Paneling and Trim - brad nailer and tank

I thought about asking these questions in the tools forum but I figured it may apply more to people here.

I've been borrowing my neighbors air nailer and compressor for a while now and I thought I should just buy my own. We're systematically replacing all of the the trim in our house so I will be using it quite a lot.

First, other than the obvious, what's the difference between a brad nailer and a finish nailer? The one I've been using is a brad nailer. The nails, or brads, are skinny and have a real small head. They seem to have worked well so far. Will 2" brads work well enough on window and door trim as well as base trim? What would you use a finish nailer for that you couldn't a brad nailer?

Second, I hate the thought of buying a pancake compressor when I have a rather large compressor in my garage. I don't want to drag 100' of hose or more through the house though. I found a 10 gallon air tank at a big box store. Would that be a good choice instead of a compressor? I know I'll be running out to the garage to refill it, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than $200 or more for another compressor.

Croc, The brad nailer is probably 18 gauge and I doubt your nailer will shoot a 2" nail. Most are relegated to 1 1/4" or so. Finish nailers are either 15 or 16 gauge and can handle up to 2 1/2" nails.
With a brad nailer you can get about 20 hits from a tank of air. I've done it, but found the 100' of light weight hose is much more my liking than running to the garage to fill up the tank. You will get less hits with a finishing nailer. More air required for the larger piston.
You know the orange big box store usually has the PC pancake with 2 or 3 nailer/staplers on sale regularly around $250 or so. Not a bad deal.

Gotta disagree a little bit with chandler...a PC BN200 will shoot a 2" nail...pretty common for folks who just buy it seperate..I don't think they come in the kits at all. I have both a 1 1/4" and a 2" brad nailer. Bought the 2" after the 1 1/4" wasn't cutting it sometimes.

Agree with everything else though..good, flexible, non-marring hose is a must. Hose is easier than running back and forth.

The finish nailer is what you need when nailing the thick part of the trim (or BM to windows) to the framing..then the brad for nailing to the door frame. I've used the larger brad nailer to intall base..and it worked fine with what I was using.

Was not aware the brad nailer you mentioned, GG, thanks. Is it also 18 gauge?

The 1 1/4" PC brad nailer is the BN125... 2" brad nailer is the BN200

BN = brad nailer

125 = 1.25"
200 = 2.00"

Finally a model # system that makes sense!

Yeah its 18 gauge as well, it doesn't go quite as small as the 125, 3/4" vs 5/8" minimum.
Truthfully, except for the nail magazine size, they look almost identical. I'm sure the piston probably has a longer stroke or something though.

If you are the occasional user, any type of compressor is fine. With daily use, the direct-drive oil-free compressors need rebuilding every year or so. (Owners use them longer without realizing how so much longer it takes to refill the tank, the piston rings are teflon instead of steel) Call a nail supplier for advice on frequency of repair, costs, parts availability on certain brands. Be safe, GBAR

I asked my neighbor about his and it turns out it was a finish nailer not a brad nailer. Finish nails for an air nailer look different from ones you'd nail by hand.

I saw Porter-Cable setup at HD yesterday. Compressor and 2-1/2" finish nailer for $239. I think I'm going to go back today and get it.

Don't forget an extra 100ft of quality 3/8" hose and quick connects.

Why would I need 100' of hose if the compressor is portable? I just moved the compressor around when I had my neighbors. I think his hose is maybe 25' long, and I thought it was too long sometimes. It tended to get tangled up.

Noise and draw on the outlets in the house. And depending on what else you do it's easier to work the hose around than move the comp.

I learned that when I was replacing trim on the outside of my old house. No way the comp was going on the roof..lol.

JMO, if you don't need them now, you are right, no need to buy. They just come in handy later. My comp may be heavier and noisier than the one you are looking at.

IMO all of those little compressors are noisy. I'll see how it goes. Thanks for the tip.

I got the PC pancake compressor and nailer combo as a tip from a customer for doing a good job painting a house a few years back. I love it. Don't use it every day, so didn't need anything huge. They are a little noisy, but no matter which one you get it's going to be noisy. Just don't forget to oil the gun before use.

It's one of those tools with lots of accessories available, so it's exciting for guys when they get to the 'airtool aisle' of a store!

I hope someday to be brave enough to try the cup sprayer on a paint project! I've been too chicken to try one up to this point.

I thought I read in the 'structions that the gun didn't need any oil, but I'll look again. It didn't come with any.

Noisy compressor keeps the cat away from where I'm working. I swear she jumps three feet in the air when it kicks on.

I have a spraygun that I've used with my bigger compressor out in the garage. It's the older style with the cup underneath. I'm by no means an expert, but when you use one shoot some paint on a piece of cardboard or something first. Adjustments to the air pressure and the nozzle will make a big difference in the coverage and the spray pattern.

How is it that we can successfully pollute outerspace with all kinds of astrojunk, put a man on the moon (although I guess thats up for debate) but we can't seem to make a quiet compressor???? Thats why I also use a 100 ft light weight hose. Just so I can hear myself think.