Brad Nailer Set-up

[AJ Quinter]

I recently inherited an air compressor and have subsequently bought a porter cable brad and pin nailer. Do I need to have an air filter between the compressor and nailers? I think I am going to manually oil the nailers as opposed to an in-line oiler. Any recommendations on an air hose?

[Don Jarvie]

Up 1st, you really don't need an air filter unless you are going to use the compressor to spray paint, lacquer, etc.

As for the oil, check to see if the guns are oilless. The new guns don't need to be oiled and will say it on the gun or in the manual.

For a hose, it all depends on what you plan to do. I have a long rubber hose and it's a pain to deal with. I have one of the accordion type but need to permanently mount the compressor.

[Lex Boegen]

I use an air filter for everything that I connect to my air compressor. I do live in a very humid area, so that's a factor in my choice. I have a short "cheater hose" that has an inline oiler on the tip, so for those tools that need oil, I connect the cheater hose to my main hose, and the tool to the oiler on the end of the cheater hose. I never connect an oiler anywhere else because I don't want oil to deposit on the main hose (for those times when I am using it to spray finish).

[Von Bickley]

My Porter Cable brad gun is oil-less. You may want to check on yours.....

[Rich Engelhardt]

Read the manuals that came with the guns. They'll tell you what type of oil, if any, you need to use.
I noticed my HD still has oiled PC guns on the shelf in 15 and 16 ga.
The newer ones I've seen from Amazon are oiless.

An inline filter or filter/seperator, while not "needed", is never a bad thing to have.

HF has a "good one" for cheap when it's on sale.

{Forgot the hose and had to come back to edit.}

Just about anything - except - that miserable, made by satan's spawn, thought up by the forces of evil, pushed on humanity by Darth Vader (b4 he turned back to the force), nasty, stiff, kink prone, always on sale for less than 10 bucks - PVC crap!
I like rubber hose myself, again, HF, from time to time, runs a sale on Goodyear rubber hose for an excellent price.
YMMV on the coiled hoses. Some like them (myself being one) - most don't.
1/4" or 3/8" - and what length - all depend on your compressor.
My 2HP class Ingersoll Rand "hot dog" can keep up with a couple hundred feet of 3/8" hose.
My little Sears 1/3HP Evolve can't take anything more than a 10', 1/4" coiled hose.

[Joe Kieve]

What others have said about oiling your gun. Check the manual. As for a filter, I have one permanently mounted just ahead of my regulator. That way all air coming from the compressor is filtered. You don't want to be blowing water all over something you've just sanded.
Just my 2 cents.

joe

[AJ Quinter]

Thanks for the responses. I read the manuals that came with the nailers and they definitely require oil. My question was essentially whether I need a filter ahead of the nailer. It sounds like not everyone uses a filter, but that it isn't a bad idea either. I will probably try to pick one up.