Grease Guns

[John Dougherty]

Like many others, I use a manual cartridge grease gun. My beef is that the plunger must be constantly pulled back to push more grease forward to the pump. In addition, when the weather is hot the grease becomes runny, which renders the gun even less efficient. So I guess I have two questions; is there a grease gun that eliminates this need to re-plunge the grease or am I just storing my cartridges improperly? To the second question, I store them in my shop which never rises above 80*.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Believe me, I have had my issues with grease guns. What a horrible chore anyway! I am not sure what you mean about having to replunge. That rod can be rotated to engage or disengage the piston, but I did not know you could push the piston. That would require immense force, no? I know, on one gun, I never seem to get anywhere near all the grease out so I always end up scooping it out to put in a jar.

I recently bought a cheap electric gun at TSC and so far I have not had issues with it sucking air although it is kind of cumbersome and the nicads pose a whole different problem.

 

[John Dougherty]

Sorry I was unclear about the plunger. What I'm referring to is the spring loaded stem that is retracted while inserting the cartridge and then releasing it after the cartridge is in place and all is screwed back together. All works initially, but it seems I never get all of the grease from the tube. At some point, the pumping mechanism gets air in it and no grease comes out. At that point the stem must be pulled back and released to push more grease forward. This is usually ineffective. Thanks for your input.

 

[uglyboywith11fingers]

I guess I got lucky... I bought a conventional manual grease gun over 40 years ago (at Crappy Tire) ...
Always works great, hardly more than a smear of grease left when the cartridge is empty. Don't have to do anything special at all to use all the grease.
Between the BX and the TG1860 I use only 2 or 3 cartridges a year. It seems cars don't have grease nipples on front suspension/steering linkage anymore.
I find that the type/quality of grease you buy is related to how much drips/runs out of the gun in hot weather.

Pete

 

[Industrial Toys]

The one I had trouble with has a picture of a Deere running on it. Guess the same engineers that designed the tractor came up with that too.

I did not know you could manipulate the piston. I only ever opened the bleeder valve, making a big mess and eventually got the thing working again, but always a whole lot of grease left in the end.

 

[John Dougherty]

Pete, thanks. Maybe I'll have to wait for a Crappy Tire store to set up here in my part of California. The trouble is, I don't mind spending money for a tool that works. You know what they say, "a woman will buy something she doesn't need if it's on sale and a guy will pay full price for something he needs and works".

 

[davesl708]

I have had problems with air inside the grease tube and when it gets to the plunger I get nothing. I take tension off the grease between uses to prevent the warm grease from bypassing the plunger and filling in behind.

Seems hanging the grease gun bottom up during warm weather has eliminated the problem.

 

[John Dougherty]

I have had problems with air inside the grease tube and when it gets to the plunger I get nothing. I take tension off the grease between uses to prevent the warm grease from bypassing the plunger and filling in behind.

Seems hanging the grease gun bottom up during warm weather has eliminated the problem.

Thanks, Dave. That sounds like really good advice. Still like that bird, wish we had some of those here.

 

[Egon]

Believe me, I have had my issues with grease guns. What a horrible chore anyway! I am not sure what you mean about having to replunge. That rod can be rotated to engage or disengage the piston, but I did not know you could push the piston. That would require immense force, no? I know, on one gun, I never seem to get anywhere near all the grease out so I always end up scooping it out to put in a jar.
I recently bought a cheap electric gun at TSC and so far I have not had issues with it sucking air although it is kind of cumbersome and the nicads pose a whole different problem.

Pushing on the piston will get rid of air when starting a new cartridge. On some guns the spring gets to weak to force the grease into the pump suction. Pushing on the handle/piston will move the grease forward.

Joy is when a new cartridge is inserted, the pump end is just about to be screwed on and the handle gets knocked out of it's holding slot.

 

[Morning Wood]

I bought a Lincoln pneumatic gun and it has been great. Whenever I get an air pocket I just unscrew the top a little bit to bleed the air out. I think there is also a bleeder valve near the spout anyway. No matter how you cut it, you're gonna get grease all over something. If it isn't the gun it's the grease fitting. Dealing with a compressor is a slight burden, but I just pull the trigger and it goes.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I bought a couple of those floor mounted units at auctionand was going to put a long whip on one, but I had issues with the pump sucking air, not grease out of the pail, so I gave up on that for a while. Now I bought this hand pump on clearance at TSC that is supposed to pump the grease out of one of those bulk pails and insert it into a grease gun using a special fitting. I have not tried that yet.

