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HF Rivet Gun Catastrophic Failure

luvmyglockfou

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
127
Location
Prescott, AZ
The gun I bought was the 3/16 rivet gun. This rivet gun FAILED 175 rivets in. The back cap (you know, the part that is pointed directly at your face most of the time) failed. The cheap aluminum (is it even aluminum?!) threads failed under the spring and air pressure, and the cap came FLYING off towards my face at 90PSI. Luckily the cap missed my face, but I could've been badly injured. I don't know if I dare to get a replacement. Seriously, HF, this is absolutely outrageous. Next time you put a part under that much pressure, at least make the part STEEL. Now I've got to drive 1.5 hours just to get my money back. Severely disappointed.

That's my review. To make matters worse, HF apparently censors the word "HOSPITAL" from their reviews....
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senor fozz

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Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
543
This belongs in the harbor freight pass/fail thread.

Glad you were not hurt.

Is the reason for the pass/fail thread to hide all of the HF failure into one condensed thread to appease the HF fanboys so people don't see how often they fail.







I totally advocate its usage and I like the HF when it comes to disposable tools and some of there consumables. Just wanted to throw the idea out there.
 

cburnscrx

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Jan 15, 2013
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1,751
Location
Indianapolis
And this is EXACTLY why we have the pass/fail thread. Thank you for sharing and letting everybody know. I actually considered one of these...
 
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airdale

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Joined
Jun 27, 2009
Messages
349
Location
Oregon
Glad to hear that you didn't become a statistic. I'm big on safety glasses, have had too many flying objects head my way (usually just when she is really mad).
 

cheechi

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Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
4,384
Location
Triad, NC
Is the reason for the pass/fail thread to hide all of the HF failure into one condensed thread to appease the HF fanboys so people don't see how often they fail.
Its purpose is exactly the opposite. Any 'HF fanboy' here would not only want to know that, but in this case need to know that information. That's primarily where to find it. I think you should read through a few posts there before throwing stones. I assume you're trying to be funny and/or think you have a good point dumping on the thread we already had for this, but you really just look uninformed.

Everyone here, fanboy or hater, knows that the HF thread is needed. By the same token you see a few threads pop up about a truck tool failure or some other stores (Northern, Sears, Duralast) but I mean really compare all that to the participation both positive and negative in that HF thread.

You aren't dumping on HF when you say something dumb like that you're just putting down others on GJ who have bothered to share what they can.

Glock, glad you aren't hurt. I was looking at that gun myself for a while, if you get a replacement can you 'review' it to see if they're bad out of the box or if your current one may have been bad/worn?
 

Danglerb

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Messages
9,736
Location
SoCal
A little google shows the usual HF pattern, some are junk with issues out of the box, others use them in a work environment for years, plus the middle group that have failures that sound like user error.

Plenty of users of a tool like this one will NEVER put in 175 rivets. According to the boat and trailer guys this tool is worth using even if you need to do as few as half a dozen rivets, but make sure its full of hydraulic oil and well oiled in general.
 
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luvmyglockfou

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
127
Location
Prescott, AZ
Its purpose is exactly the opposite. Any 'HF fanboy' here would not only want to know that, but in this case need to know that information. That's primarily where to find it. I think you should read through a few posts there before throwing stones. I assume you're trying to be funny and/or think you have a good point dumping on the thread we already had for this, but you really just look uninformed.

Everyone here, fanboy or hater, knows that the HF thread is needed. By the same token you see a few threads pop up about a truck tool failure or some other stores (Northern, Sears, Duralast) but I mean really compare all that to the participation both positive and negative in that HF thread.

You aren't dumping on HF when you say something dumb like that you're just putting down others on GJ who have bothered to share what they can.

Glock, glad you aren't hurt. I was looking at that gun myself for a while, if you get a replacement can you 'review' it to see if they're bad out of the box or if your current one may have been bad/worn?

I am still undecided as to whether I will try a replacement or not. To be honest, the materials that the back cap are made of are simply insufficient for the load placed on them. I have acquired a hand rivet gun in the meantime, and may just stick with that. It's a pain in the ****, but I don't anticipate it blowing up in my face any time soon. :thumbup:
 
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luvmyglockfou

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
127
Location
Prescott, AZ
A little google shows the usual HF pattern, some are junk with issues out of the box, others use them in a work environment for years, plus the middle group that have failures that sound like user error.

Plenty of users of a tool like this one will NEVER put in 175 rivets. According to the boat and trailer guys this tool is worth using even if you need to do as few as half a dozen rivets, but make sure its full of hydraulic oil and well oiled in general.

It was those users that spurred me to the purchase. I read the reviews and did the homework. I put aircraft hydraulic oil in it in the proper quantity, and went over the whole gun with a fine tooth comb before beginning. To be honest, it worked like a champ until it failed. I just spoke with HF and they are going to be sending me another one.
 

Backhoe Bill

Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Messages
15
I had the same thing happen to me, at about the same amount of 3/16 stainless rivets.


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