dq7133 Report post Posted October 13, 2015 Hi all! Does anyone have experience with auto-loading rivet machines? An ebay search for "Rivet machines" turns up quite a few used ones in the $1k-$3k price range, but I would love to hear if anyone can recommend a reputable brand. I'm ideally looking for something that could handle double-cap rivets. Thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gottaknow Report post Posted October 13, 2015 Stay away from anything made in China. You should also know that for a given style of rivet, the machine has to have the correct die set and feed rails. Depending on the machine and availability, this change over to the rivets you want to use can cost up to an additional 2k. Maintaining and adjusting them is not for the faint of heart. If it's an off brand, parts can be an issue. Scovill and Universal, Stimpson are mainstream brands that you can still get parts for. Other off brands can be a nightmare. I have 35 years of experience with these machines. Most companies, including ours, lease the machines. Works out cheaper in the long run. Regards, Eric Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25b Report post Posted October 13, 2015 dq7133 -- call Campbell-Randall...they have automatic rivet setting machines and can answer your questions...I'd highly recommend buying from them instead of some unknown source on ebay... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dq7133 Report post Posted October 16, 2015 Thanks guys! This is all very helpful! I'm looking at a few refurbished Stimpson machines offered by established distributors (including Campbell-Randall) @nstarleather, do you need to apply a lot of foot pressure with the manual Stimpson machine? I'm wondering how fatigued the operator would get if they're working at the machine all day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gottaknow Report post Posted October 18, 2015 (edited) We have operators that can use a kick press all day, but the fatigue factor can lead to improperly set rivets. My electric Stimpson rivet machine with auto feed is much faster than a kick press. The difference is the auto feed. The proper set pressure is very important for mass production. Btw, the worst injury I've seen was an operator losing the end of her finger on a Stimpson kick press. All my automatics are very well guarded. Regards, Eric Edited October 18, 2015 by gottaknow Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
