Air Rivet Gun

[gus]

Any of you guys facing a big skin riveting job might be interested in a pop rivet gun on sale at Harbor Freight for $49.99 down from $99.99!

Item number 94669.

No, I have no connection to HF of any kind, I get about three catalogs a week from them and buy quite a few things.

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Gus,

That is a pretty good deal..  The only problem I have with Harbour Freight is most tools I buy usually last

just a few times before they start wearing out. They are great for guys that use them once in a while.

I guess that they are look alikes or something. I have a 20 year old Lobster air gun and if it broke half way through

my skinning job, "1000+ rivets" well that would be a bummer. I wonder if the jaws are on their gun are case hardened?

I buy some tools from them quite often but, usually things like air fittings, throw away brushes, wire wheels, etc..

I just never had luck with their mechanical tools.

Nick-

[gumpy]

That's a hell of a deal!!

That's the gun I use. It pulled well over 2000 rivets on my bus, and probably at least 1000 on 3 friend's buses. Original jaws still in it.

The plastic mandrel catcher on the back broke, and the swivel air connection broke, but it still works just fine.

Heck, I might have to buy another at that price.

[JohnEd]

Nick,

I had the same opinion of their tools and at one time I figured that if it lasted me thru the job I was ahead of what I would have paid a shop.  This has born out to be true and I have a LOAD of tools only from jobs left overs.  I have since changed my mind.....mostly.  There is still junk that disapoints but they take it back with a smile and refund me.  I am so well known that if I buy somthing that just went off sale or is about to go on sale they tell me and get the mgr to mark it down.  I only mentioned last week that the item I was buying for a frien is also the one I purchased a few weeks prior.  I mentioned it in passing and she had the mgr over in spite of my protest and I was refunded the difference.  My family doesn't treat me this well!  I bought a $17 drill a few years a go and gave it to my bud with the metal fab shop.  It held up for 6 months and surprised both of us so he went down and bought 2 more.  He replaced the bats after a year and a half of daily use but those same drills are still going strong.  Now my Makita that I bought in 1990 is still my favorite tool and has "all the power I will ever need".  I have two of the HF drills, also.

They have a lot of junk, also.  Did I mention that?

Nick, I hang on your every word on this board and I hope you hear the sincerity in my voice when I say that.  I have finally found something we disagree on and it so insignificant as HF tool quality in every case.  I bought a table saw with all cast iron table for $200.  It took two of us to carry the parts in the house.  I found a similar one for $1,400 but that one had an inferior fence mechanism to mine.  Nice, but not as good.  I like these guys and I always check over what I am getting. If they didn't have a store only a mile away I would have a lot more caution.

Good luck,

John

[mikelutestanski]

I bought the HF air riveter in fact it was supposed to pull 1/4 inch rivets per the book but it would not pull  monobolts so I had to purchase a Marsen gun to do the job.. The HF gun works fine up to 3/16  and others may have a different experience but we reskinned our bus  (72 MCI 7)   and used 1/4 monobolts to maintain the structural integrity.  Used a rivet equal or better  in strength to what was removed..    Anyway   FWIW   thats our experience  Good luck and happy bussin..  mike

[FloridaCliff]

Some tools I buy for a lifetime, others just for a job.

HF tools are ones I usually buy just for a specific job and with that expectation in mind, I have not been disappointed.

I have the air riveter, 2000 1/4 and 1000 3/16 structural rivits later it is still working like when I bought it.

The biggest problem they have is Quality Control.  I have returned several different items for failures and always received a new one.  Always buy it when you are going to use it. If it lasts the 90 days I am usually OK

Hey, there's a reason they can sell them for 2/3 less than the name brand, high quality ones.

But due to there QC and quality, everyones experiences will or can be different.

Cliff

[belfert]

That's the gun I use. It pulled well over 2000 rivets on my bus, and probably at least 1000 on 3 friend's buses. Original jaws still in it.

The plastic mandrel catcher on the back broke, and the swivel air connection broke, but it still works just fine.

Craig loaned me his rivet gun and the only reason the swivel air connection broke is because I dropped off a 6 foot scaffold.  I put a regular air connector on there and that works just as well.  I think Craig's gun has done a lot more than 1000 rivets on other buses since my bus had 1,000 rivets alone!

