The 8 Best Rivet Guns
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Battery, air and hand rivet guns compared on rivet size, pulling force and how many you set. The Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool leads for one-handed repeat work. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Nearly every rivet gun sold for home and shop use sets blind rivets, often called pop rivets, which go in from one side and snap off their own nail-like stem to lock. That one-sided trick fixes gutters, trailers, ductwork and car panels. A hand tool covers small jobs, while battery and air tools pay off once you set hundreds.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
Battery riveters now lead this list. The Milwaukee M12 Rivet Tool comes first since it sets stainless rivets one-handed from a compact body, and it's the only tool here with an independent review behind it. The DeWalt DCF403B joins for people on DeWalt's 20-volt batteries, and the KLRStec Rivet Adapter is new as a cheap way to put a drill you already own to work.
The Makita XVR01T is gone because Makita discontinued it, and the Enegitech Cordless and the Tacklife Tool are no longer sold. The M&R Setter came off because it sets threaded rivet nuts, which is a different job; the buyer's guide now explains the difference. The hand and air tools stay, and the Astro Pneumatic 1423 moves up as the strongest value for home use.
For evidence, we used Milwaukee's and DeWalt's spec pages for pull force, rivet range and rivets per charge, RCN Tool Reviews on the Milwaukee, and a recall search for every brand. We left out the many low-cost battery riveters built to fit DeWalt or Milwaukee packs. Neither company makes them, and none had independent testing. We also passed on two cheap hand riveters that earlier editors dropped for jamming and thin metal.
August 13, 2020:
The vast majority of riveters on the commercial market are made for blind rivets, or rivnuts of a certain thickness. The term ‘pop rivets’ has been commonly adopted to refer to blind rivets, though POP® rivets are a brand of blind rivets, much in the same way that Hoover is a brand of vacuum cleaners. The varieties of blind riveters you’ll find on the market fall into 3 categories - manual, pneumatic, and cordless. Pneumatic guns are widely used in industrial applications for the power that they can deliver, though cordless options appear to be on the rise because they offer an equally powerful yet more compact alternative to their pneumatic counterparts.
While the Milwaukee M12 was a relatively impressive option when it came out a few years ago, I wanted this list to include some more cordless options to better reflect market changes and upcoming trends; so, I’ve added the relatively new Makita XVR01T, as well as the Enegitech Cordless as a budget alternative. The latter can actually work with 18V Makita LXT batteries – the same batteries that the XVR01T uses. You do have to buy the battery separately, though this model offers a lot of value at a relatively low cost, so I don’t really see this as a major upset.
Makita actually released two models – the XVR01T for rivets up to 4.8 mm, and the XVR02T which adds 6.0mm and 6.4mm, and is a little slower because its more powerful, and has a slightly longer stroke too – and I thought of including both as special honors, but I’ve ultimately decided to include only the XVR01T in our list. These models may seem quite a bit pricier than a handheld riveter or even other commercially available pneumatic or cordless options, but they can make a huge difference in demanding industrial applications where you have to set 100’s of rivets a day.
Obviously, the power with these is a factor worth mentioning, as it can significantly improve your working speed; however, durability is also worth a mention as these models will for the most part pay for themselves and will very likely outlast multiple budget alternatives. There are some other high-end cordless guns from brands like Lobster (Japanese), Gesipa (German), Avdel and Atlas, but they're quite hard to get and/or not particularly special. However, I do think that more of these brands will move more into the mainstream with future models, as cordless riveters gain a greater foothold.
Finally, the type of gun you choose will suit your particular application, as will the type of rivet you choose. Regardless of the rivet material you choose for your application, it can be sensible to make sure that the mandrel material is the same as the rivet – this minimizes the risk of corrosion and weakening of the rivet material, which may have been in storage for a long time. It seems like a trivial thing, but it can make a difference.
May 02, 2019:
Upon reviewing the list, three items raised significant red flags in terms of quality. We found several reports that rivets tend to get stuck in the Tekton 655, which results in the frustrating process of trying to remove the fastener (in addition to the tool not functioning properly). As for the Arrow RHT300, it appears to be cheaply built with thin metal, leading to durability issues. Users indicate that the Stanley MR100CG is essentially unusable, jamming constantly and eventually breaking in many cases. All three have been removed from the list.
Looking into the Tacklife Tool, people seem truly impressed with the quick pumping action and the simple ability to replace riveting rods without any tools. We decided to increase its ranking. On the other hand, we docked the Dorman 743-100 a few spots after discovering some users that were unsatisfied with the amount of leverage it provides.
We attempted to cater to a wide audience with our three new additions, incorporating a hand riveter, a pneumatic model, and a battery-powered tool. Users of the Sunex SX1819T in particular seem thrilled in its ability to handle extensive daily use without breaking down. The Milwaukee M12 is a comprehensive kit, containing a carrying bag, a charger, and two batteries in addition to the tool itself.
