Yes, this is what the tool does best.
Hold the lower section with your non-dominant hand (below the pinch point!) Hold the upper handle with your dominant hand, as if you were about to pound your fist on a table. Place the jaws gently adjacent to the nail or staple you wish to pull, as close as you can get without being on top of it with the stationary side of the jaws and then the adjustable side. If you are on top of the nail head or staple, you will drive it deeper into the surface, so don't do that. Hold the puller perpendicular to the surface and give it a few slams downward with the upper slide(your dominant hand) and then pull the entire nail puller toward you (using the lever that sticks out as a brace against the floor.) The jaws should grab the head of the nail if you have gone deep enough. Some surfaces need 2 slams, some need 5 or more. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of, but once you do, you will be thrilled you purchased the item. Also, I recommend youtube videos, that's how I got my first lesson.
I bought mine through the website
Tool works really well. I used it to detail reclaimed lumber from a 100 year old house that I tore down. It will just about pull out anything that you can get the jaws to. You may have to dig a little around the nail to allow the jaws to get a bite if the nail is broken below the surface.
Yes!