Did you know that Arrow makes a cordless T50 stapler? Me neither, until they offered to send a T50DCD over for review.
I accepted, and recently came across a quick project that I could use it for. I needed to build a small cage to protect sunflower seedlings from the rabbits, squirrels, and deer. I quickly put together a wooden frame (smooth pine), and if it works, I’ll spend more time making a nicer one next year.
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I picked up a pack of T50 3/8″ stainless steel staples, some deer fence netting, and went to work.
The stapler did an okay job, but I wish the staples were driven in a little deeper. I wish that it was easier to place the staples with greater precision. After realizing it wasn’t working well to staple the somewhat fragile netting material in single layers, I folded the slack and stapled that, to greater effect.
Standard 1/4″ staples drive in fully flush. There should be enough power for 5/16″ staples, too. Standard 3/8″ staples? Maybe.
The 3/8″ SS staples drove in adequately for this task, but if this was a tougher project, maybe such as attaching a back to a cabinet, or something similar where you really want the staples driven down flush, I would have been disappointed.
My project sped from planning to execution, because the rabbits got to the last of my sunflower seedlings and I was fed up with it. Maybe it was deer, too. Squirrels? The animals decimated most of what was left of my seedlings, and I wanted a cage built by sundown.
So, I didn’t fully charge the stapler. And after the “storage charge” that it shipped with ran out, I needed just a few more staples driven in, so I powered it down, powered it up, and drove them in. I plugged in the stapler – it comes with an AC adapter – and the next day it was still blinking red, indicating that it was still charging.
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I unplugged the stapler, turned it on, and saw a green “charged and ready” LED. And it’s working just fine.
The built-in battery has pros and cons. For one, it’s simpler and less expensive than if it required a separate battery. But it also means that the battery is built-in. If there is a problem with the charger or battery, the tool might not be repairable.
Overall, using the stapler has been a good experience so far. I drove in a lot of staples, and would have been quite sore and annoyed if I only had a manual stapler to use.
The stapler feels nicely powered for 1/4″ and even 5/16″ staplers. I hadn’t tried standard 3/8″ staples yet. Stainless 3/8″ staples are a little too much for the stapler, at least if you’re looking for flush and tight staples. On the other hand, if you’re stapling material thicker than say 1/16″, such as a wire, then it’ll sink those longer staples just fine.
Operation was easy. Load your staples, turn on the power switch, place the stapler slightly above where you want the fastener to go, and pull the trigger.
You can feel a little recoil, but far less than with a manual stapler. I drove in maybe 120-160 staples, and haven’t had a jam yet.
Arrow says that the stapler can drive in 500 staples per charge.
I have more testing to do, and with tougher materials, such as fastening hardboard to hardwood (such as oak). But so far, I like it, and think that I’ll be able to recommend it for lighter duty work. I can see signs that it’s not the best choice for heavier duty needs, and it’ll be up to my further tests to find its limits.
Price: $60
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Thank you to Arrow for providing the review sample unconditionally.
Jim Felt
I love their manual chrome three stapler sizes I use and have likely never had a failure: T25, T37 and the T50. Their hammer staplers are the gold standard.
And I believe they’re all still made in ‘Murica too?
This? Dunno. I bought the T50 Milwaukee M12 version last Fall and so far it to seems okay. Bigger but easier on my fingers.
Arrow Fastener
Thanks for the feedback, Jim! It’s always nice to hear from people who have been using our tools for years.
Pete
In my opinion that looks very DIY, mainly because that switch on the bottom looks like it would break VERY fast.
I LOVE my m12 cordless stapler. BUT i do have ONE critique- The tip by where the staples exit when fired is plastic. So when i was building my chicken coup and used 500 staples or so the chicken wire wore the plastic down a bit. Not that it effects the use or performance but if i had to attach chicken wire or another abrasive material frequently i could see the plastic being worn ALL the way down.
But it seemed like a fair trade off being that my hands weren’t fatigued at all and the project was completed 4x faster.
fred
I wonder if the Ryobi 3/8 inch crown Airstrike staple gun would be any better – it too seems to sport (from the HD website picture) a green plastic tip. I recall that our Paslode Impulse guns had what they called “no-mar” plastic tips that would wear out – but replacements came in a box of 3 for something like $2.50 each.
fred
In the business we got a Makita 18V (BST221Z) as part of a bundled “deal” in 2009. The deal would have been better if the forgot the “free tool” and had given us a few dollars off. For roofing paper – we could never get it to consistently drive flush – needing to come behind it with a hammer. We normally used Arrow and other brands (Bostitch, Duofast, Isaberg-Rapid and Stinger) hammer tackers – and hardly ever had an issue with them.