I may have to pick up one of these even though my riveting days are mostly done.  I was already planning to go to Harbor Freight today anyhow.

[JackConrad]

   When we started building our house years ago, I bought a new Skil circular saw (home owners quality with bronze bushings). Before we finished the house, I had purchased a second one and as we were finishing the house I needed another saw. This time I purchased a Milwaukee (contractor grade with bearings), I am still using that saw 10 years later.
   For me, it depends on how much you will use the tool, if I will be using the tool on a daily basis for quite a while, I look for contractors grade. . If I need a tool for a project that I know will rarely get used, I head to HF. Jack

[gus]

I got a new catalog today and the price is now $26.99!! Can this be a misprint?? It is worth checking out. Item 93458.

I wasn't going to get one because I have no big riveting jobs in sight but for this price I think I will get one anyway. My only real objection is the weight at 4.84lbs. Not too bad for vertical riveting but not so good for horizontal ones.

This thing is for pop rivets, monobolts are by far a different animal.

I also buy these HF tools knowing that they are not professional quality. But, since I use some of them only a couple of times a year, it is no problem.

I have never had a problem getting faulty tools replaced or money refunded and the customer service people are polite as can be. Can't say that for a lot of places.

[belfert]

I got a new catalog today and the price is now $26.99!! Can this be a misprint?? It is worth checking out. Item 93458.

This is the less expensive model that does not do 1/4".  The more expensive one is still $49.99.

[gus]

You're right, I finally realized that after I looked closer.

Wondered why the numbers were different?

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Nick,

I had the same opinion of their tools and at one time I figured that if it lasted me thru the job I was ahead of what I would have paid a shop.  This has born out to be true and I have a LOAD of tools only from jobs left overs.  I have since changed my mind.....mostly.  There is still junk that disapoints but they take it back with a smile and refund me.  I am so well known that if I buy somthing that just went off sale or is about to go on sale they tell me and get the mgr to mark it down.  I only mentioned last week that the item I was buying for a frien is also the one I purchased a few weeks prior.  I mentioned it in passing and she had the mgr over in spite of my protest and I was refunded the difference.  My family doesn't treat me this well!  I bought a $17 drill a few years a go and gave it to my bud with the metal fab shop.  It held up for 6 months and surprised both of us so he went down and bought 2 more.  He replaced the bats after a year and a half of daily use but those same drills are still going strong.  Now my Makita that I bought in 1990 is still my favorite tool and has "all the power I will ever need".  I have two of the HF drills, also.

They have a lot of junk, also.  Did I mention that?

Nick, I hang on your every word on this board and I hope you hear the sincerity in my voice when I say that.  I have finally found something we disagree on and it so insignificant as HF tool quality in every case.  I bought a table saw with all cast iron table for $200.  It took two of us to carry the parts in the house.  I found a similar one for $1,400 but that one had an inferior fence mechanism to mine.  Nice, but not as good.  I like these guys and I always check over what I am getting. If they didn't have a store only a mile away I would have a lot more caution.

Good luck,

John

Thats OK John....

I respect your insight on this.  And a good one at that!

Nick-

[muddog16]

I've purchased good tools and I've purchased not so good tools!  Some of the HF stuff isn't bad, and others well serve a temporary service! I built my home about 21 years ago, the circular saw that I bought then I still have and use (new blades and cord excluded (don't ask what happened to the cord)) it has been an awesome tool over the years! I've worn a DeWalt battery powerded drill almost out,  the gears are beginning to slip, my DeWalt grinder (bless its little heart) is the best, I wish I had a dollar for every minute that I've used it, I do have a Black & Decker Wildcat grinder, but I'm just to dang lazy to use it anymore!  The bottom line is HB has some stuff you can really save some money on, and other stuff that well..............I'll just keep that thought to myself!

[JackConrad]

    I purchased one of the $49.00 rivet guns.  I have set 3/16" stainless steel rivets with stainless steel mandrels. It set them with no problem.  I do not know how long the jaws would last if I tried to set several 1000 of them.
   I am finding that if you look at the fine print on the box, many of the "name brand" tools are now actually made in China. So whatever brand you by, it was probably made in China.  Jack