Comments on: why do all staplers suck?

Question: why do all staplers suck?

craniac — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:12:34 -0800

Where have all the good staplers gone?

Every stapler we've purchased at work has been crap. Swinglines, swingline electric, Stanley Bostitch heavy duty. They all end up jamming, breaking, or getting ripped off by students (different problem). I'm looking for a reliable stapler, something heavy enough to have served as a murder weapon in an episode of Perry Mason. My sense is that they've just gotten cheaper over the years as an expression of some sort of evil planned obsolescence. No Office Space references allowed in this thread, please.

By: b1tr0t

b1tr0t — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:32:22 -0800

I just bought a Swingline 77701 for less than $30 at office depot. It is an all-metal stapler that can handle up to 60 sheets of paper. This stapler is overkill for stapling 3-5 sheets together, but it is essential if you need to hold more than 10 sheets.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:32:55 -0800

Staples is now selling what is essentially a staplegun in desktop stapler format. It is amazing. Lightweight, but I suspect it'll last a good amount of time simply because it doesn't require the normal sort of bashing to staple through lotsa paper.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:43:15 -0800

I keep a rapid stapler on my desk. Pliers-style. Heavy, solid, works well. But the most amazing stapler I've seen was an outrigger on a xerox machine at Kinko's--an electric model that went through a 40-page stack of papers perfectly.

By: Sara Anne

Sara Anne — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:45:19 -0800

I have a Panasonic Commercial Electric Stapler. It is beautifully reliable, but almost as big as a breadbox.

By: raedyn

raedyn — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 15:47:42 -0800

The swingline that b1tr0t links to, I use daily for all our big stapling jobs (at work). I've found it non-jammy and it doesn't feel flimsy like the cheapos they order for most people's desks.

By: Dick Paris

Dick Paris — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:06:36 -0800

I have a long reach stapler. This is not it but similar. Certainly fits the murder weapon definition.

By: jjj606

jjj606 — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:26:48 -0800

Five Fresh Fish is right. Staple's stapler reinvented the whole idea. You use the same force to go through 2 sheets of paper, or 20 sheets. It can stand on the nose end, too.

Staplers were better years ago. There was one of those 1950s staplers with the crinkle paint finish where I used to work, those never jammed.

By: jedicus

jedicus — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:36:36 -0800

At the law library we have these, which are pretty sweet. They're reasonably well made, and the cassette system lets you switch between staple types (for up to 120 sheet stapling) quickly or just reload the thing easily. Also, I've never known it to jam.

Now, in the 'murder weapon' category we have the Stanley Bostitch 00540. It'll handle up to 250 sheets and weighs 4 pounds, to boot. 'All metal construction.' I mean, c'mon, you want a serious stapler, you go to a company that makes nail guns.

By: craniac

craniac — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:44:03 -0800

I love you people.

By: billysumday

billysumday — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 16:54:38 -0800

I have a Swingline Optima 878 at my desk and it's a small, regular stapler but it's heavy and heavy duty. When I pick it up I actually grunt like Tim Taylor on Tool Time. I recommend it.

Also, it's mine. Nobody touchy.

By: redfoxtail

redfoxtail — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:06:21 -0800

It's not a normal desktop office stapler, and has the added trouble of requiring special staples, but I use and adore this one. The ordinary staples will easily go through 20 sheets of paper or a thin-walled cardboard box. The larger ones can handle even more.

By: Rhomboid

Rhomboid — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:26:02 -0800

The stapler that five fresh fish and jjj606 seem to be referring to looks like a rebranded version of the Paper Pro. I've never personally tried one, but it looks impressive.

By: Kirth Gerson

Kirth Gerson — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:33:51 -0800

My impression also is that regular desktop staplers have declined in quality. I have an old (like 25 years old) Bostich that works like new, will staple about 20 sheets, and never jams. It's way better than the Swingline staple-benders that offices always seem to wind up with now. I just hope my one box of staples for it lasts . . .

By: krisjohn

krisjohn — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:35:18 -0800

I love my Red Swingline. If you take it from me I'll burn the place down.

By: Mitheral

Mitheral — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:38:05 -0800

I like the plier style. My bostich version of this stapler has been going strong for 16 years now.

