My first pneumatic tools

[Osvaldo Cristo]

I am excited today: I purchased my first pneumatic tools. Makita MAC5200 compressor, Makita AF505N Brad Nailer and a generic air blower.

I live in Brazil and usually our prices for tools are something between 30%-150% higher than street prices from the USA, although our prices includes (exorbitant) taxes.

This time, for my surprise, at slightly above (equivalent) USD 500 I paid "only" 70% above from US amazon.com price for the compressor and at USD 100 I paid the same price for the brad nailer when compared against the street price in the US... not so bad if you consider the taxes are included.

Compressor is silent compared against others I listened in the past. It reaches the top pressure very fast and can sustain high air flow (as required by blower). I was also surprised after I mounted a couple of hoses, changed the couplers from nailer and blower and no air leaks were detected so far. I am surprised also how quiet the nailer is as well the good job that small and light tool can do with 30 mm brads I am using.

I am an amateur woodwork for 30 years and in the last 25 years I own a workshop in my home. Actually the compressor was "justified" by the need I have to clean up everything as I am taking off all the stuff from the workshop, placing them temporary at the garage, cleaning everything, changing light fixtures, power plugs and painting walls, ceiling and floor - for the first time in the last 25 years! I will change also my hand tools dashboard and I will re-arrange tools and storage in my small (120 sqf) workshop.

I am wondering how could I survive all those years without pneumatic tools!

Wish me luck as tomorrow I will start the real work!

[Frederick Skelly]

Yes, a good nail gun is nice to have. I have found it is useful to also have a pneumatic staple gun. That makes doing upholstery much easier when I build a chair.

You should post pictures of your projects here sometime. Many of us enjoy seeing the projects that others do.

Good luck!
Fred

[Osvaldo Cristo]

A pneumatic staple gun is at my aim... actually I am considering BeA 71/16-421... it looks great according to my researches. I also have intention to try some upholstery.

I will start to post more here, including something from my few projects.

Thank you very much!

[Mike Cutler]

That's a nice compressor. Congrats.
Air in the shop is a big plus. Being able to use that compressor, and a gun, in the house, is going to be a huge plus.

[John K Jordan]

A pneumatic staple gun is at my aim... actually I am considering BeA 71/16-421... it looks great according to my researches. I also have intention to try some upholstery.

I will start to post more here, including something from my few projects.

I do get a lot of use from a staple gun. I think I use it more than the nail guns. It is very quick for assembling frames for my beehives and for lots of shop and farm things.

Some other pneumatic tools I use the most:
Pin nailer
Brad nailer
A little air-operated reciprocating file
Big framing nail gun for building construction
Needle scaler
Impact wrench (for vehicle maintenance)
Pneumatic sheet metal shears

The last four may not be so useful to you but are great around the farm here!

If you use a lathe to make bowls and platters consider also the little Grex random orbital sander - I use it with 1" and 2" sanding disks. It is very light weight, easy to hold and control, and can sand either gently or aggressively. I like it FAR better than the rotating angle drills most people use and what I used to use. I have a 3" palm random orbital sander also but it is not too good for small work. This is the Grex:

grex_ROS.jpg

Yes, please post projects here! Pictures and things about your shop would be interesting, too. Living in the US, it is great to hear about how woodworker do things in Brazil and other countries. Last year I visited a woodworker in northern Italy and although we didn't speak a common language I think we both learned some things.

JKJ

[Rich Engelhardt]

I am wondering how could I survive all those years without pneumatic tools!

LOL! My feelings exactly when I ran my first few brads!
Pick up a 23 gauge pin nailer next & you'll really wonder how you lived without one!

[Jim Dwight]

The only thing better than pneumatic tools is cordless pneumatic. I use my Ryobi brad nailer the most because it is cordless. But I have a bunch of pneumatics for when a 18 gauge brad is not the right fastener. My most recent compressor purchase was a little Senco that weighs about 30 lbs. It makes the other nailers easier to use around the house. It is also much more quiet than our bigger compressors.

I have no idea how taxes, duties and transportation would work for the OP but most of my recent nail guns have been Harbor Freight. My 15 gauge finish nailer was about $60. My little upholstery nailer was about $15.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

This weekend I tried longer brads with Makita AF505N Brad Nailer... OMG, it works also with 40 and 50 mm brads (for plywood and solid pine or mahogany)!

Anyway I think the 30 mm brads are the best size for general applications I have.

Thanks all for your input.