More recently, I bought my wife a cordless M12 Milwaukee (2447-20). She had been using an old corded Stanley (TRE500 – made by Parker Manufacturing) which also did not always sink staples flush. She likes the cordless convenience of the new Milwaukee – but still complains about staples standing proud (e.g. – when stapling shelf paper.) Maybe its inconsistent technique – or just the nature of the T-50 staples and the hardness of the substrate.
Just for some additional perspective – we use mostly pneumatic staple guns:
In the cabinet shop – we used more narrow crown staples and pneumatic guns from Bostitch and Fasco.
We also had a Senco Senclamp gun and a Fasco corrugated fastener gun.
The carpet guys we subbed work to – seemed to use corded electric guns from Duo-Fast.
In the GC/Remodeling business – we had some Bostitch flooring staple guns, some Bostitch and Senco house wrap staple guns, and some Bostitch 7/16 and 1/2 inch crown construction staplers. We also had a Hitachi (N5024A) that fired 1 inch staples
In the plumbing business we had some Mangone staple guns for PEX
David
I wrote a long response that got lost in space, so here’s my short version.
Your wife may be holding your tool too loosely. Those little shooters tend not to go in if you’re not firm enough.
Seriously, if I let my guard down and don’t counter the recoil, I get staples/nails that are proud.
David
fred
Thanks – I suspect you are right about M12- that’s why I alluded to “inconsistent technique” on my wife’s part. But I can tell you that with the old 18V Makita the guys said even applying pressure over the driver with your left hand did not fully sink all staples
Koko The Talking Ape
I was looking at the Milwaukee M12 stapler. It is probably heavier, and costs more. But on the other hand, it will shoot three times as many staples, and the batteries are replaceable, and I already have some.
Doresoom
They’ve dropped the price since the M12 stapler came out. It used to be $80 for the Arrow, but now I think it’s priced much more attractively for someone deciding between the two for DIY use. If you’ve already got M12 batteries though, I think it’s a no brainer to go with Milwaukee at $100.
Blythe
T50 doesn’t seem like the right application for cabinet backs, I would have thought you would use a narrow crown staple, but I’m not in that business
fred
@Blythe – as I said – narrow crown staples/staple guns were our choice in the cabinet shop. T-50 is more of a utility staple – better IMO for stapling down plastic film, shelving paper, roofing paper and the like.
Stuart
It’s not, but I’ve seen a number of improvised uses like that.
I also couldn’t think of any better example.
I just didn’t want to give the impression that it’s perfectly flush, but also couldn’t think of a good example where you need that.
Joe
I would say this is as good as the M12 stapler , I find the m12 just average..not predictable and actually not very good, for hand staplers,nothing beats the Dewalt carbon fiber…..
JoeM
AHA! So I DO need the Carbon Fiber Stapler! Thanks, Guy I enjoy sharing a name with!
I don’t know what it is, but I have a… Thing… For the DeWALT Manual Staplers. I don’t do a lot of stapling, but I’ve accumulated several of the DeWALT staplers. The 350, 410, and I believe I’m getting close to buying the 510… Looks like I’m adding the Carbon Fiber one to the wish list as well!
Again… I have NO IDEA why I have these things, but I do. I think there was a project I wanted to do for my Dad several years ago, involving putting up plastic sheeting or something. Then I just went down the rabbit hole from there, accumulating backups of backups.
Thanks again, Well-Named Sir! I appreciate the push toward that model!
fred
You may want to sort through the reviews for the Dewalt carbon-fiber hammer tacker (DWHT75900) on Home Depot and Amazon sites. It seems to get a bunch of 1’s (33% on Amazon and 24% on HD) as well as 5’s. It would seem prudent to buy from a place that has a good return policy – so you can try it out and see if you like it – then return it if you don’t.
