Grips
Hammer tackers’ in-line design means you’re going to mash your knuckles from time to time. There isn’t enough of an offset angle from the handle to the head to get a perfectly perpendicular drive and remain bruise-free. To protect your fingers, you end up angling the nose down, which works fine most of the time; only when driving 1/4-inch staples did I find that this adjusted angle of attack resulted in unsatisfactory penetration to effectively hold housewrap and roof felt. The solution is simple: Use 3/8-inch staples. The Bostitch PC2K has a slightly offset handle, so it tended to be more finger-friendly.
Most of these tools have good molded grips. The best contoured, slip-resistant grips are on the Bostitch PC2K, Rapid R11, and the Surebonder tools, although the generous handle of the Surebonder Pro might be too big for some hands. The flared end of the Bostitch was especially helpful in keeping it in my hand. The Porta-Nails and Duo-Fast mechanical-driver tools have poor grips that are no more than plastic bottom wraps, which expose your thumb to unnecessary jarring and can prove to be slippery; more than once on hot days papering a roof, the Duo-Fast tools slipped from my hands.
Recoil
Recoil with pneumatic tools can be annoying, but with hammer tackers, it’s a plus. I like tackers that spring off the surface after driving a staple because it makes stapling anything an effortless task; like dribbling a basketball, there’s no need to lift the tool back up for the next whack. The Stanley, Prebena, Senco, and Rapid R54 fixed-driver tools had the best rebound and danced across walls and roofs. The dead-blow action of the mechanical-driver tackers required more effort to operate and didn’t skim across housewrap. But there was more control with these tools for precise staple placement when needed, such as for hanging fiberglass batts.
Do No Harm
Since the primary function of housewrap is to keep water out of buildings, the last thing you want to do is make hundreds of tears in it when whacking in staples. You have to be careful using many fixed-driver–style staplers; the noses are usually small and though the sharp edges are ground off, they can still cut the materials you’re installing. The Surebonder Max Impact, Bostitch PC2K, and the Rapid R54 have wide plates welded at the nose that protect sheet materials from damage. The Rapid’s shovel-shaped nose is very broad with upturned edges that I especially like. These tools worked great installing housewrap on windy days because the broad noses pushed the membrane back to the substrate beneath it before driving the staple rather than punching holes in it like other models.
The wraparound nose actuators of the mechanical-driver tools tended to do less damage to roof underlayment, housewrap, and carpet pad. The Surebonder Max Impact Pro and three Duo-Fast models have wide-rimmed nosepieces that eliminated tearing.
It is important to note, however, that the models with larger nose contact areas required more attention to flattening the tool angle at impact. The steeper the angle, the less likely the staple crown will fully set.
Winners
While any of these tools would be sufficient for basic stapling functions, our job was to narrow the field down to our favorite. In this case, there are three.
The Bostitch PC2K is my first pick as an all-around hammer tacker. Its easy-to-load open magazine features a load indicator, it has a medium footprint that minimizes the chance of cutting materials, and the offset handle angle is great. Plus, it runs jam-free, firing respectable 1/2-inch-long staples. Some users might not like its long length because it doesn’t carry well in a tool bag, but it hangs perfectly in a hammer loop.
The Surebonder Max Impact 5800 slightly edges out the Rapid R54 for second place. It has a great grip, medium-wide nose, and easy-open magazine loading complete with a load indicator. The only downside is the low rebound spring.
The Rapid R54 is the best rear-loading model, with the widest nosepiece for protecting materials, and it drives long staples (up to 9/16 inch), which is great when tacking down thick materials like wire mesh and roll roofing quickly for later fastening with pneumatic tools.
–Mike Guertin is a builder and remodeler in East Greenwich, R.I., and is a member of Hanley Wood’s JLCLive construction demonstration team.
Specialty Staplers With Special Functions
The Duo-Fast HT-755M is the same model as the HT-755, but it has a magnet mounted to an elongated nose actuator for holding tin cap discs, essentially washers for staples. This is a great feature for drying-in roofs with underlayment long before the roofer arrives. The 1-1/2- to 2-inch-diameter sheet-metal discs hold roll materials more securely than staples alone. And this feature saves the finger injuries you’d get with other models from an off-center blow while holding a tin cap in place. The HT-755M user merely sticks a disc to the nose before initiating a blow. It’s faster, safer, and works very well with a little practice.
The Arrow HT65, at 3 pounds, 12 ounces, is perfect for the Hulk in all of us. This stapler drives 3/4-inch-long, 1-inch crown staples, which meet the specs for installing asphalt roof shingles. The thought of being totally hose-free on the roof appealed to me, but after the sixth shingle I felt my carpel tunnel acting up. Hitting the narrow fastener line consistently is very difficult with the long swing needed to sink the staples through the shingle and sheathing. I did find it handy for pick-up work on the roof like cutting in a rake edge, but I wouldn’t (read, couldn’t) use it all day. It may come in handy to cool the heels of the newest hot-shot kid on the crew.
–Mike Guertin
Sources Of Supply
Arrow Fastener Co.
HT50P: $30–$35; HT65: $64–$67
201-843-6900
www.arrowfastener.com
Bostitch
PC2K: $60; H30-8: $30
800-556-6696
www.bostitch.com
Desa Specialty Products
Powerfast 10401-B: $12–$16
800-858-8501
www.desaint.com
Duo-Fast
Slapshot: $20; HT-550: $45–$49; HT-755: $60-$70; HT-755M: $75-$100
888-386-3278
www.duo-fast.com
FPC Corp.
Surebonder Max Impact 5800: $30; Surebonder Max Impact Pro 5850: $40
800-860-3838
www.surebonder.com
Isaberg Rapid AB
R11E: $24–$29; R54: $49–$59
954-455-4949
www.isaberg-rapid.com
Porta-Nails
60818: $40
800-634-9281
www.porta-nails.com
Prebena North American Fastener Corp.
HHPF 09: $15
877-773-2362
www.prebena-usa.com
Senco
PC0700: $28
800-543-4596
www.senco.com
The Stanley Works
PHT150: $25; PHT250: $30
800-343-9329
www.stanleyworks.com