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by Peter Brett - June 2005
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01444 440188
01444 440188
Flexible Quick Fixers
The Rapid MS4.1 4-in-One stapler/nailer is an affordable and effective solution for small fixing problems. What Rapid have managed to do is to take a fairly traditional “cordless” (spring-operated) staple gun and redesigned it to take staples, nails, brads and wire holding staples in one tool. Now, I have been sceptical about “multi-solution tools” because they can promise to do many things but end up doing none of them well. So you might as well buy all the separate tools if you want the tasks properly performed.
However, the careful user won’t have any of these problems with the Rapid MS4.1. It is a simple-to-operate tool that does all it is supposed to do in whatever mode is chosen. The most complicated thing the user might have to do is to remember to rotate the nose-plate in front of the striker to accommodate the change from flat-topped staples to round topped staples.
The whole stapler/nailer body and loading tray are made of strong ABS, only the firing lever and vital striking bits are made of metal. This makes it very light to use and store, rust resistant and quite quiet in use too. It is possible to choose between normal and maximum impact strength by operating a lever under the trigger handle. This enables the user to drive long nails and staples where necessary, but also have the easier use of the trigger for driving short staples.
The trigger handle is set quite high and some users with smaller hands may find that they need to stretch a bit, but the spring pressure is not excessive. It works a lot easier than some of the big metal staplers I have used.
A design feature I found particularly useful was the raising of the bottom of the stapler from the task by building in a “cable space”. Most staplers for firing cable-retaining hooped staples are flat on the bottom.
This forces you to slightly offset the cable-holder form the cable each time you fix one. With the Rapid MS 4.1 you can actually straddle the cable with the base of the stapler. This helps you to keep the cable straight and therefore assists a good neat job.
When firing some of the larger size staples it is helpful to press the stapler down firmly so that the staples go flush with the surface. I suppose this is the downside to the light weight of the tool - something heavier would have more inertia.
What may also really appeal to users is that the Rapid MS4.1 will take staples from 6 to 12mm deep, nails and brads up to 15mm long and round topped staples between 12 and 14mm long. This is a range that should cover most domestic uses, and some professionals may find that the relatively small cost, speed and “cordless” versatility of this tool are worth investing in when small fixing jobs need to be done.
From the finesse of the MS4.1 the next Rapid product to undergo scrutiny was the R11 PROLINE hammer tacker. In many ways this is a polar opposite to the MS4.1. The R11 is designed to be heavy and strong for trade users to fix insulating foils and roof and carpet felts. Its weight and leverage actually operate the stapling action.
Built entirely from chromed pressed steel with a heavy-duty black rubber handle, the R11 weighs nearly 1Kg. To use it all day is probably beyond most DIYers, but to professionals it would be no worse than wielding a hammer.
The R11 will hold heavy gauge staples from 6 to 10mm depth.
If I hadn&Mac226;t seen a carpet fitter stapling underfelt a few months ago with one of these tools I might have been a bit sceptical about their design and use. He managed to get a fantastic strike rate, and familiarity had obviously built a confidence in him about using the tool. He was accurate, he could get quite close to skirting boards and had enough “stretch” when the tool was held at full arm&Mac226;s length to enable him to complete work quite quickly.
The ergonomic design and rubber grip of the handle meant that he didn&Mac226;t rap his knuckles on the floor and, with very few exceptions, the staples went in flush with the surface.
With the confidence of having watched the carpet fitter I was soon able to whack in staples myself quite easily. I found that I was soon capable of being quite accurate too. I was able to pin a piece of 4mm ply to a 38mm square batten very quickly. After a time you also get used to the amount of effort needed too. It seems a lot less than you first think because of the weight of the stapler. In fact, it&Mac226;s like using a hammer with the nails already built into it. All you have to do is place the blow and judge how much effort you put into it.
As I mentioned before, I doubt that the hammer and nails are in danger of extinction soon, but these two products from Rapid show that there is more to fixing than nails, screws and hammers. The tools may not be a universal solution, but they are flexible and well-designed. They provide some ways of time-saving and elegant fixing without having to rely on batteries and electricity. They might also be very cost effective in the amount of time and effort that they can save.
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