I'm kind of surprised to see so many negative reviews or this stapler. I bought one (locally) and have had it for two years now and use it very often and it's very rugged and reliable. Yes, it is heavy, but that heft helps make it stronger, I believe. Also, yes, it takes some force to drive a staple, but it's not something a child or the average grandmother should be using--their are lighter-duty staplers for people that don't want a heavy-duty stapler (Arrow actually makes a nice lightweight version).