Who makes a good caulking gun?

[caver]

I find the throw away ones often will decompress so that the next latch notch won't grab or the tube holder starts to bend. I hate caulking and don't want to spend big $$ on one but the throw away ones are just that. I'm gathering a collection of them.

 

[EddieWalker]

Caulking is a big part of every job that I do, and it's something that I enjoy. To get the best results, I have a small cup of water next to me, and after applying the caulk, I wet my finger and go over the caulking. This works for every type of caulking that I've used. I also put on just enough, or less then I need, and then build up until I have enough. My goal is to fill all the voids, then leave a smooth finish.

The best caulking guns in the box stores are the most expensive. I've bought them from both stores and feel that they are worth the money for the amount of control that you get. I also carry around a super cheap one for those days that I have left my good caulking gun at another job, and need one for something that came up. I keep a tool box with different types of caulking in it and both caulking guns, and a couple of spray paint caps that hold water in the back of my truck all the time.

I dropped my last good caulking gun off of a ladder and broke off the handle. I decided to try Amazon for one that might be better then what I already had and I have this one now. Newborn 93-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun with Gator Trigger Comfort Grip, 1/1 Gallon Cartridge, 1:1 Thrust Ratio - Caulk Gun - Amazon.com

It's as good as the ones I have bought at Home Depot and Lowes. I don't think it's any better, or any worse. I'll keep using it until I destroy it, or lose it, and then buy another, or if I'm close to one of the box stores, buy their most expensive model.

 

[i7win7]

12v Milwaukee, even backs off on trigger release

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwauk...1-1-5Ah-Battery-and-Charger-2444-21/203639365

 

[downsizingnow48]

I've got a bunch of the cheap ones. Nothing wrong with them, I mean we've all used them for years. Also got the Newborn gun, that is definitely a step up. I recently put new shiplap siding on all the buildings and have about a million miles of caulking to do. For that I got the Makita cordless caulk gun. It is not cheap but does a very fast clean job and easy on your squeezing hand.

 

[bigtiller]

I've got a bunch of the cheap ones. Nothing wrong with them, I mean we've all used them for years. Also got the Newborn gun, that is definitely a step up. I recently put new shiplap siding on all the buildings and have about a million miles of caulking to do. For that I got the Makita cordless caulk gun. It is not cheap but does a very fast clean job and easy on your squeezing hand.

I bought the same one years ago when sealing my driveway. The caulking I bought must have been on the shelf for a while because the first quarter of the 10 ounce tube was very difficult to squeeze out of a manual caulk gun. But the Makita just spit it out easily.

 

[ponytug]

I have a nice hexagonal drive gun and a few cheapies. Not a huge difference to me.

For big projects, I go with a compressed air caulking gun. No hand fatigue and you can really rip. I bought one to redo the caulk on the roof of an RV that had a specialty caulk that was self leveling, but high viscosity. One tube was enough to wear out my hand strength. With an air gun, it was done in less than an hour, super easily.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

Another vote for the box store ones. I have a couple I've had close to 40 years and still work fine. Yeah, the cheapest one is cheap for a reason, but for most of us one of the mid-priced ones is just fine. The biggest problem I have with them is when I don't use a whole tube but leave the partial in the gun, then it sits for a year or so. Sometimes the cartridge will ooze a bit and glue itself in place.

Eddie, thanks for the tip about the cup of water, I'll have to try that next time.

 

[wngsprd]

I use the finger in the cup of water that Eddie mentioned. But I found that my finger "wears out" after a while, so started using this tool and really like it. The rubber triangle can be repositioned to give a wider to narrower pressure on the caulk. I wet it, too. The other end rips out old caulk real fast.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Allway-Caulk-Applicator-Tool/50427894

 

[Vaquero]

Ryobi 18 volt.

 

[bunyip]

I have used washing up liquid instead of water as it gives a smooth finish and slides/glides easily, clean up after the caulk has dried, use mainly for silicon based gap filler on shelving.