Best Staple Gun for Your DIY Project

Staple guns are one of the most useful tools to have if you enjoy DIY projects. At the most basic level, staples are perfect for fastening or attaching more fragile materials. Screens, fabric and soft wood and paper, for example, don’t usually need heavy-duty fasteners like nails or screws. More powerful types of staple guns can drive staples into construction lumber.

Staples come in a variety of sizes and types, making them useful for projects like upholstery, wiring, carpeting, roofing, woodwork and general crafting. And just like staples, staple guns have a wide range of sizes and types.

When choosing the best staple gun, first consider the project you’ll be taking on and how often you’ll be tackling projects with stapling. Next, determine the appropriate staple size for the materials you’re stapling. Make sure the staple gun you choose can use the staple type you need. It’s very important to match the staple and staple gun to the materials in the project. If the material is too hard, the staple can ricochet and cause an added danger.

Some projects require only occasional stapling, like hanging holiday decorations, while others involve lots of stapling, like upholstery. How often you need to shoot staples is an important consideration. Continuously shooting staples can lead to fatigue and can be extremely time consuming with the incorrect staple gun.

You also need to decide if your tasks will permit you to be limited by the length of a hose or cord, or if you’ll need to have a more portable staple gun.

Once you have a good idea of what you’ll ultimately need, it’s time to choose the best staple gun for your project.

Manual staple guns are a great choice for projects that require minimal stapling. They’re portable, small, lightweight and affordable, and they have numerous styles for various staple sizes. However, shooting staples with these types of staple guns takes strength and can be tiring. They may be best for projects that don’t need continuous, high-volume stapling, such as hanging signs or holding cords in place.

When you need more power and easier trigger squeezing, electric staple guns may be the best choice. Electric staple guns require significantly less force to operate, making them useful for long projects or projects that have high amounts of stapling. They can also take on harder materials or bigger staples. Electric staple guns are, however, more prone to jamming than their manual counterparts, so look for models that make this easy to correct.

An electric staple gun can be connected to an electrical outlet with a cord, or it can be a battery-operated cordless staple gun. If you opt for a corded electric staple gun, take into consideration the length of the cord and where your project is located. Also think about the weight of the gun when making your choice.

A pneumatic staple gun is the best staple gun for heavy-duty DIY projects like carpentry, flooring, and upholstery. They use compressed air to powerfully push staples into materials like hardwood, and they are known for both speed and accuracy. Pneumatic staple guns are easier to work with because you don’t have to press as hard, so they’re good for projects that require a lot of stapling.

In order to use a pneumatic stapler, you need an air compressor. You also need a hose to attach the air compressor to the staple gun. Piston cylinders inside of the air compressor pull in surrounding air, pushing it through the hose to the staple gun. The staple gun has an air reservoir that is continuously supplied with outside air each time it’s used, and that air is the powerful force that propels each staple.

The extreme force of the compressed air may make pneumatic staple guns powerful and fast, but it also makes them more dangerous than other types.

If your DIY project involves working with furniture, whether fixing, remodeling or building it from scratch, the best staple gun for the project is a specialized upholstery staple gun. These tools are built with furniture frames and upholstery fabric in mind. Upholstery staple guns have narrow, long noses for fitting into tight areas, narrow staple gauges for small, fine staples, and they are often pneumatic for greater power and lower fatigue. An upholstery model can also be a cordless staple gun. This specialized staple gun doesn’t work well with most stapling projects, but it’s a great investment for frequent upholstery jobs.

Before using your staple gun, it’s critical to learn how to use it properly and safely. The first step is to read the user’s manual thoroughly and carefully. Electric and pneumatic staple guns are especially dangerous, so make sure to understand how to minimize the chance of injuries.

After reading the manufacturer’s instructions and warnings, it’s time to load your staple gun with the proper sized staples. Staple guns can be bottom load, top load or front load. And it may be safer to load the staples when unattached from its power source.

Learn the features of your staple gun and how to use them. Some common features may include a transparent staple window, a work light, two firing triggers, locks and other safety features.

Using staple guns, especially non-manual types, require care and attention. Pneumatic and electric models fire at extremely high speeds, and they can shoot more than 100 staples per minute. Keep safety in mind at all times because there is a real potential for serious injury.

• Wear safety equipment to protect your eyes and body, and use ear protection for noisier models.
• Never point the staple gun at any person or animal.
• Keep your hand away from the trigger when you aren’t actively shooting staples.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintenance and cleaning.
• If you’re not using a cordless staple gun, make sure the cord or hose isn’t a tripping hazard.
• If the cord isn’t long enough, use a specialized extension cord to reduce the risk of electric shock.
• Use the appropriate staple width, length, shape and gauge for the gun and the materials.
• Before pulling the trigger, make sure you’re aiming at the surface you want to hit. Staples are dangerous projectiles, especially when fired from non-manual models.