# Pneumatic Stapler



## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

Hello all. I would like to purchase an inexpensive pneumatic stapler for some light upholstery and acoustic panel work. I have come across three different models and was wondering if any of you have had any experience with either one. If you have not I would still value your input. Have a wonderful day. Peter

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/surebonder-t-50-pneumatic-stapler-fires-1-4-inch-thru-9-16-inch-staples/1000745616

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00GLZZSN2/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

https://www.amazon.ca/BOSTITCH-Heavy-8-Inch-Crown-Stapler/dp/B00HA92U7U/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2MKGWXB1OMUEF&colid=7XANJ6NUKROW


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Peter,

I have a combo 18 ga brad nailer/crown stapler that I got from Harbor Freight for $20, and it has been great. I don't know if your discount tool stores have the same tool branded under their store name, but it has been a great tool.

It kind of looks like https://www.amazon.ca/NuMax-S2-118G...rad+nailer+stapler&qid=1580762583&s=hi&sr=1-4


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Buying the Bostich is probably like owning a Bosch router instead of a Craftsman. You'll more likely be able to find parts in a year or two. But if you go with one like the HF stapler that Doug posted then you can get 3 of them for one Bostich. There used to be a store out west here called House of Tools that sold HF quality tools for fairly cheap and I've used the 18 gauge brad nailers that they sold. They worked fairly well but had a much shorter lifespan than a Bostich or PC branded one.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

kp91 said:


> Peter,
> 
> I have a combo 18 ga brad nailer/crown stapler that I got from Harbor Freight for $20, and it has been great. I don't know if your discount tool stores have the same tool branded under their store name, but it has been a great tool.
> 
> It kind of looks like https://www.amazon.ca/NuMax-S2-118G...rad+nailer+stapler&qid=1580762583&s=hi&sr=1-4


Thank you kp91. It appears to me that they are all about the same size. Probably manufactured in the same plant in Taiwan and just re-branded.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

Cherryville Chuck said:


> Buying the Bostich is probably like owning a Bosch router instead of a Craftsman. You'll more likely be able to find parts in a year or two. But if you go with one like the HF stapler that Doug posted then you can get 3 of them for one Bostich. There used to be a store out west here called House of Tools that sold HF quality tools for fairly cheap and I've used the 18 gauge brad nailers that they sold. They worked fairly well but had a much shorter lifespan than a Bostich or PC branded one.


Thank you Chuck. If I'm not mistaken the Bostitch comes with a 7 year limited warranty (something that I will have to confirm). And, the brad nailer feature could be useful at some point. Much appreciated. Peter


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## boogalee (Nov 24, 2010)

The Bostich is a crown stapler. I am not sure how well that would work on upholstery.

The Arrow Fastener PT50 shoots a wider range of staples. T50 are a flat head stapler.
The Surebonder T-50 also has a wider range of staples.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

boogalee said:


> The Bostich is a crown stapler. I am not sure how well that would work on upholstery.
> 
> The Arrow Fastener PT50 shoots a wider range of staples. T50 are a flat head stapler.
> The Surebonder T-50 also has a wider range of staples.


Thank you @boogalee. I was a little concerned about the shape of the Bostitch to be honest with you. I realize that the Arrow and Surebonder may not be in the same league as the Bostitch but once I'm done with the small project that I have undertaken I will be done with the stapler. I have a lot of staples to enter and prefer to save my hands.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I've had an earlier version of the Bostitch that you posted the link to. I've owned it for probably 8 years and can't remember it even having one jam or miss fire, unless it was empty. It's probably seen about 7,000 staples in that time. I bought it for installing insulation, and then used it for upholstery. My manual stapler that I bought just before going to the pneumatic, that I used along with the pneumatic version, was borrowed 2 months ago by my son to insulate one large room that he has gutted and is now re-insulating. He informed me that he had to buy another to finish the job because the one that he had borrowed isn't working well. I offered the pneumatic, but he said he didn't want to haul the hose and compressor around, and that he was almost finished with insulating anyway. I believe him, because he respects tools, especially when he borrows them. I'll likely get my old one back, plus the one that he bought, because mine broke while he was using it. Both manual staplers are Arrow brand.


