Woodworking 101: Senco pc1010 air compressor

Dienstag, 1. März 2011

Senco pc1010 air compressor

OK, a little play on words there, but the truth is that this small compressor is great.Know what you are buying, and then rate it from that point of view. I’ve seen people here say that this Senco is too small, lacks enough reserve air so it doesn’t keep starting to recycle, and all sorts of other comments which show they have no idea of what they are talking about. You don’t buy a Prius, or a Smart Car, to use as a tow truck, and you don’t buy a small compressor like this to run roofing or framing guns. That’s just flat out dumb.I have a large, very heavy, twin tank Emglo compressor for that,which I’ve owned for almost 20 years, with no issues at all.I bought this Senco for small jobs, where I just need a regular trim gun, or my brad nailer.I have already used this to trim out a small renovation, and it was perfect to attach extension jambs,baseboards, and casing. It is quiet as could be, and so light and compact that it was a breeze to put in my truck, and move around inside the job site. The smaller Makita compressor really isn’t this small, and it’s very heavy. The Porter Cable pancake compressors are alot bulkier and really noisy as hell.However, if you need to run more than one gun at a time, or to do alot of continous nailing, they are probably a better choice. This Senco really isn’t designed for, or well suited to heavy production trim crews in my opinion. However,I couldn’t be happier with this purchase for MY NEEDS. The moral of this: IF YOU WANT A FRAMING COMPRESSOR,OR A PRODUCTION TOOL,BUY A LARGER HEAVY DUTY COMPRESSOR.IF YOU WANT A SMALL, LIGHT, EASY TO CARRY TRIM COMPRESSOR FOR SMALL JOBS, BUY THIS LITTLE SENCO UNIT.
BTW, the trim guns that I own are also Sencos, and I’ve had them for about 20 years too. Never a problem with either one.I’ve heard good things about the new Hitachi guns and I may get one of them because it can use 2 1/2 inch nails, where my Senco only goes up to 2 inch.I’ve used Bostitch guns before, and I really dislike them immensely. Lots of misfires and jams.
I have been a carpenter for 35 years, and a Union Carpenter for 25. I’ve had experience using virtually every brand of compressor and nail gun on the market.It sure helps to be able to actually try it out before you buy something.I hope this will help someone else make sensible choices for their needs.