dlstewart's Full Review: Stanley Bostitch B310HDS Heavy-Duty Stapler
Our office staples a lot of thick documents. At first we used large clips to hold pages together, but quickly discovered that clips were not the answer. We needed a heavy-duty stapler. The supply department purchased the Stanley Bostitch Heavy-Duty Stapler (model B310HDS), and the office is putting this stapler to good use.
What the Stapler Looks Like
This desk stapler is designed to sit on a flat surface. Rubber footings on the bottom front and back keep the metal stapler in place so it doesn't shift. The rubber also protects the desk from scratches. The bottom base of the stapler is hollow except where the rubber footings are placed.
Like a regular stapler, the Stanley Heavy-Duty Stapler is hinged. The bottom part of the stapler is a broad rectangle with a metal cinch plate to bend the staple into position. The cinch plate is located roughly in the middle of the rectangle base. The "staple magazine" is about 6" long and is attached to the underside of the long handle. The top of the stapler is much different from a traditional stapler. A handle (about 11" long) stretches above the staple magazine. The handle has a 4" finger grip area where the handle is grasped and pressed downward to staple papers. It is easy to use this stapler without stressing muscles. The grip is comfortable, though I wouldn't want to use this stapler for a prolonged period of time. The handle is solid metal.
The stapler dimensions are: 12" long x 3 1/2" wide x 7 1/4" tall. (If the handle of the stapler is lowered so that the metal of the staple magazine touches the metal cinch plate, then the height of the stapler is 5 1/2".)
The Staples
This stapler uses a variety of different length staples: 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" and 5/8". Our company decided to purchase the 5/8" length staple and uses this one size to staple every thick document (no matter how thick the document is). As you can image, the stapling results vary.
1/4" staples -- staple up to 30 sheets
3/8" staples -- staple up to 60 sheets
1/2" staples -- staple up to 100 sheets
5/8" staples -- staple up to 150 sheets
The manufacturer specifications state this stapler will staple 125 sheets of 20-pound paper or 150 sheets of 16-pound paper.
Using 5/8" size staples, I can easily staple 50 to 75 sheets of 20-pound paper and the stapler works great. This stapler has problems stapling 100 pages of the same paper weight. The staples partially penetrate the back page but do not grab the papers. On top of the stack, the staple is bent and misshapen.
Most of my documents are between 30-50 pages, which is too thick a stack for a regular stapler to handle. The Stanley Heavy-Duty Stapler easily staples the 50 pages. However, when stapling around 35 pages, the 5/8" size staple is too long so that the top of the staple is raised from the paper, sometimes creating a sharp edge for unwary fingers. Since most of the other people using the stapler generate longer documents of around 75 pages, the 5/8" staple size is perfect for their projects. Since we only have the one size staple, I can't experiment with the other staple lengths.
One con to this stapler is that a user should switch between the different size staples depending upon the thickness of the paper stack. The 5/8" size staple cannot be used to staple documents of only a few pages.
The Paper Stop
There is a red plastic Paper Stop that makes it easy to consistently place staples in the same place on documents. Measurements are engraved into the base to easily situate the Paper Stop: 3/8", 3/4", 1 3/16", 1 1/2", 2", 2 3/8", 2 3/4" (the measurements are also in metric). There is an engraved line between each measurement, too. The deepest Paper Stop measurement is 3". If the Paper Stop is removed, the depth increases to 3 1/4". (For example, place a stack of paper flat against the 1 1/2" Paper Stop mark. When the paper is stapled, the staple will fall 1 1/2" from the edge of the paper.) If you prefer the staple to rest kitty corner (rather than parallel) to the paper edges, the Paper Stop is hollow in the center to allow the corner of the paper to fit through it.
Inserting the Staples
This stapler has rear-loading for the staples. At the back end of the stapler, in the handle, is a piece of plastic that extends 3/4" beyond the end of the stapler. This device holds the staples inside the stapler. To open the area where the staples are placed, push this extended button and lift up on it. The spring device that holds the staples inside the stapler will then slide out. Place a new strip of staples inside the stapler on top of the two metal guide rails. Then insert the spring device to lock the staples in place. The stapler is now loaded and ready to work.
At first I fumbled with undoing the spring device. However, once you've done it a few times, it is easy to remove and reinstall.
Jams!
The instructions to clean jammed staples are permanently affixed to the stapler near the cinch plate on the base. Here is what they say to clear jammed staples:
1. Unload the Stapler.
2. Place pencil under magazine, behind clinch plate.
3. Depress handle until staple exits.
Try this method before doing anything else to release jammed staples. These are heavy-duty staples and are difficult to wrestle free from the stapler if the above method doesn't work.
If the stapler misfires so that the staple crunches into the paper but doesn't pass all the way through to the back ... prepare for some sore fingers in trying to remove the staple from the paper. I recommend having a pair of needle-nose pliers on hand for staple removal. A regular staple remover will not budge these staples.
Purchasing this Stapler
Our office supply department purchased this stapler for about $28.00 from Staples (staples.com).
The stapler takes model # SB35 staples. Here is an idea of prices for the different size staples:
1/4" staples = $3.95/box for 1,000 staples
3/8" staples = $3.99/box for 1,000 staples
1/2" staples = $4.29/box for 1,000 staples
5/8" staples = $4.39/box for 1,000 staples
Summary
I'm glad our office owns the Stanley Heavy-Duty Stapler. This stapler does a great job stapling my documents of 50-75 pages. However, I have trouble stapling documents of 100 pages, and this stapler is suppose to be able to staple up to 125 pages of 20-pound paper. Since I like the convenience of this stapler, and it definitely helps me fasten my thick documents together, I'm rating this stapler above average. If you plan on stapling 100 or more pages, then I suggest you investigate other staplers before investing in this one.
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
The Stanley Works
1000 Stanley Drive
New Britain, CT 06053
Tollfree Phone: 800-343-9329
Phone: 860-225-5111
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