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Power Caulk Guns..WHY so expensive?!

madmikeee

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Feb 20, 2011
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322
Location
MA
I have some upcoming projects that will require some significant caulking and being of the mindset of working smarter not harder I started looking into powered caulking guns....HOLY ****!!!!:scared:

Seriously, 300 bucks?!?!!? When I can pick up a decent manual one for 10??!?! (I have 4 already just using that as an example)

I mean it's not like it's this super complex heavy duty thing that would necessitate that price tag.

Obviously I will be using the manual ones but just wondering WHY?? Anyone have any insight?
 
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HCNDM

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Oct 20, 2015
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Netherlands (tiny little country in western Europe
I have wondered the same.... I saw a Makita powered version for the first time a few years ago and thought: great, no more aching fingers.

Then I saw the price tag and figured my fingers could ache some more.

I see you have a little more choice out in the USA:


http://m.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-ONE-18-Volt-Power-Caulk-and-Adhesive-Gun-Tool-Only-P310G/205648767

You'd still have to get a charger batteries etc and I have no clue what the quality is like as ryobi isn't readily available here.

Still a lot cheaper than the 200 euro Makita without batteries.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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madmikeee

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Feb 20, 2011
Messages
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Location
MA
Our ryobi is flawless.
I think it was 39 bucks.

Have a part number??

I have to say that would be the most inexpensive one I have ever seen as the cheapest one I have seen was 150 and it had **** reviews.

EDIT, Scratch that, the link above had it.

THANKS!!
 

rlitman

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Oct 18, 2010
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24,576
Location
Long Island
I picked up a Milwaukee M18 used on eBay for a little over $100.
I wanted it for one specific job. Replacing a windshield.

Don't get me wrong, it's an excellent tool for caulking. You can get a ripple free bead, and the auto-reverse makes it absolutely drip free. But I'd be fine with a quality manual caulk gun for 99% of what I need it for. However, with urethane windshield sealant, especially in cooler weather, it's damn near impossible to dispense by hand. Even if you have the hand strength, ripples and waves in your caulk line can lead to leaks, and I don't want to be fighting the tool while making a perfect bead.

The M18 caulk gun has 900 lbs of pushing force behind it. The M12 would be sufficient for any normal caulk with 400 lbs of force, and both are completely controllable with regards to speed. You can start a bead, and follow it around, and never stop or slow down. With a hand powered caulk gun, you need to stop with each time you release the lever and start a new squeeze.

I'd actually recommend the M12 over the M18 unless you need the extra power. The M18 is seriously heavy, even with the small battery on it.

That Ryobi has a variable speed selector, but does it have a variable speed trigger like the Milwaukee? The Milwaukee auto-reverse is AMAZING. You just have to get used to not releasing the trigger by accident or it can get annoying.
 
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MoonRise

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Nov 5, 2010
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NJ
THought of that but the thought of dragging my pancake compressor all over the house very much negates the whole idea of "work smarter not harder :) )

Just how big of a house do you have that a maybe 50 ft long air hose can't reach all or most of? :spit:

Put pancake compressor in the 'middle' of the house, 25 ft to one side and 25 ft to the other. Still have 25 ft of air hose to go around things and such. :headscrat

Second floor? Do first floor and then move compressor upstairs somewhere in the 'middle' and repeat.

:thumbup:
 
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Regnar

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Oct 9, 2010
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461
My pancake compressor never leaves the garage. 100ft of 1/4 air hose is only 20.00 bucks when on sale. Allows me to do everything in my house when attached to the 50ft of 3/8 hose reel. Just saying I dont like listening to compressors in the house.
 
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madmikeee

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Feb 20, 2011
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322
Location
MA
My compressor is in the basement but yeah, I suppose I could just go out and buy more hose...Still not as convenient as a cordless but for the cost a nice happy medium
 

Ole Slewfoot

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Feb 22, 2016
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Freedom, CA
No this is an expensive power caulk gun
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ADSR

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Jan 12, 2013
Messages
10,713
Because an air hose could be considered a cord

No, A hose it a hose. A cord is solid with strands.

Edit, You might be on to something. A umbilical cord is like a hose and not really like a cord.

Hmmm....
 
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