Selecting the Right Caulk Gun

[quadrcr87]

For the past 10 years I have been using my Dripless Inc. CH200 for all of my caulking needs. This includes silicone, glue, interior trim, exterior OSI Quad, construction adhesive and even mortar repair caulk. It has served me well but I recently started looking for a 2nd gun to dedicate for clean interior work. My old CH200 has about 1/4" of buildup of various layers of material and is just too hard to keep my hands clean caulking white trim. Seems that every project just adds a little more character. Here is a clean example of my gun.

As I started to research a 2nd gun I learned that there is a lot more that goes into gun selection then I ever realized. I was this many years old when I learned that there are different thrust ratios. What is the ideal thrust ratio 6:1, 10:1, 11:1, 14:1, 18:1 & 26:1? Seems that the possibilities are endless. I believe that that the lower ratios are better for lighter material like silicone and the higher ratios do a better job with construction adhesives. Anyone have some guidance on this? Should I have 1 low ratio and 1 high ratio gun in my arsenal? I believe my current gun is 10:1 so it is a medium "do all" ratio. It is certainly hard to push some thick adhesives.

Then there is the obvious differences in tube capacity. 10oz, 29oz & Quart are the options I am seeing. 10oz seems to be the ideal size for my DIY needs.

The last decision is between metal and composite bodies. I like the durability of my current metal CH200 but I want to try composite on the next one. I am hoping that its easier to clean off material buildup after the job is done similar to my Handy Paint cups.

 

[dodge610]

I use the Ryobi cordless gun wasnt sure i would like it. Went ahead and bought it and used it on a caulking job on my pole barn. I would never go back to the hand model this thing is great just pull the trigger no squeezing. It adjusts to how fast the caulk comes out. And no cramping of hand or fingers.

 

[quadrcr87]

Ok so continuing down this rabbit hole here are the two that I have my eye on. Let me know if you have any experience with either one or have a different recommendation. I realize that most people just buy the $3 Home Depot special but this is GJ and we are not most people.

Dripless ETS2000 $12.96 Amazon
12:1 Ratio full time dripless
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002CKG1O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Dripless ETS3000 $16.80 Amazon
18:1 Ratio with dripless selector
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZFCTQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

 

[quadrcr87]

I use the Ryobi cordless gun wasnt sure i would like it. Went ahead and bought it and used it on a caulking job on my pole barn. I would never go back to the hand model this thing is great just pull the trigger no squeezing. It adjusts to how fast the caulk comes out. And no cramping of hand or fingers.

Cordless would be awesome if I had a really big project like a full siding job. I always wondered how well they worked so thanks for the input. $140 for the Milwaukee cordless is a little more than what I am looking for right now and I do not have the 12V battery line yet. I would like to try one some day though.

 

[dodge610]

Cordless would be awesome if I had a really big project like a full siding job. I always wondered how well they worked so thanks for the input. $140 for the Milwaukee cordless is a little more than what I am looking for right now and I do not have the 12V battery line yet. I would like to try one some day though.

No problem the milwaukee is pricey that is why i went with Ryobi less expensive and does the same thing. had to add that to not offend the milwaukee guys lol.

 

[240sxguy]

I use the Ryobi cordless gun wasnt sure i would like it. Went ahead and bought it and used it on a caulking job on my pole barn. I would never go back to the hand model this thing is great just pull the trigger no squeezing. It adjusts to how fast the caulk comes out. And no cramping of hand or fingers.

I bought one too, no regrets at ALL.

 

[thymer]

I bought the dewalt cordless one when it was time to go though 15 or so tubes of 5200 on the boat. Works great for volume jobs but honestly I still use a manual version for anything smaller. The electrics take some getting used to and there is definitely (at least for me) a learning curve. I am still more precise with a manual.

 

[mc4life27]

I have not used a cordless one yet but I did buy the heavy Duty one from Home Depot it’s like 16-18 bucks and it works great one of the nicer ones I have ever owned or used.


