A rivet gun is a superb addition to any tool kit and can be extremely useful, particularly when working on vehicles. Deciding upon which rivet gun to buy can be slightly daunting as there is so much choice, in this review we break down the differences between them and decide which ones are best for you to purchase.

The Best Rivet Gun

1. Tacklife Professional Rivet Gun

The Tacklife Professional Rivet Gun takes our top spot in this review due to it’s excellent performance, versatility and importantly, it’s incredible value for money.

One of the biggest plus points of this rivet gun is it’s versatility. It comes with 5 different sizes nozzles to work with rivets, the sizes are; 2.4mm, 3.2mm, 4.0mm, 4.8mm and 6.4mm. This provides great versatility and flexibiity to carry out a range of tasks with the gun. A 5 in 1 nozzle head allows for quick and easy changing when required.

Tacklife have heavily considered the ergnomics of using the rivet gun and incorporated a two handle system into their design. This makes it extremely easy to work with and exert pressure via the soft touch handles.

Also incorporated into the design is an integreated bottle to catch the snapped rivet pieces once you’ve finished, this keeps things nice and tidy and saves scrabbling around picking them up off the floor etc.

Finally, a 24 month (2 year) manufacturer warranty is included for added peace of mind that you’re buying a quality item from a reputable company.

The key features of the Tacklife Professional Rivet Gun are;

• Includes 5 different nozzles for quick and easy changing
• Includes nozzle sizes 2.4mm, 3.2mm, 4.0mm, 4.8mm and 6.4mm
• Ergonomic soft touch handle design
• Integrated bottle to catch used rivets
• 2 year manufacturer warranty

2. Juemel Rivet Gun

The Juemel Rivet Gun is our second choice, closely beaten the Tacklife Professional Rivet Gun to the top spot. Constructed from hardened alloy steel, the Juemel rivet gun offers superb performance and durability. It’s also constructed to be anti corrosive ensuring longevity.

Featuring 4 different sized removable rivets heads, this manual rivet tool is contains replaceable heads in 2.4mm, 3.2mm, 4mm, and 4.8mm sizes. The rivet heads can be easily removed which ensures maximum flexibility and versaility.

An ergonomic comfort grip handle design ensures that it’s easy to use and also features a non-slip design to ensure the highest level of precision.

Included in the package is 80 rivets which are provided seperate bags (20 Pieces for each sizes) ensuring that you can tackle jobs immediately without the need for additional materials.

Finally, an impressive 24 month manufacturer warranty is included for peace of mind.

The key features of the Juemel Rivet Gun are;

• Includes 4 removable heads
• 80 rivets included
• Multi-purpose use
• Ergonomic grip and non-slip
• Constructed from hardened alloy
• 24 month warranty

3. Milwaukee M12BPRT-0 Pop Rivet Tool

The Milwaukee M12BPRT-0 Pop Rivet Tool is an extremely powerful rivet gun from a top class brand that produce nothing but excellent products. Widely regarded as one of the best tool manufacturers in the world, Milwaukee certainly know their stuff.

At just 165mm in length, this rivet gun is extremely compact allowing for it to be used in the most tight of spaces. It’s lightweight too, weighing mere 1.94kg which results in it being remarkably easy to use and handle.

This rivet gun can pull up to 250 3/16″ stainless steel rivets or 450 1/8″ steel rivets on one charge with a 1.5ah battery, and reduces muscle effort from a hand tool 60% making it extremely powerful and also economical.

A retention nose piece ensures that the rivet is gripped tight at all times and it also features on board storage for various tools.

An on board fuel gauge and LED light really finish off this excellent model, it really is an incredible piece of kit. It makes light work of the most difficult tasks and will keep going for hours on end.

The key features of the Milwaukee M12BPRT-0 Pop Rivet Tool are;

• 12v
• 165mm length
• 1.94kg
• LED Light and fuel gauge
• On board storage
• Max capacity Aluminium 3/16″ (4.8 mm)
• Max Capacity Stainless Steel 3/16″ (4.8 mm)
• Mandrel Collecting System

What is A Rivet Gun Used For?

