Kobalt CO2 Regulator from Lowes

[tedkitch]

I've always been intrigued by the idea of the portable CO2 regulators. I finally purchased a Kobalt from Lowes yesterday and so far I'm pretty impressed. It is a whole lot more convenient than lugging the compressor everywhere and not needing electricity it nice. It worked great with my brad nailer putting up some moldings. After that I tried it out with all types of different tools just to see how well it works with them. It drove 2" finish nails with no problem, 1 1/4" roofing nails with no problems and I was really impressed when it drove 3 inch nails. There is currently a promotion where you get a free 9 oz bottle of CO2 with the purchase. They also sell a 20 oz bottle.

I've also read up on how the CO2 can effect the seals in the tools. I've read as many pros as cons with it, so I'll see how it goes.

I really wanted something like this for those instances where you have a couple of staples/nails to drive somewhere around the house and it isn't worth lugging the entire compressor around. For this it seems perfect.

[LCHIEN]

hey, cool looking avatar!

You know, if you just want to do a few nails, a hammer would be much smaller, lighter and simpler.

But I understand the problem, you just don't have any loose nails lying around that are the right size.

An of course, not nearly as cool and making use of the power tools. I have the same problem myself.
So how many nails will it do on a tank?

[tedkitch]

Sometimes even a hammer isn't good. Try putting a 1" finish nail into the corner while down on your hands and knees with fat thumbs. This is where this tool is great!

According to the manual it will do:


I've been playing with it more today. Nice unit for the price.

[MBG]

That's an interesting concept. Now I have to see if it's possible to adapt a 20oz. paint-ball CO2 tank - I already use one to carbonate my homebrew. Best thing is I get free refills at the local paint ball shop.

[TheRic]

I was wonder how much it would do. That chart is about 10 times than I would have guessed. How much are the tanks? Can they be refilled?

[p8ntblr]

Hmm I wonder how well the reg is designed. The big knock with CO2 (in paintball anyways) is that the pressure can change dramatically with high temp changes. Which is why many use compressed air (if it's in the budget). That and you can refill a compressed air by yourself. Also CO2 can turn into liquid form and mess with the internals. In fact one of my markers refused to work at all with CO2 (even with an expansion chamger). But then again you're not going to be shooting a nail gun as fast as some is shooting a paintball gun. At least, I hope not. Let us know how well it holds up in a constant use. Like after a big project. I really like the portability aspect of it.

Btw, a 20z should work I would think as they're the size thread as a 9 oz.

[MilDoc]

Turns out the Kobalt regulator is the one made by JacPac that I asked about months ago. In a deal with Lowes it is renamed "Kobalt" - which is the Lowes house brand.

And, in cooperation with Blue Rhino, CO2 cylinders can be exchanged just like propane tanks, so the refill problem is gone. Exchange $ are approximately $6 for 9 oz tank, $( for 20 oz (but your price may vary).

[tedkitch]

I got extensive use of this thing over the weekend and I've got a few issues to point out with it. The 9 oz. canisters don't power nearly as much as the guide says. I would say that I got about 70% of what they said. Funny thing is the 20 oz. ones gave me more than what they rated. Go figure.

Also, the hose is quite cheap. I had one pop in the middle while I sat it down to get a drink. It was cool watching it bubble, while I furiously try to shut the valve. Lost lots of CO2 with that. The second hose that I got also failed, but was easily fixed. It just came apart at the connection. The connections are finger tight. I went to HF and got a cheap 10' coiled hose that has done great compared to the other two.

I was using my Stanley 15 gauge nailer with 1 1/2" finish nails and it is quite convenient and provides plenty of punch. You do however need to wait about a second between shots to get 100% of the pressure.

Overall, it is still worth the $99.

[crokett]

I'd love to have one of those. Got the compressor out this weekend to replace about 8' of crown. I think it took longer to set everything up.

[padboy]

CO2 vs Comp.Air

I use a portable air tank for those small jobs not requiring a compressor. My tank cost me around 30 bux at HD and comes with fittings and pressure gauge. I fill it to around 100lbs.from my PC compressor and I am good to go.
Padboy