Quality grease guns?

[roger55]

I'm fighting with an air powered grease gun that I've had it with. It never worked very well and it's hardly working at all now.

I bought it in a kit at Sam's several years ago and it came with a manual pump one as well. The manual one got tossed a while back since it didn't work. Again, it never worked very well either.

It seems like I've never had good luck with grease guns over the years (air or manual). I had a few manual ones that I got at Napa and they would work OK for a while and then not so good.

I'd like to get a new one (or 2 if I get a new manual one and air powered one). I'd like to get the best pro quality one I can get. I'm tired of having trouble with grease guns. And we all know how messy and frustrating this gets fiddling with them.

What's the best?
Advice?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[peterbilr98]

I would go with the 18V Lincoln electric very good have used mine 3to4 days aweek for the last 4 years not a minutes problem had to swap one battery that would not charge that was from new they just gave me a new one before that I had the 12V version used it for years still have it for back up

 

[adcrawfo]

We have a couple Lincoln's at work and so far they've been hit or miss. If you get a good one they work absolutely awesome, but get a bad one and your up a crick. These would be air operated btw. Also with the air ones we've found the best way to reload them is to put the new cartridge in, take the hose off and prime it, then put the hose back on. We were having problems getting air lock with them and so far it's seemed to cure the problem.

 

[Monte]

Pressol + Mato

 

[amolaver]

another bump for lincoln. i went through 3 or 4 cheapies, a craftsman 'pro' air, and finally bought the lincoln air. the problem always became reloading them - they would get air bound and i could not get them primed. the craftsman had the bleeder explode - POS.

there was another thread on grease guns where the alemite was highly recommended for a manual gun. i have SEPTLS025500E / 025-500-E as a part number - about $40 through amazon. no firsthand experience, but lots of people seemed happy with them.

ahm

 

[TozziWelding]

Buy a Lincoln.

 

[SwampCat]

X 2 on the Alemite. From someone who uses a grease gun DAILY.

 

[zmotorsports]

We use an Alemite bulk grease gun at work. It works awesome but it does come with a much higher price tag than others.

At my home shop I have had good luck with the manual and battery powered Lincoln.

Mike.

 

[I can fix anything]

Buy a Lincoln.

Agreed

 

[roger55]

Thanks guys.
I think I'll look at getting a manual and/or an air powered. I like the convenience of that cordless but I don't use one often enough and I'd be worried that the batteries wouldn't be good after sitting for a long period of time.

Anyone heard of the Plews&Edlemann brand? I found them searching online and they say theirs are professional quality.

 

[heathen]

As another guy who uses a grease gun daily I'd go for Alemite also.

 

[roger55]

I think I'll order one today.

For a manual lever model I'm looking at the Lincoln 1148 and the Alemite 500.

They're very close in price. (In the low $30s and I expected they'd be more).

Not sure which way to go. Anyone used both?

 

[plinker]

I've had a Lincoln 1162 penumatic grease gun for about three years, very little trouble with it. They are around 65-$ at Tooltopia, IIRC.
Well worth it, IMO. I replaced the trigger o-ring once in it (not hard to swap out).

I have used the cordless lincoln's a couple of times, they work nice but are kinda heavy, but thats a trade off for no air hose.

Last month I bought a Lincoln lever gun (not sure which model) works like it should. I dont use the manual guns as much as my air gun.

 

[roger55]

I've had a Lincoln 1162 penumatic grease gun for about three years, very little trouble with it. They are around 65-$ at Tooltopia, IIRC.
Well worth it, IMO. I replaced the trigger o-ring once in it (not hard to swap out).

Wow, that one sure gets good reviews on Amazon. It's $71.64 but has free shipping. That ends up less than Tooltopia. I'm thinking about going for that one as well as a lever type.

 

[roger55]

Another related question:

If I want to get a container of grease to load the guns instead of using cartridges, where's the best to get that and what kind for general automotive use? Are there quarts or gallons? I don't want a bucket or drum. I don't need that much.

I think I'll need to order it. I don't picture anyone having bulk grease in San Angelo. But, I'm not positive about that.

I'm thinking I'll get that Lincoln 1162 air powered one. I'm still on the fence about the Lincoln or Alemite lever model.

 

[vreds]

I have a 12v cordless lincoln.

The only thing I hate about a cordless is that once you have one, it is hard to keep because all my coworker keep borrowing me the beast.

I will probably go with a 18v version next time.

 

[matthew]

Out on my uncles farm we used a lot of John Deere manual grease guns. They were durable and fairly economical, and were readily available from the local JD dealer. All of that makes sense given how much grease you can go through on the farm...

...for cordless electric the Alemite tended to outlast the Lincoln, but YMMV. Definitely the electric gets the most use these days.

 

[caper]

Our shop provides Lincolns-about 1 per tech every 3-4 mths.They bypass huge amounts of grease past the follower so when you pull the rod out to change a cartridge you get a huge mess.And yes I know the rubber gasket is reversible for cartridges and bulk filling-it makes no difference.They got tired of buying 30 grease guns a year and recently bought us rechargable Milwaukee guns.So far they're great as long as you change the cartridge as soon as it empties or they air lock. After 20 yrs of greasing off road and forestry equipment daily,often going through a case of grease a day my favorite is an Alemite. They last longer and work better than anything else I've used,and I've pumped a lot of grease through a lot of different guns.

 

[bobcatdan]

My cordless John Deere (alemite) is way faster then the shop's Lincoln. The Lincoln is not a bad gun, it's just so damn slow compared mine. Also I hate that messy overload vavle on the Lincoln, when half the machine you grease havn't been geased in 300hr since you serviced it last, nothing takes grease. The Alemite just stalls, if that was going to wreck it, it would have burnt up years ago.

