I have been buying the Arrrow Power Shot staplers I had 3 in the last year 2 have broken.

I am down to one and need more.

primarily use these for 4-H shooting sports and my own shooting to hang targets and staple cardboard to the target stands

they seem to be lasting about 3-4 years and we are running about 2500 staples a year through them.

probably a hard life from the aspect that kids are often the ones using them and loading them.

I also wonder if it isn't also possibly an issue that other than Arrow brand T-50 staples make it into them.

every failure seems to start with a jam that gets cleared , then jams up , after a bit more use , it is also possible that the jam is the result of an internal part getting bent or failing.

what have you found the most durable manual stapler ?

It is usually the spring that goes. Either rust, or kinked from too many staples, (a partial rack, and a full rack of staples).

in my failures the spring seems ok still strong but some connecting part to the driver or the part that holds the staples right before they are shot out bends or breaks.

the power shots are all the revers type where the staples exit backwards of a traditional staple gun. this is the one that broke yesterday https://www.homedepot.com/p/Arrow-Fastener-T50-5-in-Staple-and-Nail-Gun-5700/100049752

I have a bostich/Stanley and it's great. It's been used and abused for about 5 years now and it's held up great. Not sure how much I paid but I got it at lowes

Buy the doufast, I get a few years out of each stapler and run 15,000-25,000 staples through each stapler a year
They are spendy but I've broke many of the $20-30 staplers, some don't last a day.

DUO FAST FOR SURE

I think I have figured out the issue.

I tried the midway brand stapler , they were onsale for 8 dollars , I figured it might be easier for the kids to squeeze any way and they only really need them for paper targets to cardboard , and I could keep my stapler with the 9/16 staples for cardboard to wood that normally is done in the morning before the kids arrive.

the new stapler is Midway USA branded so I don't know who makes it but it has German writing on the bottom.

it takes T50 staples , it came with 200 staples so I tried a few on a cardboard box then tried some of the Stanley staples that say they fit T50 staple guns , this gun did not like them , wouldn't even load right they were to wide they are .005 wider than the arrow staples , the new gun does have clever way to remove the bottom and clear a jam so I went and found some Arrow brand T50 staples and they go right in and work well.

I am generally fairly particular about only buying Arrow brand staples , now I am going to have to be extremely particular since I think that was causing the jams and the jams broke parts on my previous staplers this spring.

Universal fit strikes again.