Pneumatic rivet puller - which one should I buy?

RV-12 (and other) builders- please advise on which rivet puller I should purchase. Since there are quite a few RV-12 builders who have a lot of building experience now, I hope that there is some consensus about which one (or several) is best. Please advise and give model number and source. Thanks.

I started out with a cheap Pneumatic puller form Harbor Freight ($39). It worked ok, but I had to re-adjust the thing all the time and sometimes would not eject the rivet shank. It stopped working, and was not worth fixing, so went ahead and ordered the Avery Pneumatic puller ($99). It turned out to be a big difference in quality. Wish I had spent the money up front and got the Avery one from the start.

Jim Olson
Blairsville, GA
http://www.mykitlog.com/jimolson

I knew the HF vs. Avery debate would start up again.

I'm starting a rescue for all the poor pneumatic rivet pullers abandoned by folks who decided to 'upgrade' from the HF unit. Just box it up and I'll reimburse you for the shipping. It will be in a loving home and you'll be free of the guilt of it sitting idle on your bench. It's the only humane thing to do...

PM me and will work out the adoption papers.

I'll join in

I have had an HF puller for many years. I also bought the suggested RV-12 tool kit ( early version ) from Avery which had one. I set up the HF one for the smaller rivets, and the red one ( Avery ) for the larger rivets. That worked great, and did not have to change nose pieces. My HF riveter has always worked well. Actually, I have never taken it apart ( and maybe I should have ). I just put a few drop of pneu. oil in it once in a while.

Unless you have lots of the needed tools, you will get one in the suggested tool kit anyway. ? ? ? ? ?

John Bender

John is right. Without a doubt the HF one....its $39 and works fine. If you need to make some adjustments now and then there are no simpler tools in existence than pneumatic ones. I know several people that have built several planes with the same HF.

HF Rivet Puller

I am on my second HF rivet puller. The first one lasted nine months, and I called HF and told them I was having problems with it and couldn't find the sales slip. They said bring it in and they would give me their best sales price on a replacement. Upon bringing in the old one, I told a sales guy at the counter what they said on the phone, he turned to another sales guy and asked him what to do. They decided to give me a new one, free. Now I know how to adjust them and oil the unit. A squirt of WD40 in the muzzle frees up any sticking mandrels and a drop of oil in the air hole prior to use keeps the unit humming.
Plus, there are spar parts, which I haven't had to use to date.

I'll stick w/The Toy Store Unit

flyer68

Dang, I was hoping free HF pullers would start pouring in right and left.

Rivet puller

Thanks everyone - I looked at a HF puller today and haven't made my choice yet.

Note that the instructions say to fill the reservoir with 'hydraulic fluid'. What did you HF users use - power steering or transmission or ????? The HF instructions give me no clue - thanks for the replies.

Which oil

That is the issue. I never took mine apart. Just put a few drops of pneu tool oil in the inlet from time to time. Has always worked well. There must have been some in it to start with, or it would not have lasted all these years. Not a good story, but the truth !

John Bender

HF puller

Don't take the bottom off and put oil in it!!!! Don't ask how I know, but for the first three months of use it sprayed oil all over everything!
Just a couple drops in the inlet before you use it is perfect. Just use pneumatic tool oil.

Flyer68