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Battery powered blind rivet puller

llavalle

Well Known Member
So I'm starting a -12iS project and I don't really like working with pneumatic tools.

Found out that Milwaukee makes a battery powered puller in their M12 line (smaller batteries).

Did a modified version of the practice tool kit using LP4-3 instead of the AN4 rivets. This things works GREAT.

I shot a small video (in 4k) of me using the tool on the practice toolbox. It's great :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqX5_mubUTE

Link to the tool : here
 
Nice tool, but..

..for almost $300 you could buy 8 pneumatic rivet pullers from Harbor Freight.

Or, you could do what I did: Buy one from HF ($32ish) and buy their 2 year, no questions asked, extended warranty ($7). Over 8 years of building and trading up for new when the jaws wear out (they are not replaceable in the HF version). Works great!
 
I'm getting my tool kit ready for my first build. I'm comfortable with almost everything on the list, except riveting. That looks like the one skill that will be new to me.

Per the above message, does the Milwaukee riveter (2250-20 m12) completely replace the need for pneumatic tools? I have a compressor for my nail guns, so I'm covered there, but I'd much rather have the ease of set up, clean up, and use of a battery device so I can drop in and out of the garage or basement when free and I'm not running a compressor after the little ones go to bed in the evening.

I haven't pulled a rivet since 7th grade shop class, so I frankly have no clue if that battery device is all I need. Any help you can provide would be great!
 
Which model are you building? This is a rivet puller, for blind rivets. Works for the -12. There are 2 types of rivets on the Vans's kit :

-Blind rivets <-- this is the tool for it
-Solid rivets <-- which are either squeezed or pounded with a rivet gun with buck bar.

the -12 has both but all of the solid rivets can be done with a squeezer (no need to get a rivet gun).

Building anything else than a -12, you can buy the Milawaukee for the blind rivets but there are very few of them (the -12 has those almost everywhere)... but you'll still need a rivet gun (air) for the buck bar solid rivets.
 
Thanks for the help. I'm planning to do an RV-10 quickbuild (wings and airframe). So, it sounds like I still will need all the pneumatic tools.

So much to learn.....
 
Me too

So I'm starting a -12iS project and I don't really like working with pneumatic tools.

Found out that Milwaukee makes a battery powered puller in their M12 line (smaller batteries).

Did a modified version of the practice tool kit using LP4-3 instead of the AN4 rivets. This things works GREAT.]


I bought one also, and yes I know I could've gone for a pneumatic rivet puller but I've also got a lot of use for this out of reach of my compressor. There's also a longer (6" I think) nose piece kit which I also bought, and it makes it a little easier to reach some rivets without the head & handle getting in the way.
 
I just bought a Milwaukee M12 puller, thinking it would be way more convenient and ergonomic than my pneumatic puller... I used it for about 5 rivets before deciding it wasn't for me. It was nice not having the air hose and the barrel was slightly smaller for tighter spaces, but it was waaay slower than the nearly instantaneous pneumatic and not that much lighter. I decided it was nowhere near $300+ of value to me so it's getting returned. I've instead installed a swivel fitting on my pneumatic which helps a ton with the hose/ergonomics.

My conclusion/opinion is that the M12 cordless is a great tool if you don't always have access to compressed air and much better than manual pulling, but not as good as a pneumatic and way more expensive.

On that note, anyone aware of a light compact pneumatic puller that's reasonable priced?

I'm currently using this one and it's not bad, but seems to be bulkier than it needs to be: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MQ9H4W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Milwaukee Rivet Puller

Been using the M12 for the last year on an S-21 project. It has performed well and the major components are complete-ie thousands of rivets pulled. It is a little heavy but I would not go back to the pneumatic puller. It is nice not having to drag a hose around!
Cheers
db
 
maybe...

...maybe you ought to try a Flexilla 1/4" air line; very light and ultra flexible.

Had no issues moving around with it. Then there is the almost instant setting of the rivet...
 
Tried a lightweight hose-still didn’t like it-seemed it was always hung up on something in the shop-plus I really don’t like the compressor noise.
Much prefer the battery.
Cheers
db
 
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