I have a Porter Cable 2" brad nailer that never misses a beat. Works great for trim, around the wood shop etc. Rockler and others will run the PC nailer, hose and compressor refurb kits cheap several times a year.

For quiet, I would stay away from the oil-less compressors. However those will be the lightest ones you can find.

Check out this previous Oil vs Oil-less thread.

I bought this Makita compressor from Amazon. It was a pretty good deal for a decent compressor. Free shipping on this kind of heavy thing sealed the deal. I would not want to be lugging it up and down stairs all day but I don't use it professionally.

If you need to drag the compressor around alot, I think the Thomas compressor are about the lightest and quietest you can find.

tomplum, is this the "Porter Cable nailer you mean"? Would this be enough to do any and all trim work?

masiman, I did read that Oil vs Oil-less thread, very helpful. I'm wondering, what kind of maintenance does an Oil lubricated compressor require and are there any other drawbacks? That Makita may just be enough.

Is it a good idea to stay away from the refurbished "Bostitch Kit" they sell on Amazon and eBay? Refurbished compressors in general?

i use my little 125.00 craftsman compressor for my nailers. as to the noise, well i have a 100' hose so i just leave the compressor outside or in another room and don't worry about it.

if you want to use this compressor for other things later, such as airing up tires/runnign air ratchets/etc, then stay away from teh small pancake styles and get a decent mid sized unit.

as far as the nailers, i got a framing nailer/brad nailer/trim nailer combo kit from Lowes a few years back love it. not one of the name brands, though i forget what it is! kit cost around 300.00 but was well worth it.

well i don't see myself using the compressor for anything beyond trim work and finishing. i'm kind of constrained by price, noise and the amp draw (can't be too power hungry). i know that's a small window to work with but just looking for the best for bang given that criteria.

The oiled compressors are heavier and generally more expensive. There is no much maintenance that I know of that is different from an oil-free model except to make sure your oil level is good (simple view window). Additionally, the oiled do have a break in period (at least mine did of running it unloaded for 1 hour) that the oil-free probably do not have. I really can not think of anything else. If your compressor is going to sit for awhile, try to avoid the moisture buildup in the tank that will eventually rust it out. That goes for both oil and oil-free though.

I really like the Makita. I was tempted to go all out on a Thomas or Rol-Air but a contractor with a used Thomas recommended I get the Makita for what I needed. I am very happy with it. Lighter is all I could wish for, but for the amount number of times I use it, this is okay.

I'm with davidandkasie on the hose. I will probably get a dedicated auto winding reel in my garage. I bought a nice rubber hose and some of the extension accessories with mine. The blower nozzles are really useful. Also, I spent extra and picked up the tire inflator that has the built in pressure gauge like at the gas stations. This was a really good purchase because the gauge is pretty accurate. Even if it were not, I could calibrate its readings to an accurate pressure gauge readings. I don't have to pump and check, pump and check.

I would also look at harbor freight if you only going to use it once in a great moon then why give double for it if it's just going to set around drawing dust. Probably all made in china anyway. I would at least get a 2 gallon one. You would have more options with 16 gauge nailer, they will also shoot brad nails and up to 2".

The Makita is definitely a contender, fairly low amp draw (12.4) for use in older wired homes.

I was thinking the same thing rcmoser, which is why I was looking at the refurbished Bostich Kit's that include a compressor, finish nailer, brad nailer and staple gun.

Yes, that is the nailer I have that you have in your link. Bought in 2007. I am a homeowner type user rather than a contractor. So around the house, wood working type things. It is a tool I put off getting and then went, why?! It drove a few hundred brads last week. After I bought it I saw the Rockler deal on an open house they had. I think the nice 1/4" hose was like $40.

You say you will only use it 'once in a while'.
Well, I can tell you from experience, once you
get one, you will find all kinds of uses for it.
And if you buy 'small', you will wish you had
bought 'bigger'.

More bang for the buck is always a good thing. yes the more attachments you get is by far a better deal as stated above you will find all sorts of use for them and the air compressor from blowing up tires, to cleaning small passages out to blowing out your air filters ect.....