Review on Stanley MR100CG Contractor Grade Riveter by Scott Spoja

Much better than the cheap one I've been using for ages. I bought it because I needed to use 3/16" long arm (3/8) steel rivets to install the new blade on the snow shovel. The rivets go through a shovel, an iron strip and a washer. Stanley is sturdy and feels solid in my hands. It held perfectly on the rivet bar - my old riveter couldn't pull the rivet off at all. However, despite having large, strong hands, I was unable to pry the rivets out, although the rivet gun had a good grip and brought the two sides together. This may be due to the rivets being 1/4 tight and the shaft being stuck in the rivet itself due to compression. However, I finished the job by placing each installed rivet in a metal vise, with the shaft resting in the gap between the vise plates, and flattening the rivet. Then a few hits with a hacksaw removed the stock. The Stanley tool could be improved for heavier work with a little more leverage. This requires a shorter effective stroke and therefore more frequent broaching, but it would be fine, if a bit tedious for lighter work. Actually, there should be two models, and the heavier one is two-handed. The die-cast body feels solid, but I'm skeptical about the cast as the metal tends to be brittle. This is probably why other reviewers managed to snap the handles with 3/16 stainless steel rivets, which is against the tool's specifications. The tool fits my hands well, unlike my cheap tool that used to pinch my fingers. BUT - always wear gloves to be on the safe side. I'm happy with this tool for the price and might one day buy an air tool for the toughest jobs.