A rivet gun is used to join two pieces together when there’s limited or no access to the rear of one the pieces. Under normal circumstances, you’d possibly used a nut and bolt system to screw the two items together. This isn’t possible if you’ve got limited or no access to the rear of the panel. This is where a rivet gun comes in to it’s own as you only need access to the front of the item you’re affixing.

The rivet is made from solid metal and has a head on one end of the rivet, the other end is just a straight piece of metal which is often referred to as a rivet’s tail.

How Do I Use A Rivet Gun?

To install a rivet, a pre drilled hole is required for the rivet to slip into. The hole must be ever so slightly bigger than the rivet, it won’t work if the hall is too small. Once the rivet is in position, the rivet gun will then crush the top of the rivet with so much force that it increases in size and becomes wedged in position creating a solild grip.

Considerations When Buying a Rivet Gun

Rivet guns are extremely simple and ease to use but there are lots of differing options available, make sure to bare in mind the following important considerations;

Frequency of use – As with any product, it’s important to think about how often you’re going to be using it. If you’re going to be using the rivet gun on a regular basis, it may be worth investing a bit more in a more powerful gun such as a pneumatic gun. Likewise, if you’re only going to be using the gun every now and then, a standard manual rivet gun should be more than sufficient for your needs.

Location – It may sound like a strange consideration but the location of where you’ll be using the rivet gun can be key. For example, if you’re going to be using the rivet gun frequently, you’ll likely be purchasing a mains powered pneumatic gun, however this requires access to mains electricity. If you’re out in the open with no access to electric then a mains powered rivet gun isn’t going to suitable for you. In this instance, a traditional hand operated rivet gun may be more applicable to you.

Cost – As with any purchase, cost is an important consideration. Your budget may depend on how extensively you’re planning on using the rivet gun. If you’re planning on using it on a regular basis, it may be worth investing a little bit more cash to purchase a more substantial and reliable gun. If you’re only going to using the rivet gun on rare occasions, a budget option should be more than adequate.

What Are The Benefits of Using A Rivet Gun?

Strength – A riveted joint will typically produce an extremely strong joint which is able to withstand a lot of pressure and force being exerted against it. Rivets have been used in vehicle manufacturing processes for hundreds of years and have proven to be extremely reliable.

Ease of Use – A rivet gun is extremely easy to use and only requires a handful of tools to get the job done. Where a traditional nut and bolt fixing requires multiple spanners and socket sets, a rivet gun simply doesn’t require that level of hardware. This makes them extremely easy and convenient to use.

Easy Disassembly – If you ever need to remove a riveted joint, it’s extremely easy to do so and leaves you with a completely useable area once more. By comparison, a welded joint is almost unusable once it’s been put together.

How Do I Use A Rivet Gun?

Using a rivet gun is extremely simple and straight forward, follow these easy steps to achieve great results everytime;

• Begin drilling a hole in your work area that’s marginally bigger than the size of the rivet that you’re going to use (This is important, a hole that’s too small will cause the rivet to fail when attempting to install it)
• Now that you’ve made your hole, pass a rivet through the hole with the head of the rivet at the top side of your work area
• Use the rivet gun to complete the join squeezing the handles until an audible noise is heard
• That’s it, your joint is complete. Repeat the steps above for any further required joints

Rivet Gun FAQ’s

Q. Can a rivet be removed if it’s installed incorrectly?

A. Yes, a rivet can be removed if it’s installed incorrectly. There are a number of different ways and techniques that can be used to remove the rivet. Firstly, you can carefully grind away the rivet with the use of a grinder. Caution needs to be taken with this as you may potentially inadvertently damage the surrounding metal / surface. If that doesn’t work or isn’t an option, you can use something like a chisel to shatter the head of the rivet. Once the head has been shattered, you can then use something to push the remainder of the rivet through the hole and out of the other side.

Q. Should I wear PPE when using a rivet gun?

A. Yes, you should always wear the correct PPE when working with a rivet gun. Pneumatic rivet guns can exert an extreme amount of force and could cause severe injury if something goes wrong. Protective eye wear is a must and gloves are strongly advised. Also, always ensure that the rivet gun is pointing away from you. That may sound like extremely basic advice but following those simple steps will keep you safe at all times.

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