Which Compressor & Nail guns/kit is best?

[Barry Allweiss]

My LOML wants to buy me a Compressor and Nail gun kit for Xmas and the max budget is ~ $250. The 2 most popular kits I see are:

Bostitch CPACK3 which Lowes is selling for $259 and includes a Finish Nailer, Brad Nailer, Finish Stapler.

Porter Cable CFFN251N - includes a Finish and Brad Nailer, which she can get for $200.

Both have a 6 gallon - 150 max PSI which is all I will need and have room for the next few years. (Since I won't be doing any framing in the near future, I don't need framing gun).

Which one of these 2 do you recommend & why?

Or do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks

[James Waters]

I would personally recommend the Porter Cable. I bought the three piece kit ($299 I think now) which is the same as the Bostich you found. Finisher, brad nailer, and stapler.

I have used these guns, especially the brad nailer a ton and I have never had any problems. Works the first time every time. All I ever do is blow the dust out of the guns when I am done and oil them as instructed. While I do not use the stapler much it is nice to have when you need it. I would not do without the other two. I actually gave the compressor as a X-mas gift as I already had one but 5 of my friends have went out and bought the same kit and all of them have had no issues. I also know from ordering parts occasionally for Delta and dewalt that they are very easy to find. If you did not know they are all supplied from the same central service network.


These are without a doubt tools that I do not know how I ever got by without having. Hope this helps. I now a few people that have the bostich's also and they have not had any problems either. I am just partial to Porter cable.

[bill kiss]

They are both good units, however both compressors are oilless (oilless compressors are usually a little louder and shorter lived than oiled compressors) I own both Bostitch and PC nailers and have gotten very good service from both of them. I never have found the need for a 1/4 in stapler.

[Gene Michael]

For Christmas 3 years ago, I got a Lowes gift certificate. Sometime after (January or Feb) I bought the Porter Cable pancake compressor. Guess what just died after less than 3 years of light use? It started up okay, then the speed fell off rapidly. This was accompanied by the smell of burning motor. I checked the voltage - it was 125, which means low voltage wasn't the cause. I can't find a replacement motor and have been waiting more than a week for an answer from Porter Cable. The motor is designed to fit this unit and can't be replaced by a generic one. My Porter Cable nail guns have been great. It may cost a little more up front, but you might consider a compressor that isn't oilless and which has a separate motor that can easily be replaced. Hope this helps.

[frank shic]

barry, that PC compressor/nail guns/stapler deal is a great bargain but let me warn you: that little pancake is a HUGE noise-maker! i like the thomas much better although it's a little pricier.

[Dustin Thompson]

Frank is right about the thomas compressors, quieter, but pricey. I think that either compressor will be adequate for finish nailers, the question is Barry, what tools do you want?

Do you need a stapler? I assume that with these packages you'll get a 16 gauge finish and 18 gauge brad nailer? Do you need both of those? 16 gauge is great all around for finish work, but may be somewhat limited for furniture.

Whose guns do you like better, PC or Bostitch? That would be critical for me.

You might like having a 23 gauge pin nailer. I noticed the Home Cheapo near me is carrying the PC pin nailer, that shoots 3/8" to 1" nails (I think). Pin nailers are great for tacking on delicate moldings, stitching joinery, nailing on trim returns, and more.

To be perfectly frank, I am sure that if you really beat either compressor, you'd be lucky to get any more than 3 or 4 years out of them. But you never know.

Hope this helps,
Dustin

[George Bregar]

My two cents, Home Depot has the Husky pancake compressor and brad nailer/stapler. $69. My buddy used the same unit...two years of WW and remodeling and no issues. I retrimmed my cottage inside and out, same. I'm getting one for my son for X-Mas. Great package for the price. Drives 2.5" 15g nails in my DeWalt finish nailer too.

[Dustin Thompson]

The dewalt compressor and nailers package got pretty good customer reviews on amazon, and I think the dewalt compressor may be an emglo, a good quality unit.

Dustin

[Dave MacArthur]

I shopped around HD and Lowes for several days and read, and compared all the specs on the various kits they had. I ALMOST got the DeWalt/emglo, but when you read the specs... not as good as they first appear. I ended up getting the PC with 3 guns, and I love it! More than paid for itself putting in closets, shelving, and building valances for the wife...but really noisy.

[frank shic]

it's a shame that they don't bundle the husky easyair together with the nail guns and stapler since it's actually not as noisy as the PC.

[Brandon Shew]

barry, that PC compressor/nail guns/stapler deal is a great bargain but let me warn you: that little pancake is a HUGE noise-maker! i like the thomas much better although it's a little pricier.

For a lower noise compressor - check out the Makita compressors/guns. Like most of the Makita tools, the noise level from their compressors is lower than most of their competition.

[frank shic]

the mac 2400 will also work just NOT the PC pancake! have you ever noticed how frequently it shows up on craigslist.org?

[Pete Clifford]

the mac 2400 will also work just NOT the PC pancake! have you ever noticed how frequently it shows up on craigslist.org?

I started out with a PC compressor and brad nailer kit, which "got me into the game" of trim carpentry. I used the PC tools to install trim throughout the house without any problems. The PC pneumatic nailers are good quality, and I liked my 18 ga. nailer so much I bought its bigger 15 ga. brother. The downside, as people have mentioned, is the noise of the oil-free pancake compressor which mandates hearing protection. Being oil-free, it is also not as durable as oil-lubed compressors, but this may not be as much a problem for the hobbyist as the professional tradesperson.

Subsequently, I purchased a Makita 2400 oil lube compressor which is much quieter, doesn't require earmuffs, and should last much longer if used a lot. Downside - it is much heavier than the PC pancake and a real grunt to move around the house and shop. I was planning on selling the pancake compressor, but may keep it as a more portable alternative.

[frank shic]

barry, even if you do eventually purchase a quieter air compressor like either the husky, the makita or the thomas, make sure to wear hearing protection. each fire of a pneumatic nailer puts out roughly 100 decibels!

[Cary Falk]

I hear some of the Home Depots are giving away the PC 23g pin nailer away with the PC set mentioned. You might want to check that out. That might make the decision easier.