Nail Gun Oil Substitute: 3 Best Alternative Lubricant Benefits

We all know nail guns are famous for their power and efficiency. Whether you own a pneumatic nail gun or a cordless nail gun, it is your responsibility to take care of the tool. These nailers are a great help to deal with the toughest nailing tasks. Over time, the internal mechanical components of these power tools require to be lubricated to keep on functioning fluently.

However, even though many use gun oil to lubricate their nailer, some want to go for the substitute ones. So, if you are here, you might also be looking for substitutes. Well, there are some high-quality nail gun oil substitutes that not only work as lubricants but also serve as cleansers and protectors.

Again, substitutes are supposed to use only when you are in an emergency or cannot find the best nail gun oil. These will help your nailer to function well only for the time being.

Why Do Nail Guns Need to be Lubricated?

A proper nailer is made of many mechanical parts including bearings, air motors, air compressors, seals, and all. These elements require regular maintenance because your tool is your responsibility.

However, among all of its maintenance lubrication is the most important task and it is mostly done with good nail gun oil.

Proper lubrication can make the power tool way stronger, effective, and durable. To get rid of the lockup situation of the internal mechanism of the tool, lubrication is important. However, it also can,

• Reduce lock-ups among the elements
• Resist rusts of the components
• Improve faster starts, smooth running, and trouble-free stops
• Reduce moisture promotion
• Decline O-ring crash
• Dispel calcium deposits, sludges, and other materials
• Confirms hassle-free movement of all distinctive parts

So, if you want your tool to serve you for some extended years, lubrication is the last thing you can do. Especially if you own a pneumatic nail gun, you need to be very careful about the air and moisture thing.

The air and its moisture directly affect the tool fittings influencing corrosion and rust. Again, many nail guns are not featured with an air dryer or a dry air supply mechanism. Hence, the best solution to it is to lubricate your nail gun.

3 Best Nail Gun Oil Substitute [Benefits & Disadvantages]:

There are several substitutes for nail guns are available in the gun. If you are really looking for them instead of the nail gun oil then you can certainly try out these materials. However, as these materials are alternatives still you gotta make sure of the quality first. Only the right selection can hold the best possible shape of your nail gun.

1) Hydraulic Oils:

Hydraulic oils are pretty much popular as one of the best nail gun oil substitutes. This oil empowers some of the distinct characteristics that are considered suitable for lubrication purposes. One of its properties is at a lower temperature, the hydraulic oil shows low viscosity. Viscosity is an important property for any oil that is used as a lubricant.

It notifies the fluid-flowing fluency without any hassle or resistance. The less the viscosity of the material, the lower is the density. It helps to flow the oil more fluently. Hence, hydraulic oil is a great solution for cold areas.

Unlike other oils with higher viscosity, the hydraulic oils flow more smoothly and fluently. Even in areas where the temperature is high the oil will keep flowing fluently. If your pneumatic nail gun is engineered with a pump with an ordinary crankcase then you can use the hydraulic oil.

However, you need to be careful with the weight while selecting the hydraulic oils. As per the temperature demand you need to grab the right one. For cold areas, 10W hydraulic oils are recommended. On the other hand, for the summer season, hydraulic oils of 30W are the right choice.

If the weight of the oil is heavier then the oil will get jammed quickly instead of flowing in winter. Again, for being immune to oxidation, hydraulic oils act as a great protector of your pneumatic nail guns. They are resistant to rust and can withstand all the sealant materials with what the nail guns are sealed.

So, overall using hydraulic oils as the substitute for nail gun oil has versatile benefits and plus points.

Are the Hydraulic Oil and Nail Gun Oil the Same?

Many think hydraulic oil same as the nailer or stapler oil. But, this conception is wrong. Even though hydraulic oil is one of the popular substitutes for nail gun oil yet they are not the same. The hydraulic oil has the anti-wear (AW) additive in the oil substance which is absent in the regular pneumatic nailer oils.

Moreover, it comes with more different supplements that nail gun oil doesn’t offer.

2) ATFs or Automatic Transmission Fluids:

After hydraulic oils, the ATFs are competitively the best substitutes for nailer oil. They come with numerous versatilities and provides many benefits acting as a hydraulic medium. These automatic transmission fluids also keep the parts free from any deposits.

