Honestly, hoses are a pain, but at least air compressors don’t care about the cold nearly as much.
I hear you on the hoses, but dragging them around a steep roof in the snow is its own headache. Ever tried Metabo in the cold? I’ve had fewer jams with them than with Bostitch, but maybe that’s just luck. Curious if anyone’s had coil nailers freeze up mid-job—had it happen once and it was a mess.
Metabo’s been pretty solid for me in the cold, too—though I swear, every time I think I’ve found a “freeze-proof” nailer, winter proves me wrong. Had a coil nailer seize up once when sleet got into the feed—ended up hand-nailing half a bundle just to finish before dark. Honestly, hoses are bad enough, but frozen triggers? That’s next-level frustration. If you’re working in subzero temps, a little pneumatic tool oil in the line helps, but nothing’s perfect when it’s snowing sideways.
Frozen triggers are the worst—had one lock up mid-run last January, nearly launched the thing off the roof. I’ll take a little extra weight if it means fewer air leaks and jams. Honestly, battery nailers are tempting, but I still don’t trust ‘em in real cold.
Had a similar thing happen last winter—trigger froze up halfway through a ridge cap. Ended up swapping to my heavier coil nailer just to finish the job. It’s bulky, but at least it keeps firing in the cold. Battery nailers sound great, but I’m with you... not sure they’re ready for subzero mornings yet.
- Totally get it—cold weather just kills those triggers.
- I keep my old coil nailer around for the same reason. Heavy as heck, but it never lets me down in January.
- Tried a battery nailer once on a frosty morning... thing barely coughed out a nail before quitting.
- Pneumatic’s still king for winter jobs, at least up here in the Midwest.
- Only downside is lugging that extra weight up a steep pitch. My back’s not a fan, but at least the job gets done.
- Maybe in a few years those battery ones will catch up, but for now, I’m sticking with what works when it’s freezing.