Any recommendations for a 1/4" rivet gun ?

[BillK]

Looking for a pop rivet gun that will reliably do 1/4" rivets. I need to do both of the window motors in my Tahoe and would prefer to rivet them back in like the oem rather than use bolts but looking at all of the 1/4" capable rivet guns it seems like the worse reviews are when people try to use them with 1/4" rivets.

Air operated is out due to compressor availability.

So has anybody here actually had experience with a decent tool for the larger size rivets ?

 

[ToolFanGeoff]

Check out Marson Big Daddy
I use mine for 1/4" steel rivets and Mono-bolts
Geoff

 

[BillK]

Check out Marson Big Daddy
I use mine for 1/4" steel rivets and Mono-bolts
Geoff

Not sure how I missed that one ? A little pricy but it looks like it will do the job. $175 on Amazon. I guess I will order it

 

[The Cobbler]

look at blind rivet cordless drill drivers https://www.astrotools.com/product/blind-rivet-drill-adapter-kit/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNKT4I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[superspec]

Buy a marson and never buy again!

 

[joel_400]

Astro 1426 is the one I've had for years. Amazon has them for less than 40 bucks. Always worked great for me! Had some coworkers that bought the Harbor frieght one and they usually end up in the scrap hopper at work...I'd say at least one a year! I also picked up an air powered Matco from a flea market for the same price...mostly use it and loan out the manual one!
Joel

 

[BillK]

Astro 1426 is the one I've had for years. Amazon has them for less than 40 bucks.

That is one of the ones I looked at but it had some bad
reviews that suggested it was not up to the task on 1/4"
rivets which is what I need it for. Once I take a door panel
apart I will be pretty po'd if the rivet tool breaks after 1
or 2 rivets.

Have you used yours with a lot of 1/4" rivets ?

And I hate to say it but I just cant see how it could be
very good at that price point.

 

[dnschmidt]

The 1426 will work but the better idea is the Astro ADR14 which is used with a powerful cordless drill. I have an M18 Milwaukee that works well. My M12 isn't up to the task. Why grunt when you can let the battery do it?

XL Blind Rivet Adapter Kit - 1/4" Capacity | Astro Pneumatic Tools

Easily convert your cordless, pneumatic or corded drill into a power pop riveter Includes nose pieces for 3/32", 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", 7/3 ...

www.astrotools.com

 

[toolenthusiast]

Not sure how I missed that one ? A little pricy but it looks like it will do the job. $175 on Amazon. I guess I will order it

Astro’s offering will set 1/4” blind rivets easily, it’s smaller so you can get in a lot more places, and it’s a helluva lot cheaper.

 

[BillK]

Ok guys, I have decided to try the Doyle on at Horrible Freight. All of the recent reviews have been great and most with 1/4" rivets. I drive right by the store on my way home so its worth a try. I will post a review when i get to use it. Either this weekend or next.

13 In. Heavy Duty Professional Hand Riveter

Amazing deals on this 13In Professional Hand Riveter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[driftpin]

 

[tarbellb]

One of those tools that is easy to replicate but has a few tight tolerance items to be concerned with.
Half dozen pops you will likely be fine.

However in riveting its usually done in batches of 10's, 100's, or 1000's... revealing the weak points of a tool.


btw the days of Marson being a one and done option are over, its (all?) mostly been offshored. You get what you get now.

 

[Old Man Roger]

I got the 20 dollar 17 inch Pittsburgh branded one and it's worked great.

17-1/2 in. Hand Riveter with Collection Bottle

Amazing deals on this 17-1/2In Hand Riveter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[joel_400]

All I've used mine for is quarter inch rivets. I've never even tried smaller rivets with this tool due to having a smaller tool for them. Haven't had any issues with window regulator rivets in close to 15 years with it!
Joel

 

[WhataTool]

Ok guys, I have decided to try the Doyle on at Horrible Freight. All of the recent reviews have been great and most with 1/4" rivets. I drive right by the store on my way home so its worth a try. I will post a review when i get to use it. Either this weekend or next.

13 In. Heavy Duty Professional Hand Riveter

Amazing deals on this 13In Professional Hand Riveter at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

The tool HF even says it's trying to imitate is currently $2 more

 

[bluedog225]

My Astro works but doesn’t get a good grab on the pin. I’ve taken it apart and it looks fine. It eventually works. Pulled a few dozen 1/4. Maybe I need to sand or scuff the pin.

 

[danski0224]

FSI hydraulic rivet gun kit.

 

[dnschmidt]

Wrong part number and wrong tool. This is a rivet nut setter. The riveter is 1423.

 

[Innovate1]

I have the Pittsburg one from HF and it's horrible on 3/16 rivets (likely the biggest I will be doing). The jaws don't release well and are easily jammed. I took it apart and most of the jaw parts aren't hardened with some minor roughness and looks like a bit of galling. I could try to polish up the parts but with them not being hardened it won't last. Will look at some of the others suggested. My 40 year old Craftsman works fine but it isn't a compound lever style so hard to get the leverage needed on the bigger rivets.

 

[BillK]

Forgot to do an update. I got the Doyle and it worked just fine on the 1/4" rivets. Took quite a bit of arm strength but otherwise got the job done. Rivets release just fine too.

 

[cannuck]

Mine is packed away in storage while my shop was emptied for spraying roof foam, so I can't remember the brand name. It is a nut setting and rivet tool bought from my fastener supplier. It has folding handles making it about 20" long to pull 3/8 riv nuts. Any tool that can set something that size is with no surprise not even sweating to pull a 1/4" blind rivet. IIRC by the time I got the full set of metric and US rivnut mandrels the total bill was several hundred bux.

 

[Innovate1]

The Astro ADR14 looks interesting but watching of video it requires the drill to reverse and run for a bit to release the mandrel. Seems like a slow operation. Looking at buying the 1423 or 1426. Only a couple bucks difference in price. Is the linkage similar? My wife will be using this on 3/16 aluminum rivets and the smaller one takes up less room. But one concern is the amount of strength needed. If the smaller one is easy enough to use I am leaning toward that one.