Grease gun Conundrum

[antman213]

I have cordless grease gun, its great. but I have an issue that I can't find a solution to.

How do you change the grease cartridge in a grease gun if the grease tube is still full or half full??
For example, lets say I have some EP grease or purpose specific grease in the gun, and I want to use the gun with some basic bearing grease.
Without having a 2nd gun or maybe a 2nd plunger tube am I SOL??

Also, does anyone know of thread on caps for grease gun plunger tube? This way if I do swap tubes I can cap the one not being used?

 

[mcbane]

No way that I know. Even if you could swap tubes easily you would be cross contaminating greases in the pump mechanism.

I use a m18 cordless grease gun with grease suitable for 95% of what needs greasing and use my old hand pumps for moly grease for those few zerks needing special grease.

 

[jrsavoie]

For many things I prefer the hand pumper. I can not tell how much grease pressure is being excerted by the electric grease gun. Andvfear blowing out seals

 

[AldeanFan]

You can’t change the tubes,
This is why I have two grease guns.

The only suitable garbage journal solution is buy more tools!

 

[firebirdparts]

You have to have 2 grease guns. It has always been thus.

 

[bwringer]

MORE GREASE GUNS!

Unless you want to waste a bunch of grease, rags, solvent, and an hour or two...

But most people just standardize. The most-used grease in your garage goes in the fancy-schmancy grease gun, and the lesser-used glop(s) in hand-pumped grease gun(s).

 

[jack stand]

Only 2?
I use;
Flexible hose med length
" '' long
Needle tip "gun"
Side tip
Rigid
Pistol pump (one hand)
Lock and lube and 1 air operated.

 

[jrsavoie]

You have to have 2 grease guns. It has always been thus.

I thought sure it was at least 7

 

[FredWanaker]

you can change a manual by pulling the handle back, unscrewing the head and pulling the tube. Then you have to clean it, put the new tube in and flush it. The cost of the lost grease every time you do it adds up to more than a second gun. The problem I always have is if I don't use the contents quick enough the oil in the grease separates and leaks out onto everything, regardless the quality of the grease I buy.

 

[andyvh1959]

Comment about the pressure a grease gun can generate: a LOT more than you'd think possible. I worked on grease whip hose for Imperial-Eastman back in the late 90s, to create a new grease hose for Lincoln. Lincoln gave me a battery pack powered grease gun for testing. When I dead-headed it into a pressure gauge with a full 18v battery charge the pressure was over 6,000 psi easily. A dead headed quality brand hand lever grease gun could achieve 3,000 psi. Be VERY careful with whip hoses on grease guns, the most dangerous part is where your hand/palm is holding the end of the grease hose onto the Zerk. Best practice it to NOT have your hand anywhere near the grease coupler when pumping grease into a zerk. 300 psi grease in a very small stream WILL pierce your hand flesh deeply, right through a safety glove. If you ever experience an oil/grease/paint injection into your flesh IMMEDIATELY get to a deep flesh wound hand specialist. Topical solutions, antibiotics will do nothing for you. The fluid/grease MUST be removed within 24 hours max or you will loose serious amounts of flesh by amputation.

 

[Jlarson]

I run our main grease, usually red lithium high temp, in my air gun and then a different flavor like electric motor bearing in a hand gun.

 

[CN Spots]

There's different greases?

oh ****

 

[andyvh1959]

Oh thanks a lot, now I had to search that in the net:

Grease 101: Different Grease Types and When to Use Them

www.valvoline.com

 

[dzahm]

If you ever experience an oil/grease/paint injection into your flesh IMMEDIATELY get to a deep flesh wound hand specialist. Topical solutions, antibiotics will do nothing for you. The fluid/grease MUST be removed within 24 hours max or you will loose serious amounts of flesh by amputation.

This is very good (safety) information- so i quoted it so it would stand out a little more- Also goes for hydraulic fluid (maybe even more so re: loss of flesh/hand/arm etc)

 

[nadogail]

I have one grease gun, it is pneumatic. I buy a good reliable grease and use it on a Zerk Fittings. I also have a can of white lithium grease for some applications, including the garage door opener.

 

[rburke65]

Not my field of expertise but I find it hard to believe that mixing grease would harm a wear pin or a joint on a mower, back hoe, etc. As always, just my opinion

 

[Jlarson]

This is very good (safety) information- so i quoted it so it would stand out a little more- Also goes for hydraulic fluid (maybe even more so re: loss of flesh/hand/arm etc)

Anyone that works around hydraulic equipment should really know about fluid injection injuries, and also that a lot of medical types don't.

Not my field of expertise but I find it hard to believe that mixing grease would harm a wear pin or a joint on a mower, back hoe, etc. As always, just my opinion

The base oils and thickeners (additives too) have to be compatible or you can make problems for your self. Mix the wrong greases and you can be left with a thick mess with no lubricating properties left in your joint or bearing.

 

[andyvh1959]

I started a thread named Fluid Injection Injury which has a lot more discussion on the subject.

 

[joe_padavano]

Only 2?
I use;
Flexible hose med length
" '' long
Needle tip "gun"
Side tip
Rigid
Pistol pump (one hand)
Lock and lube and 1 air operated.

This is about where I am now.

 

[Lassen Forge]

This is the first time I've heard anyone advocate "only 2" of anything...

If you've gathered nothing else from GJ, where one tool will do, then 5 MUST be better...

On to seriousness, however, the cost of a hand pump greasegun is relatively cheap... wall hanger space is (normally) not an issue... the risk of x-contamination of grease, OTOH, can be the cause of bearing failure.

I have... let me see... 4 different hand pumpers (someday I'll get a cool battery pumper), each with their own individual greases from gooey red to waterproof blue... I also have separate pots and tubes of specialty grease from Shin-etsu "toothpaste tubes" to chainsaw bar bearing pumps to cup grease to... um...

I could be more descriptive, but this is a slippery slope...