Seems I'm always fighting a losing battle with grease guns. The only dependable one I've got was purchased in the sixties. All the recent ones seem to have issues. I doubt there's any reason to bore y'all with the details. The question really is: Where are the good grease guns? What kind of grease gun have you bought that you like?
Ideally I like to have a few with different kinds of grease for different requirements. Three is about right. Maybe a fourth so I can have both a flexible hose and a rigid snout for regular grease. Then you get into the pistol vs. lever question.
Where are you finding dependable grease guns?
(My favorite malfunction is the plunger that comes unlocked when you're putting in a new cartridge. The plunger releases itself just after you've inserted a new cartridge and ejects most of the grease. Fun.)
Here is a topic that ran a couple of years ago:
Equipment... Grease Gun Recommendation in Forestry and Logging (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=84513.msg1291969#msg1291969)
That's a good discussion on powered grease guns. I haven't felt the need to go powered, but maybe I should re-think that. For the most part, hand-powered works for my needs if I just had dependable guns.
The Dewalt 20V with a Lock-N-Lube on the end is some hard to beat. Frozen zerks are not a problem, hard to reach spots you don't need two hands on the gun itself, the hose does not fall off. Worth the money. You get more grease into the zerk and less on you, more than I can say for all the old fashioned ones I have had.
btulloh, I feel your pain. I have four grease guns, only one of which I purchased. None work especially well.
I got 30 years out of my first Alemite, and replaced it with a 2 speed Alemite earlier this year. It has a lock and lube coupler on it and a pistol grip. Works great.
I've had a 12V Lincoln for about 10 years and also like it. No issues with it whatsoever. Only had to replace the battery once.
Southside have had 2 zerks that my dewalt 20v wont overcome so far.
Otherwise it is great.
Locknlube on it too.
Quote from: btulloh on September 26, 2018, 09:32:03 AMI haven't felt the need to go powered
I have not either. I have a regular sized pistol grip at the farm but I do not remember what brand it is. I use a small Lucas pistol grip on the sawmill.
I used use a pneumatic gun for years but it would occasionally do more damage than good, blowing seals out. I don't use it anymore. I use maybe three or four cases of grease a year, so I use a decent amount of grease, but not overly so.
I also highly recommend the LockNLube tip already mentioned. I now have a favorite, with a cam lock plunger, and it's been refitted with a flex hose and also the spring lever locking tip that opens like a clam, then locks on the zerk. It will reach most any place, and won't pop off. To release, just press the lever, and no more pulled out fittings. No more wasting grease where the tip won't seal, and no more having to adjust tips for worn down zerks. I got the thing at our local farmers COOP and when I questioned if it was any good, the guy said "You'll like it". I do. It's a LockNLube and cost more than my grease gun, $30. Teamed with a flex hose, it's the only gun I reach for now. No more bending over and pumping a gun. It's that good.
https://locknlube.com/products/locknlube-grease-coupler (https://locknlube.com/products/locknlube-grease-coupler)
One of the main problems I've had with grease guns is that they won't prime. That's very frustrating. I've been using a Milwaukee 18v for the last 2 years, it's been a great gun and always primes quickly after putting in a fresh tube. However, it quit working a few weeks ago (power issue of some sort, could be as simple as the battery). I'll know when I getit back from the repair shop.
Hello. I have been in your shoes, most grease guns are crap. Until i found the alemite with the lock and lube tip. You don't need to look further. Here's the link. Hope it works
well that did'nt work
Great info. Thanks .
Looks like the alemite plus the locknlube tip is what i need . If i add that to what i have on hand i should be in good shape . I really like the idea of that locknlube tip .It should work in 90% of the situations and i have plenty of tips to cover the rest.
If a zerk gets plugged, i usually just replace it. Zerk assortment is my best friend .Thought about getting one of those little zerk buster things you tap with a hammer, but I've been getting along ok without it.
Good info .Thanks for the replies.
Years ago, I actually dumped an assortment of sae and metric grease zerks on the floor... simultaneously. They mixed up nicely. That was brilliant!