Charley


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## gdonham1 (Oct 31, 2011)

I have the Arrow pneumatic stapler and it works great. I used when making some upholstery and some padding and lining in guitar cases. I like it and bought it on Amazon.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

Thank you @CharleyL and @gdonham1


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## Roland Johnson (Oct 27, 2015)

I have a harbor freight that have been using for several years and swear by it. very reasonable as with the fasteners other brands of staples work well in it. you can order on line and also look for discount coupons at tthe same time.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

Roland Johnson said:


> I have a harbor freight that have been using for several years and swear by it. very reasonable as with the fasteners other brands of staples work well in it. you can order on line and also look for discount coupons at tthe same time.


Thank you. Unfortunately, they do not ship to the province that I am located in. Thank you for chiming in.


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## Chris Itin (Oct 15, 2019)

I have this ELECTRIC one. Works great. Uses T50 staples. No compressor noise.

Just a thought.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bostitch-3-8-in-Corded-Tool-Free-Electric-Staple-Gun/3682814


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## mgmine (Jan 16, 2012)

One is a crown stapler and the other two are just regular staplers. For what your use will be I would go with a regular type stapler. The reason being is that you can get longer or shorter staples at just about any store. Not so with crown staples. I would also go with the"used" one on Amazon. Even though they say used they are just as good as the new ones and I have never had a problem buying that way.


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## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

kp91 said:


> Peter,
> 
> I have a combo 18 ga brad nailer/crown stapler that I got from Harbor Freight for $20, and it has been great. I don't know if your discount tool stores have the same tool branded under their store name, but it has been a great tool.
> 
> It kind of looks like https://www.amazon.ca/NuMax-S2-118G...rad+nailer+stapler&qid=1580762583&s=hi&sr=1-4


I think he is looking for a wide crown stapler to use on upholstery. This is Harbor Freights version https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=wide crown air stapler.
I have an electric that works pretty well https://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Fasten...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00SX0ADZ6.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

I have an arrow electric and it works really well. I'm not sure why I would ever want an air powered one when electric works just as well. What are the advantages of air over electric that I must be missing? I suppose stapling in a wet environment? (Seems a bit unlikely)


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

I have never gone wrong with an Arrow stapler.
Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

PhilBa said:


> I have an arrow electric and it works really well. I'm not sure why I would ever want an air powered one when electric works just as well. What are the advantages of air over electric that I must be missing? I suppose stapling in a wet environment? (Seems a bit unlikely)


The ability to alter the air pressure/driving force?


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

PhilBa said:


> I have an arrow electric and it works really well. I'm not sure why I would ever want an air powered one when electric works just as well. What are the advantages of air over electric that I must be missing? I suppose stapling in a wet environment? (Seems a bit unlikely)


wider range of staples...


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

@ stick and chuck. OK, that makes sense. Always happy to learn something new. Never encountered those needs before in the 20 or so projects I've used it for, though.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

Herb Stoops said:


> I have never gone wrong with an Arrow stapler.
> Herb


This is a heads-up for anyone who is considering driving out to purchase the Arrow PT50 from either the Home Depot Canada website or in-store.

The stapler does NOT come with a molded case as advertised. They never bothered to update the item description or the photo on their site. Someone in customer service directed me to the Arrow company. I was told that it used to come with a case. When I mentioned that there seemed to be an abundance of Pneumatic staplers that all looked alike and shared some of the same features I was told that mostly all of them were being manufactured in the same plant(s) in China. Didn't take a genius to figure that one out.


