DeWalt Corded Pneumatic 16-Gauge 1 in. Crown Lathing Stapler

Why I reached for this stapler

I spent a week hanging metal lath and sheathing on a remodel and brought the DeWalt lathing stapler along to see if it could keep pace with the workflow. Wide‑crown staplers fill a specific niche—tying down lath, siding underlayments, and crating—so I wanted something that would fire 16‑gauge, 1-inch crown staples from 1 to 2 inches long, run all day off a compressor, and not beat me up in the process. This one checks those boxes on paper. In the field, it did most of what I asked of it, with a couple quirks worth knowing before you buy.

Setup and first impressions

Out of the box, the stapler is straightforward: a compact frame and a comfortable rubber grip, around 5.3 pounds on my scale. It arrives with a 1/4-inch male NPT fitting already installed, which makes first hookup painless. There’s no case and no oil included, so have a bottle of pneumatic oil and a bag handy if you’re headed to a jobsite.

The magazine loads from the rear and accepts standard 1-inch crown, 16‑gauge staples in lengths from 1 to 2 inches. Capacity is roughly 140 staples, which in practice means a strip and a half; that’s enough to keep you from constantly topping off without making the tool unwieldy.

Air requirements and compressor pairing

This stapler is more air‑hungry than the trim nailers many folks are used to. It’s rated at 5.3 SCFM at 90 PSI, and the tool wakes up around 80 PSI. In my testing, it lived comfortably between 90 and 105 PSI for most materials. If you’re planning rapid, contact‑actuated stapling across a wall, a small pancake compressor will cycle constantly and can lag behind. A mid‑size portable unit delivering 5–6 SCFM at 90 PSI kept the tool snappy and consistent.

Two practical tips:
- Use an inline filter/regulator and drain your compressor daily. Moisture and debris are the enemies of pneumatics.
- Put two drops of oil in the air inlet at the start of the day and one partway through heavy use.

Ergonomics and balance

Ergonomically, this is a pleasant tool. The rubber grip and relatively low weight make it easy to keep on a line during long runs. The nose is slim enough to see your placement, and the overall length balances well for working between studs. Recoil is minimal when you’re in the right pressure range, so you can bump along lath without fatigue.

The exhaust is unobtrusive and didn’t fog my safety glasses. Noise is typical for a pneumatic stapler—ear protection recommended, but it’s not shrill.

Depth adjustment and control

Depth of drive is adjustable via a set screw on the nose. It’s not a tool‑free dial; you’ll need a 4 mm hex wrench to change it, and one is not included. Once set, it stays put, which is arguably more important for this class of tool than quick changes. I set it once for 1‑1/2 inch staples into SPF studs and fine‑tuned with pressure for OSB and furring. If you plan to switch frequently between softwood studs and harder stock, keep that hex wrench in your pouch.

Triggering is well‑mannered, with predictable contact actuation. Single placement is easy to control, and walking along lath in a contact sequence felt natural.

Performance on common tasks

• Metal lath to studs: With 1‑1/2 inch galvanized staples at 95–100 PSI, crowns set flush without crushing the mesh, and legs penetrated cleanly. The pattern stayed consistent along long runs, and the nose provided good visibility to keep staples off wire intersections.
• Asphalt‑backed sheathing underlay: At 90 PSI with 1‑1/4 inch staples, I got clean sets without tearing the surface. Dropping pressure a hair was more effective than changing depth for this task.
• Crating and shop fixtures: In pine and fir, it planted 1‑inch staples neatly at 90 PSI. In harder materials, nudging pressure up by 5 PSI eliminated partial sets.

Across a few hundred staples in mixed materials, drive consistency was the strong suit. Crown deformation was rare when placement was square, and the tool didn’t feel picky about brand as long as the staples were true 1-inch crown, 16‑gauge.

Jam clearing and reliability

Jams were infrequent in my testing, but they do happen in the usual scenarios: hitting a previous crown, catching a wire node in lath, or short‑cycling the tool at the end of a strip. The nose has a tool‑free jam door that opens with your thumb, and clearing a mangled staple took seconds. The magazine follower spring kept tension even when running partial strips, which helps prevent misfeeds.

If you’re seeing frequent misfires, two things to check before blaming the tool:
- Air supply: If pressure drops below 85–90 PSI under load, you’ll get intermittent cycling.
- Staples: Off‑brand staples with slightly out‑of‑spec legs or crowns can hang up. Stick with well‑made, galvanized wide‑crown fasteners for best results.

Build quality and serviceability

Fit and finish are solid where it matters—nose, magazine rails, and latch—without extra weight. The bumper and seals took daily oiling well, and the firing valve response stayed crisp through the week. There are no obvious weak points in the casting or the latch hardware. The return spring for the jam door feels durable; I’ve seen cheaper units lose tension here quickly, and this one didn’t.

Maintenance access is reasonable. The nose opens wide, the magazine cleans easily, and the air fitting is standard fare. I’d like to see a case included for transport, but that’s nitpicking.

What I’d change

• Make the depth control tool‑free. A dial with detents would be faster for mixed‑material days.
• Include a hex key in the box. It’s a small add that prevents a stall on day one.
• Publish clearer air guidance on the body of the tool. Marking a recommended working range near the inlet would help crews dial in pressure quickly.

Small details that help

• The rubber grip stays tacky with dusty hands, which matters when you’re bumping along a course of lath.
• The magazine window makes it easy to top off before climbing a ladder.
• The included 1/4-inch fitting saves a trip to the truck.

Who it’s for

If you spend time fastening lath, underlayments, or building crates and pallets, this stapler hits the practical sweet spot: wide‑crown capacity, lightweight chassis, and simple, fast jam clearing. It’s also a good fleet tool—easy to train on, with no complex adjustments to confuse new hands. If you only occasionally need wide‑crown staples and your compressor is a small pancake, plan for more cycling or step up your air supply.

The bottom line

The DeWalt lathing stapler combines steady drive performance with jobsite‑friendly ergonomics. It’s light, predictable, and eats through 1‑ to 2‑inch, 1‑inch crown staples without drama when paired with a capable compressor. The tool‑free jam door is genuinely useful, and the magazine capacity hits a nice balance for continuous work. The main compromise is the depth adjustment, which requires a 4 mm hex and a minute of setup rather than a quick twist.

Recommendation: I recommend this stapler for trade pros and serious DIYers who need a dependable wide‑crown tool and have an air setup that can deliver around 5.3 SCFM at 90 PSI. It delivers consistent results on lath, sheathing, and crating, and it’s comfortable enough for full‑day use. If you need frequent on‑the‑fly depth changes or you’re running a small compressor that struggles to keep up, consider those constraints before buying. For most lathing and wide‑crown applications, though, this is a solid, job‑ready choice.