6 Best Staple Gun Handles For Attaching Wire Fencing Old Farmers Swear By
Explore our guide to the 6 best staple guns for wire fencing. These farmer-approved tools are chosen for their rugged durability and reliable performance.
There’s nothing quite like that feeling of your thumb throbbing after you miss a fencing staple for the tenth time with a heavy hammer. A well-built fence is the backbone of any small farm, but fighting with loose staples, uneven depths, and bent wire can turn a weekend project into a month-long headache. The right tool isn’t a luxury; it’s what separates a secure, long-lasting fence from a constant source of frustration and escaped animals.
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Why a Solid Fencing Stapler is Non-Negotiable
Using a hammer and loose U-staples is a rite of passage, but it’s one you should graduate from as quickly as possible. Every missed swing is a risk to your fingers, and every over-driven staple creates a weak point by crushing the wire’s protective coating, inviting rust. Inconsistent depth means some staples are too loose while others pinch the wire, preventing it from expanding and contracting with temperature changes.
A dedicated fencing stapler solves these problems instantly. It drives staples to a consistent, pre-set depth every single time, leaving the wire free to move. This not only speeds up the work tenfold but also dramatically increases the lifespan and integrity of your fence. A fence is only as strong as its weakest point, and a proper stapler eliminates hundreds of potential failures before they happen.
Think about the real cost of a failed fence—lost livestock, damaged gardens, or predators getting into your chicken coop. The investment in a solid stapler pays for itself the first time you don’t have to spend a morning chasing escaped goats. It transforms fencing from a dreaded chore into a satisfying, efficient task.
DeWalt DCFS950B: Reliable Cordless Fencing Power
For most hobby farmers, the DeWalt cordless stapler hits the sweet spot between power, convenience, and price. It runs on the same 20V MAX batteries as their drills and saws, which means you likely already have the power source handy. This tool is a workhorse, designed specifically for driving heavy 9-gauge fencing staples.
Its standout feature is the adjustable depth setting. This is non-negotiable. It lets you dial in the drive perfectly, whether you’re working with soft pine or seasoned oak posts, ensuring you never damage the wire. It also has a brushless motor for longer runtime and a tool-free jam release for when things inevitably get stuck.
The tradeoff for all this cordless power is weight. It’s a substantial tool, and after a few hours of steady work, you’ll feel it in your arms. However, for building a new paddock, patching an old fence line, or any job where you’re moving around a lot, the freedom from an air hose is absolutely worth the extra heft.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL Stapler: A Top-Tier Performer
If you’re already invested in Milwaukee’s M18 battery platform, their fencing stapler is an absolute beast. It’s often seen as the direct competitor to the DeWalt, and for good reason. It delivers incredible driving power, sinking 2-inch staples into dense, old locust posts without breaking a sweat.
The Milwaukee often gets praise for its firing speed and ergonomics, feeling slightly more balanced in the hand to some users. Like the DeWalt, it features adjustable depth control and is built for professional use, meaning it can handle the mud, rain, and abuse of farm life. This is the kind of tool that makes you look for excuses to build more fence.
This level of performance comes at a premium price. It’s a serious investment, best suited for someone with significant fencing needs or who values top-tier performance and efficiency above all else. If you have several acres to manage and fencing is a regular part of your yearly chores, the Milwaukee M18 FUEL Stapler will make that work faster and easier.
Freeman PFS9 Pneumatic: Air-Powered Reliability
Don’t discount the power of compressed air. A pneumatic stapler like the Freeman PFS9 offers incredible power and reliability for a fraction of the cost of a high-end cordless model. If you have a big fencing project planned in a single area, like enclosing a large garden or building a new set of pens near the barn, this is an incredibly efficient option.
The tool itself is lighter than battery-powered versions because the power plant—the air compressor—sits somewhere else. This means less fatigue over a long day. Pneumatic tools are also mechanically simpler, with fewer electronic parts to fail, making them famously durable.