Also, cooling the parts, these fluids resist tear, wear, and any kind of breakdown of the mechanical parts. However, because of these great offerings, the ATFs are hugely used for car transmissions. But because of having the same urge of pressure and stress release, your nail gun also requires these fluids.

However, so that you understand the strong formulation, the AFTs contain a wider range of additives including anti-wear agents, antioxidants, detergents, demulsifiers, and all. Hence, you can predict the materials are packed with robust-based oils and enhanced supplements.

Advantages of Using ATFs:

• ATFs can decline the breakdown of the nail gun that might occur by the produced heat when it is running.
• ATFs come with detergents to ensure the cleaning of deposits that are produced while holding out against the breakdowns.
• ATFs can also combat oxidation when the compressor of the nailer is compressed. The formulated anti-oxidants of the fluids can counter the degradation.
• Reducing friction and rusts, ATFs can maintain the exact shape of your nail gun.

Downsides of Using ATFs:

Like these benefits, there are also some downsides to using this substitute as well. It is better if you acknowledge these drawbacks before you get to start using them.

• Not all the ATFs would be compatible with the nail gun you own. This is the biggest drawback of this substitute. If the automatic transmission fluid you bought is incompatible with your nailer then using it for lubrication is strictly prohibited.
• There are chances of being damaged of the nailer parts for using the ATFs. The detergents that they contain might affect the compressor motor and damage it unexpectedly.
• When a nail gun manufacturer suggests a particular oil for lubricating it, going for the ATFs is not a wise decision.

Read Also: How to Fill Nail Holes in Prefinished White Trim [with White Wood Filler]

3) Synthetic Oils (or Engine Oil):

Synthetic oils are also good options as nail gun oil substitutes. These are chemical compounds that are made synthetically or artificially. These oils are made through a whole of processes hence they are way refined oils and one of the best selections as the alternative of nailer oil.

Synthetic oils are suitable for nail guns as they tend to function in both higher or lower temperatures. Hence, your power tool and its compressor are protected from overheating. Additionally, synthetic oils are more acceptable because they have noise cancellation properties.

Thus, to have a noise-free smooth functioning of your nailer, synthetic oil will do a lot. Again, it increases the practicality of the power tool. However, the weight of the synthetic oils should be 20W for a cold environment and 30W oils for a comparatively warm environment.

Nonetheless, there is also a downside to selecting synthetic oils. Synthetic oils are mainly made for some specific cases. So, if the synthetic oil is not processed specially for nail guns then using it will only cause damage to your tool.

So, these are the substitutes one can use instead of nail gun oil. All of the substitutes are instant solutions for lubricating when you don’t have nailer oil near you.

Properties that should Contain the Substitutes:

Compressor oil comes with some certain and important properties. Hence, if the substitutes also have these same properties, you can use them as the alternative.

a) Viscosity:

This is one of the most important and distinctive properties to look for in a substitute. It generally indicates the weight of the substance. Oil density is also related to it. According to science, the density of the oil is higher when the viscosity is also higher.

So, low viscosity oil will be less thick than oil with higher viscosity. However, in most nail guns generally, 20W or 30W oil viscosity is used. They are specially made for air compressors. So, substitutes with this viscosity can be used to nail guns.

b) Temperature:

Temperature also affects the viscosity of a substance. The viscosity can change according to the change in environmental temperature. Hence, it is important to bring a balance between temperature and oil viscosity.

However, we have mentioned before that for warmer areas 30W oil will work well whereas in colder areas it is better to choose lower weight oil.

c) Additives or Supplements:

Most of the substitutes for nail gun oil are processed with many additives. These may prove both beneficial or harmful to your tool. However, among many additives, detergent till now has been proved to be the most harmful one. So, be careful.

Final Verdict:

Finally, choose a non-toxic substitute for your nail gun. Also, make sure they are non-hazardous. This will ensure a healthy and stable condition of your nail gun both internally and externally. Just like your regular using oil, make sure the alternatives provide the most of them.

You will always want the high-quality product even as an alternative because you want your tool to survive longer than you expect. Hence, it is suggested to go for the reliable ones only. For easy and quick Lubrication, you choose those 3 types of Nail Gun Oil Substitute, as you like.

Last Updated on August 27, 2021 by Rogers Weber

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