Homeowner Forum / Construction / June 2006

That particular compressor keeps up well and I don't have to wait on it
for trimming and I have actually used it for trimming whole houses.

I have demoed the Paslode cordless nailers, and I was impressed.  One
of my friends that does kitchen/room remodeling has a framer and some
kind of 16ga or 15 ga trim guns and loves them.  But he uses them
almost every day.

Since I do a lot of repair work, I never know what I will be actually
doing.  I am now working on restoring a mahogany door, and have a
fiberglass door to finish as well as 4 others that I will put
industrial finishes on.  Then I will go hang them.  But I won't shoot a
nails (just some brads) for about 10 days or so.

Then with he finished doors and the other stuff scheduled I will be
loading guns and compressor for the next two weeks.

Years ago when the first "tailess" came out they had a lot of problems
for different reasons.  I understand now they are all cleared up which
really makes that enticing.  But on the other hand, in our heat
(yesterday it was 100!) stuff in the tool box gets cooked.  My friend
that owns the Paslodes loves them and wouldn't go back to air powered
for any reason, but he has not sold his pneumatic stuff either.   He
has told me more than once that he has problems with just getting a few
shots out of the cartridges if he puts in a new one and leaves the gun
in the tool box in the heat for a few days.  He does not have this
problem on the fall/winter/spring when it is much cooler, so we know it
is heat related.

He >has< had problems (this may be a local thing) with our favorite
local fastener vendor working on the guns.  With the air guns, you slap
in a new set of rings, and maybe a new trigger or driver.  Most of us
can do that on our own.  But when something breaks on the gas guns it
is a while in the shop and it is $$ to get it fixed unless it is
something simple.

For me, I also use the compressor on the job for other things, like
blowing out the entry way of a customer's house after a door or trim
installation.  I use it to blow off the door if I am going to finish it
(although if I am using my HVLP conversion gun that little 1hp
compressor has to stay at home) and other things.  Plus, I have about
18 or so air nail guns now, and I don't want to start over in the new
technology.  I have been able to have a routine for myself and the guys
as they know they can grab any gun, PLUS a compressor for any job I
send them to or go out to myself.  So if it is roofing or framing, they
get the black or gray compressor.  If I am spraying paint, get the
black compressor.  For trim/doors, then the gold or red 1 hp machines.

I can juse hear it now... "but I though YOU had the cartridges" or "I
dont' understand, it was working good when we finished last night" or
"I didn't know it was my responsibility to keep up with the
cartridges".  For me, I have come to value routine as much as speed, as
they often work out to the same thing in this business.

But that's just me.

Robert