The Best Grease Guns (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023 | Autance

  As we’ve discussed, there are several different types of grease gun, however, the loading process is quite similar throughout. <strong>Method 1: Reservoir Grease Gun</strong> <ol style=”text-align: justify;”> <li>The first step to take is to separate the head of the grease gun from the barrel. For clarity, the head is the part which has both the handle and applicator tube attached. Unscrew the head from the cap. Be sure that the handle on the back of the barrel, which is the handle of the pistol grip, is completely depressed into the barrel, or else some grease may be sucked through accidentally.</li> <li>Next, you must fill the barrel with grease. To do this, hold the open end of the barrel into the vat of grease and gradually pull back the plunger rod, this will fill the reservoir. Once the rod has been withdrawn, you can take the open end of the barrel out of the grease. At this point, rotate the barrel to remove any excess grease that may be hanging on to the barrel, it’s a good idea to give it a wipe down use to be sure.</li> <li>Lastly, reattach the barrel to the head of the grease gun. Each gun is different, and therefore, may attach in different ways. Be sure that you are familiar with the way that your gun works, for example, it may simply need the cap screwing back on, whereas as other might be more complicated. If in doubt, always check the manual! If you have a bulk container of grease, this process will be made a lot easier. These are available to purchase at hardware and auto parts stores.</li> </ol> <strong>Method 2: Cartridge Grease Gun</strong> <ol style=”text-align: justify;”> <li>These grease guns consist of two main parts, the cartridge, and the dispenser or nozzle, where the grease is administered. Unlike reservoir grease guns, the cartridge is actually the grease, when it runs it, a new cartridge will need to be purchased. It is extremely easy to remove the cartridge, you need simply unscrew the cap the cartridge is held in with by turning it clocking, whilst simultaneously turning the dispenser nozzle counter clockwise.</li> <li>Where the cartridge is held, there should be a metal handle, or plunger, at the end of the barrel. This is what you push down to force the grease out of the nozzle, only this time, you need to pull it back until it is fully withdrawn from the barrel. Pulling on the handle on some grease guns will cause the cartridge to expel automatically, making life a whole lot easier! If there is a lot of built up grease inside, the cartridge may only come out half way.</li> <li>Next, hold the piston rod securely and remove the cartridge. Most grease guns will allow you to move the piston rod slightly sideways, this helps you get a good position on the barrel so it can’t move forward. On others, the retracted piston rod will latch into a completely backward position, with a release tab to allow the rod to move when you are ready. Once the rod is secured, you can pull out the empty cartridge.</li> <li>Now your grease gun is ready for a brand new cartridge. You can find these at any reputable auto part or hardware store and they are usually between 14 and 16 ounces, or 414 and 473 millilitres. Before you load in a new one, it’s wise to clean up your gun with a cloth or rag. Pay close attention to the end of the barrel, as excess grease may have leaked out during the removal of the empty cartridge. Take off the plastic cap from the new cartridge so the grease will be able to dispense normally. Lots of people store their grease cartridges upside down so that the lubricant settles near the nozzle and flows easier. However, if it hasn’t been stored this way, shake it hard a few times before inserting it into the gun.</li> <li>Using the end of the cartridge that had the plastic cap on it, push it firmly into the barrel. Insert it so that the cartridge connects with the end of the gun barrel. Finally, remove the metal seal from the uncovered end of the cartridge.</li> <li>The last thing to do is to reattach the head of the gun to the barrel. Screw the barrel on halfway, two full rotations should do it. Next, release the piston rod from the fully retracted position and force it into the barrel whilst pumping the handling at the same time. This will pump air flow through the mechanism and help to get the grease going. When you see the grease start to appear at the nozzle, you can stop pumping the trigger.</li> </ol> Finish up screwing the head and barrel together. Test the grease gun by pumping the handle once to ensure the grease is coming out effectively.

  When using your grease gun, always select a high-quality lubricant that will flow freely throughout the gun and not build up in the nozzle. It is also good practice to choose a dedicated grease gun for each specific lubricant. This is because the potential damage if these are mixed up could be dire, not so much for your grease gun, but more to the machinery you are putting the grease into. Cross-contamination is a concern – if you do not fully purge and clean a gun properly and there is an incompatibility between the two different lubricants, this could have a detrimental effect on the performance of the grease. Best practice suggests that as long as you choose a good quality lubricant, any kind will do, provided it is suitable for the job at hand. Just be sure to calibrate your gun every year to make sure it is performing at its best. The method of calibration is simple, all you need to do is pump the trigger ten times onto a scale and divide the weight of the grease by ten. This will allow you to work out the average volume of grease per stroke. Label your gun with the number of grams or ounces per stroke, this is important to make sure when you are working on a job, you release the right amount of grease needed for lubrication.

<strong>  </strong>Lubrication is no doubt an essential part of maintaining any machinery with moving parts, however, over greasing and not enough grease can cause issues. There are several signs to look out for, and steps to take to prevent over and under lubrication damaging machinery in the future. <ul> <li style=”text-align: justify;”><strong>Over greasing </strong></li> </ul> So, how do you know you are over greasing?  Too much lubrication can cause an asset to jam and damage seals and motor windings, so if you notice these issues, there’s a good chance too much grease much have caused the problem. Make sure areas to be lubricated are fully cleaned and free from debris and hard crust, or anything else that might block the access.  Pull back when you feel any abnormal pressure when greasing and use grease guns with pressure gauges or shut off fittings that will automatically turn off when there is an issue. Instead of greasing continuously, gradually pump every few seconds, using quick lever action might cause damage and stop the grease stop from dispensing throughout the machinery properly. <ul> <li style=”text-align: justify;”><strong>Under greasing</strong></li> </ul> If an asset is under greased, it will usually fail, so the problem shouldn’t be too hard to detect. Other signs to look out for are excessive heat and odd sounds coming from the machinery. You might also notice friction wear or bearing starvation. If it gets to the stage of failure, it will need immediate maintenance, as the friction between the moving parts without proper lubrication is not good for the machinery.

  A coupler is a pipe that allows the grease gun to attach to the grease of a mechanical component, enabling the moving parts to be lubricated. It is often of a quick release nature and will usually come with a grease gun.