JoeM
Oh, I’m not talking the Hammer Tacker, and neither is Joe. We’re talking the Carbon Fiber Manual Stapler.
https://www.dewalt.com/en-us/products/hand-tools/manual-fasteners/carbon-fiber-composite-staple-gun/dwht80276
And, truth be told, fred… I’m having a little fun with Joe. We share a name, and from time to time I forget that I didn’t post what he’s posted… He has frequently confused me, and I think it’s hilarious. Just so happens we share several similar views on things, but really, I’m posting to be friendly and funny with “The Guy I Share A Name With”… It’s all in good fun.
But, seriously, we were talking the Carbon Fiber Composite Stapler, not the Carbon Fiber Hammer Tacker. You’ll notice from Joe’s actual recommendation that “Nothing beats the DeWALT Carbon Fiber…” when it comes to “Hand Staplers” as he puts it. He and I are both referring to the Staple Gun, not the Hammer Tacker. Though it can be easy to forget they released both! They KINDA came out around the same time, but the Stapler sticks out in the minds of anyone who has either bought one, or considered it. It is rather… UNIQUE…in the lineup. A total left-field stapler, when compared to all the other manual staplers DeWALT has released. Especially the original Carbon Fiber colour, without the addition of a DeWALT Yellow Paint-Job. It stands out on its own.
But I do agree with you about their Hammer Tacker. Then again, I have absolutely no use for one in my life, so I’d take your advice not to buy one as a reinforcement of this. I JUST have this weird… THING… for the DeWALT Manual Staplers… It’s totally irrational nonsense, but since they’re rarely over $30, it’s not a huge amount spent on this irrational buying habit.
ToolOfTheTrade
I agree with Joe about the carbon fiber Dewalt hammer stapler. Very lightweight and heavy duty and I highly recommend getting one if you don’t have it. It’s not cheap, but you’ll know why when you use it. Years ago I was doing a project for my dad and he bought the plug in arrow pin/brad nailer and the hammer stapler. They were less than underwhelming and I ended up only using the stapler for housewrap. But then I just switched to the manual staple gun because the hammer stapler wouldn’t stop jamming. The nailer would only work if it were perfectly straight and 90° adjacent to the wall. No toenailing or angled shots whatsoever. Very inconvenient. It sucked pretty bad. I don’t know if arrow has improved upon their products, but they sucked when I tried to use them. Although I do buy their staples for my Dewalt hammer stapler.
Stuart
A hammer tacker would not have been easy or practical to use for my particular project.
fred
Yep – no one would pick a hammer tacker when you want precise placement of the staple. On a roof or with sheathing – an inch off here there doesn’t matter.
Arrow Fastener
Hey there, we’re sorry you’ve had less-than-great experiences with our tools. Which hammer tacker and pin nailer did you have of ours?
Garrick
I have always found that the problem most electric staplers have is their occasional lack of power. You have to be able to trust the staple will go in far enough. As is often the case when using a tool infrequently, any limitations are unlikely to be fully known. And misjudgement, or in my usual case, misguessing, means a lot of thinking and/or / or effort to remove the mistake.
Power to the staplers!
[ I got to stop drinking whisky (:o^) ]
Ktash
If it ever goes on sale I’ll probably get the Ryobi narrow crown stapler. It would occasionally come in handy, but I have an electric that uses the T 50 staples and works OK for those small jobs I have. Doesn’t drive flush sometimes.
Frank D
Could be handy if one has a fair bit of stapling to do, but it looks fragile (plastic) compared to my metal mechanical staplers, and with a built-in / non replaceable battery it all too quickly becomes a throwaway tool. I only buy cordless tools with end user replaceable batteries any more or will just use corded or pneumatic if it is intermittent to rare use.
KL
I staple a lot of purchase orders to basic 2x material from HD (ie crates I’ve built) and the M12 has been near flawless. The only time it doesn’t sink flush is if I’m obviously over a knot. That said, your basic 2×4 is pretty soft, so FWIW…..
No way I’d buy a stapler w an integrated battery. Most homeowners will return to this after years of non-use and wonder why it won’t take a charge.
Arrow Fastener
Thanks for sharing your honest feedback on this tool. For a hard wood, you only need about 3/16-inch to 1/4-inch penetration for a secure hold, so the 1/4-inch staple was probably the best choice for this project. However, please do let us know if you continue to have issues with staple penetration! We’re here to help.
JD
13 months and the battery won’t charge. Going through the warranty process is often not worth the effort I’ve found. Takes too long and you end up with the same issue again on the replaced product.