manual grease gun

[stevenf]

I've got the old long lever variety with a ruuber hose and so to grease the tractor each zerk I have to stop, grab the hose, push it on, reposition hands without pulling the hose off and pump. My question is I've seen at TSC a regular size grease gun (not the small one) with a pistol grip actuator and metal feed tube are these type any good or ? It cost about $25.00 and I hate to invest if someone has used it and found it lacking. A compressor type although it would be nice is not an option as I have no barn yet.
Steve

 

[EddieWalker]

Not sure about the pistol grip guns, but I'd highly recomened going the air route.

If you don't have a compressor yet, it should be high on your list. You'll need it for building your barn and working on your tractor. It's not even close the difference a compressor makes in what you can get done.

I have a little pancake compressor that I paid $100 for brand new at my local discount tool store. Don't buy one of those oil-less compressors. All the reviews say they don't last.

I bought an expesive Lincoln air greese gun and it lasted about a day. I returned it and got another with similar results. Then I bought a cheap one from Northern Tool and it works great. My time spent greasing has droped in half, and its now an easy task compared to before.

 

[markie61]

I got the same one from TSC and like it better than the lever one, especially when you are laying under tractor. However, I replaced the metal feed tube with a flexible feed tube to enable reaching all my tractor and implement fittings. The pistol grip allows you to use one hand to hold the gun and pump, while the other hand can pop the tip off and on the fittings.

Air would be nice, but no complaints here.

Mark

 

[stevenf]

Mark I know this sounds silly coming from a person who's life work is in a printshop but I'd like to keep my hands at least semi grease free when lubricating. I only just took delivery on it last wednesday and I'm working it hard already have over 20 hours on it and most has been grapple and loader work and I'm in the frame of mind to over lubricate rather than under so every 4 or 5 hours I'm jumping off and at least lube the loader parts in the field and then keep working.
The rubber hose forces me to end up with grease on my hands that requires either wiping what I can off on my jeans or go wash up. I figured with the solid tube I could push it on with the gun and therefore not grease myself in the process. Would the solid tube hold up for this or would I bend it putting it on and taking it off the zerks. Also does the mechanism that pumps on your pistol type seem to be able to pump the same pressure, as a M9000 is a rather large tractor and greasing good reguires it goes into and around 1-1/2" loader pins with a bucket that probably weighs 400lbs empty.

 

[MicroPilot]

Greasing the tractor is, well, greasy.

You'll get grease on your hands know matter what kind of gun you have.

I have a grease gun with the metal tube and it works well, but I did buy a swivel fitting for the end to help hit all the zerks. I tried one of the slotted 90* fittings, but it didn't work worth a ****.

Also keep a pair of gloves handy when your greasing. This almost keeps from getting your hands COVERED in grease.

 

[Junkman]

I keep a box of medical exam gloves in the garage. Cheap and saves a lot of time cleaning up. Sure beats trying to get into the kitchen to wash your hands when the wife is in there cooking. They don't understand tractor or car grease.... only cooking oil... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[markie61]

I agree with the others: I think you will always need a rag and gloves when lubing, but...

Yes, I think the solid feed tube will almost certainly stand up to the type of use you describe. It is pretty solid and would take quite a bit of pressure to bend. I have never found anything (except a damaged zerk filled with metal) that the pressure wouldn't push grease into, including the pivot pins on my loader and bucket.

Mark

 

[stevenf]

Thanks Mark I'll pick one up on the way back to the ranch tonight. They are forecasting rain again here so I may be wishing I'd gotten the cab model or at least a umbrella but where I'm at I was afraid I'd just end up bumping something and having a $7,500 piece of mangled plastic.

 

[texbaylea]

I have both an air powered grease gun - a cheapie chinese made one that works fine, and a Lincoln battery powered gun that is the cats meow. Sure makes it easier to get around to all the loader fittings. It has a long flexible tube so that allignment is not difficult and you don't have to stay bent over.

You WILL get greasy, just keep a jug of hand cleaner and paper towels handy.

Vernon

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> A compressor type although it would be nice is not an option as I have no barn yet. </font>
Might look into a Lincoln battery powered grease gun. Expensive, but works great. I bought one before I had a compressor and I still use the battery powered one.