Stanley TR-250,Substantially constructed piece of kit, light enough to operate single-handedly, not deafeningly loud when operated, staples/nails load easily, cool looking aluminium body, lockable mechanism for safe storage &...... to cut short- A very rugged & nifty little gadget for a number of jobs;
However,
Its meant for light duty usage,(or light to medium for some) good on soft wood but not very promising on hard surfaces, esp. the staples are almost useless there & a hammer will still be needed at hand, the brads on other hand, perform well on different surfaces. I haven't tried U shaped staples yet:
My experience;(just finished my library)
Usage____________Brads_____________Staples
laminate flooring.......7/10 ......................4/10
carpet laying ..........9/10 ......................7/10
card board.............10/10.......................7/10
paper(Argos cat.).....8/10.......................5/10
bare wood normal.....9/10.......................7/10
hard wood...............6/10.......................3/10
wall board...............7/10.......................6/10
canvas frame..........9/10........................7/10
carpet on carpet.....10/10.......................7/10
Hence recommended for light, everyday tasks around the house or office, very useful to have one in the tool box & definitely better than its competitors (according to most reviews) but NOT heavy duty stuff at all.