Anything that can make the miserible grease job, easier is worth trying in my book.

 

[ovrszd]

I bought a manual grease gun with the JD deer on it. Worst money I ever spent. I then went to the local farm supply store and bought what they had on the shelf for half the price of the JD gun. Worked a lot better but still had problems. Then I realized it's the brand of grease I'm buying more than the gun. Going back to JD I buy their grease. I recently converted to PolyUrea grease and get along fine. I also recently bought a Dewalt 18V power gun. Wow,,,, should have done that decades ago. Will pump several (10 or more) tubes of grease on one battery. Never, never airlocks. Never even have to open the bleeder to get it started. So I guess what I'm saying is, Quality in/Quality out.

 

[ovrszd]

I bought a couple of those floor mounted units at auctionand was going to put a long whip on one, but I had issues with the pump sucking air, not grease out of the pail, so I gave up on that for a while. Now I bought this hand pump on clearance at TSC that is supposed to pump the grease out of one of those bulk pails and insert it into a grease gun using a special fitting. I have not tried that yet.

I've heard of those. Curious to hear your results.

 

[Looking4new]

I've got one of those 12 volt guns that Canadian Tire was selling for $159.oo two years ago. It has been great. It came with two batteries and one is on the gun and the other in the charger. I don't have any problems with air locks and it not doing the grease thing. (touch wood)
I can't use a manual gun. I was only born with two arms and hands and for the most part you need three to use a lever gun. The pistol type I can't use due to arthritis.

 

[John Dougherty]

I appreciate the input. Sounds like we have all been down this road before.

 

[Professor Marvel]

I bought a manual grease gun with the JD deer on it. Worst money I ever spent. I then went to the local farm supply store and bought what they had on the shelf for half the price of the JD gun. Worked a lot better but still had problems. Then I realized it's the brand of grease I'm buying more than the gun. Going back to JD I buy their grease. I recently converted to PolyUrea grease and get along fine. I also recently bought a Dewalt 18V power gun. Wow,,,, should have done that decades ago. Will pump several (10 or more) tubes of grease on one battery. Never, never airlocks. Never even have to open the bleeder to get it started. So I guess what I'm saying is, Quality in/Quality out.

I bought one of the Dewalt 18v guns also. Sometimes my hands just hurt too much to pump my normal grease gun through some gummed up zerks. The Dewalt it terrific. I have several Dewalt 18v things so I went with this. Seems like a lot of money but I don't have to fight it anymore.

 

[ovrszd]

I bought one of the Dewalt 18v guns also. Sometimes my hands just hurt too much to pump my normal grease gun through some gummed up zerks. The Dewalt it terrific. I have several Dewalt 18v things so I went with this. Seems like a lot of money but I don't have to fight it anymore.

You betcha. I also had several 18V tools so bought just the grease gun with no bats or charger. I think I paid $120.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I wished Ridged had one for the same reason, but they don't. Not the company it used to be.

Just as a side note. I have enough problems with zerks and broke down and bought one of those (name brand) grease busters or something like that, at the Louiville Farm show. You know the brass syringe thing you fill with solvent and hit with a hammer. Never once has it fixed a zerk I could not get grease into! Total waste of hard earned money!

 

[ovrszd]

I wished Ridged had one for the same reason, but they don't. Not the company it used to be.

Just as a side note. I have enough problems with zerks and broke down and bought one of those (name brand) grease busters or something like that, at the Louiville Farm show. You know the brass syringe thing you fill with solvent and hit with a hammer. Never once has it fixed a zerk I could not get grease into! Total waste of hard earned money!

Sorry to hear that. I have many times avoided the urge to buy one of those for that very reason. I can tighten the tracks on a dozer with a hand pump grease gun. How could that tool actually put more force into the zerk than that??

 

[truckdiagnostics]

I bought one of the Dewalt 18v guns also. Sometimes my hands just hurt too much to pump my normal grease gun through some gummed up zerks. The Dewalt it terrific. I have several Dewalt 18v things so I went with this. Seems like a lot of money but I don't have to fight it anymore.

bought one as bare tool to match impacts, well worth it. Seems to work better, and if it keeps a bushing from seizing up it will pay for itself.