One nice thing about the cordless grease guns is that your hands don't hurt as much if you have the onset of arthritis.
I probably have at least a half dozen all lever action .Most have zert fittings and two have button head Alemite oil fittings for track rollers on bulldozers ,3/8" and 1/2" .
After I saw this video I had to apologize to my son for failing him as a parent, as it solves the most common issue I have ever had with grease guns.
How to bleed a grease gun every time! - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaMEfwDtJzQ)
And here I was hoping for some magic formula for doing this.
Informative tho for those great unwashed who do not have a clue.
Like him I sure dont know everything just like batman.
He made an observation to Robin about something and Robin responded gee batman is ther anything you dont know?
Batman replied why yes robin as a matter of fact several things.
Quote from: 62oliver on September 28, 2018, 07:26:37 AM
After I saw this video I had to apologize to my son for failing him as a parent, as it solves the most common issue I have ever had with grease guns.
How to bleed a grease gun every time! - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaMEfwDtJzQ)
An old timer showed me that tip about 12 years back. Sure solved a lot of frustrations and works great.
After years of greasing old farm equipment, and some newer using the old design type grease guns (I have 6 or more), most lever handle and one pistol grip handle I recently bought a Lube Shuttle. It is a new design, but requires their grease cartridges. So far I love it. There is no plunger. The tube is threaded on the business end and you just push on a sliding follower to bring some grease up out of the top slightly, then screw the cartridge on. Then a steel tube screws on to protect the plastic grease cartridge. No bleeding needed and so far I've only used 4 or 5 tubes but all emptied completely, then changing was neat and painless, no bleeding and I was back at greasing again. I have a lock n lube coupler, but the threads are slightly different and I just ordered a locking coupler for the grease Shuttle (metric threads). The Lube Shuttle is made in Germany, Best grease gun ever.
My favoritebgrease gun was a blue lincoln with a rigid tube,worked everytime and always primed on a new tube.lent it to a friend with backhoe and he returned a new in box grease gun,said he ran over mine by accident.,new one was piece of junk.never lent that guy another tool.
I use a 18 volt now which I find much easier to grease the tractor and backhoe with arthritis and no wind anymore. Only thing I dont like about it is the rubber hose thats seems to strike you like a cobra if its full of grease,everytime especially if your not wearing coveralls :( :( :( :(
Either the Lincoln lithium ion gun or the DeWalt 20v will leave you pleased, I held out for awhile but then realized how much time they save and also getting grease into places better. On a side note pnuematic grease guns are awesome, just they can make a mess real quick! Used to use one hooked up to a 15 gallon pale of grease in the back of a service truck, if you cranked the volume and air you could shoot a was of grease across a parking lot..... Not that anyone would do such a thing... Or at co-workers...
Quote from: YellowHammer on September 26, 2018, 02:53:12 PM
It's a LockNLube and cost more than my grease gun, $30. Teamed with a flex hose, it's the only gun I reach for now. No more bending over and pumping a gun. It's that good.
https://locknlube.com/products/locknlube-grease-coupler (https://locknlube.com/products/locknlube-grease-coupler)
Thanks for info. Ordered one, and gave forestyforum as where I learned about it. I suggest all members do that when they order a product
that they learned about on the forum. May help Jeff sometime with adding sponsors.
I received my Lube shuttle locking coupler. It seems to lock on extremely well but is harder to get to engage than the Lock N Lube one. On the other hand, it is slightly smaller outside diameter and thus fits in some tight places better. At any rate, I really like the Lube Shuttle grease gun. It however is pricey at just under $60 U.S. about 3 months ago. It's the first gun I ever owned that was easy to bleed the air out to get it primed. It however is not USA made, it comes from Germany.
I have a couple Lincoln grease guns, one regular and one pistol grip. Both work well, the only problem I've had is priming them when I add a new tube of grease. I've found that removing the hose is all they need to prime them when they get air locked.
Woodcutter, Happy Birthday 🎂!
