordless). If I had a whole house to trim, it would be all the excuse I needed.
For now, I've only been doing small jobs, like one room, and the Paslodes are my best choice simply for their convenience.
Will a conventional finish nailer NOT handle both a longer 16 ga and e.g. a shorter 18 ga nail? In your opinion, should I avoid a 16 ga nail at the jamb? Is a finish nailer difficult to adjust to avoid over/underdriving the fastener? On framing it's not much of an issue, but finish work is a little different, I assume.
That's right. Each finish nailer (pneumatic or cordless) only handles one gauge of finish nails, but they will handle various lengths.
If you're using conventional casing (colonial or ranch), 18 gauge works much better for nailing to the jamb. The 16 gauge may work, but it may also split the casing since it's a larger nail.
I don't know how pneumatic finish nailers provide for depth adjustment since I don't have one yet, but I've go to assume that it's straight-forward. The Paslode cordless nailers (16 and 18) have an easy to use depth adjustment. Once set, it rarely needs changing unless you switch to a much harder/softer species of wood.
Some have an actual adjustment but most are just an air pressure adjustment for depth. My DeWalt cordless has a dial adjustment.
For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Edited 8/24/2008 10:15 pm ET by rasconc
We have a 16ga DeWalt cordless. The problem that arose with our crew was they felt that a 16ga nail was always the right fastener.
In my opinion, it is not. i.e., when I'm doing doors; jambs and casing to the wall get 15ga and casing to the jamb and stops get 18ga. Likewise I want my 23ga pinner to attach mitered returns so I don't have to wait for glue to set.
We use 3/8" hose for rough/outside and flexeel 1/4" hoses for clean, inside work.
You can get by with 16ga nailer for all your trim, but a compressor allows for much more versatility.
My $0.02
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
Thanks everyone for all the food for thought. I'm leaning toward the conventional and getting the handy compressor w/ the lightwt hose (flexeel). A reasonable approach, I think. Then maybe get a lightwt 18 ga brad nailer and a 16 or 15 ga finish nailer. Hopefull I can get a brad nailer that will take small nails (say under 1").
There is a time and place for anything, but I'm thinking the cordless is maybe not the one for my situation. Plant you now ... dig you later
I bought a factory reconditioned Paslode 16ga gun online at the ebay paslode store for $160 plus shipping. My weekend boss likes it so much, he hasn't given it back yet.
I feel the same about 18ga at the jamb and returns. I blew one into smitherines before my boss called and told me to go ahead and start doing the quarter-round returns.
Edited 8/24/2008 8:55 pm ET by arcflash