Good Rivnut tool?

[FishingMan]

Im looking for a well made hand operated rivnut tool. One that will do atleast 3/8".

 

[rtz]

Astro makes one. I've installed 50+ of the 1/2" size:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNANEE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They have some other kit mixes for a few dollars less if you don't need the 1/2" mandrel.

 

[mautotech]

I use a Sherex ratcheting rivnut tool. It works awesome. It is compact and ratching, so it gets into places non-ratcheting tools won't.

https://fasteners.sherex.com/viewit...-installation-tooling-hand-tools-m5-hand-tool

 

[Buckgnarly]

Astro makes one. I've installed 50+ of the 1/2" size:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBNANEE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

They have some other kit mixes for a few dollars less if you don't need the 1/2" mandrel.

X2 and support is outstanding!

 

[jeepinerdeep]

The Astro one is great, and it's pretty inexpensive.

 

[ItsNemo]

Or just do it with nuts/bolts/washers...

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Our most popular rivnut tool, the 1442, can do 3/8". It's a popular add-on

If you pick one up, let me know. I'll send you the 3/8" mandrel and nosepiece.

 

[oldmachinenut]

I have and have the Astro 1442 and have used it to install hundreds of rivnuts of various size. It is an excellent tool, well made/designed and very reasonably priced. The Astro rivet gun, the one with the bottle to catch the rivet pins when the pop is also a very good reasonably priced tool.

 

[finn]

Another vote for the Astro. Inexpensive and functional.

You can probably spend hundreds more, but the Astro works.

 

[rpcraft]

Yeah the Astro unit is on my list of tools to buy when I need to do some rivnuts again.

 

[vssjim]

I have the Astro units and would buy again and recommend and just like above Chris and Astro make customer service as number one

 

[cm cm]

Or just do it with nuts/bolts/washers...

**** post of the week right there. Why even bother.

 

[driftpin]

I got an Astro after seeing it on-here, I forget if it was a WOOT deal, Slickdeal, or what? Anyway, I'm satisfied with the tool. It always makes me feel good to use it for something that I may need to disassemble one day.

 

[rpcraft]

Or just do it with nuts/bolts/washers...

That works great if you have to do one or two. It's kind of not so great if you have to do more than a couple.

 

[zmotorsports]

I can't speak about the Astro one but I have the Marson 325-RN Heavy Duty Rivet Nut Setter and it is bad ***. I also have the smaller Marson one which is a nice unit for smaller threadserts/nutserts. That HD Marson setter will do up to 3/8" that you are asking easily and repetitively.

I also picked up an inexpensive import one that has foldable handles and came in a blow molded case but I can't remember the name of it for the life of me right now. Picked it up from my local Bolt & Nut Supply house several years ago. It works very well also.

I use threaded nut inserts quite a lot.

 

[Stooge]

I can't speak about the Astro one but I have the Marson 325-RN Heavy Duty Rivet Nut Setter and it is bad ***. I also have the smaller Marson one which is a nice unit for smaller threadserts/nutserts.....

I have the Marson 39315 that does up to 1/4" I think, though im not sure if there are mandrels for anything bigger that would still work with the tool. Works great, easy to use and utilizes steel ribbed rivnuts to give a little more bite to keep from spinning.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have the Marson 39315 that does up to 1/4" I think, though im not sure if there are mandrels for anything bigger that would still work with the tool. Works great, easy to use and utilizes steel ribbed rivnuts to give a little more bite to keep from spinning.

The steel with ribbed barrels for gripping are the only rivnuts that I use. Yes a little more to compress but they grip better and don't strip out like the aluminum ones.

I believe the one you listed is the same smaller one that I have. I have the mandrels from 6-32 up to 1/4"-28 for the small Marson gun and then from 1/4"-20 & 28 up to 3/8"-16 & 24 plus a few metric mandrels as well for the Marson Heavy Duty tool. Both are great tools and well made.

 

[ItsNemo]

**** post of the week right there. Why even bother.

I'm nearly as fast setting rivnuts with a nut/bolt/washer as you can do with the tool...and it's way cheaper? And you can do literally any size this way? Why is that a **** post? Or are you just not aware of the alternative method?

 

[Dutch01]

Mine for 6 and 8mm rivnuts. Works like a charm

 

[sz0k30]

I'm nearly as fast setting rivnuts with a nut/bolt/washer as you can do with the tool...and it's way cheaper? And you can do literally any size this way? Why is that a **** post? Or are you just not aware of the alternative method?

OK Nemo or Dutch, you guys have to explain it to me in detail, please. I must be dense. I tried with a 1/4-20 and 1 of 2 things happen. Either everything just locks together or the rivnut just spins? And I'm going to need to set 3/8 rivnuts where room to use the rivnut tool would be very limited, awkward & not enough leverage.