By: Rumple

Rumple — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:43:07 -0800

The swingline referred to above is great -- I find it good to about 40 or 50 sheets with ease -- however, you have to relearn how to place the paper to ensure proper aim! I was surprised to read it is all metal as it seems quite light, but it does work well.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:11:41 -0800

The el-cheapo (C$12, IIRC) Staples/Paper Pro goes through about thirty sheets like a hot knife through butter. I tried the thing out and I am very impressed. Effortless big stapling.

Though I'd like to have the one that can do 250 sheets at a time. That's... why, that's almost unconscionable!

By: carter

carter — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:26:00 -0800

For a personal desk stapler, for up to 2-20+ sheets, I have a maroon Swingline 747 Business Edition. It has heft, and it rocks. This thread rocks.

By: Carbolic

Carbolic — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 18:43:56 -0800

I don't know if they are still in business but I have a 20 year old ACE stapler that I protect like it's one of my children. It's only 4 or five inches long but it will actually put a staple thru 20 or so pages consistently (like you would expect a stapler to do). The only staplers I know of produced today that actually work are the industrial strength type with the staple gun grade staples.

Great question. I'm glad you asked it. I've probably bought 10 staplers over the last 10 years that have ended off in the trash. I didn't realize until this moment how much this pisses me off. (I guess if stapler quality get's me going I don't have enough real problems)

By: jacobm

jacobm — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 19:58:34 -0800

If you can ever find an ACCO 20 stapler, snap it up. When I worked at an office job a few years ago we had a bunch of 'em, and they never ever failed to staple anything you could fit into them. I honestly considered stealing a few when I left.

This only applies to the 20s. The ACCO 30s aren't as good.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 20:44:27 -0800

You office types simply must purchase the nifty Staples stapler and report back to MeTa in a few months time, let us know whether it's all that and a box of crackers.

By: mendel

mendel — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 20:52:28 -0800

Could it be a problem with the staples, not the stapler?

By: rafter

rafter — Wed, 12 Oct 2005 23:18:58 -0800

Second carter's Swingline 747 suggestion. The Staples/staplegun one is pretty cool (you can try it out if you walk into just about any Staples store) but I can't help but feel that it's somewhat gimmicky (not to mention plastic). The 747 is nice, heavy metal. And, in "gunmetal blue," it's one of the most gorgeous desktop implements I own — $30 is a bit pricey for a straightforward stapler, but I figure I'll have it for the rest of my life. Really, it's beautiful.

By: CMichaelCook

CMichaelCook — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 07:30:11 -0800

I'll second rafter's second on the Swingline 747. I actually asked for one of these by name at my current job, and was delighted when the nice lady who orders our office supplies got it for me special.

And did you know it's available in chrome for only $17.99?

By: carter

carter — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 09:53:27 -0800

I actually asked for one of these by name at my current job, and was delighted when the nice lady who orders our office supplies got it for me special.

Heh, me too. She asked what office supplies I wanted, and I said "A maroon Swingline 747, please." I got a funny look but I also got the stapler ;)

By: KRS

KRS — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 13:51:16 -0800

The Swingline 77701 is great, but you can't use either standard staples (they aren't thick enough and jam) or readily available heavy-duty staples (too long) in it. Relatively few places stock its refills, though Staples stores sell the stapler and so probably the refills.

The problem is that older models have a center support rail, along which the staple strip slides. This was abandoned about 15 or 20 years ago for an open area, where you just drop the staple strip in.

Go to estate sales, flea markets, etc. and find an old one where the legs of the staple strips drop down on either side of a center rail.

Like others, I've found that the pliers-style staplers are more relaible than the "bang my head" models, but it's annoying to have to pick the pliers up each time you use it.

By: craniac

craniac — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 13:54:40 -0800

I'm not totally sold on the Swingline Swingline 77701. They're nice at first, but they'll eventually betray you. Mine did. And much of the heft comes from dead weight in the base, not recycled pig iron from 19th century steam locomotives.

By: craniac

craniac — Thu, 13 Oct 2005 17:58:32 -0800

http://www.oldstaplers.com/