Advise on buying a cordless grease gun

[dmowitz]

Hello, this is Dave Mowitz with Successful Farming Magazine.

I'm in the middle of writing an article about shopping for cordless grease guns and could use your input.

What advise do you have for someone buying a cordless unit. Do you go with the biggest (20-volt) gun available . . .or do the 12-volt guns cut the mustard.

Also, what features do you like best in a cordless grease gun. For example, do you like that it has a long hose to reach out to those hidden zerks or that it is lightweight or that it can be adjusted for a low or high flow rate. 

Any recommendations and suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, feel free to share your experiences with grease gun. For example, I once bought a cheap cordless grease gun at a "One Time Tool Store" that died the first time I used it. On the other hand, my brother is still using the original cordless grease gun he bought a decade ago. 

Thanks for the help!

Dave

[Steakmaker]

I bought a Lincoln (believe it's 12 volt) many years ago when they first came out. Still works like a champion. Had to replace the battery a few years ago and that`s it. One of the better tool investments I've made. Greasing equipment is easier now so it gets done more often. We only have one battery so it'd be nice if we could use our 18 volt DeWalt batteries but that's a pretty minor issue.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I bought a Lincol 5-6 years ago and seldom use it.  I like the "feel" of a hand operated grease gun.  The corrdless gun seems to lacking in feedback.  A long hose is good on any grease gun.

No doubt, if I had a lot of greasing to do I'd look at a cordless.  I was looking at the top of the line model earlier but didn't get around to getting it.

[farmerguy89]

People don't buy battery operated tools anymore. Goto a pro shop and it's air operated. Everything is air. You want a non manual gun in the field? Get a service truck w a compressor.

I use a manual cos it's less work than all... All battery powered equipment does not work when you need it. You need it when your 50 miles from home.

[farmerguy89]

I bought one at an auction for 50 used once..better than 200 new. Batteries were well aged, so you had to change usually... All battery equip is like that.

This uni exploded though and is now in the scrap pile.

[JCCWIS]

Two years ago bought a JD.......14.4 volts ,made by Alemite [sp]. Been very good so far.

Was using a pistol grip and my arthritic hand wouldn't cut the mustard anymore!!!!   John

[Danno067]

Aren't all grease guns cordless? Just asking. 🙂

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

The ones that aren't air powered are usually "cordless".  🙂

[idalivered]

I received a milwaukee battrey grease gun as a gift. It is lighter and smaller than the lincoln's I've seen. I like it for many jobs, but i always have a heckuva time priming it after changing tubes. My manually operated alemites are still my main ones.

[Husker-J]

I'm with Idalivered.

I have a cordless grease gun, but rarely use it.   It is great for greasing every zerk on something, for the pre-season maintanence, where you hit every zerk with a couple shots, but for the day to day greasing, my hand operated Alemitse (with the dual pressure settings) are far and away my favorite guns to use.  My biggest gripe with the battery powered ones, is you have no 'feel' with it.   You can hear the pump working, so you can 'count' the shots it gives, but for something with seals on it, you have no 'feel' for if the seal is full or not, until grease leaks out.   Also, I have a few items to grease that take grease s-l-o-w-l-y, where maybe 3-4 seconds per pump is all  the faster it will allow grease to enter.   If I have to have the manual one to grease parts of something, I just as well use it on the whole thing, unless it takes a huge amount of grease to get it lubed.

Mine is a Neiko, and it worked fine for 4-5 years, no complaints, until the battery would no longer take a charge.   That was a year or two ago, and I never got around to getting a new battery for it.  To be honest, I haven't missed it.   I just prefer the 'feel' of a hand grease gun.

Now a guy I know who works construction, and uses pretty much an entire tube of grease on his dozer twice a day, he wouldn't be without his cordless grease gun, along with a spare battery.   He swears by his Lincoln.  Ran countless tubes of grease through it, and it still works well, despite about all he does to care for it is to 'put a bucket over it' when it is in the back of his truck, and it looks like rain.