Anyone had an experience with air operated grease guns? I've been
using a hand operated one for many years, and a few weeks ago decided
to try out the air one. Makes sense-you have less work to do and let
the air do it for you. So I tried a "cheap" one at Harbor Freight.
Knowing fully there's a wide range from pretty good stuff to absolute
crap at that store, and you have to know what you're getting, or
it'll turn out to be those "use-it once" tool and it either
breaks or is too flimsy to spend time on it. Well, the gun might have
been in the latter category. I played around with it for a couple of
hours, trying to get it to work. After taking it apart and analyzing
how it worked, I concluded the rubber "plunger" did not want to
slide inside the cardboard section of the tube of grease. So I cleaned
it up and returned the unit.

Just recently I decided to try a more "expensive" one, so picked up
Sear's best, with the "continuous flow" feature. (Yea, right).
Anyway, same deal here, the plunger just would not go inside the
cartridge tube to push the grease into the air pumper part. Yet, on my
hand operated one it does. Weird. So I return that one as well. I read
both directions on both units on priming, etc, but still no good.

So am I missing something, or is there a trick?

wrote:
Anyone had an experience with air operated grease guns? I've been
using a hand operated one for many years, and a few weeks ago decided
to try out the air one. Makes sense-you have less work to do and let
the air do it for you. So I tried a "cheap" one at Harbor Freight.
Knowing fully there's a wide range from pretty good stuff to absolute
crap at that store, and you have to know what you're getting, or
it'll turn out to be those "use-it once" tool and it either
breaks or is too flimsy to spend time on it. Well, the gun might have
been in the latter category. I played around with it for a couple of
hours, trying to get it to work. After taking it apart and analyzing
how it worked, I concluded the rubber "plunger" did not want to
slide inside the cardboard section of the tube of grease. So I cleaned
it up and returned the unit.

Just recently I decided to try a more "expensive" one, so picked up
Sear's best, with the "continuous flow" feature. (Yea, right).
Anyway, same deal here, the plunger just would not go inside the
cartridge tube to push the grease into the air pumper part. Yet, on my
hand operated one it does. Weird. So I return that one as well. I read
both directions on both units on priming, etc, but still no good.

So am I missing something, or is there a trick?

Hi,
Even tho I have a good compressor, air grease gun is something I am
hesitant to own. It can blow seals on delicate work. I use manual one.
73,
Tony, VE6CGX

wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone had an experience with air operated grease guns? I've been
using a hand operated one for many years, and a few weeks ago decided
to try out the air one. Makes sense-you have less work to do and let
the air do it for you. So I tried a "cheap" one at Harbor Freight.
Knowing fully there's a wide range from pretty good stuff to absolute
crap at that store, and you have to know what you're getting, or
it'll turn out to be those "use-it once" tool and it either
breaks or is too flimsy to spend time on it. Well, the gun might have
been in the latter category. I played around with it for a couple of
hours, trying to get it to work. After taking it apart and analyzing
how it worked, I concluded the rubber "plunger" did not want to
slide inside the cardboard section of the tube of grease. So I cleaned
it up and returned the unit.

Just recently I decided to try a more "expensive" one, so picked up
Sear's best, with the "continuous flow" feature. (Yea, right).
Anyway, same deal here, the plunger just would not go inside the
cartridge tube to push the grease into the air pumper part. Yet, on my
hand operated one it does. Weird. So I return that one as well. I read
both directions on both units on priming, etc, but still no good.

So am I missing something, or is there a trick?


Could your grease tubes be a non-standard size?

I really can't think of any other reason for both failures.

Maybe some one else can help us both here.


--
Colbyt
One picture can be worth a 1000 words.
Post yours at www.ImageGenie.net for FREE.

I have sometimes tried to install a grease tube backwards. The plunger
slides into the end closed by a plastic pull-off cap, not the one with the
metal pull-out seal.
Don Young
wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone had an experience with air operated grease guns? I've been
using a hand operated one for many years, and a few weeks ago decided
to try out the air one. Makes sense-you have less work to do and let
the air do it for you. So I tried a "cheap" one at Harbor Freight.
Knowing fully there's a wide range from pretty good stuff to absolute
crap at that store, and you have to know what you're getting, or
it'll turn out to be those "use-it once" tool and it either
breaks or is too flimsy to spend time on it. Well, the gun might have
been in the latter category. I played around with it for a couple of
hours, trying to get it to work. After taking it apart and analyzing
how it worked, I concluded the rubber "plunger" did not want to
slide inside the cardboard section of the tube of grease. So I cleaned
it up and returned the unit.

Just recently I decided to try a more "expensive" one, so picked up
Sear's best, with the "continuous flow" feature. (Yea, right).
Anyway, same deal here, the plunger just would not go inside the
cartridge tube to push the grease into the air pumper part. Yet, on my
hand operated one it does. Weird. So I return that one as well. I read
both directions on both units on priming, etc, but still no good.

So am I missing something, or is there a trick?

On 9 Apr 2006 19:05:04 -0700, wrote:

So am I missing something, or is there a trick?


I think you forgot to break the seal to the gease tube spout. But
then you had been using hand operated grease guns for years. Any
liklihood of the seal thingy? I don't have any problem using my $20
pneumatic applicatior to apply silicone seal.

To me the only advantage of an air-powered one is they are usually
one-handed. Maybe try a pistol-grip manual gun, they let you hold the
hose on the fitting with one hand and operate the gun with the other.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

Don, I can't image putting the tube in backwards, in the fact the
*only* way the plunger will slide in is from the "raw" end with the
pull-off cap. If you put in the pull tab towards the plunger it would
never "clear" that, because the metal "ring" is smaller than the "raw"
end. Also the metal ring end is what "seals" against the "top" end so
the grease doesn't uz out. In fact on my hand gun, that's the way you
prime it. Apon screwing the unit back together, you don't tighten it
all the way; there's a little air hole at the top; letting the air out,
while the plunger works it's way up the tupe. Then when there's grease
coming out the little hole, then you tighten up the tube, and that
metal end "squishes" against the inside top end and seals it. If you
reverse the tube that "raw" cardboard end would crush.

Oh another trick and observation, lots of times a new tube will have a
ding or two on the metal part and needed a good seal (at discribed
above) I "smooth" the rim with a blunt object, such as the butt end of
a screwdrive (handle). BTW the metal end's normally aluminum, so I
assume it's suppost to squish for that reason (for the seal).

I forgot to mention I accually have two manual guns, one's that 'old
famialir big lever on the side, and the other one's a hand grip, both
which work fine over the years.

Keep 'em coming.