Customer Reviews

Arrow Fastener Co 5700 PowerShot Heavy Duty Staple Gun

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

I've never given a 1-star review before, but I'm so completely disappointed in this product that I just had to this time.

This stapler made a lot of sense to me -- the downward force when stapling is smack dab on top of where the staple (or brad) fires. This virtually eliminates kick-back and lands the staple solidly on target. It's pretty straightforward and only mildly awkward once you get used to the idea (which happens pretty quickly) - you just have to keep in mind that you're using a stapler that fires from "the other end." (Side note: Personally I don't try to operate any tool without understanding its basic operation, including what's sharp, what moves, and how the tool might react when used. This is especially true for those tools that fire _projectiles_, so follow this advice and you probably won't wind up with a staple in your hand... or worse.)

I say "mildly awkward," by the way, because I think when we (people in general) put force into a push, we're accustomed to using the heels of our palms - right in line with the forearm. That's more in line with how the traditional staple guns work. With this one, though, you kind of have to rock your wrist forward when you squeeze. It's as if you're pushing from the area between your thumb and first finger, which feels a bit unnatural.

Anyway, I bought this stapler, a package of brad nails (same brand) and a package of staples (again, same brand). The staples fired about 80% of the time; the brads about 70%. I shot about 50 of each before the first jam (on a staple). I managed to get it cleared and shot about 15 more staples before it jammed again... then again, and again. Between misfires and jams, this product was really slowing me down. Finally "something gave" inside and the handle went limp. I don't think it was jammed - I think it just plain old broke because something was rattling inside. And the duty was light, too - by this time I was simply firing staples into a 2x4 to get a better idea of how often it actually worked. ANd I was careful not to hit another staple.

So I returned it and got a replacement. With roughly the same rate of misfire, I was already disappointed, and after the third or fourth jam, it simply would not clear. The handle felt limp again, but not like before - it felt as if the gun were cocked and ready to fire, but just not firing - and of course there was no way I was going to look "down the barrel" to see what might be wrong. The jam wouldn't budge.

So I returned it and got a replacement - again. Long story short: same problems. I'm totally disenchanted. I had carefully read and followed the instructions (which, by the way, mentioned how uncommonly rare it would be for the product to ever jam), I used only brads and staples of the same brand, and the target was only relatively soft 2x4 pine.

And so my only 1-star review to date... Based on my experience, I advise against this product full heartedly.

While I liked the forward action of this stapler, I have not been able to get one that lasts. Had old style stapler which lasted for over a decade in light home owner use. But have gone through two of these staplers in last couple of years. Both refused to recock after driving a staple. Now I'm back looking for something better.

This has got to be the worst stapler ever invented. They have great packaging, couple that with the design and it seems like it would be easier to use...but that is as far as the functionality extends. I have attempted to use this for a few simple tasks: reattaching the thin cover on the bottom of a sofa, putting up holiday decorations and reupholstering a few chairs. Each one of these led to the most aggrevating time ever, wasting at least 75% of the staples due to the design of the "launch" mechanism. It either fails to retract completely, or it fails to punch the staple with any force.

I just went through 2 strips of staples, and only ~10 staples actually worked.

Do not waste your money. I just wish I would have actually used this right after purchasing it, instead I bought it (from b&m home improvement store) for a project that was in the future and am now stuck with it.

This is really odd. I got mine as a Christmas present about 2 years ago. Admittedly, I haven't used it heavily, but I have had no problems like the ones mentioned in the other reviews. It does what it is supposed to do. I even used it to staple through 0.050" plastic into wood. That surprised me. It's not as good as a pneumatic stapler, of course, but it is much better than the other hand staplers that I have had in the past. I didn't give it 5 stars because it is kind of bulky.

I just noticed that mine is made by PowerShot Tool Company, Wytheville, VA. not Arrow. Maybe something happened to quality control when Arrow took over.

