Finding the right oil for your nail gun can be an overwhelming experience, especially with the rise of oil-free nail guns.
Finding the best choice can be complicated, with so many types of oils and the rapid rise in oilless nail guns.
Let’s find out about the right oil for your nail gun.
Oil Type for Pneumatic Nail Guns
Just like mechanical gadgets require lubricating to boost efficiency, your pneumatic oil guns need oil for the same purpose.
Proper lubrication of pneumatic tools reduces friction and ensures that the equipment will serve you for a long time.
Most people use oil as a lubricant for their machines, including minor ones like nail guns to trucks.
What is the Function of Oil?
Adding drops of oil to any power tool is crucial for various reasons. Take a look at the primary purpose of oil, whether it is for light or heavy use.
- Lubricating
- Cooling off
- Prevent rust
- Enhance durability
Any kind of oil that you use as a lubricant reduces tear and wear from the friction between the rubbing components and nozzles.
The oil smoothens the surfaces affected by friction, thus, boosting functionality. The oil acts as an anti-wear agent by ensuring that the moving parts do not wear out.
Besides, the oil creates a cold environment when there are high temperatures during the operation of the tools.
Maintaining a cool environment is vital for preventing damage to machine parts and ensuring their durability in the long run.
Pneumatic tools include devices such as nail guns and impact wrenches.
It is recommendable to only use pneumatic oil for lubrication when using such equipment. Using the wrong oil can affects the efficiency of the lubricant.
So, if you have pneumatic nailers, you should find the suitable types of oils that will fit their use.
What Kind of Oil is Fit for Nail Guns?
Pneumatic tool oil is the best for devices that have low viscosity.
You use the air inlet of the gadget to place a few drops of the air tool oil on the gadget to facilitate adequate lubrication.
The oil contains anti-wear agents, and its kinetic viscosity ranges between 20 and 50 at forty degrees Celsius.
The best option is finding the type of nail gun oil with the highest quality and 46cst viscosity. For example, you can use the marvel mystery oil as it provides the best results.
Also, it is crucial to keep off oils whose formulation is not suitable for pneumatic tools.
Using the wrong oil risks damaging parts of devices, including seals. In addition, failure to use the best oil can result in a burning impact that can impair the metal parts of pneumatic tools.
Furthermore, you may encounter tools that have self-oil valves. Under such circumstances, you need a user manual that is usually attached to the nail gun.
The manual guide helps you determine the instances under which you need to practice regular oiling to facilitate the best performance.
You need a properly oiled nail gun in good condition to ensure its prolonged life. Daily oiling will enhance durability regardless of the type of nail gun that you have.
Regular maintenance is also crucial for protecting your tools against damage after using them for long periods.
Nail Gun Oil Substitute
When you need an oiled nail gun, the lack of oil may give you a hard time.
Under such circumstances, nail oil substitutes become an essential thing. There are various air tool oil substitutes that you can use in the place of the recommended oil.
The next time you want to avoid using the wrong type of oil for your gun, it will be a good idea to consult with the manufacturer before using any of the following substitutes.
- Low Viscosity Hydraulic Oil
Hydraulic oils are crucial alternatives to using air tools. They are mainly the best when you operate in cold weather since they shield your devices from the cold environment.
The best thing about hydraulic oil is that it maintains its viscosity and works effectively regardless of the temperature. As a result, low-viscosity hydraulic oil makes the ideal oil gun substitute.
- Automatic Transmission Fluid
The advantages of automatic transmission fluids (ATF) are parallel with those of hydraulic fluids.
Their performance is crucial in transmissions which is the exact mechanism under which nail guns operate.
One of the necessary precautions to observe is to ensure the absence of any detergents in the ATF as it can cause corrosion in the metal parts of the nail gun.
- Synthetic Oil
Synthetic oils are vital substitutes to use in place of the recommended oil for your nail gun.
The best part is that synthetic oil operates efficiently even at different temperatures.
Besides, it lacks the ingredients contained in conventional motor oil that can affect the nail gun.
- 3-In-1 Oil, is it Good for a Nail Gun?
Yes, you can use 3in1 oil in your nail gun. The fact that the oil has lightweight makes it perfect for oil guns.
In addition, the 3in1is a vital type of non-detergent motor oil designed for tools like nail guns.
Also, it would be best to keep off products that contain silicone as one of its chemical compounds.
Its exhaust port can be dangerous to the nail gun as it corrodes the coating of the gun parts.
- Can You Use Mineral Oil?
Using mineral oil in your nail gun may seem unreasonable at first, but it works efficiently.
So, yes, you can use mineral oil, especially if it has anti-foaming features that prevent the parts from building up grease and dirt.
However, it leaves a gluey residue behind when you use petroleum oil. The sticky material can cause damage to your gun.
The general rule of thumb before you use any oil is to check the manual of the feed system. It helps you to determine if you have the suitable oil for use.
The last thing you would want to do is apply transmission fluid or motor oil to your pneumatic tools.
Neither of the products has the characteristics required to keep the nail gun parts in good working conditions.
It will be essential to have a regular lubrication schedule for each type of tool to ensure their smooth running.
How to Oil a Nail Gun?
Lubricating a nail gun takes a moderately simple process. The primary step is to shut down the gun by detaching its air hose.
If you use a cordless nail gun, you will have to eject its battery and disconnect the nails.
Once you read the guidelines, add the oil to the nail gun to ensure every internal component gets lubricated.
If the device you want to use is pneumatic, you use the air inlet to put a few drops of nailer oils and reconnect the air pipe.
The moment you let the compressed air into the gun, it disperses the oil into the inner parts of the nailer.
Additionally, the magazine of your nail gun is a no-go zone with oil during the lubrication process.
If you add any oil to the magazine during the daily lubrication process, it attracts all kinds of gunk.
The debris affects the operational mechanism of the nail gun, causing the magazine to block. It is crucial to cautiously clean the magazine and prevent any particles from getting inside.
Also, you should efficiently regulate the amount of oil used in the lubrication process. Over-lubricating your guns can cause real challenges, especially with finish nailers.
Final Thoughts: What Kind of Oil for Your Nail Gun?
The general rule of thumb for nail guns is to lubricate your tools before getting to work.
Every type of machine tool requires the right oil for proper lubrication.
It is always crucial to read the manual of your nail gun to familiarize yourself with the correct oil type to use.
