Learned the hard way that my cheap air compressor couldn't handle a framing nailer

Last Saturday I was out back in Atlanta trying to finish a shed frame I started 3 months ago (procrastination, you know). My little $60 pancake compressor from Harbor Freight just kept cycling on and off, couldn't keep up with the framing nailer at all. After 45 minutes of frustration, I borrowed my neighbor's 6-gallon DeWalt and banged out the whole thing in 20 minutes flat. Turns out CFM ratings actually matter when you're driving 3-inch nails into pressure treated lumber. Anyone else burned time using a tool that was way too small for the job?

3 comments

3 Comments

garcia.wren4d ago

Did you check the CFM rating before you bought it?

coleman.hannah4d ago

@coleman.hannah went with a higher CFM than I thought I needed and zero regrets.

drews553d ago

Blew through two tanks on my pancake before admitting it was basically a bike pump with delusions of grandeur.