The Best Heat Guns (Review) in 2023 | Autance

First up on our list of best heat guns is this one from Porter-Cable. It has a couple of great features that are worth talking about further. First, it has a variable temperature control dial, allowing you to set the heat. Second, you have the choice of a low or high-speed setting, so you decide how much power is required.

If you need to keep the heat on while completing other jobs, there is a hands-free support stand. Also, you can use the hanging hook for storage. There are plenty of jobs that this tool is useful for including removing paint, bending pipes, and welding plastic.

Reaching operational temperature in just six seconds, you can get to work nice and quickly once you get this heat gun up and running. It is a nice and compact product, so you can easily transport it around with you and wield it with confidence.

The redlithium™ battery technology gives it plenty of run-time, and the fact that it is cordless means that you don’t have to worry about worry about finding a power outlet all the time. Plus, it also has a temperature management system already inbuilt, so overheating is not a problem.

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This is a very strong contender for best value for money item to make the list. You will frankly struggle to find this quality of heat gun along with a large accessory kit & a carry case all for a shade over 20 bucks. We’re being serious here, that is some top, top value.

Of course, when the price tag is that low you know you are dealing with a pretty basic model of heat gun. So it has no variable heat, for example, just two settings. One is for 750 Fahrenheit, the other for 1000. So there’s not even that much variety between the two!

On the other side of the coin you are getting a very useful 9 piece accessory kit here. It includes various nozzles and even a pair of scrapers, which are always handy to have. You also get a carry case and change from 30 bucks. If you don’t mind the fact the gun itself is very, very basic then you are getting yourself something of a bargain here.

From one of the simpler, more basic models we turn now to a feature packed, highly engineered tool from DeWALT. This company of course has a well-earned reputation for producing high quality power tools, and this heat gun is no exception.

It is packed to the rafters with useful features. Probably the stand out of which is the built in LCD screen that allows for incremental temperature adjustments. Whilst many models will allow you to change temperature only from two set amounts, this is more of a sliding scale with 50 Fahrenheit increments. In addition to accurate temperature changes, you also have a huge temperature range here, with the gun able to generate hot air with a temperature anywhere from 150 to 1100 Fahrenheit.

You also get a very comprehensive accessory pack here. Everything from nozzles to scrapers are included, as well as a very tough (and very useful) storage case.

There are however two trade offs for all of these features. One is size, with this tool packing a slightly bloated weight of 7 pounds. That makes it easily one of the more heavyweight heat guns on the market. The other is price, and this beast is going to kick a big hundred dollar plus hole in your credit card. You are getting a whole lot of premium heat gun for that cash though.

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Simplicity should not be underrated, especially when it comes to simple tools like heat guns. There is certainly a place for super high end, premium tools, and there is a place for heat guns that come with multi-tool attachments and a range of different nozzle designs. There are a number of products like that we will get to later in this guide but we are starting out with one of the simpler tools.

There are two big advantages to simplicity. One is that this tool is easy to use. It has enough features to be a very useful tool, without bogging you down in 19 temperature range selections. You get two temperatures here, one will be fine for lighter work like heating/working plastics like cables or vinyl wraps. The other is 1500-watt power level that kicks out enough heat to soften lighter metals and even light charcoal.

The accompanying nozzle kit is also simple but useful. You get two deflector nozzles, one reflector nozzle and an air reduction nozzle. That is enough to take on the majority of jobs without taking up a huge amounts of storage space in the your garage.

Oh, the other big advantage to simplicity is that it can be a real money saver. This heat gun is coming with a price tag well under 30 bucks, making it one of the best value for money models to make this list.

This one is a ‘smart’ heat gun that allows you to choose between five different speed settings and temperatures. Already built into the gun is a heat control system which keeps it at optimal running temperature and stops it from getting too hot. But it also has a rapid cooling function, so you can store it quickly when you are finished. In terms of practical features, it has a storage hook that doubles up as a support stand. Plus, the soft-grip ergonomic handle helps to reduce any strain on your hand and wrist areas.

This product is kind of a middle ground between the simpler designs of heat guns we looked at toward the top of the list, and the very high-tech, premium DeWALT we just saw. So on the one hand, it is very simple to use. Plug it in, turn it on, use the small switch on the handle to control airflow.

On the other hand it has a few more premium features, the stand out of which is the ability to set variable temperatures. This is not controlled by something as premium as a LCD screen, but rather a thermostat style control on the rear that you simply twist to adjust the temperature. So whilst it doesn’t have the accuracy of a premium model, it does have more temperature control that a more basic one.

