Recently bought a rivet gun but it seems under powered.

[Coyote-M]

After reading through a lot of discussions on this forum I recently purchased a used CP447-RUTAB 7x rivet gun. Being a high end gun, and one size bigger than "Big Nasty" I was expecting a mean tool. I bought it to drive out pins and bushings and bolts on heavy trailers and while it's very nice, controllable and hard hitting it's not much more powerful than the MAC MH1911 long barrel I already have. Is my gun worn out or was I just oversold on the hype? This is definitely not all that nasty compared to a good long barrel 401. I'm thinking about returning it and looking for a 9X model.

Also I'm running this tool on a 50 CFM compressor with 130 psi at the regulator (somewhat less at the tool) 1/2" couplers and a 3/8" whip threaded directly into the gun. So I'm pretty sure it's not my air.

 

[GCS]

A rivet gun is not an air hammer.

Two different applications/tools.

Buy yourself an air hammer

 

[Coyote-M]

A rivet gun is not an air hammer.

Two different applications/tools.

Buy yourself an air hammer

Air hammers are not good riveters but riveters are good air hammers. The most popular big bore air hammer on the market, the Astro 4980 and the CP717 it's based on are just clones of the CP 4447 riveter sans teasing trigger and adjustable trigger stop. There are no functional differences past that.

 

[tyyost]

How are you judging the power? Banging on stuff around the shop? Driving out pins or doing actual jobs?

I don’t have a “quality” .401 hammer, but it is a long barrel model, I bought a Big Nasty last year for a hub job that worried me. The Astro is night and day for me but;
1. I don’t have anywhere close to the air scfm you have
2. My current .401 hammer isn’t in the top of the class or close

I think you are seeing some gains, but measuring the difference given your comparison is tougher. Did you often run into pins and bushings your .401 couldn’t do and you had to break out heat or other tools?

 

[Coyote-M]

How are you judging the power? Banging on stuff around the shop? Driving out pins or doing actual jobs?

I spent a day doing suspension work with the RUTAB intentionally trying things I knew my MAC wouldn't do and also just did some generalized beating on things.

22mm wheel studs: My MAC won't budge these but the RUTAB will drive them out.

Torque arm bushings: These usually need heat and a 6lb sledge or to be cut in half from the inside with a air hammer cutting bit. The RUTAB could get some out but not others. It could always move them but not always finish the job.

Then I did some other things like drive out broken bolts and hammer on brake drums that were stuck to the hub.

Overall it was consistently more capable than my MAC long barrel but the margin was slim. The way people talk about Big Nasty and it's big brother 498K I was expecting something dramatic.

 

[WWheeler]

Perhaps your used RUTAB doesn't have all the beans it originally came with. Before you draw such a final conclusion might want to get your hands on a new one or a new Astro Thor 0.498 either by borrowing it if you can or buying it off Amazon where you can return it if it disappoints, BUT if the new one does have more beans then you could sell the one you already have for whatever you paid for it.

I have a Big Nasty and can't imagine it disappointing anyone. I KNOW I don't even want the new Thor 0.498 because I don't ever want to have to buy that many new .498 shank bits that keep getting smashed up beyond useable. Big Nasty is plenty destructive enough. I will say that 130PSI at the compressor is about the start of the sweet spot for it. I crank her up just a bit more than that. Pretty sure Eric O. has mentioned more than a few times his compressor stays about 150psi. Yes, that's above what Astro says the tool is rated for, but well, you know.

 

[tyyost]

Thanks for clarifying, my guess is your air supply makes the most of your Mac hammer so the difference is smaller than most of us have. It would be interesting to see how an Astro would be compared to what you bought.

I live in the rust belt, not sure where you are located but it seems to make a difference in perception of air hammer effectiveness as well. I considered a Snap On 3050 and went with the Big Nasty, figured I would buy once.

 

[Coyote-M]

BUT if the new one does have more beans then you could sell the one you already have for whatever you paid for it.

I've actually already sent the RUTAB back so I'm only out shipping costs. Just yesterday I found a NOS 4447- RUVAB. This is the 6" stroke model so it's beans or be damned. It appears to be from the 70s but it's still new in the packaging. It might need some o-rings but it shouldn't have a worn out cylinder.

I don't have anyone to borrow the Astro from but I might borrow one from Amazon like you suggested for comparison. Astro claims the 498K has internal optimization to make it stronger than longer barreled rivet guns. I'm pretty skeptical of that since their gun has the same bore, stroke, BPM and weight as comparable rivet guns and is coming out of the same Taiwanese factory that makes rivet guns for half a dozen aviation oriented house brands. But I've been wrong before.