Pro carpenters and tradesmen will love the Milwaukee 2749-20 M18 FUEL Narrow Crown Stapler. We got our hands on it at the 2019 Milwaukee NPS19 Media Event. This marks a first-generation cordless narrow crown stapler for Milwaukee Tool. Having asked been one of many asking for this stapler, I’m excited to see it finally come to market.
Using the Milwaukee M18 Narrow Crown Stapler
Like the Metabo HPT cordless framing nailer, the Milwaukee M18 Fuel 18-gauge 1/4-inch narrow crown cordless stapler has zero firing delay when you pull the trigger. Even in bump-fire mode, we saw around 4-5 staples per second. It fired as fast as we could move the tool to the next location. The tool simply has no noticeable lag.
This tool should work really well for multiple applications. We could see it handling aluminum soffit fascia or installing metal corner bead. It also seems adept at tackling traditional finish applications like underlayment and cabinet backing.
Milwaukee gave this stapler enough power to sink 1/4-inch narrow crown staples up to 1-1/2-inches into harder materials. They also ensured enough adjustability so that you don’t just drive through thinner materials like underlayment.
We tried it out on various materials, including underlayment and aluminum soffit. It maintained a very consistent stapling depth once we dialed in the tool-free depth adjustment. Milwaukee made the controls easy to use and we liked the new power and mode-select buttons.
Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18ga 1/4-inch Narrow Crown Stapler Features
The tool will fire over 2,000 staples per charge on a single 2 Ah M18 battery. That should allow you to get a ton of work done and work almost indefinitely if you can swap out two packs.
It also looks super slim and feels much lighter than the Ryobi 18ga narrow crown stapler we reviewed some time ago.
The new battery-powered stapler retails for $279 as a bare tool. You can also pick it up for $399 as a kit with an M18 CP 2.0 battery and charger. Pricing matches that of the Gen-2 Milwaukee 18 gauge finish nailer.
Milwaukee 2749-21CT Narrow Crown Stapler Specs
- Model: 2749-21CT (kit), 2749-20 (bare)
- Type of Staples: 18ga 1/4 in. narrow crown
- Staple Length: 5/8 to 1-1/2 in.
- Staples per Charge: 2,000 (CP 2.0 battery)
- Fastener Collation: Glue StripTool
- Warranty: 5-year limited
- Price: $279 (bare tool); $399 (kit)