You are also getting a pretty powerful little tool here, with 1800 watts of heating power allowing the device to kick out up 1200 Fahrenheit of heating power. It can also go as low as 122 Fahrenheit, for a very impressive temperature range. You get all that plus a 4 piece accessory kit for a reasonable price tag too. 

This is our second Wagner heat gun to make the list, showing that this company is currently producing some of the best heat guns on the market today. That being said, this model is more like a heat pencil than a heat gun.

As you will have seen from the image, it is a compact, horizontal design that is different from any model that we have looked at so far. That is because this device is all about accuracy. It is designed to be used held like a pencil for small, detailed work. Don’t try to vinyl wrap a car with this tool – if you start on Friday night you might be finished by Monday morning if you’re lucky.

Do consider picking this up as a supplement to a larger heat gun though. It only costs about 20 bucks but is very useful to have on hand for when you need the heating power of a heat gun style tool but need that power to be delivered with as much accuracy as possible. Its worth noting that, even with it’s small size, it can still hit up to 650 Fahrenheit too, a very handy amount of heat from such a small tool.

If you are looking for an industrial-standard product that works at high temperatures and power ratings, this one has a powerful motor and features durable aluminum housing. This is a product that has been designed to stand the test of time, but it has replaceable elements for when individual features run out.

A versatile heat gun, you can use it in all the applications that you would want including thawing out frozen pipes, getting rid of dents, and stretching out vinyl. You can choose the temperature setting and power mode which is most appropriate for the job that you have in mind. 

This is our second DeWALT model to make the list, and it is pretty much a paired down, more simple version of the one we saw above. So for example, the model above had variable temperature controlled via a built in LCD screen. This model also has variable temperature, however the thermostat style twist dial mounted on the rear of the device controls it. You can still adjust the temperature therefore just without the same accuracy.

The accompanying accessory pack is also a little smaller, comprising just two nozzles. You do get a very useful metal hanging hook with this model though. That gives more storage options, and also makes it easy to hang the tool up to cool down after use. The temperature range on this tool is also very impressive, as it goes from as low as 120 all the way up to 1100 Fahrenheit. That is a great temperature range that will be enough for a wide range of tasks.

Another benefit of this being a more basic model is that your credit card will be much happier. The tool will set you back around 70 bucks, making it considerably cheaper than the other DeWALT we looked at. It’s up to you to judge however if too many premium features have been cast aside in order to reach that lower price point.

Say hello to the third Wagner heat gun to make the list! This model is by far the most basic of all the Wagners we have looked at, coming with a pretty limited feature list. It has variable heat only in as much as you can switch between either 750 or 1000 Fahrenheit. It has a useful little hanging hook mounted on top and… Umm… it is a very dashing shade of yellow.

That is about it really. Hey, when we said this was the most basic Wagner heat gun around, well we weren’t joking were we? The upside of that is that this tool is both very easy to use and also just excellent value for money. This is Wagner build quality for about 20 bucks. That alone is the most impressive thing about this simple but well built little tool.

Oh, did we mention it’s yellow

Our final choice of heat gun is this one, which has a wide range of applications. You can choose between a couple of different temperatures and airflow settings. Four different nozzles are included, so you can choose the one which is best suited to the task you have in mind.

There is a built-in cooling mode which helps to keep the device safe – it will cool down quickly after it has heated up. Just some of the jobs that you can complete using this heat gun include stripping paint, removing adhesives, and thawing out frozen water pipes.

Our next product comes from Wagner, and it is a heat gun with a bit less power than you will see on many other models on this list. It has two heat settings, one at 750 and one at 1100 Fahrenheit. That makes it a model that could interest people who, for example, are looking for an entry-level style of heat gun.

It is also extremely small and light, with a total weight of about 1 Pound. Add to that the well designed, ergonomic handle and you have a product that is very easy to hold. It also has a flat back section that means it can stand upright. This allows for hands free operation, always a useful feature to see.

All in all then a slightly low powered tool that is not going to break the bank, and is easy to use. For beginners, those are all strong features.

Our final product is this Black & Decker Heat gun. It is another of the more basic design of a heat gun. So that means that it can only switch between two temperatures instead of being truly variable. Those temperatures are by the way 750 and 1000 Fahrenheit. With all the other basic models it shares the advantage of being really simple to use, with just one simple little button to control the tool. It doesn’t come with any accessories or nozzles. Since it has a price tag of around 25 bucks for what is a pretty basic model that could look a little steep compared to some other tools. You have to remember that you are also paying for the Black & Decker Build quality here too. One cool feature is a little stand that comes out the rear of the unit. It is used in conjunction with the flat base to hold the device upright so that it can cool down after use. That’s a useful little feature and does show that the product has been well designed to include useful little extras like that.