Nutsert tools are usually either hand powered, air-powered, or electrically powered. The best rivnut tools are lightweight, easy to use, and versatile. They should also support a variety of rivet nut sizes, typically via interchangeable parts, such as nosepieces.
A good nutsert tool should also produce enough force to easily create the rivet in any rivet nut without any unnecessary hassle.
In this article you will find some the 4 best nutsert tools that meet these standards.
Astro 1427 Hand Nutsert / Rivnut Tool Kit
The Astro 1427 is basic, inexpensive, and functional. It’s fully capable of changing out nosepiece, which allows you to insert a variety of sizes of rivet nuts. However, changing these moving parts requires about seven or eight steps, making this less tool slightly less efficient than, say, an air-powered nutsert tool. Despite this, once fully assembled, this tool works like magic.
Dual 13-inch handles move the same way as a bolt cutter. The action is simple: once assembled, screw on the rivet nut, inset into the hole in your material, and pull the handles together. After the rivet is made, you will need to manually unscrew the nosepiece from the inside of the rivet nut to detach the nutsert tool. However, this is made simple by an ergonomic nob just between the handles.
The quality of build and design of this tool allows it to use aluminum steel and stainless still rivet nuts. Keep that in mind before buying this rivet gun—though the durability and quality of those types of rivet nuts should handle most types of jobs. At its price, this is a great tool, and will survive most of your household, workshop, and automotive requirements. For instance, you could easily use this to assemble a steel shelf or reinforce the bumper on your truck.
Muzata Hand Rivet-Nut Nutsert / Rivnut Installation Tool Set
The Muzata hand rivet-nut installation tool is the simple, powerful, hand-powered solution to securely fastening nuts. This tool is designed with a scissor-like handles that comfortable fit in the palm of your hand. Each handle is also more than 10” long, ensuring you get maximum torque out of every use!
In addition, this rivnut tool (see full specs) comes with 900 rivets of the most common sizes. They include 100 rivets each of M3 through M8 nut sizes to tackle just about any job you’d need. The tool also comes with a convenient carrying case that lets you pack up and haul your equipment wherever you need it. There’s ample space for additional tools too, so you can keep your whole kit of hand tools at your side whenever you need it!
The only drawback to this product is that it’s a hand-powered unit. That means it’s not fit for high-grade jobs that require a lot of repetitive fastening. This is one of the best nutsert tools for infrequent, occasional use. If you have to use it a lot of times back-to-back, you can be sure you’ll feel the strain in your palms, forearm, and even shoulder!
Still, this rivnut tool is a great starting unit for anyone who needs it in their toolshed. It might not be the best on a job site, but it can handle everyday needs just fine!
Astro Pneumatic Tool 1442 13″ Hand Nutsert / Rivnut Kit
The Astro 1442 is basically a ramped-up version of the 1427. It’s clear from the get-go that it’s made from higher-quality materials, designed more for the user in mind. The dual 13-inch handles have ergonomic finger-grip handles, making it ever easier to leverage the necessary force for the job. The nutsert tool comes with six different nosepieces, and 10 pieces of three metric sizes, and 10 pieces of three standard sizes. That this tool can handle both metric and standard nut sizes makes it extra versatile, allowing you to work an even wider range of technical jobs.
Same as the 1427, you can leverage plenty of force with the 13-inch handles. However, unlike the 1427, the 1442 has special “quick change mandrel system.” This is a spring-loaded system that allows you to quickly switch out nosepieces and mandrels, saving you time and adding efficiency. The best part about his is you don’t even need to remove any extra parts or dissemble the tool, which is great if you’re working outside the shop or in a cluttered environment. This means you won’t drop or misplace any essential parts of the tool.
Pneumatic Nutsert / Rivnut Tool Pneumatic Rivet Nut Setting Gun
This is an all-in one, easy to use, extra-powerful nutsert tool. This rivet nut gun is air-powered, allowing you to leverage even more power (without the strain) than a hand-powered rivnut tool. This is a serious tool designed to handle repetitive, constant work for large projects that otherwise might exhaust you with a hand-powered tool. With a solid black carbon steel body, this nutsert gun fits firmly in your hand. Weighing at about 3.8 pounds, it’s not as heavy as some of the other tools, but its weight feels reliable enough to suggest a solid build.
The best thing about this rivnut tool (see full specs) is that it’s simply faster and more convenient to use than any of the others. Rather than needing to unscrew the tool from each rivnut, you only need to switch the direction and pull the trigger, and the gun will unscrew itself. If you’re upgrading from a smaller, less handy nutsert tool, this can be especially convenient. You’ll be able to get more work done with less effort. Now, because this tool requires air to function, it doesn’t have the same portability as the other rivnut tools. However, its power and ease of use make it one of the best rivnut tools around for any workshop.
Choosing a Good Nutsert Tool
The best nutsert tools will help you get a rivet nut inserted with minimal hassle and maximum safety. A good nutsert tool will be able to handle a variety of different sizes of rivet nuts and be compatible with enough mandrels to fit you needs.
You should always keep in mind both the environment you will be working in and the jobs you will be using it for. If you need a tool that gives you more room, consider something with more clearance space. If you need a tool that offers extra power and allows you to quickly change rivnuts, consider a nutsert tool with an automatic unscrewing mechanism.
It’s also important to consider how often you’ll need to use your rivnut tool. If you’re going to use it in active work environments — like a construction site — you’ll need something that can handle heavy-duty work, long-term wear, and rugged use. For the more casual user, you can go with a lighter (or even hand-powered) nutsert tool that’ll fit your budget and get the job done.
Also, do you need an all-in-one kit, or are you strictly looking for a rivnut tool? The kits will run you a little extra from your wallet, but they’ll also include all of the mandrels and accessories you’ll need to start working right away. If you already have a bank of accessories and parts, you’ll be fine picking up a rivnut tool as-is.
Last, how often do you expect to change sizes on your nutsert tool? Frequent changes demand that you get a rivnut gun with a variety of mandrels that come with it (if you don’t already have the mandrels yourself). Folks might say this or that is the best rivnut tool, but if getting halfway through a job you find you don’t have the one, tiny piece that’d let you finish a project, you’re screwed.
Whether you’re going to use your nutsert tool in a hobby or professional setting, make sure you have the mandrels and nosepieces you need to complete a job from start to finish.
If you don’t, you can bet that you’ll wish you had bought them when you had the chance! Good luck!