I too put a staple in my hand because it's nade backwards. Also it doesn't open up to put a short stick of staples in. I f you try and slide 5 or 6 staples down the "chute" the get twisted and no way to get them out. I've used more swear words using this so called stapler then any of the other 100 or so hand tool I own. THANKS FOR NOTHING power shot. Harold Marcum

The first PowerShot stapler that I purchased did not work at all. I have to assume that it was manufactured improperly. In that stapler, the hammer that came down to hit the staples was too far forward towards the nose of the gun. It would miss every staple. I never got it to shoot ONE staple. As you look at the stapler from the bottom, there is a black metal "tray" that holds the staples. The hammer is supposed to come down inside this tray and hit the first staple. In my gun, the hammer would come down on the outside of this tray toward the nose of the gun. You would have thought that the hammer might just hit the tray itself by accident, but it did not. It seems that there was enough space between the staple tray and the external staple gun housing that the hammer could go all the way down and never hit a staple. I returned it and got another one. The second one has worked perfectly. I don't think that it has jammed once.

So, now that I have a staple gun that works properly, how do I like it? It is just OK. I don't shoot thousands of staples. On paper, it looks like such a cool design, but in usage, it is about the same as my Sears staple gun. I often use my staple gun for attaching bell wire to walls such as for electric garage door openers. The PowerShot staples are narrower than the traditional staples. I am more apt to hit the wire or the wire insulation with the PowerShot stapler because they are narrower. If I have to staple 4 bell wires at once with the PowerShot stapler, it becomes a chore. My handiwork in that case, looks like I was drunk. There are times when I have to reach up to staple wires as they run up a wall to meet the garage ceiling. I really have to be able to get my hand all the way up into that corner with the PowerShot since I have to apply force to the handle at the nose of that gun. With the traditional stapler, I don't have to reach as far into the corner, since the force is being applied to the handle, more from the rear of the gun. If I can avoid stretching and reaching less when I am on a ladder, I am all for it. If I can avoid sticking my head further into the cobwebs on the garage ceiling, the better. If I had to shoot thousands of staples in a repetitive motion at waist level, I might choose the PowerShot, but I am not even sure about then. You do have to wonder, if the PowerShot stapler was such a cool design, why hasn't it cornered the stapler market? It has been around awhile.

It worked intitially (through Lowe's return period) but now will not fire a staple into any material whatsoever. Hold it against a board, press it with all your might, and it absolutely will not fire. Point it at the sky, pull, and it fires a staple far up into the wild blue yonder. Press it against the board, try again, no go... Point it at the sky, blam! Works great. Press it against the board, shake it, wiggle it, tilt it every which way, nothing. Towards the sky? Blam!

I guess if you want to staple clouds to the clear blue sky, this would be a good tool. For any practical use, it's junk. I'm going to toss it and get a simple, traditional model. There should be a "zero star" rating for products like this.

This stapler is the worst....constant jams, no-fires, misfires, and plain tiring to the hands. So much for their ergonomic design! I bought mine at Lowes and without a receipt (my bad) they won't refund. Don't waste your money on this stapler. I threw mine away and bought the simple one from Arrow...works like a charm.

I bought one of these a few years ago and have never gotten it to properly lay even a single stick of staples. It will false-fire (act like it's shooting a staple then not lay one), mis-fire (shooting the staple when you release pressure on the trigger), not fire at all, and then jam consistently. Finally in frustration, I opened it up to see what the problem was. One of the anvil pins is too short. As this is a hardened & polished pin, you're not gonna find one at your local hardware store. and because my problems have been reflected by many others with similar experiences, I can only conclude this was not a one-off assembly line error. Clearly someone got cheap and decided to save a few pennies by intentionally using a shorter pin (and probably got a promotion for saving the company money). This thing went into the scrap pile & I went back to my father's old Arrow that has worked for 40 years now. This, combined with similar problems I have had with other new Black & Decker products, I can only assume the proud name of Black & Decker is now being used to market cheap & shoddy products with no concern for use or life after the sale. No more Black & Decker products for me.

It seemed to work okay in the first 4-5 full loads of staples, but after a that it started to have four main problems:

1. It would fire blanks due to the driver not fully cocking, when you squeeze the handle. It would feel like a half a shot.

2. It would fire blanks with a full cock, and dent the wood.

3. It would not fire at all. I could squeeze the handle fully, but it just compresses like a grip exerciser, and the staple just pops out weakly when the handle is released.

4. The staple driver would get stuck in the up position. It got freed after I banged the tool on a hard surface.

I went out an bought a regular Arrow staple gun and it has worked fine.