December 11, 2007

JacPac

UPDATE: Our review of the JacPac is here.

We saw this when we checked out DIY Network's new show Cool Tools (it's on the video called "Power, Tunes, & Clean"). The JacPac, made by a company called Supplierpipeline, is a portable pneumatic power source that is so compact that it can clip on your belt. It even comes with a hose, so all you need is the gun and you're ready to go.

It doesn't use air, like a regular compressor, but rather CO2, which can be had at any reputable paintball center. It costs about $5 to fill the tank and according to Supplierpipeline you should be able to shoot 500 brads/staples out of a single canister. The whole unit weighs about 5lbs, so it'll hardly even be tugging at your pants.

This looks like the start of something big. No more twisting hoses stretched all over the jobsite, and no more lugging the compressor from room to room. Not to mention, there's also no start-up racket, so you won't be waking up the neighbors at 7am when you turn on your 4-gallon compressor.

But also keep in mind that shooting 500 brads is not the same thing as 500 roofing nails. The larger the nail, the greater the pressure needed, the quicker the tank will empty. Our guess is that this is a great tool for smaller guns, getting less efficient as the guns get larger.

The JacPac sells for about $120. That includes the canister, a belt loop, safety glasses, and the 10' coil hose (you can also get it with a brad gun included for $180). Extra cylinders go for $35-$50. To us this seems like a steal. We were expecting this technology, being so new and unique, to be at least a few hundred bucks. But we still haven't used it and can't vouch for how it works….

There's a cool video here.

At MyToolPlace, and Amazon