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I have a simple riveter by Stanley - an MR88 - which does not pivot or swivel, but has been a decent tool. After nearly 20 years of working flawlessly, it began to not release the small diameter spent rivet shanks. I decided to 'upgrade' to a swivel head riveter, so I purchased the Arrow you see pictured. The 'fit and finish' are nice - and I really like the way the wrench stores on the handle - but when it comes to actually installing rivets, it's as if the design was never 'dialed in'. When you squeeze the handles together to 'pop' the rivet, it requires far more strength than my old Stanley does....regardless of the head/swivel position. I work with my hands and feel that my hand strength is above average. I don't say this to brag - I say it because while it was difficult for me to 'pop' the rivets, it may be nearly impossible for someone with average or below average hand strength to actually pop a rivet with one hand ( or even both hands). The whole point of getting the swivel head was to be able to get into smaller spaces with the tool. That 'versatility advantage' is negated by the fact that it practically REQUIRES the use of two hands...which probably won't be possible in said small spaces. When it seemed to me that I needed to apply much more strength to get the rivet to pop, I immediately tried an identical rivet with the older riveter and marveled at (comparatively) how simply it performed the task. Several rivets in a row proved to me it wasn't the rivets themselves causing the issues. IMHO, it was the design (specifically, the less than optimal location of the fulcrum) of the tool. Full disclosure: I was using the largest hole (5/32?) with aluminum head steel shank rivets with 1/2 grip range. Perhaps it will work better with aluminum shanks??? If I'm doing something wrong...someone please explain the error of my ways. For now though, I expect that this tool will gather dust while I continue to use my MR88. It's easier to fight with getting it to expel a shank once in a while than it would be to fight to pop every single rivet with the Arrow. I might use the Arrow in tight areas.... if I could only find another 'one-handed tool' which I could use to squeeze the Arrow's handles together!Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Works great
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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