Problem with DeWalt's New Stapler

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Coppersmith

Coppersmith

Senior Member
Location
Tampa, FL, USA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I bought one of DeWalt's new battery-powered cable staplers and handed it to the crew for some house remodels we are doing. The tool works fine and definitely saves time over hammering in staples. The biggest problem with it is it's too easy to use and apparently fun because I keep seeing places where way too many staples are being used. I reminded the crew that we only need one staple every 4.5 feet, not every 1.5 to 2 feet and that extra staples and stapling makes the job cost more.
 
That is the same problem with nail guns. Carpenters go crazy shooting those things. You just need to include extra for the staples but if it saving time then it should still pay for itself.

I find wirenuts and stables all over the crawl spaces and inside a home. Waste is unfortunately a part of the job
 
During a crew meeting, you could remind them that every staple driven is an opportunity to damage the cable. For every unnecessary staple added to a run, the odds of having to replace the cable increases. You could prepare, as a visual aid, a piece of board with one cable stapled every 4.5 feet and one stapled every 1.5 - 2 feet so they can see what they are supposed to be doing and not doing.

Probably won't help too much though.
 
I would show them in the field. Switch box, two staples above or below; top to bottom, only three; etc.
 
Jon456 said:
During a crew meeting, you could remind them that every staple driven is an opportunity to damage the cable. For every unnecessary staple added to a run, the odds of having to replace the cable increases. You could prepare, as a visual aid, a piece of board with one cable stapled every 4.5 feet and one stapled every 1.5 - 2 feet so they can see what they are supposed to be doing and not doing.

Probably won't help too much though.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking PowerPoint presentation. :D
 
Coppersmith said:
I bought one of DeWalt's new battery-powered cable staplers and handed it to the crew for some house remodels we are doing. The tool works fine and definitely saves time over hammering in staples. The biggest problem with it is it's too easy to use and apparently fun because I keep seeing places where way too many staples are being used. I reminded the crew that we only need one staple every 4.5 feet, not every 1.5 to 2 feet and that extra staples and stapling makes the job cost more.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear this is your only complaint. Some years back there was some unknown company making one. I never heard anything good about it so I never tried it.
As progressive as Milwaukee is I'm surprised they don't have one to compete.
 
LarryFine said:
I would show them in the field. Switch box, two staples above or below; top to bottom, only three; etc.
Click to expand...

Had a fellow who was supposed to be an 'electrician" working on my modification team years ago, during testing, we found a dead receptacle, wires came out of it, screws were not even tightened down. I found out who wired it, made this gent pill every one out for a tighten-up, his response was that there was no procedure given to install receptacles! I got installation/screw torque specs from Hubbell, gave it to him and my boss, who told me to back off...
 
mtfallsmikey said:
Had a fellow who was supposed to be an 'electrician" working on my modification team years ago, during testing, we found a dead receptacle, wires came out of it, screws were not even tightened down. I found out who wired it, made this gent pill every one out for a tighten-up, his response was that there was no procedure given to install receptacles! I got installation/screw torque specs from Hubbell, gave it to him and my boss, who told me to back off...
Click to expand...
Code says all installations shall be done in a neat and workmanlike manner. Don't need a procedure because it requires qualified workers to do the installation. That is why we have apprentices and don't just do everything with laborers. It's there in black and white and it's the law. That would be like asking for a procedure to not drive over the speed limit in a work truck and get a ticket. If the guy is telling you he is not a professional, he needs to find work doing something he is qualified to do. Concrete crews are always looking for laborers.

How many cents does the extra staples add to the job? So if it takes an extra box at $5 and you saved two hours of labor at $35/hour fully costed, does it matter? Yes it does because materials doesn't change, only labor. Go back to hand driving them because you'll make more money on the labor charges. Labor efficiency is not beneficial to the bottom line when you can charge more for labor but not materials. Government contracting 101: be as inefficient as possible.

