What Do You Use Staple Gun For? What Is The Best Staple Gun?

If you love DIY and making things yourself, you’ll love staple guns. They’re the perfect tool for speeding up any work you do, they’re easy to use and they’re pretty affordable too.

If you don’t have a staple gun yet and you’re planning to buy one (which we assume you are if you’re reading this post), then there are a few things you need to consider first. 

Staple guns come in all shapes and sizes and it can be confusing to know which one to go for. Especially if you’ve never used one before. Luckily, we’ve put together the perfect guide for you to follow so you can pick the perfect staple gun for your individual needs.

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The Different Types of Staple Guns

Staple guns come in a choice of four different varieties. These include:

1. Manual Staple Guns

Manual staple guns are the most common staple guns; they’re also the most affordable. They’re easy to handle and they’re ideal for small tasks. They are made with different materials, such as plastic, steel, or aluminum, which will determine how durable they are.

However, because they’re totally manual, working with these staple guns over a long period of time can be tiring. If you’re looking for a staple gun for large and regular tasks, you may be better off choosing one of the options below.

2. Electric Staple Guns

Electric staple guns are incredibly versatile tools and known for their speed and accuracy. If you’re looking for one that will do precise and exact work with minimal stress, these are the staple guns for you.

Electric staple guns also come in corded and cordless versions for the utmost convenience. Plus, unlike manual ones, electric staple guns can be used while stapling vertically. They are easy to use in corners as well.

3. Pneumatic Staple Guns

Pneumatic staple guns are the most powerful staple guns of all the options, specifically for fastening moldings and panellings. They’re also good for simple household tasks like upholstery jobs.

Although their lightweight makes pneumatic staple guns very handy, they lack mobility as they need to connect to a compressor in order to work. But again, it’s because of the compressor that they’re able to offer such high-speed performance and accuracy.

4. Hammer Tacker Staple Guns

When you have to finish stapling a big area in a short amount of time, and absolute perfection is not your main concern, you can use hammer tackers.

These are ideal for fastening building materials such as roofing felt, wind protection, moisture barriers, etc.

Remember, whichever type of staple gun you buy, always make sure you’re aware of the warranty.

How to Choose the Right Staple Gun

There are a number of things you need to consider when choosing the right staple gun for you:

1.   Consider the Purpose

This is the most important thing to consider when buying anything, let alone a staple gun. The type of tool you need depends on what you’re going to use it for, and how often you need to use it.

Casual Use

If you are looking for a light-duty crafting tool or staple gun for creative crafts to small household jobs, you should avoid manual staple guns and opt for electric or pneumatic ones which are more accurate.

Household Tasks

For household tasks, you can use any staple gun: manual, electric, or pneumatic. If you’re only looking for a staple gun for quick fixes every now and again, then perhaps a manual will suit you just fine. Electric and pneumatic offer more accuracy and convenience when you’re working on longer, larger tasks.

Professional or Industrial Use

Manual and pneumatic staple guns, along with hammer tackers, are used for these kinds of applications. They are easy to use and have the power to force multiple staples, stacks, and nails in a short amount of time.

Pneumatic staple guns are ideal for professionals as they’re great for larger projects. Electricians, construction workers, carpeting and flooring installers will definitely need a pneumatic gun.

2.   Project Type and Materials

Different staple guns are required for fastening different settings and materials. A staple gun that’s good for flooring may not be good for roofing. Similarly, wood, carpets, and cables require different staple guns.

So before picking your staple gun, take a look at the kinds of materials you’re going to be working with most often.

3.   Staple Size

The crown refers to the width of the staple, while the gauge refers to the thickness. The use of the crown and gauge differs based on the application. There are three types of crowns you can choose from:

A Narrow Crown

A narrow crown is the smallest and therefore the most discreet. These crowns are usually used for finish and trim jobs on furniture such as drawers, cabinets, moldings, trims, fascias, and other delicate applications.

They’re ideal for using on decorative items where you don’t want the staples to be visible.

A Medium Crown

Medium crown staplers are ideal for using for subflooring, vinyl siding, sheathing, pallet building, furniture assembly, etc.

As the jobs are usually larger and involve more work, you’ll need larger crowns. You’re less likely to be worrying about visibility.

A Wide Crown

These heavy duty crowns were initially used for construction projects like truss building, roofing, house wraps and so on.

They can also be used similarly to medium crowns for larger projects in order to ensure that they’re as stable and durable as possible. However, they are bulkier and are much more visible to the naked eye. 

There are also three types of gauges available:

A Fine Gauge

Fine gauges usually come in 20 or 22 gauge varieties. They are the thinnest of all the staples.

A Medium Gauge

Medium gauges come in 18 to 19 gauge thickness; they are stronger than the fine ones. However, they’re not recommended for heavy-duty applications.

A Heavy Gauge

Heavy gauges are 15 to 16 gauges. They’re the thickest and the strongest gauge - perfect for heavy-duty usage.

4.   Convenience

The weight and grip of your staple gun are very important things to consider. The design of the gun differs depending on the brand. Go for one that’s comfortable to hold and carry around.

Consider whether it’ll be more convenient to have a cordless one or the power of a corded one.

YouTube Video | Arrow Staple Gun Breakdown & How To Fix

Video - How To Remove And Clear Jammed Staples On A Staple Gun Arrow T50 Stapler

Conclusion

Once you know what kind of work you’re doing, it’s much easier to choose a staple gun to suit your needs. And whichever one you go for, you can rest assured that they’ll be simple to use!

If you have the option, go for a staple gun that’s adjustable and allows the use of different sizes and types of staples. Always buy the gun, crown and gauge of the same brand, since these parts bought from different brands may not work together.

So, before you buy just any old staple gun, consider what you’lll be using it for and how convenient and powerful you need it to be. Happy nailing!