Had a powered Lincoln and Milwaukee, love Lincoln and have never had an issue getting it primed.
No way do I have enough grease gun use to justify a powered gun but I had grown weary of trying to hold the grease gun nozzle with one hand and pump with the other. I even tried the one handed pistol grip but that did not work either.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/20011/IMG_8748.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1607914656)
I was at the farm this weekend and got an opportunity to try out my new Lincoln 1147 and the Lock-N-Lube. I must say that I now have a winning combination. The Lock-N-Lube stays exactly where it is placed on the Zerk and the 1147 handle gun packs the punch. Away with the old one hand squeeze gun.
That's the same combo I ended up with and it's been working fine for me. Not sexy, not powered, but gets the job done with no hassles. Can't make the rt angle adapter I got work though.
Life is smoother with a grease gun that works. Glad you found a winner MM.
I would have to count them, to remember how many I have, but almost all are Alemite's. I got tired of replacing the cheap ones, and replaced them all with new Alemite's.
The one single purpose one is for greasing the front end of the dually. It's a single hand pump one, with a four foot hose, so I can get it up over front end parts to come down on one that's in a hard to get to place.
Some have the locking end, but some don't, like the close quarters right angled one.
Then, there's the one for cornhead grease, for gearboxes, that doesn't have an end on it.
I like to have a grease gun on every machine. The best ones I have are older blue Lincolns. Those 2 have thick L.E. synthetic grease [not cheap] in them. One stays on the log picker the other in the sawmill. Others are in holders on tractors. I have been buying the cheap black ones from tractor supply with no problems yet.
I was fighting getting my grease gun to prime. Bought a milwaukee and love it. Than I discovered grease tubes need to be stored upright in order to prevent air pocket when installed in gun. Old gun worked great after all when grease is stored properly.
Changed oil in the new to me F-450, and it has zerks that are hard to connect to, like need a opening on the side of your typical grease gun end. Anybody have a solution for it? 4x4 truck
I use the 18 volt dewalt like the guy in the video shows.....I would hate to do with out it. Hold the end on the alimite and hold down the trigger. I fill mine out of a 55 gal. barrel of grease that was in a semi trailer I bought years ago. Ill never run out of grease. Tim
You can buy those side open grease deploying thingys. TSC sells them. I have a long needle that works for hard to reach ones too, snaps into my Loc-N-Lube to hold it securely then just put the tip into the detent.
Quote from: farmfromkansas on December 19, 2020, 08:52:41 PMlike need a opening on the side of your typical grease gun end.
Try this: 90° Coupler (https://www.amazon.com/Slippery-Pete-Degree-Coupler-Fittings/dp/B083M95QX5/ref=pd_lpo_469_t_2/134-4590079-1982915?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B083M95QX5&pd_rd_r=f07348ac-8293-4d47-b86f-582fcd5bba7b&pd_rd_w=3BllX&pd_rd_wg=HkMCS&pf_rd_p=7b36d496-f366-4631-94d3-61b87b52511b&pf_rd_r=K7XRXM3MAJ3ES528T125&psc=1&refRID=K7XRXM3MAJ3ES528T125)
Or this: Lincoln 5883 Slotted-Coupler (https://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Lubrication-5883-Slotted-Coupler/dp/B000G76OMA/ref=pd_bxgy_3/134-4590079-1982915?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000G76OMA&pd_rd_r=dcbb84e2-8fdc-4fdf-8511-139228378a70&pd_rd_w=hIXnF&pd_rd_wg=3A8vs&pf_rd_p=f325d01c-4658-4593-be83-3e12ca663f0e&pf_rd_r=2KJ4RDAESWGDB5ERWA24&psc=1&refRID=2KJ4RDAESWGDB5ERWA24)
Magic is on it👆👆 I have the Lincoln side opening one, it works well for some of those impossible to get to zerks.
The slotted nozzle has to stay on the grease gun whereas the 90° is simply an adapter that couples to the existing nozzle/LockNLube.