Milwaukee M18 Grease Gun Clear Barrel - Thoughts?

[mopac01]

So I've got the M18 Grease Gun. I only use it occasionally on my vehicles and compact tractor. So it's easy to loose track of where I'm at on grease as a tube can last me a really long as with every newer vehicle I have fewer zerk fittings on it.

I stumbled on the clear barrel for this grease gun. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products-Repository/North-America/Accessories/Miscellaneous/Applicators/49-16-2646 Since I typically buy grease in tubes and if this thing accepted a tube I'm guessing that would kinda defeat the purpose. So I could see this being useful for folks that bought grease in bulk. But does anyone use it with tubes - and if so, is it just a hassle to get the grease from the tube into the clear barrel without a giant mess?

Or should I "just say no" to the clear barrel if I'm not buying grease in bulk? (I know the standard metal barrel has 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 markings on the plunger.)

 

[GCS]

Normally the clear grease tube barrel allows a grease tube to be inserted.

The purpose is to be able to either see what type grease or expiration date of grease tube installed.


To check the amount of grease in a gun just pull the plunger rod out until it stops.
The exposed rod shows the amount of grease available.

 

[mike93lx]

If you have marking on the barrel, why not just use them?

 

[mopac01]

If you have marking on the barrel, why not just use them?

One type of grease I use is really light and it's harder to see on the rod when you pull it out. Plus I don't always remember what I last loaded in the gun since I only use it occasionally, so I was hoping this would solve that problem since I could see the tube.

I wound up calling Milwaukee tech support and they confirmed this is only meant for bulk load. So it's not quite large enough diameter to get a tube in. And that answers the question for me - it won't work for what I want.

 

[GCS]

One type of grease I use is really light and it's harder to see on the rod when you pull it out.


Being able to see the grease on the plunger rod is irrelevent.

If the plunger rod is disconnected from the plunger (free wheeling),and you pull back on the rod, that's how much grease is left in the tube or grease barrel.

If you have 6" of rod exposed, you have 6" of grease left in the barrel or tube.
If you have 2" of rod exposed, you have 2" of grease left in the barrel or tube.

Knowing what type of grease that is in the gun is a whole other thing.
You could simply mark the gun.