staple guns

[chrisberry12]

I have a Rainco staple gun and love it, it is similar to the old Duofast. I have had mine since 1988. It needs to be rebuilt but I do not like the new magazine. I do not care for the Bea. what do you guys use and what do you recommend. I also have a very old senco with staples which I will use till I figure out what to do with the Rainco.

[JuneC]

I have a Fasco long nose which I don't like, but it does work very well.  It has a double-action trigger (safety must be pressed first, then the trigger) and it's heavy.  I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.  My regular stapler is a Senco SFT10 look-alike (no-name brand, but apparently has a Senco body).  I love it, but it's "down" right now and I'm waiting for my order for o-rings to arrive so I can rebuild it.  Unfortunately it seems many Senco parts are special order and have a 2-week lead time.  So, like you, I'm in the market for a stapler.  I had my eye on a BEA on eBay, but the price has gotten too high.  It's approaching the cost of a brand new one so why would I buy used for just a few bucks less than brand new with warranty?

What was it that you didn't like about the BEA?  I've never used one but many of the members here love them.

June

[sofadoc]

I'm a BEA fan. I've been shooting the same one for 10 years now. Recently, the spring broke that keeps the magazine closed.  Thanks to one of June's links, I found another one for $3.

Chris: What model # Rainco? I may have one that you can rob parts off of. It still works, but jams occasionally (I have no patience for jams).

BTW: I had a big job 2 years ago, so I hired a couple of guys. I bought 2 of these guns off E-Bay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bostitch-Tools-3-8-UPHOLSTERY-air-STAPLER-TU-216-71-/380567574476?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item589b9857cc

20 bucks apiece. They still work fine. But I don't use them much. I keep them loaded with 1/4" staples for covering thin panels.

[chrisberry12]

The BEA seems bulky to me and the nose is too fat, thick however you want to look at it. The Rainco has a much thinner nose, it will actually fit in the grove (channel) in the french provincial furniture. Rainco is or was a heavy gun with a lot of power that's why I like it. My gun has a metal magazine and the new is plastic, much too light for the gun. Fasco is very similar if not the same gun. The model I have is Rainco R1B 7C-16. I have also used the Portor Cable upholstery gun which is a nice gun for about $89 new and can be found at International Tool Corp in Florida http://www.internationaltool.com/  I know a lot of people you love the BEA, it is all personal feel, how you like in your hand. All the guns I have had use the same staples 71 series. I also like the pinky finger magazine release. it's much faster to load your gun with this release. Another thing I do to all my guns is to hook the gun up pull the trigger to expose the blade and grind it down even with the nose. you don't have to worry about the staple shooting thru the finer fabrics this way. look at me ramble on here. It is so nice to sit down, relax and chat with all of you.

[Mike]

I bought a rainco then after a few years it failed so I bought a new gun from Miami corp and empire same as the rainco and then the plunger messed up in it I probably didn't oil it well luckily I still had the broke rainco and swaped the plungers  I like the gun small lite and inexpensive

[sofadoc]

Chrisberry: I agree that the BEA nose is too fat for grooves. But to me, they all are. I grind the nose on every gun that I acquire (not the END of the nose, but the sides). I've never had to grind the driver blade on a NEW gun. I have done that to some older ones when the blade starts protruding too much.

The model# on my old Rainco gun is worn off. Does it look like this one?


The wire on the back end is to keep the magazine from sliding off the end when you open it. Some little part there broke off years ago. I plugged that gun in this morning and fired a few rounds. It shoots fine. I can't remember why I stopped using it.

The main reason that I prefer the BEA, is that it shoots as well at 80 PSI as my other guns do at 100 PSI. 

[JuneC]

Does anyone out there have experience with the Grex stapler? I just saw them for the first time on eBay.  The ergonomics of the tool looks good, but I wonder about the performance.  I can't find any reviews.

June

[baileyuph]

No experience June, but it is a relative new comer into the nailing and stapling industry.

The product is international, Europe, and around. 

The company is about 10 years old and makes other tools, staplers isn't their only product.

The gun is available in a larger crown staple, half inch, three eights inch for upholstery (seems to be their lesser marke emphasis. 

If it is to a desirable spec and shoots standard staples, probably would work.  Parts availability, probably but where would be my question?

Price?

I think I read about them short while back in a magazine.

Doyle

[Mojo]

I use a 1/2 " crown stapler from Harbor Freight and never have problems with it. I got one for $ 16.95 on sale once, loaned that to a friend and needed it and bought another one at $ 19.95. He brought back the first one so now I have two. I also bought a long nosed stapler off E-bay a year or so ago.

All three work fine. But I am NOT a good person to judge stapler use on as I rarely ever use mine. I get a couple jobs a year which requires the use of a stapler so they tend to last me for years which is why I buy cheap ones. :)

I have a policy when it comes to tool purchases. if I am going to be using a tool alot I buy the best. If I rarely will use one I will buy the cheapest that will get the job done. I hate spending twice as much for a name brand tool to use it once every 4 years. :)

Chris

[chrisberry12]

Hey Sofadoc,
my gun is the same but my gun has the metal magazine. I think I need a new spring and possibly the staple pusher on the end of the spring. Thank you for everything. If you are selling the two Raincos, let me know how much. if you do not want to post here, we can work something out.

CBerry

[sofadoc]

If you are selling the two Raincos, let me know how much. if you do not want to post here, we can work something out.

Sorry, I just have the one Rainco in the picture. The others are Bostitch. 

[JuneC]

Well, after ordering and using a new BEA for 3 days, you can count me a fan.  It's a nice gun.  Yes, the nose is too "fat".  It ain't the best for stapling on marine hydem.  I'll deal with that later.  But I do like it.  Call me happy!   :P

June

[Mike]

Well my rainco started acti g up like the old one the plunger dosnt return all the way snd sir blows out the holes st the plunger housing. It was intermits t making ne think i was out if ammo st first. 
Looks like a new one is in order soon. About 2 years sgain. There affordable enough. But i wouldnt want to be csught without backup when it quits.

[chrisberry12]

I bought my Rainco back in 1998 and still use it today. I pulled it apart, cleaned all the crud out, lubed it up and still going strong. I will need a back up though. I noticed the newer ones have a plastic magazine. I bet that throws the weight off. They cheaped out. Another great gun is Porter and Cable and it sells for $89. at International Tool Company.

[gene]

Don't forget the host of this forum sells staple guns, as do some of the folks who advertise here.

gene