The obvious limitation is the air hose. You’re tethered to your compressor, which limits your range and can be a nuisance to drag through brush or over uneven ground. But if you can work from a truck or tractor with a portable compressor, you get relentless power that never fades like a dying battery.
Stock-ade ST400i: The Professional’s Choice
When you see a professional fencing crew working at a blistering pace, they’re often using a tool like the Stock-ade ST400i. This isn’t just a battery-powered tool; it’s a cordless gas-actuated stapler. It uses a small fuel cell combined with a battery for ignition, delivering unmatched power in a completely portable package.
This tool is engineered for one thing: driving thousands of staples a day, quickly and flawlessly. It’s lighter than the big battery-only models but hits harder, making it ideal for tackling the toughest hardwood posts or petrified old telephone poles. It represents the pinnacle of fencing technology.
This performance comes with significant costs, both for the tool itself and the consumable fuel cells. For the average hobby farmer, it’s overkill. But for someone with a large property, a side business installing fences, or who simply demands the absolute best tool for the job, the ST400i is in a class of its own.
Duo-Fast DF-150: The Classic Hammer Tacker
Not every fencing job involves high-tensile wire and 6-inch posts. For lighter applications, a heavy-duty hammer tacker like the Duo-Fast is an essential tool. This is what you grab when you’re attaching welded wire to a garden frame, hardware cloth to the bottom of a run, or poultry netting to a new chicken tractor.
Its beauty is its speed and simplicity. You can fire staples as fast as you can swing it, making quick work of long stretches of lightweight fencing. It’s purely mechanical, costs very little, and is tough enough to live in the bottom of a toolbox for years.
It’s crucial to understand its limits. This is not for structural fencing. The staples are much lighter gauge and don’t have the holding power needed for woven wire or containing livestock. Using it for the wrong job will result in a failed fence. But for the right job, it’s the fastest, easiest tool you can use.
Malco FG1 Gripper: Old-School Manual Control
Sometimes, you just need a few staples in a tight spot, or you’re on a remote corner of the property and don’t want to lug a power tool. The Malco FG1 Gripper is a simple, brilliant hand tool that bridges the gap between a plain hammer and a powered stapler. It’s essentially a magnetic holder that grips the staple for you.
This simple design does two important things. First, it keeps your fingers safely away from the hammer. Second, its recessed head allows you to drive the staple to the perfect depth without crushing the wire, mimicking the control of a more expensive tool.
This is the definition of a "slow and steady" tool. It won’t win any speed records, but it’s cheap, indestructible, and gives you absolute precision. Every small farmer should have one of these in their truck or fencing bucket for quick repairs and small jobs where power and speed are less important than accuracy and simplicity.
Matching Staples to Your Fencing and Tool
The most advanced stapler in the world is useless with the wrong fasteners. The staple is the part that actually does the work, and choosing the right one is just as important as choosing the right tool. Pay attention to three key things: gauge, length, and coating.
For most livestock fencing, 9-gauge is the standard. For length, you’ll generally want 1.5 to 2 inches, using longer staples for softer wood like pine and slightly shorter ones for dense hardwoods. The most critical factor is the coating. Insist on Class 3 hot-dip galvanized staples. Anything less, like electro-galvanized, will rust in a few seasons, compromising the staple and staining your posts.
Finally, buy the staples made for your tool. While some are interchangeable, many power staplers are designed for a specific staple profile. Using off-brand staples is the number one cause of frustrating jams. Read your tool’s manual and buy the right fasteners—it will save you a world of trouble.
Ultimately, the best fencing stapler is the one that matches the scale of your farm and the nature of your work. Whether it’s a top-of-the-line cordless model for daily use or a simple hand tool for occasional repairs, the goal is the same: to build a strong, reliable fence efficiently. Invest wisely in your tool, use the right staples, and you’ll spend more time enjoying your farm and less time fixing fences.