How many failures have been eliminated because the stapler applies the same force every time where the knucklehead with a hammer probably overdrives half of them and the other half fall out, causing warranty claims down the road? Or smashes a finger with a hammer and costs thousands in workmans comp claims? Remember why you got the stapler in the first place and it wasn't saving staples.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
 
paulengr said:
Code says all installations shall be done in a neat and workmanlike manner. Don't need a procedure because it requires qualified workers to do the installation. That is why we have apprentices and don't just do everything with laborers. It's there in black and white and it's the law. That would be like asking for a procedure to not drive over the speed limit in a work truck and get a ticket. If the guy is telling you he is not a professional, he needs to find work doing something he is qualified to do. Concrete crews are always looking for laborers.

How many cents does the extra staples add to the job? So if it takes an extra box at $5 and you saved two hours of labor at $35/hour fully costed, does it matter? Yes it does because materials doesn't change, only labor. Go back to hand driving them because you'll make more money on the labor charges. Labor efficiency is not beneficial to the bottom line when you can charge more for labor but not materials. Government contracting 101: be as inefficient as possible.

How many failures have been eliminated because the stapler applies the same force every time where the knucklehead with a hammer probably overdrives half of them and the other half fall out, causing warranty claims down the road? Or smashes a finger with a hammer and costs thousands in workmans comp claims? Remember why you got the stapler in the first place and it wasn't saving staples.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Devils advicate would say that a hammer smack is better than a staple through a finger, hand, knee....
 
paulengr said:
Code says all installations shall be done in a neat and workmanlike manner. Don't need a procedure because it requires qualified workers to do the installation. That is why we have apprentices and don't just do everything with laborers. It's there in black and white and it's the law. That would be like asking for a procedure to not drive over the speed limit in a work truck and get a ticket. If the guy is telling you he is not a professional, he needs to find work doing something he is qualified to do. Concrete crews are always looking for laborers.

How many cents does the extra staples add to the job? So if it takes an extra box at $5 and you saved two hours of labor at $35/hour fully costed, does it matter? Yes it does because materials doesn't change, only labor. Go back to hand driving them because you'll make more money on the labor charges. Labor efficiency is not beneficial to the bottom line when you can charge more for labor but not materials. Government contracting 101: be as inefficient as possible.

How many failures have been eliminated because the stapler applies the same force every time where the knucklehead with a hammer probably overdrives half of them and the other half fall out, causing warranty claims down the road? Or smashes a finger with a hammer and costs thousands in workmans comp claims? Remember why you got the stapler in the first place and it wasn't saving staples.
Click to expand...

I'm greedy. I insist on saving labor by using the device and also not wasting labor or materials by overusing the device.
 
AKElectrician said:
Devils advicate would say that a hammer smack is better than a staple through a finger, hand, knee....
Click to expand...

The instruction manual shows a picture of one guy holding the stapler to another guy's head with a big crossed circle over it i.e. "don't staple someone's head". I guess the people who wrote the manual have been on construction sites before.
 
Coppersmith said:
The instruction manual shows a picture of one guy holding the stapler to another guy's head with a big crossed circle over it i.e. "don't staple someone's head". I guess the people who wrote the manual have been on construction sites before.
Click to expand...
Nobody that would do that reads the manual either. That's just a lawyer move.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk
 
Coppersmith said:
I bought one of DeWalt's new battery-powered cable staplers and handed it to the crew for some house remodels we are doing. The tool works fine and definitely saves time over hammering in staples. The biggest problem with it is it's too easy to use and apparently fun because I keep seeing places where way too many staples are being used. I reminded the crew that we only need one staple every 4.5 feet, not every 1.5 to 2 feet and that extra staples and stapling makes the job cost more.
Click to expand...
Shoulda told that to the nurse who attended to the severe gash on my scalp a week or so ago. Several to the inch was her style. I can't see them but they feel like lesss than 3mm apart.

Sorry mods...............:(
 
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