Blind Rivets, Solid Rivets And Rivet Nuts
Rivet nuts, sometimes sold as rivnuts or nutserts, look similar but leave a threaded hole you can bolt into later.
Almost every tool sold as a rivet gun sets blind rivets, which most people call pop rivets after the best-known brand. A blind rivet is a hollow tube with a nail-like stem, called a mandrel, running through it. You push it into a drilled hole from one side, the tool grips the stem and pulls, the far end of the tube swells against the back of the sheet, and the stem snaps off once the joint is tight (Wikipedia: Blind rivet). That is why they suit gutters, ductwork, trailer skins and car panels, where you can't reach the back.
Solid rivets are a different job. They are hammered or squeezed with access to both sides, the way aircraft skins and old steel bridges are built (Wikipedia: Rivet). None of the tools on this page set them, so skip any listing that calls a pop rivet tool an aircraft riveter.
Rivet nuts, sometimes sold as rivnuts or nutserts, look similar but leave a threaded hole you can bolt into later. They need a rivet nut tool that spins a threaded mandrel instead of pulling a plain stem. Some newer battery tools do both jobs, but a standard rivet gun won't set a rivet nut.
Hand, Battery, Air Or Drill Adapter
A hand riveter is all most homeowners need. One-hand squeeze tools are light and quick to grab, and two-handed long-arm tools add leverage for bigger and harder rivets. Either one gets tiring after a few dozen rivets, and large steel or stainless rivets take a firm grip.
Battery riveters change the math for repeat work. The Milwaukee M12 pulls 2,000 pounds of force and sets rivets up to 3/16 inch in aluminum, steel and stainless, and the DeWalt DCF403B is rated at 2,100 pounds with about 800 rivets per charge. An independent review of the Milwaukee concluded that it only makes sense if you set a lot of rivets (RCN Tool Reviews). Budget battery riveters made to fit DeWalt or Milwaukee packs are sold widely, but they aren't made by either company, and we found no independent tests of them.
Air riveters are fast and light at the nose, and they're the usual choice in body shops and fabrication shops that already have a compressor. Heavy hydraulic-air models handle quarter-inch structural rivets. Drill adapters are the cheapest way to add power, but they're limited to softer aluminum rivets and depend on the drill's strength.
Choosing Rivets And Working Safely
Match three things to the job: diameter, grip range and material. Diameter is the size of the tube, from 3/32 to 1/4 inch on these tools, and the rivet tool needs a matching nose piece. Grip range is the total thickness of the sheets the rivet can clamp; a rivet that's too short won't form a proper head, and one that's too long leaves a loose joint. Drill the hole just slightly larger than the rivet (Wikipedia: Blind rivet).
Pick the rivet material to suit the metal you're joining. Aluminum rivets are soft and easy to set and suit aluminum sheet. Steel and stainless rivets are stronger but need much more pull, and stainless resists rust outdoors. Standard pop rivets are not meant for lifting points, seat mounts or other safety-critical joints unless the rivet maker rates them for it.
Wear safety glasses: a stem can fly when it snaps, and a worn jaw can spit one out (OSHA: Eye and face protection). Spent stems are sharp, so empty the catcher into a can, not onto the floor. Keep the jaws clean and replace them when rivets start to slip. On air tools, set the regulator to the pressure the maker gives and wear hearing protection near the compressor.
How we researched this
We compared 17 rivet tools, from one-hand squeeze riveters to battery, air and drill-powered models, and screened dozens of low-cost battery riveters. We read Milwaukee's and DeWalt's spec pages, one independent review, and the sellers' details for the hand and air tools, and we checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rivet gun used for?
It joins thin sheets with blind rivets set from one side: gutters, ductwork, trailer skins, truck trim, signs and metal crafts. It's handy anywhere you can't reach the back of the work.
Do I need a cordless rivet gun or a hand riveter?
For a few dozen rivets a year, a hand riveter is enough. A battery or air tool pays off when you set hundreds, or when the rivets are large steel or stainless ones that tire your hands.
What size pop rivet should I use?
Pick a diameter your tool's nose pieces fit, usually 1/8 or 3/16 inch for home jobs, and a grip range that matches the total thickness of the sheets. Drill the hole just slightly larger than the rivet.
Can I use a drill to set rivets?
Yes, with a drill adapter that clamps in the chuck. Most are made for aluminum rivets only, and a weak drill can stall on bigger rivets.
Is a rivet gun the same as a rivet nut tool?
No. A rivet gun pulls a plain stem to set a blind rivet. A rivet nut tool sets a threaded insert you can bolt into later. Some battery tools do both, but most rivet guns do only the first job.
Are pop rivets strong enough for structural work?
Standard pop rivets are not meant for safety-critical or load-bearing joints. Structural blind rivets exist for heavier work, but use them only where the rivet maker rates them for that load.
