Grease - is there no better way? Can we talk about this?

[tomplum]

I quit greasing my tractor in the living room at my wife's request. This could be why...

 

[HamishMacCheap]

I have only used manual grease guns in my lifetime and never saw the need for a cordless grease gun until I saw a local farmer use a forestry mulcher to enlarge a couple of food plots of mine. The mulcher was a hydraulic powered rotating drum mounted on a large Kubota skid steer and he had to stop mulching at one point to grease the mulcher. He used a Dewalt cordless grease unit and he used probably almost all of a tube of grease. I think he would have been greasing for some time if he used only a manual grease gun. It impressed me.

 

[RayIN]

what techniques do you have for purging air in newly replaced cartridge manual grease gun? that's my only issue & don't mind getting messy when gun works properly. regards`
do pneumatic guns work better in that regard? my experience is no

To purge air from my grease guns, I open the lever all the way, firmly hold the end of the barrel, then swing downward like I'm hitting a golf ball as far as I can, but in both directions; this forces grease towards the pump and squeezes the air bubble to the rear-end of the tube.
I've used that technique ever since dad taught it to me when I was old enough to use a grease gun, it has never failed.
There is a distinct advantage to using a battery-powered grease gun, especially when greasing hard to reach zerks. Nearly all hard to reach zerks require 3 hands, especially when you have a flexible hose on the a manual gun.
I use my battery gun so infrequently the battery is always run-down, so I have to anticipate and put the battery in the charger the night before I need the gun.

Anyone else have a designated charging station in your garage?

 

[dieselscout80]

I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and some water to clean my greasy hands. Works great, better than some mechanic's hand cleaner I've tried. I figure if they can use it to clean birds after an oild spill, it ought to be good enough for me.

If you add baking soda to it it’s gritty like fast orange hand cleaner.

 

[solo machine]

Explain, please.

I'm a machinist also. I see a lot of equipment come in the shop to be reworked that looks like it was greased when put in new, then never again. Just came in, a 1 3/4" shaft that is near worn in half.

 

[RayIN]

I still have my old compressed-air grease gun that fits a 5G pail of grease. No need for it now the haying equipment and feed grinder is gone, so it just sits collecting dust.

 

[number two]

Wow!
Another one of those threads that bring seldom posters to the surface.
Good Luck!

 

[flyingace43]

I picked up one of these guns from HF. It is awesome! I have zero mess, it purges itself very quickly on cartridge changes and those changes are very simple. There is a little rubber housing that the nozzle fits into for storage that prevents a mess from occuring. I have had zero leaks of any kind, couldn't be happier. The battery lasts forever, couldn't even tell you the last time it was charged.

https://www.harborfreight.com/20v-cordless-variable-speed-grease-gun-tool-only-58607.html

I have the same one and agree it is great never have to purge air just put in a new cartridge and go and I have probably put 25 tubes through it as I don't need much for the tractor but I have a stump grinder which use a lot of grease for the grinder wheel so this time of year I may use a tube a week. Best $120 I ever spent. I think I charged the battery a year or so ago? It is about half the cost of the other top brands and I was a little hesitant about a harbor freight gun but it has been really good for what I paid. I also have a lock and lube which works well.

 

[jrsavoie]

KTo purge air from my grease guns, I open the lever all the way, firmly hold the end of the barrel, then swing downward like I'm hitting a golf ball as far as I can, but in both directions; this forces grease towards the pump and squeezes the air bubble to the rear-end of the tube.
I've used that technique ever since dad taught it to me when I was old enough to use a grease gun, it has never failed.
There is a distinct advantage to using a battery-powered grease gun, especially when greasing hard to reach zerks. Nearly all hard to reach zerks require 3 hands, especially when you have a flexible hose on the a manual gun.
I use my battery gun so infrequently the battery is always run-down, so I have to anticipate and put the battery in the charger the night before I need the gun.

Anyone else have a designated charging station in your garage?

Everyone should have a designated charging station somewhere.

There's been a few fires.
I had 2
Both were on a concrete floor.

 

[jrsavoie]

I still have my old compressed-air grease gun that fits a 5G pail of grease. No need for it now the haying equipment and feed grinder is gone, so it just sits collecting dust.

I used to think about getting new grease in my 5 gallon grease bucket that refilled hand grease guns. Wish I had done it years ago.
Easier and faster than changing a tube of grease. Best used with a grease gun that the rod comes out as the grease gun is filled
Never have an air problem.

Does anybody have a recommendation for a good quality pistol grip grease gun?

Mine are old and failing
I had 4. One for each shed. I'm down to one. And it's leaking past the plunger. I'm wishing I had looked into fixing the others.

The guns I have bought since, suck
A lot of squeezing and not much grease pumping.

Sad to say, my wife had done all of the greasing this year.