This kit is my first exposure to air tools, so this review is aimed at fellow novices. Here's some information that's not included in the Amazon.com product description or the product manuals.There's no manual for the combo kit. There is a manual for the air compressor and for each of the two included nailers. The serial number for the compressor is what you'll use when you register the kit, which you can do either by mail or at Porter-Cable's web site.
The air compressor has a standard 120V 3-prong grounded power cord. Many larger compressors use a non-standard 3-phase cord in either 120V or 240V. But you'll need a full 15A circuit, so find one that's got no other devices drawing current, or a lightly-loaded 20A circuit.
The compressor's drain valve isn't as depicted in the manual. The manual shows an extension "T" handle. The drain valve on my compressor is just a knurled brass barrel. Turn it counterclockwise by hand to open it.
Included with the compressor are a 25' hose, a male 1/4" quick connector end, a female (brass) quick connector end, and a spool of Teflon plumber's tape. There are no extra parts; you'll need all of these to get started. Wrap a couple of turns of Teflon tape around the threads and screw the female quick connector end on one extreme of the hose, and the male quick connector end at the other extreme. There's no instruction about how much pressure you need; I used a 6" crescent wrench on the connector and held the hose by hand. (That seemed to work fine, as I didn't damage anything or have any air leaks when I hooked it up.) Insert the male quick connector end of the assembled hose into the female quick connector on the air compressor. You'll need to pull back the barrel of the female quick connector to make the connection. Repeat on the other end, inserting the male quick connector end that's already attached on the nailer into the female quick connector end you attached to the hose.
Each of the two nailers includes a box of 1000 nails. These are of middling size (2") for the finish nailer and maximum size (1 1/4") for the brad nailer. Both nailers include 1/4" male quick connectors (attached) but their manuals mention that you'll get better performance with 3/8" connectors (not included). The connectors come with dust covers to keep them clean when not attached to your hose. The safety features work well, requiring you to depress the safety shoe against the nailing surface before the nailer will fire. The nailers also won't fire when there's inadequate air pressure; with the small compressor included you may need to wait a few seconds after firing a dozen nails in quick succession.
Each nailer comes with a "single sequential actuation" trigger; you can also get a "contact activation" trigger, at no additional charge, by calling Porter-Cable's toll-free (in the U.S. and Canada) phone number and reading the serial numbers off your nailers. Estimate 10 days for the alternate triggers to arrive.
The two nailers worked just fine for me right out of the box. The nails seated to just the right depth without any fiddling when the nailer was held perpendicular to the softwood I was working with. They're quieter than I was expecting, too -just a quick hiss when wearing good hearing protection.
I found the compressor to be shockingly loud compared to the deep rumblings of larger compressors. I went to the other end of the house to get away from the noise during the REQUIRED 15-minute compressor break-in cycle. Even wearing hearing protection when using the finish nailer (as instructed by the nailer manual; eye protection is a must, too) I was startled when the compressor started up. This is a SMALL compressor. It has a maximum 135 PSI pressure, which is enough for most any air tool. But the flow rate is below that required by many tools: only 2.6 CFM at 90 PSI. It's enough for the nailers but you'll need to upgrade if you want to expand your air tool collection beyond these nailers. On the plus side, there's no maintenance required other than to open the drain valve when you're done with the compressor.
Summary: Very good nailers, and an adequate compressor to run these nailers. A really good starter set if you want to spiff up the trim in your house. Just be mindful that the compressor is going to be the limiting factor if your air tool aspirations grow.
This is a great value and well worth the money spent. However, UPS handling has gotten so bad with heavier items that you will be taking a chance by buying it online.
Buy Porter-Cable CFFN250N 16-Gauge Finish Nailer 18-Gauge Brad Nailer Compressor Combo Kit Now
Porter-Cable has put together the ultimate trim package. I bought the brad nailer/compressor combo about 2 years ago, then bought the FN250 about a year later. I just finished trimming out my new house, and everything worked flawlessly. This package would have saved me about $80.The compressor can easily support 2 guns running simultaneously without cycling constantly. Both guns have depth-of-drive wheels which are simple and accurate. And the fastener range (5/8 to 1-1/4 inch for the BN125, 3/4 to 2-1/2 inches for the FN250) should handle almost any job you have. For this price, you can't pass this up.It's hard to imagine how you'd get a better deal on a quality compressor and nailers. I bought this combo to do the trim and finish work on a significant addition to our house. I've since added a crown stapler, so I've been working the compressor pretty hard.
The positives:
Both nailers are top quality tools. If you read the woodworking mags, both the brad and the finish nailer are rated in the top 3 in all of the 3 tests I've read.
They do everthing as advertised. I especially appreciate the ability to very precisely place brads due to the rearward design of the safety foot. I've never jammed either nailer.
The compressor works and it's nice to have a small compressor that develops 135 PSI. Read the fine print carefully on other compressors and you see that many smaller units only go to 90 or 100 PSI.
The compressor is surprisingly fast for a small portable unit. It goes from 0 to 135 in just a few minutes. I can drive crown staples into subflooring at 100 PSI as fast as I can pull the trigger and I still can't staple fast enough to make the compressor run constantly. It's faster than I am.
Now a few minor complaints. As previously mentioned, the drain valve is in an awkward location in the back of the unit. Basically, I have to turn the compressor on it's head every time to find the stupid valve. Why not put it in front?
The biggest issue by far is this: The unit is loud. In a new additon job site where the room is sheetrocked, but with no carpet or other stuff to deaden the sound, it's uncomfortably loud. Even in a large room, after a while it bothers me. I will add that this is a common issue with oil-free compressors, but it is a problem still.
Finally, the real proof for me is longevity.
Update Feb 2008: I've had this a couple of years now, and it's still going strong. I've driven tens of thousands of nails, staples, and roofing nails. The compressor has basically outlasted all my expectations, this is a solid unit and deserves praise.
I would consider myself in the heavy home user category. I'm not a pro, but I think I use things like this more than the average homeowner because I did all the trim, finish, and flooring work in a 6 room addition. I'd recommend this combo set to anyone because after 2 years, it's still delivering.Two friends and I just finished building a 1350 square foot cabin in the mountains. We used ONLY this combo set plus a framing nailer that one of my buddies already owned. We put down over 9,000 linear feet of pine tongue and groove v-joint and all pine flooring, using the finish nailer that came with the set for 99% of the work. We used over 21,000 nails and neither the nailer nor the compressor ever hiccupped a single time.
HIGHLY recomend.
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