I am looking for an air powered staple gun. I have looked at short nose as well as long nose... Pros and Cons on both would be good as well as recommendations on guns. I mainly do automotive and antique furniture. Thank you all...
Paul
I have a cheapo Primestitch short nose and a Fasco long nose and prefer the Primestitch. The long nose is helpful in spots, but I don't like the safety on it. You have to press the safety before each and every staple and it's a PITA >:( The short nose with no safety except for a trigger safety used for loading staples is much faster. And, after more than 5 years, it's trouble-free.
June
June: I'm curious. Do you use the Primestitch stapler a lot? Doing furniture, I use my BEA stapler 6-8 hrs. a day. And I torture mine, accidentally hitting screws, steel springs, clips, etc. I've had the cheapo guns before, they don't stand up to heavy use. If YOU use yours a lot, and it's lasted 5 years, then I got just one question. Where can I get one? ???
A competitor and I were talking last month. I told him that I'd had nothing but trouble out of the cheapo guns. He said that he'd had no problems at all with his. So I asked to borrow one to see if I liked it. He had to rob parts off of 4 different guns just to put ONE together that jammed after every 4 or 5 shots (He didn't consider that to be a problem).
I've done hundreds of boat seats with it, but not furniture and I do all the marketing/patterning/sewing so I'm sure I use it less than you use yours. I got it from Amazon.com when I was first starting and $$ was really tight for around $70. It's never jammed on me. I've never serviced it other than to squirt silicone in the air intake every time I start a project with it. Most marine seat materials are fairly soft, but occasionally come across plastics that are rock hard. Only thing I've done is increased air pressure over the years. It used to drive staples and recoil correctly at around 65 psi now I have to use 70+ psi or the anvil doesn't retract all the way.
It looks like this one, but I'm not sure if it's the same model.
http://www.gosale.com/4866974/primestitch-us7116-22-gauge
June
I have a Rainco long nose, not a cheap gun, I have been using it almost daily for over a year without any problems. I prefer a short nose gun, but the long nose fits into more places and I think is the better choice if you can only afford one gun for know. Some day I am going to get a short nose one.
I've also read that the Rainco is a pretty good one..
I have an electric stapler that has been fine for me, but now that I have a compressor to power the presser foot lift on my new Juki I've been thinking about moving to a pneumatic gun, too. (I also would like a paint sprayer!).
Thanks for the insights, you guys. I've always been interested in upholstery work and the long nose models have been the ones that have caught my eye, too. I just love tools... good ones that are what you need to make the job easier and faster.
Had Fasco for ten years, have not had one problem with it. If something does go wrong I know I'll be able to get parts. You get what you pay for. Also the first thing I did was remove the safety as it was annoying. I have seen guns that have the the firing mechanism adjusted so you squeeze the trigger and it fires off like a machine gun. Not for the novice.
QuoteI've never serviced it other than to squirt silicone in the air intake every time I start a project with it
I've used silicone when I was afraid of excess oil spraying out; but air tool oil does a much better job and stays in the stapler longer.
BTW June; your staples looks exactly like my Miniko other than colour. Possibly just sold under a different name up here. It's "middle of the pack" but I've never had any trouble with it or the one I worked with before I got my own.
I've been using a Fasco for two years now. My only complaint is the same as June's and that is the safety is obnoxious. The spring in the safety lever broke (I'm sure I dropped it or something) so it was flapping around, I keep saying I'm just going to remove it and be done but its still on there...
Otherwise its been one of the most reliable tools I've purchased. The only time I run into problems is from user error when someone forgets to put a drop or two of oil in it or runs the pressure too low but you can't blame the tool there. Hope it helps....
I don't use a stapler near as much as most people on these forums, but I'm trying out something different..... a Makita battery powered stapler. So far I like it.....good to be free of power cords and air hoses. It seems to get into tight areas about as good as my Senco, without the hose.
I use a 1/2" stapler I bought from Harbor Freight for $12, and haven't had any problems. I now see the price has gone to about $20 on the stapler but it's still a good deal!