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

A few years ago I went looking on ebay for blades for my 1900B Makita power plane. I found out that my blades fit 23 different brands of power plane. About 6 or 7 of them were absolutely identical except for color. Hitachi's version even used the same model number, 1900B. Out of the other 16 or 17 they also tended to fall into groups of similar body style. If you have a look at lunchbox style planers you'll see the same thing. The only unique one is the DW 735. The 734 and a Rigid are identical and all the other models had most of the same parts, in particular the motor and case.


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## PhilBa (Sep 25, 2014)

Yup, Chuck. And if you look any number of other large woodworking tools, even major high end brands, you will find a lot of them share the same castings and many other basic components. There really are only a couple of factories out there that churn out most of the tools. The differentiation comes from specs (tighter or looser), higher quality components (like bearings) and perhaps better add on features (like fences). And the real differentiators? Service, support and spare parts. I guess after the Sears implosion, corporate stability should be a factor as well.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

Cost of Arrow and Bostitch are $3 bucks apart. For a one time project whichever fits your hand will probably work just fine. Some tools are just disposables these days. Both brands seem equal to me. I had an arrow that gave up the ghost and haven't needed a staple in a long time.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

DesertRatTom said:


> Cost of Arrow and Bostitch are $3 bucks apart. For a one time project whichever fits your hand will probably work just fine. Some tools are just disposables these days. Both brands seem equal to me. I had an arrow that gave up the ghost and haven't needed a staple in a long time.


There may be a $3.00 difference in the US. We Canadians should be so lucky. The Arrow sells for $44.98 and the Bostitich sells for $79.99. That's $30 plus for us! Geez, that rhymes.


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

I tried the cheap way out on baby wide crown staple guns.... the arrow, junk. The Bostich, junk. I tried another Cheap piece of junk. All of them misfired while some blew oil out the front onto your work piece, jammed. Oh the joy, I mean frustration. BTW they only misfire when you go for the money shot.

Buy quality! There are a handful of quality makers of staple guns I bought the Senco SFT 10XP. We use them at work and there is never a problem with the gun. It uses a 1/2" crown with either 1/4" or 1/2" legs. There's a less expensive model that has the 3/8" crown that handles legs from 5/32 to 5/8" long. https://www.nailgundepot.com/senco-sfw09-22-gauge-upholstery-staple-gun-532-to-58-details.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiA7OnxBRCNARIsAIW53B-k886oYU8Q28QGiHGKcTKKGbtbMRtymK86LJc_xIbiMNs_a_defGMaAj3uEALw_wcB $99 for something you can depend on compared to a $50 dollar gun you will find joy throwing at the wall!


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## mveach (Aug 21, 2010)

The one thing I have never had trouble with from harbor freight is nailers


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## golfeng (Oct 27, 2010)

I have owned a Bostich crown stapler for 3 or 4 years. It works great. 
The unit handles 1/4 inch wide 18 Gauge staples. My small compressor will handle 1/2 inch up to 1 1/4" staples. It lends itself to woodworking very well.

I also have an Arrow electric stapler that I have used with 1/4" to 9/16" staples. IT's great for upholstery but not enough power for woodworking.


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## tulowd (Jan 24, 2019)

I've been installing car audio systems and doing interior upholstery work (door panels, speaker enclosures, trunk panels etc) since the 1980s. Never seen an electric stapler that can shoot into MDF or plastics.

I own 3 pneumatic staplers, one is actually a Bostich Brad nailer that is used to clamp wood panels together during glue setting along with screws.

The two actual staplers are both inexpensive -one is an old Campbell Hausfeld from Canadian Tire, the other new one is a crown stapler from Harbor Freight that cost $20 and was purchased because they carry short staples, nothing was available for the CH version. I typically work with leather, vinyl, Alcantera, headliners, carpet and cloth; nothing beats a pneumatically driven crown staple, especially in tight areas, while pulling the material tight.

I would start by ensuring you can get the correct length of staples for your particular panel thickness. I have ruined more than one panel by having the staples come thru the other side, even with foam underlay and thick material.
Adjustable air pressure is very important, as is oiling/lubing the stapler and ensuring your air line isn't full of water.

