Are all rivet guns the same?

[Flatsbroke]

I have been looking to get a rivet gun just for small projects around the house and garage. What's the difference in all the rivet guns on the market? Will they all do the work for a DIYer like myself or are there any brands I need to look at/stay away from? Thanks.

Edit: I understand using quality rivets but just want to check on the gun itself.

 

[mattyrattypoo]

My favorite rivet tool brand is Gesipa. Germany made and very ergonomic.

 

[WVBrady]

I am assuming that you are referring to pop rivets. I had always used cheap ones with sheet metal handles and eventually the part that grips the nail part of the rivet would lose its grip. I bought a more expensive one at Advance Auto that had a cast handle and the handle broke.

 

[devoncoolman]

Marson makes quality ones. I have a stanly swivel head ive had for years. Been a good tool and was cheap.

 

[machine_punk]

Are you talking about blind rivets (POP rivets) or solid rivets?

Are you talking about a hand rivet puller or a pneumatic rivet puller? (POP Rivets)

Marson is kinda considered the industry standard. To be honest, they are all pretty much exactly the same thing. Once you need to pull more than 12 rivets in a project, you are going to be hating life and wishing you had a pneumatic puller. For a FEW rivets, on OCCASIONAL projects, and hand rivet puller will be fine...and pretty much any of them will do the job, but Marson is relatively inexpensive and as good as you get, for a hand puller.

HF does sell some pneumatic rivet pullers, if you have air in your shop. I haven't tried them, but I seem to remember they rate fairly well on the forums. There is a $70ish-dollar pneumatic rivet puller on eBay which seems to get pretty good ratings. (but I have NOT used either one of them).

If you are talking solid rivets, then get over to my Solid Rivets 101 thread.

Kev

 

[jml93]

For pneumatic gun, I've got an old Chicago Pneumatic 3x I bought from the YardStore. As for pulling rivets, I've got some Chinese made Craftsman I picked up from Sears for $19. Both work great!

 

[zcbauer89]

Watch out for some of the cheaper ones. I have a cheap hand held rivet gun, and sometimes, once the rivet has snapped, the long piece gets stuck in the gun and doesn't eject. I'm sorry I really don't know technical terms. I don't work with rivets much.

 

[jptbay]

Malco makes a great riveter. http://www.amazon.com/Malco-2IN1-Hand-Riveter/dp/B000QAA5QS

Only one I've found that lasts when using tough stainless rivets.

 

[sanddrag]

I had a Mason swivel head unit. Made in Taiwan. Looked quality but was defective. Rivet pull stud got stuck inside and would not release, from the day it was new. Took it apart, spent two hours fiddling with it, put it back together, broke it, and proceeded to promptly throw it away. Good riddance.

 

[jml93]

Watch out for some of the cheaper ones. I have a cheap hand held rivet gun, and sometimes, once the rivet has snapped, the long piece gets stuck in the gun and doesn't eject. I'm sorry I really don't know technical terms. I don't work with rivets much.

Ran into the same issue. Most of the time the next rivet will push the old stem out it seems.

 

[rshadd]

Marson makes a great riveter.

 

[ScottsGT]

Marson makes a great riveter.

I've had this one for over 30 years. Now granted, it doesn't get the workout it did for the first 10 years of its life since the career change, but it's rock solid and performs flawlessly.

 

[egnorant]

Once I was far from home and had a small rivet project and bought one from the $3.00 bin at the local auto parts store. Got it home and put it with the others and forgot about it. Recently I pulled it out and noticed it was identical looking to one that I had been using for 25 years...but...it seemed to have a little more slop side to side in the handle, the pivot was a big aluminum rivet rather than a bolt, the spring seemed harder to pull yet had less spring back. 6 rivets later it stopped gripping the rivets and I had spent a fair bit of time fishing the rod out of the head. Grabbed my old one and 18 rivets was done in no time. I stole one of the tips off the new one that I had lost and promptly threw the rest in the trash.

Both had cast handles, but the old one had a part number and a worn off paper label so I cannot tell a brand.

 

[organ]

Get the Marson, cheap riveters ****.

 

[Dave455]

Have you considered the 'lazy tong' type! (Google it if you havn't seen them)!

Originally for aircraft work, I find them much better to use than the types shown, and quicker!

Mines a British made Eclipse, but there are many others!