 

[roger55]

My cordless John Deere (alemite) is way faster then the shop's Lincoln. The Lincoln is not a bad gun, it's just so damn slow compared mine. Also I hate that messy overload vavle on the Lincoln, when half the machine you grease havn't been geased in 300hr since you serviced it last, nothing takes grease. The Alemite just stalls, if that was going to wreck it, it would have burnt up years ago.

Electrics, lever or air?

 

[Virgil Cain]

Thanks guys.
I think I'll look at getting a manual and/or an air powered. I like the convenience of that cordless but I don't use one often enough and I'd be worried that the batteries wouldn't be good after sitting for a long period of time.

Anyone heard of the Plews&Edlemann brand? I found them searching online and they say theirs are professional quality.

I think you're smart to stay away from the cordless guns since you're a very occasional user. They're great for guys working in a shop, but for someone that going to use them three or four times a year, the batteries are going to be a real problem. Air or manual makes the most sense for someone in your situation.

 

[roger55]

Our shop provides Lincolns-about 1 per tech every 3-4 mths.They bypass huge amounts of grease past the follower so when you pull the rod out to change a cartridge you get a huge mess.

That doesn't sound good. Sure no complaints about that from the 20+ Amazon reviews of the pneumatic Lincoln.

Maybe I should just get the Alemite manual and get both the rigid pipe and hose for it.

 

[roger55]

I ordered a Alemite 500. The lever model and rigid pipe. It seemed like a no-brainer to get that one for only $32 delivered.

Still thinking about that Lincoln 1162 pneumatic. I really haven't seen a bad review on it yet with all the searching I've done.

 

[Tim Cowan]

I use an Alemite 500 with a whip hose, no problem. I also fill with a 5 gallon bulk pail of grease. Just a little messy to reload, but you can't very well do "greasen" in Sunday clothes. Just keep a throw-away rag handy and wash your hands when you finish.

 

[roger55]

I use an Alemite 500 with a whip hose, no problem. I also fill with a 5 gallon bulk pail of grease. Just a little messy to reload, but you can't very well do "greasen" in Sunday clothes. Just keep a throw-away rag handy and wash your hands when you finish.

I just looked at the price of getting a hose and fitting for the 500 I just bought. Very strange. I can buy the 500-E grease gun (hose version) cheaper than I can get the hose and fitting itself!

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

John Deere pistol grip. No problems.

 

[roger55]

I got my Alemite delivered yesterday.

Wow. It feels very good quality. Very solid.
I loaded it with a Mobil 1 synthetic grease cartridge and it bled with just a few pumps.

It came with a personally signed inspection card that proudly states that it was Made In the USA.

I think I'm gonna like this!

 

[cashishift]

I got my Alemite delivered yesterday.

Wow. It feels very good quality. Very solid.
I loaded it with a Mobil 1 synthetic grease cartridge and it bled with just a few pumps.

It came with a personally signed inspection card that proudly states that it was Made In the USA.

I think I'm gonna like this!

All the ones on Amazon people are stating they are made in China now..

 

[roger55]

All the ones on Amazon people are stating they are made in China now..

I say that is not correct.
The personally signed card in my box says "I build Alemite Products with pride in Johnson City, Tennessee."

 

[cashishift]

I say that is not correct.
The personally signed card in my box says "I build Alemite Products with pride in Johnson City, Tennessee."

I suppose it's possible that the 555-E is made in China...

I need a flexible hose on mine.

 

[Teal Jay]

Purchased an Alemite 1056-SE4 from MSC on 8/26/11, handle is stamped "Made in USA". Gun is very beefy, much more so than the POS store brand it's replacing.

 

[roger55]

So my Alemite is working well.

But---

Where and how do you guys store your grease guns so it's not messy.

I bought Mobil 1 synthetic grease cartridges for it but oil separates out of the grease and drips from the gun.

I figured this would be about the best grease I could buy but it separates just like all the other greases I've ever used.

 

[sberry]

I think you're smart to stay away from the cordless guns since you're a very occasional user. They're great for guys working in a shop, but for someone that going to use them three or four times a year, the batteries are going to be a real problem. Air or manual makes the most sense for someone in your situation.

Agreed, and bulk grease is no deal either, I wouldn't want the hassle unless I was a daily user.

 

[sberry]

In a garbage can usually.

 

[-->]

In a garbage can usually.

Yeah they always leak. Somebody should have mentioned that there are mini guns available as well, if you dont want one with a fullsize cartridge. They sell holders for them but most of the guys I work with just use a plastic bag. Also, you can find an old crappy toolbox to keep them in. Thats what I do, and line the bottom with rags to catch the drips.

Edit: good buy with that alemite 500. That's the one I would have suggested. I still have one from the 70's kicking around somewhere.

 

[Davefr]

So my Alemite is working well.

But---

Where and how do you guys store your grease guns so it's not messy.

Pull the plunger out to store it so it's not under pressure

 

[roger55]

All good ideas. Thanks guys.

I guess there must not be a grease made that doesn't separate or you guys would have found it by now. I like the idea of the Mobil 1 synthetic though.

I'll find a place to put it so it doesn't make a mess. Maybe a can or a bucket but I can't justify the space of a garbage can for one grease gun though.

I'll try pulling the plunger. That sounds like it makes sense.

 

[vssjim]

Can't miss with Alemite products, Lincoln you never know as they have been bought and sold so many times over the last few years.

 

[cundifc]

I have the 12 volt and the 18 volt Lincoln. I would never buy anything else but another Lincoln.

 

[Monte]