Different Size Rivets, Use the Same Gun?

[uncledan]

I’m in need of some schooling.
Do Pop and Olympic rivets use the same type of rivet gun or are they two totally different animals?

[Aage]

Yes.


That is, same gun.

[InsideOut]

Nope same thing. You may have to change tips for the bigger shank on the Olympics, but it's the same gun. If you're going to be doing more than a handful, you'll want to use an air gun rather than a manual one.

Shari

[uncledan]

I went by Harbor Freight and noticed they had two air rivet gun choices. They both looked basically the same to my uneducated eye. One was around $30 and the other was about $75. My first instinct was to opt for the more expensive one, assuming it was better but I haven’t bought either yet.

[markdoane]

Go with the $30 blue one. With a little routine maintenance it will do a fine job.

[Aage]

If you are going to do a lot of them, but the better air gun. If you aren't instead of the cheap air gun, get a good manual one for the same price (approx.).

To, "a lot" of them would be the entire trailer or more.

[InsideOut]

We got the $30 one from HF and it works great. You do have to put oil in it every once & awhile...but we have done both our trailers & many smaller repair jobs on friend's trailers...still on the same gun. When it loses it's "ompft" you just fill the oil reservoir and it's good to go again...alot of people think it's broken at that point. But it's not, it just needs oil.

Shari