filling greaseguns with bulk grease.

[jmc]

Hello,

What are the pro's and con's of using bulk grease instead of grease cartridges?

Thanks,

John

 

[George2615]

For my own personal use I used to use bulk grease in 5 gallon cans. It was less expensive buying in bulk. The can had a fitting toward the bottom that the grease gun screwed onto then you just pulled the handle back and the plunger suction in the gun pulled the grease in. The can also had a sort of metal plate with a rubber diaphram that would go down as grease was drawn from the bottom. I found using these cans messy and you never got all the grease out. For the amount of greasing I do now I just use cartridges. Less messy, easy to change and you use almost all the grease in the tube.

If you are in business using a lot of grease you would have good luck using the larger bulk cans, I think they were 15 gallon, with a top pump that runs on air pressure. I used them working in a garage years ago and they worked similar to the previously mentioned 5 gal. setup.

George

 

[atgreene]

I went to 5 gallons pails for a while, but found that when I was in the field and ran out of grease, the pail and pump to refill was back at the shop. You have to plan ahead and remember to fill it, or carry a few tubes, which if you're gonna buy tubes, you should buy a case. If you're gonna buy a case you may as well buy a box.................

I use tubes again for now.

 

[Midsouth]

We used bulk on the farm only because of the amount we went thru. You have to make sure the lid is kept on or it gets dirty real fast. I use the tubes now they are a lot cleaner and more convenient.

 

[jcummins]

I used bulk, but if the gun was left for several days, the grease would end up behind the piston. I switched to tubes, problem stopped. Right or wrong, I concluded the piston in the gun was sized for use with tubes, not bulk.

 

[actionaj]

I used bulk, but if the gun was left for several days, the grease would end up behind the piston. I switched to tubes, problem stopped. Right or wrong, I concluded the piston in the gun was sized for use with tubes, not bulk.

Most grease guns you have to flip the piston seal over to use bulk grease. The seal goes one way for tubes and another way for bulk. But I agree tubes are the way to go much cleaner.

 

[DieselPower]

I used bulk, but if the gun was left for several days, the grease would end up behind the piston. I switched to tubes, problem stopped. Right or wrong, I concluded the piston in the gun was sized for use with tubes, not bulk.

On most grease guns this is quite common if you don't set it up for bulk filling. On the majority of grease guns you can either flip the plunger/follower over or flip the plunger/follower seal up. What you want to do is make it so it looks like a upside down umbrella instead of a right side up umbrella. Set up like this the pressure helps to push the seal out which prevents the grease from getting past. If you ever switch back to grease in a tube just flip it back around.

 

[jcummins]

Learn something every day....even at my age. I did not know that about the seal.

But as actionaj said...it is a lot cleaner with the tubes, and considering the amount of greasing I do, I'll stay with the tubes.

 

[jmc]

Thanks everyone. Looks like I'll be sticking with the tubes.

John, OP

 

[escavader]

Ifilled them for years ,at work its a pain.Iusually ended up filling it with a paint stirrer and working out the air by poking it as i filled .Ifelt with the sawdust around that there was too much chance of contamination,from fellow workers too lazy to keep there guns clean,so i convinced the boss to go with the tubes instead.Much quicker,cleaner,and trouble free.
ALAN