I'm new to wood flooring installation, and wondering about some leeway on a very small job. I've got two stair landings I want to finish in 3/4 red oak to match the stair treads I just finished installing. They are small, 8ft x 3 ft. Would it be reasonable to just nail them with my 15g finish nailer? Seems like barely worth the effort to go get a flooring nailer for such a small task.

Appreciate any thoughts.

There is no leeway in installing .
You either do it right or you don't .
Rent the gun .

You will get a better install if you do it correctly. There is more the flooring nailer does than simply fire a fastener through the tongue. It gets the boards tight together and flat and tight to the subfloor. Plus it uses the correct fasteners. 15 gauge finish nails are fine along a wall, not for an entire floor.

Remember that those landings will receive more traffic than any other hardwood areas in your house. Now is not the time to compromise the install.
Pre-cut all the boards, then go rent a nailer for a couple hours.

Thanks, I really appreciate the advice. In retrospect, it is a high traffic area. I guess I was thinking that a coated finish nail and a coated staple would have similar holding characteristics if I nailed every 6 inches. I'll do a pre-cut and get the gun. Staples or flooring nails?

You can rent a staple gun at Home Depot . Harbor frieght sells small boxes of the two inch staples that should have enough staples in the box to do what you have to install .
How wide are the boards ? Do you know the Nailing pattern ?

Have not yet decided on the flooring. It will be either 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 prefinished select. I was guessing (or read some where... Maybe Bruce web site) that 10" would be the right spacing.

8 inches apart, and about 2.5 to 3 inches from ends