High thrust caulking gun... Mistake?

[mike93lx]

So I bought a tool without thinking about it too much... Yeah a shocker to this group.

I have a cheap quart caulking gun that works as well as cheap guns usually work. I have a project coming up that will require dispensing 12 quart tubes in short order. I couldn't justify a powered gun, so I bought a high quality JES. I grabbed the 26:1 instead of the 12: thinking more power must be better. It seems very nice, but I realized when opening it that high thrust means short travel...

Side by side, my cheap one looks like about 2x the travel, so probably close to 12:1

Which is the right answer? Not sure I could get the 12:1 by the time I need it Saturday, so it may not matter, but I figured I should ask anyway. The material won't be all that cold but I don't know how soft it is (green glue).

 

[barnonline]

Unless you are usually using a soft caulk/a thick bead I personally prefer a high thrust gun for allround use.

I prefer the situation where I do a lot of fast easy squeezes with a high thrust + soft caulk than the opposite scenario with very hard squeezes with a low thrust + hard caulk

 

[matt_i]

Setup a hot box (space heater or 100W incandescent in a cardboard/plywood/cooler) and get the stuff warmed up and it will flow. I havent' found anything that didn't flow noticeably better at 90-100F.

A cordless/Li-ion battery caulking gun will outdo any human when it comes to dispensing.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Just usee the 26:1 gun, you end up having more control of the bead that way anyway...

 

[mike93lx]

This is a situation where control isn't the concern. I just need to get 2 tubes of glue spread on each sheet of drywall. Speed is probably most important, but I was thinking the high thrust would be easier on my wrist and forearms.

I think the high thrust will be useful for subfloor, which was why I bought a guart gun in the first place.

Plus the JES just feels like a high quality tool. Cast handle and the barrel feels very strong

 

[mike93lx]

Well, the gun worked great, but so did my cheap one. Green glue is really thin. It was helpful to have a second gun anyway as I had a buddy helping.

On one of the tubes, I didn't cut all the way through the nozzle and the high thrust gun had no problem blowing out the back of the tube. A lot of power with that gun.

Either way, the JES is really high quality. A little heavy, but very well. Built