Big John
Quote from: BigJohn on October 22, 2010, 01:58:18 pm
I use a 1/2" stapler I bought from Harbor Freight for $12, and haven't had any problems. I now see the price has gone to about $20 on the stapler but it's still a good deal!
Big John
Ditto. I have not had any problems with my $ 20 harbor freight stapler either. If I do I will throw it in the trash and go get another one. I can buy a lot of them for the price of one pro model. :)
I should add that I do not use mine that often due to the work I do. But when I have used it it performed great.
Chris
Quote from: Mojo on October 24, 2010, 09:08:03 am
Quote from: BigJohn on October 22, 2010, 01:58:18 pm
I use a 1/2" stapler I bought from Harbor Freight for $12, and haven't had any problems. I now see the price has gone to about $20 on the stapler but it's still a good deal!
Big John
I should add that I do not use mine that often due to the work I do. But when I have used it it performed great.
Chris
It probably should be pointed out that the guys who only do light duty stapling HAVE been pleased with the cheapo staplers, such as the one from Harbor Freight. For stapling vinyl to plywood, I'm sure they are satisfactory.
But, being a hard core furniture guy, I have wasted entirely too much time and money fooling around with those inexpensive guns.
I'd rather pay $125 for a BEA, or comparable brand. I can keep my air pressure at 90 psi (the same as my air wrenches), I seldom oil it, and I can accidentally hit steel springs without damaging the driver. And the gun will last 10 years or more.
So, when deciding how much to spend on an air stapler, you should consider the type of work you will be doing.
I only occasionally use a brad nail gun. So for me, the cheapo brad nailer works just fine. A professional carpenter, for example, wouldn't fool with one.
Quote from: sofadoc on October 24, 2010, 01:29:03 pm
Quote from: Mojo on October 24, 2010, 09:08:03 am
Quote from: BigJohn on October 22, 2010, 01:58:18 pm
I use a 1/2" stapler I bought from Harbor Freight for $12, and haven't had any problems. I now see the price has gone to about $20 on the stapler but it's still a good deal!
Big John
I should add that I do not use mine that often due to the work I do. But when I have used it it performed great.
Chris
It probably should be pointed out that the guys who only do light duty stapling HAVE been pleased with the cheapo staplers, such as the one from Harbor Freight. For stapling vinyl to plywood, I'm sure they are satisfactory.
But, being a hard core furniture guy, I have wasted entirely too much time and money fooling around with those inexpensive guns.
I'd rather pay $125 for a BEA, or comparable brand. I can keep my air pressure at 90 psi (the same as my air wrenches), I seldom oil it, and I can accidentally hit steel springs without damaging the driver. And the gun will last 10 years or more.
So, when deciding how much to spend on an air stapler, you should consider the type of work you will be doing.
I only occasionally use a brad nail gun. So for me, the cheapo brad nailer works just fine. A professional carpenter, for example, wouldn't fool with one.
All very good points, my choice is BEA (I have two) spare a thought for those of us a million miles from anywhere,a new BEA here is around $400.......
It probably should be pointed out that the guys who only do light duty stapling HAVE been pleased with the cheapo staplers, such as the one from Harbor Freight. For stapling vinyl to plywood, I'm sure they are satisfactory.
But, being a hard core furniture guy, I have wasted entirely too much time and money fooling around with those inexpensive guns.
I'd rather pay $125 for a BEA, or comparable brand. I can keep my air pressure at 90 psi (the same as my air wrenches), I seldom oil it, and I can accidentally hit steel springs without damaging the driver. And the gun will last 10 years or more.
So, when deciding how much to spend on an air stapler, you should consider the type of work you will be doing.
I only occasionally use a brad nail gun. So for me, the cheapo brad nailer works just fine. A professional carpenter, for example, wouldn't fool with one.
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I agree. If I was stapling into hardwoods all day like you I would spring for a more expensive and rugged model. But a few stapling jobs a year into plywood is hard to justify the expense of a high dollar BEA gun.
My woodshop has a mixture of tools and machines. You can tell by each machine which one gets used the most just by the name tag. If it is a machine I use alot, I make the investment and buy a name brand rugged model. If it is something I use now and then and doesn't require dead on accuracy then I buy off brand.