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[zendriver]

I have the ryobi and I threw all my other manual caulking guns in the scrap pile

Never heard of a “thrust ratio” sounds like a bedroom term :lol


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[IndyGarage]

Milwaukee cordless for me - mine is now about 18 years old and looks like it's been through a war - literally hundreds of tubes of caulk through that thing. It's a tank.

 

[Indexmill]

Is anybody going to answer the OP's question? He wants recommendations on a NON-electric, manual gun.

What I hate about most manual caulk guns is that you have to immediately release the force on the piston rod as soon as you come to the end of the ruin or it ejaculates more caulk before the next run that you have to wipe off. Does the "dripless" solve this issue?

 

[todd_fuller]

Dripless partially solves this. There is a small spring that retracts the piston a few mm to take the pressure off. Depending on the caulk, you get none or a little extra.

 

[quadrcr87]

The dripless does help prevent the late ejaculate. It is less effective on thinner caulks and silicone as they tend to dribble on their own. Dripless makes this feature selectable on some models as it actually works against you on some thicker sealants making you have to pump a couple times to fill the tip back up.

Planning to order one of the two options I posted. Avoiding the electric guns for now. I’ll post up a review after a while.

 

[quadrcr87]

I ended up picking up the Dripless ETS2000 and it is awesome. It feels much smoother and easier to produce a consistent bead. I think the higher ratio makes the biggest difference with a smoother trigger pull. So far I have only run OSI exterior caulk through it but I’m sure it will handle construction adhesive pretty well too.


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[Buckaroo5]

I bought the ETS 3000 last fall for a big exterior caulking job using Solar Seal #900 - worked well. The dripless feature is important I think.

Buckaroo

 

[demarpaint]

My caulking gun resembles the one the OP posted. I'm painting professionally for well over 40 years now. I grab a dripless caulking gun from my local supplier if one of mine gets lost or broken. I never gave the brand much thought, as long as it is dripless. They seem to work fine with the Sherwin Williams Powerhouse 60 year caulking I use by the case. Or anything else I've put through them. OTOH paint brushes and rollers I'm very picky about.

 

[mike93lx]

I have a 26:1 quart gun and several of the basic home center guns.

The 26:1 is a monster. Cast handle, rotating body. Awesome build quality, but it's heavy.

For most jobs, I would just grab the basic one

 

[dscheidt]

I ended up picking up the Dripless ETS2000 and it is awesome. It feels much smoother and easier to produce a consistent bead. I think the higher ratio makes the biggest difference with a smoother trigger pull. So far I have only run OSI exterior caulk through it but I’m sure it will handle construction adhesive pretty well too.

If you do any amount of interior caulking for paint work, you will want a lower ratio gun for that. High ratio guns work with light caulk, but the amount of pulls is higher, and painter's caulk is soft enough it comes out the gun whne you look at it funny.

 

[oldwino]

I have not used a cordless one yet but I did buy the heavy Duty one from Home Depot it’s like 16-18 bucks and it works great one of the nicer ones I have ever owned or used.


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I went to HD about a month ago to get a new gun. Top shelf gun they had was plastic $10 or so. POS. Broke it trying to nip off the caulk tube

 

[Wamsutta]

I prefer Cox guns because of how rigid and smooth operating they are. Raise your hand if you've ever used a cheap caulk gun that bends and flexes as you pull the trigger? And that creeking sound it makes when it flexes? Not so with Cox. A totally different experience. Cox guns are rebuildable too with an availability of parts.

 

[quadrcr87]

If you do any amount of interior caulking for paint work, you will want a lower ratio gun for that. High ratio guns work with light caulk, but the amount of pulls is higher, and painter's caulk is soft enough it comes out the gun whne you look at it funny.

I think the 12:1 ratio is still pretty light. My old gun was 10:1 and it worked fine for interior caulk. If I jumped up to 18:1 I could see it being a problem. That is why I went with the Dripless 2000 instead of the 3000.

 

[ecotec]

I have a local store that carries a few different models (and sizes) from Tajima. They are the best that I have used so far.

 

[quadrcr87]

Wow those Tajima guns look nice. I like the dual power switch to change from 18:1 to 8:1.