Hi,

I've recently decided to purchase a pneumatic nailer and paired it with a portable 2.5hp 40L compressor. Having read stuff about pros/cons of what compressor to buy, I thought as a newbie that I'll try a more "affordable" setup as my initial foray into "easier" woodworking.

The nailer I bought was the Skil F30 (8883) Nailer. It can accept brads from 10mm to 30mm in length (3/8 to 1-3/16 inches). I also am aware of another model -F50 (8885) which uses 15mm to 50mm brads (but I think is not available locally). There is another model that I use --the Skil 1022J (8822) which is a pneumatic stapler.

Using my portable direct-couple compressor which cuts in at 90 psi, I was able to fire 50 nails. That's the time the compressor kicked in to pump air again until it reaches 115psi.

But on my secont trial run, I turned off the main switch and let the compressor run its course. From 115 psi down to about 60 psi (with the pressure switch turned off), i was able to fire about 200 nails. After that, the nail gun kicks back as the nail sticks out of the wood by about 3mm. This gives me a good idea that in one session of pumping air up to the max 115 psi, I can use two sticks of nails before turning up the motor again.

The nailer's operating pressure is from (minimum) 60 psi (6 bar) to (maximum) 120 psi (8 bar).

I'm initially happy with this setup as it enabled me to work faster and be more accurate in my woodworking projects. I wonder though if some can share their setups also and how different types of compressors maximize the nailer's power.