My contractor table saw is a Jet but my 7 " rabbit joiner machine is a Harbor Freight special. My floor drill press is a Clark but my hand drills are Dewalt. Most of my hand power tools are Porter Cable.
The more I use them the more I am willing to spend for a good heavy duty model.
Chris
I bought a used BEA off of eBay since money is tight just getting started. I wanted a name brand and read that the BEA was indestructible, just like sofadoc said.
I paid $19.99 and the shipping was either FREE or reasonable. It was dirty and beat up looking when I got it, so I cleaned it up and oiled it. The pin that held the trigger was missing an E ring, so until I replaced the E ring, I just used it without it.
It has performed without a single jam. If I could find a long nose for a similar price, I'd buy it too! ;D One thing about it, parts are easy to get for BEA and I've been told that it's a piece of cake to rebuild if it needs it.
http://cgi.ebay.com/BeA-TOOLS-AIR-1-2-UPHOLSTERY-STAPLER-TACKER-95-16-405-/380281483855?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588a8af24f
$19.95
I think this is the same seller I bought mine from. If you watch this seller, you can get one that nobody is bidding on. Don't get into a bidding war and run the price up. I use Bid-nip. It places my bid 4 seconds before the auction ends...the only way to buy on eBay...IMHO. ;D
Do a search on eBay for BEA stapler. You'll get a bunch of hits. Later, after I make my first million in upholstery, I'll spring for a new one!
Quote from: hdflame on October 26, 2010, 07:50:01 pm
I use Bid-nip. It places my bid 4 seconds before the auction ends...the only way to buy on eBay...IMHO. ;D
Ok, I just signed up on Bid-nip. There's an item that I'm currently bidding on. But I'm curious. What if the other guy is also using Bid-nip?
Sofadoc;
Most of those bid sniping programs have an option to shorten up the time before the end of the auction and when it bids, I use Quick Snipe (quicksnipe.com) and it works that way. The idea is to screw the time down lower than the other guy maybe 7 seconds or so, no guaranties!
Big John
Quotebut I'm trying out something different..... a Makita battery powered stapler. So far I like it..
I like the sounds of that, especially as I am going to be "Captain Kilometer" again now that we took on the contract for Furniture Medic ( they arrange the warranty repairs for sears/certa/staples etc..) and will be doing a lot of in-home calls.
I googled it and the one they showed me had a fairly low number of shots/charge and used those big ugly T-50 staples ( if I read it correctly). Would you please hook me up with some specs, Bob ?
Thanks.
Darren;
This is a link to all of the staplers that seller has on Ebay:
http://stores.ebay.com/1TO4-TOOLS-and-MORE/_i.html?_fsub=113847&_sc=1&_sop=1
Big John
I got excellent customer service from http://www.floydtool.com/ (http://www.floydtool.com/) when my Fasco started leaking from the body.
They were also the cheapest I could find.
That's where I bought my Fasco long-nose. Now, can one of you guys who disabled and removed the safety tell me how? I'll hold you "harmless". I can't see how to get it off without wrecking the gun. It can't be disabled by taping open either. You have to release and re-trigger the safety for every staple, else the next staple doesn't load.
June
Use a hacksaw blade to saw the nib off that is stopping the trigger from being pressed down, I can't see why you could not tape to hold the safety open. If you wrapped the tape right around the front and around again it would never come undone.
Maybe mine is a newer model??? I don't know. The safety requires full depress/release between staples. I've tried just holding it with one finger while I pull the trigger repeatedly with the other - I get one staple - the first, then no more. I have to release the safety and re-engage to get a 2nd staple.
June
Sounds like you need a new gun June! That'd drive me nuts! Or drive me to spit tacks anyway!
I just looked at the FASCO website it's the exact same one, same part number for the safety. You could just knock the pin out and the safety switch will just fall out. It's made so that it can be done, otherwise seriouse tradesmen would not buy them, you can go one further and take the firing pin out so it shoots like a machine gun