Once set up correctly, the power and precision for staple placement, overlap and holding strength is amazing. I typically use a length one size smaller than the panel thickness, but that is with MDF. Real wood perhaps might be slightly different.

Also, staple guns are one of the few air tools that can run properly off a kindergarden sized 1 hp / 8 gall compressor. I see a ton of these for sale on Kijiji all the time - Porter Cable comp and stapler. That might be a solution. Otherwise, Princess Auto may have something as well. Not all staples fit all guns.....I way prefer using the same brand of fastener as the tool; no different than Kreg screws with a Kreg pocket drill setup or using Lincoln wire, welding tips and nozzles on their Mig welders.

You can mail order Harbor Freight stuff to a third party location near the border. Here in the Toronto area there are some places that offer an address as well as bringing it into the city from Buffalo for a small fee. Lots of the car club guys use this for all kinds of things from cyl heads to wheels and tires etc.



Hope this helps.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

@tulowd Thank you for the reply and the great pics. Sure looks like a bundle of fun. I finally went with the Surebonder air stapler. I have started using it to upholster 6 dining room chairs that my wife decided needed changing. So far the stapler hasn't given me any problems. And, if it does out it goes. I ended paying $50.00 which included 5 boxes of mixed size staples. Not such a bad deal. At least I don't think it was.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Can't wait for the review! And a peek at the finished chairs when yer done....


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## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

Glad to hear it Peter!


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

@Marco Thank you. @kp91 One down, five to go. Before (top) & After (bottom). Don't mind the shoddy photo shoot!


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## tulowd (Jan 24, 2019)

I see what appears to be a wrinkle on the leading LS corner of the newly upholstered part? Maybe I'm mistaken.

Wrinkles can occur when the new cover is multi layered or not pulled tight enough on the backside. An easy solution is to start in the middle of the corner and staple further away, then overlap and trim as you are working your way out in both directions. When a wrinkle is impossible to flatten out, simply slice a Vee groove into it, removing the centre most material and restaple. The flatter the backside, the better the front tends to look. Also, when selecting materials, if you have a choice, something with at least a 2 way stretch is vastly superior for perfect finishing. Obviously that is unlikely with materials of this nature. After using 4 way stretch vinyl (used on snowmobile and motorcycle seats), it's hard to enjoy working with thicker substrates like leather, or standard cloth or vinyl, altho some of those can be heated with a steamer or heat gun/hair dryer to make them more pliable and shrink around your work as they cool down.

Nice job, and please don't take the preceding words as a criticism, only sharing my experiences.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

@tulowd I absolutely do NOT take your advice / observations as criticism. In fact, I welcome all the help and advice that you good folks are willing to offer. Admittedly, my wife and I are struggling a little with the corners. Some turn out better than others. You should see us. Back and forth with those YT videos. Hilarious. We are definitely having fun though. Stay tuned. Two down, four to go!


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## tulowd (Jan 24, 2019)

A staple puller is your best friend, maybe a pair of wide mouth pliers in order to pull harder than your fingers can....depending. Overlap stapling is quite possible, I do it in MDF all the time and its amazing how well they hold, probably better in real wood.

I've pulled staples out more than once on really complex or super tight corners with thick substrates, the end result will make you forget how much your fingers hurt after doing this, lol. I also typically use glue on the backside of vinyl and leather for extra strength because 99% of my builds are automotive and have to survive in a harsher environment.


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## peterbata (Nov 29, 2018)

@tulowd Trust me. We have removed our fair share of staples. Not only in the removal of the material that we are replacing but also when correcting our amateur efforts. I have been using a small sharp tipped knife and cutters to remove the staple once I have pried it away from the fabric. Practice makes perfect I guess. Not that I plan on turning this little project into a full time career any time soon. We are having fun with it. And I suppose that is what really matters. Thanks again for your input. It sure is a confidence builder. Much appreciated!


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