Looking at getting a little air compressor to run my hog ring gun and many a few other things. Any advantages or disadvantage on a pancake compressor vs a cylinder one ?

volume

THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT FOR DISPLACEMENT

if your saying sort fat tank vs little cylinders , no real difference

if you mean a real piston and cylinder compressor displacement

the little ones run often to keep a framing nailer going but they are a lot easier to get places also

the little diaphragm pumps don't last as long as piston

if you intend to run an impact or die grinder or other rotary type tool they take a lot of volume the little guys can't

I have a small porter cable pancake compressor and a bigger upright cylinder one. Cylinder for bigger stuff in the garage. But i use the pancake alot. Air it up and carry it out to the shed to air up a lawn mower tire or up to the camper for a flat. Its like a portable air tank also. Small cylinder ones tend to take up more space than pancake. Sometimes you can find em on sale with an air gun too.

Yup, size matters.

I got a little pancake for airing tires, running a staple gun to knock together bee boxes and frames. It just does keep up with the 1/2" crown stapler. If I tried a framing nailer I'm sure I could kill it.

Which one for the man who only can have one.

with harbor freight having them for 50 dollars and name brand 130

if you can have only one it is probably a cost issue and pancake

if it is a space issue , probably still pancake

high volume compressors are a lot of money now starting about 600

I framed my 20 by 26 cabin with a pancake. What it has trouble with is continuously firing a T50 arrow stapler. Instead of dragging it to put up vapor barrier I have to pull the trigger each time.

I never had much luck with the pancake compressors holding up (couple of different brands) -- i like the piston ones.

I've had a Bostitch pancake compressor living in one of my work trucks for about twenty-five years now. It will run two roofing nailers at a time. I use it on smaller framing jobs so I don't have to drag out the big compressor. It will run a framing nailer with no issues except when rapidly banging 8D's into roof sheathing. It can't keep up with that. Mostly I use it to run my finish nailers.

Twenty-five years of hard service without a hiccup. I guess they don't build them like that anymore.

Follow the break in instructions to the letter, and you will get good service from the pancake. Check the CFM rate of the compressor against the tools you're gonna use.

Had a bigger compressor for years until the motor bit the dust. Looked at new motors and said I can buy a new compressor for that. Man was I wrong. They had sky rocketed since I had last bought one. Anyway ended up buying a pancake to keep the tires aired up around here. I was able to seat a bead on a tire I put on for a broke down stranger. I honestly wasn't sure it would do it but it did.