Yeah, I have a couple and find them great for building switches and short lengths of connecting track between flextrack sections. I bought mine second hand but un-used by the original owners so I've never had any problems with them. The replacement parts are quite expensive so it's worth looking for an excellent condition spiker and paying a bit more if necessary. I'd estimate they speed up the spiking by about 500% over conventional hand spiked track. Given the great flextrack available these days and the ease of building turnouts with PC board ties I'd be less inclined to buy a spiker than to spend the money on track building materials, I consider a spiker to be a luxury and not a necessity. ....DaveB 

I have had very good results using the spiker with Homasote (actually Homabed) for handlaid rail on wood ties and flextrack. You must set the spring pressure correctly for your rail height and the cutter must be maintained sharp, either by replacement or sharpening. Cleaning then lubricating moving parts with a light mineral oil prior to use also helps. Please ensure you review BBB of Northeast California complaints prior to ordering Homabed from California Roadbed.

  A friend bought one in the late 60's and had nothing but trouble spiking code 100 to Campbell ties laid on cork.  I borrowed one with the code 70 head and was able to spike code 70 rail laid on Campbell ties on Tru-Scale plain wood roadbed and Homasote.  One still has to hand spike around rail joiners and turnouts.  I did about 15 turnouts and maybe 50-60 ft of track.  The entire process was rather time consuming, but the small layout ran fine.  I experimented with my friend's code 100 spiker on some scrap Tru-Scale roadbed, and ran into the same problems that he did - No amount of 'adjustment' could resolved the pressure issues.

  Quite honestly, I feel that one can hand spike faster overall than using the Kadee Spiker tool.

Jim

I have used several Kadee Spikers (wore a couple of them out)!  There is no secret or magic way to make it work for you,  It is almost all in the adjustment and you need a spike setter tool that you must make.  If you examine a Kadee spike staple used in the Spiker you will notice that there is beveled cut at the top of the staple.  When using this tool it must BREAK the staple into two parts which become the spikes to hold the rail.  If you adjust the Spiker so that it firmly holds the rail it will bend the rail!  If you get that on the first spike, back off a quarter turn.  Keep adjusting until you get a good break of the staple and no bending of the rail.  Use the spike setting tool to finish off the spikes with just a light tap or two, it won't take much.  Now here is another point to remember most clubs get into to trouble with the Spiker because everyone uses it differently.  The Spiker is held down with the pressure of your palm as you squeeze the trigger.  Everyone does it differently.  The secret if there is one, is DON'T share your tool!  It is adjusted for YOU, no one else!  Also going from cork, to homasote, to plywood, to . . . all require adjusting the tool.  It is a great tool and when you get the hang of it you can go very fast.  I like to make little tick marks about every six inches or so and put in a staple.  Then set them, then go back and fill in.  All of the above information works on each of the adapters, the setting is important but so is making the special spike head setting tool.  Please pardon by poor illustration but I think you will get the idea.  Russ