Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Campbell and Hausfeld 2 gallons compressor

Hi,
I recently bought a combo Campbell and Hausfeld 2 gallons compressor and brad nailer.
My question is that if I can use this compressor to drive frame nailers?

Thanks
Cyrus

First off there is a bit of a ramble on compressors at the top of this forum that may be helpfull but I will sumarize it.

When it comes to a compressors capacity, the "gallon" rating that mfr's are advertising is meaningless.
This number is more usefull in knowing if you can get your arms around it than anything.
The accepted measure of a compressor's capacity is CFM or cubic feet of air per minute. Furthermore, this measurement to be usefull should be determined at the unit's operating pressure which is normally 90 psi.
You will need to first need to determine what the CFM @ 90 psi capacity your unit is then look up the capacity of the nailer you wish to buy.
You can undersize the compressor a bit because it is not often that you will driving nails repeatedly one after another, non-stop.
On the other hand I recently purchased a Bostich 3 1/2" framing nailer and have found that once I have things tacked together I can run a strip of nails through pretty quick.
My thoughts are that because this type of tool is meant to make one efficient, the compressor should not be a bottleneck.

Likely, if the outfit you got was economically priced, the compressor may not keep up.
What a lot of inexpensive outfits are doing is giving folks a taste of how handy working with air really is.
You might find that if you purchase a decent quality framer combo, the compressor supplied would be a good match to the gun.

Give us the exact model of the compressor and brad nailer you have and which framer you are interested in and we'll look it up.

As Greg said, the Gallon size doesn't matter a whole lot. One thing you do have is portability with the 2 gallon size. You won't have it in a 20 gallon size. So each compressor has its highs and lows.
I have been using the same CH 4 gallon pancake compressor for 5 years and except for normal maintenance it has given good service. That is not to say it won't break tomorrow (please don't). I do framing and finish work with it, but I don't use the contact trigger on my framer. Too dangerous and uses too much air. You want to place your nails, not throw them at wood.

Thanks for your answers.
The compressor model is FP2048 and the nailer's is NB0040. They came in one "combo package" and I bought them last month (In Canada). There is no information available about CFM on the manual.
I have no preference about the framing nailer I am going to buy so any suggestion is appreciated.
Cyrus

Campbell Hausfeld FP2048:

FEATURES:
# AIR COMPRESSOR
# 2 gallon
# Maximum PSI 100
# SCFM @40PSI-1.0, SCFM @90PSI-.7
# 120 volts
# Quiet pump and motor
# Easy to read gauges
# Retractable handle
# Includes air chuck, inflation nozzles, needle adapter, inflation needle, and 25' recoil hose
# Boxed
# Warranty: 1 Year.


This is a pretty light duty unit and will not power more than the gun you have.
Less than 1 cfm @ 90 psi is quite low.
If you want to expand your air-ability, 6 cfm@ 90 psi is a good number to shoot for.
If you find that air tools are the way to go then 6 cfm is roughly the largest unit you can plug into a normal receptacle and would power most tools.
There is info in the sticky about this.