 

[sz0k30]

Watched a couple of utube videos and I was doing it the same way. The problem is the rivnut just spins. For a 1/4-20 the drill size is 25/64 which I have & I used. Tried a 3/8 drill and could not get the rivnut in even with a hammer.

 

[rtz]

Just ordered the 1/4" mandrel and nose piece for my kit from Astro. Extremely reasonably priced. I was shocked.

They have a lot of cool tools available. Stock up your tool boxes.

 

[alien]

I USE THESE FROM MCMASTER CARR

 

[Dutch01]

sz0k30, I will try to explain as best as I can.

1. For 6mm (close to your 1/4-20) I us a 9mm drill bit. The rivnuts are not mild steel, it is some hardened metal. The 3/8 is slightly smaller than the 25/64 and therefor the interference / hard to fit. Use the correct drill bit.
2. I screw the nut up to the head of the high tensile bolt.
3. Fit washer onto bolt.
4. Push bolt with nut and washer through the tool handle. Mine is just a 3mmx30mm flat bar with a 6.5mm hole drilled (for the 6mm rivnut) for clearance to the bolt and bent 30 degrees.
5. Screw the rivnut onto the bolt. The tool handle must be between the washer and the rivnut.
6. Insert rivnut into hole, secure head of the bolt with 1 spanner, hold that spanner in position against the tool handle.
7. With the other spanner, turn the nut clockwise. The bolt must not turn at all. This action will pull the rivnut like a rivet and lock it into position.
8. With rivnut sufficiently seated. simply unscrew the bolt. Job done.

If anything is still unclear, please ask.

An improvement I would do is to weld a nut on it's side to the head of the bolt head and put a shaft through that nut in order to eliminate the use of 1 spanner.

 

[FishingMan]

I ordered the Astro 1452 xL. Thanks for all the recommendations.

 

[AllThingsOld]

I used this one and it worked well for me
https://www.hansonrivet.com/detail_wrench-type/

 

[darkzero]

I've got these 2. The Astro works well for the price & can pull the threads right out of smaller rivnuts if you apply too much force. But the thing is big & can't fit into tighter areas which is why I got the smaller one too. I choose this one cause the mandrels for the Astro fits my little one too & the little one came with smaller sizes that the Astro did not come with.

 

[tarbellb]

Really like my hydraulic powered FSI D100 hand riveter. Plenty of power, small package.

Pricey, but very well built.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FSI-D-100-...788180?hash=item365cf4e894:g:7aMAAOSwReJdfPvT

 

[Sine Swept]

I've got a smaller rivet tool which has been a great go to (bought from Bolts Plus) and the above Astro set up to 8mm. My advice is to grease these tools for added usability. When I examined the action of the Astro, you can see that the amount of movement in the tool is only a few mm's, this is all the action required to seat the riv nut. My first experiences where all using aluminum, but I have since smartened up to the steel riv nuts. I use them to correct the splash guards on our vehicles as I hate pop clips. I just grease up the bolts and washers when I install them.

 

[flyt100]

I've got these 2. The Astro works well for the price & can pull the threads right out of smaller rivnuts if you apply too much force. But the thing is big & can't fit into tighter areas which is why I got the smaller one too. I choose this one cause the mandrels for the Astro fits my little one too & the little one came with smaller sizes that the Astro did not come with.

What is the model of the smaller tool?

 

[Noworries]

I'm nearly as fast setting rivnuts with a nut/bolt/washer as you can do with the tool...and it's way cheaper? And you can do literally any size this way? Why is that a **** post? Or are you just not aware of the alternative method?

Been using that bolt and washer set up for over 20 years.. 6-32 to 3/8-16 with no issues

 

[darkzero]

What is the model of the smaller tool?

I'm not sure what the model number is, I'll have to go look at it. It says Lizard Tools on it. I was worried cause it was a name I've never heard before but it works well. Got it on ebay. There were a number of them that look like this. I only got this one cause it came with a case. IIRC I paid $50 for it shipped from Australia.

 

[danski0224]

Really like my hydraulic powered FSI D100 hand riveter. Plenty of power, small package.

Pricey, but very well built.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FSI-D-100-...788180?hash=item365cf4e894:g:7aMAAOSwReJdfPvT

That looks pretty slick.

 

[Benito]

What is the model of the smaller tool?

I have one, AP 1443B

 

[KyleQ]

Been using that bolt and washer set up for over 20 years.. 6-32 to 3/8-16 with no issues

That's neato! I've got the Astro tool and recently ran into an issue where it nearly didn't fit, this would have been easier.

 

[flyt100]

I have one, AP 1443B

Thanks!

 

[bulletpruf]

Timely thread. I just ordered an Astro 1442.

Thanks