Grease Gun

[blackrose]

Is there such a thing as a grease gun that doesn't leak grease all over the place? Or is there a particular type of grease that should be used in conjunction with a grease gun that doesn't ooze out? Thanks

[Momac]

Now you mention it White marine grease seems better  at not leaking although I do , out of habit, keep the grease gun in a plastic bag in case of leaks.

Ramonol has been recommended to me but I have yet to consume my current supply of less expensive Granville 

 

[Tonka]

Same here, just keep grease gun in a bag

[Tony Brooks]

14 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Is there such a thing as a grease gun that doesn't leak grease all over the place? Or is there a particular type of grease that should be used in conjunction with a grease gun that doesn't ooze out? Thanks

Assuming you really are talking  about  a grease gun and not the stern tube greaser. A lot depends upon the grease nipple, if the nipple or grease passages are blocked. The type with three jaws that grip the nipple by grease pressure seem far better than the push against the nipple and hope. My guess is it all depends upon the build quality of the gun.

 

The problem I found is that the pressure release and air bleed screws often loosen themselves so they leak in use.

[Slim]

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Assuming you really are talking  about  a grease gun and not the stern tube greaser. A lot depends upon the grease nipple, if the nipple or grease passages are blocked. The type with three jaws that grip the nipple by grease pressure seem far better than the push against the nipple and hope. My guess is it all depends upon the build quality of the gun.

 

The problem I found is that the pressure release and air bleed screws often loosen themselves so they leak in use.

I strongly suspect that your proper grease gun is something like a Wanner 315, a king amongst grease guns. Mine must be over 50 years old and still going strong. The lever return spring is broken but that's a minor point.

[john.k]

Ive got maybe a dozen grease guns,and the best has always been an American made Lincoln gun,which unfortunately take the small Caterpillar cartridges............as far as other guns are concerned ,even the $150 Tecalamit guns are various grades of garbage...........I find the older the gun the better.....really old ones have leather piston seals that last ,modern guns have garbage rubber seals that often split within six months.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

Same here, just keep grease gun in a bag

 

Yes I do that but it's a mess in there and it's horrible to use. I thought perhaps it was because I'd bought a cheap grease gun and just wondered if there was a cleaner way? 

1 hour ago, Tony Brooks said:

Assuming you really are talking  about  a grease gun and not the stern tube greaser. A lot depends upon the grease nipple, if the nipple or grease passages are blocked. The type with three jaws that grip the nipple by grease pressure seem far better than the push against the nipple and hope. My guess is it all depends upon the build quality of the gun.

 

The problem I found is that the pressure release and air bleed screws often loosen themselves so they leak in use.

 

I'm talking about a grease gun which leaks both in use and when not in use.

Edited May 17, 2022 by blackrose

[john.k]

People often say grease is expensive,list about $200 a 20kg drum......but keep an eye on ebay,and youll find grease at giveaway prices ......like 20 drums of white grease,from a failed business venture ,the seller eventually sold me the whole lot for $1.......another ebay listing for a sealed 200kg (44 gallon) drum of Moly Grease........yes,thats right......list was over $4000,the guy ended up giving me the drum... the Graco air powered grease pump that went with it,and two new rolls of 3/8 high flex hydraulic hose with Graco guns fitted..

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, blackrose said:

 

I'm talking about a grease gun which leaks when not in use.

 

I have never found that problem as long as the screws stayed done up.  Having used it I always wipe the gun down, but sometimes the rag leaves a film of grease on the gun. I must have lucky with my guns, but I must admit they were bought when cars needed greasing every 1500/3000  miles, so they must be over 50 years old.

[blackrose]

Sounds like I need to find a 50 year old grease gun for sale...

[Bee]

There is no such thing as a grease gun that doesn't make a hell of a mess. I use one on the stern gear and using it is not too bad. Filling the b*****  leaves me and the boat very slippery and needs a lot of parrafin to clean everything up.

[john.k]

At least......you usually find when a gun  is leaking out the T handle slot in the endcap,the rubber pressure piston seal is split,and the whole body of the gun is full of grease.....reminds me of a funny incident when a $10,000 gearbox failed from lack of greasing,and a father and son had a blame fixing session of who didnt grease anything.......the son didnt know how to load a grease cartridge at all,the father knew how,but didnt take the sealing cap off the cartridge (was a metal ring pull in those days.)

[LEO]

1 hour ago, Slim said:

I strongly suspect that your proper grease gun is something like a Wanner 315, a king amongst grease guns. Mine must be over 50 years old and still going strong. The lever return spring is broken but that's a minor point.

My Wanner 315 same age is still going strong, Got a couple of pre-war pump action ones from my Dad's tool kit, they work well as well. No problems with leakage on either.

[Momac]

10 minutes ago, blackrose said:

Sounds like I need to find a 50 year old grease gun for sale...

There is probably something in that.

The grease gun I have in use for the boat was inherited so could easily be more than 50 years old. The only application for me is the steering which requires grease once or twice a year. 

But it did tend to leak when stored with  ordinary grease. 

Try the white grease as I do think its much cleaner to work with and  less prone to leaking.

 

 

[mrsmelly]

15 minutes ago, MartynG said:

There is probably something in that.

The grease gun I have in use for the boat was inherited so could easily be more than 50 years old. The only application for me is the steering which requires grease once or twice a year. 

But it did tend to leak when stored with  ordinary grease. 

Try the white grease as I do think its much cleaner to work with and  less prone to leaking.

 

 

Off topic, but, I have had a couple of pairs of new secateurs for the garden over the last year. They have proved fairly crap. Last month I visited fleabay and bought a pair from around the 1950s. Solid, brilliant heavy bits of kit that work well and will outlast any new stuff.

[blackrose]

1 hour ago, Bee said:

There is no such thing as a grease gun that doesn't make a hell of a mess. I use one on the stern gear and using it is not too bad. Filling the b*****  leaves me and the boat very slippery and needs a lot of parrafin to clean everything up.

 

So the ones that use grease cartridges are no better? How is it that I can have a silicone cartridge in a gun that doesn't leak everywhere, but they design grease guns that leak all over the place that you have to keep inside a couple of plastic bags because of the mess they make? Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to design something better?

Edited May 17, 2022 by blackrose

[Tony Brooks]

2 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

So the ones that use grease cartridges are no better? How is it that I can have a silicone cartridge in a gun that doesn't leak everywhere, but they design grease guns that leak all over the place that you have to keep inside a couple of plastic bags because of the mess they make? Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to design something better?

 

Nowadays, if you look in a tin of LM grease that has been is store for a long time you will often find oil has separated out to some degree. If it does that in a grease gun t will leak more readily than  grease. One other thing, do you relieve the pressure on the grease before storing. Usually by pulling a rod out and moving it sideways so what looks like a circlip groove locks into an oval hole or by pulling on a chain and locking the chain in place by locking it into a slot. If you don't the grease will be under spring pressure, trying to find a way out.

[tree monkey]

41 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Off topic, but, I have had a couple of pairs of new secateurs for the garden over the last year. They have proved fairly crap. Last month I visited fleabay and bought a pair from around the 1950s. Solid, brilliant heavy bits of kit that work well and will outlast any new stuff.

Felco everytime, they have been the dogs for ever, there are  some other decent types but felcos for me, I've had 2 pairs over 30yrs and the second pair was just because I lost the first 

Edited May 17, 2022 by tree monkey

[Slow and Steady]

It's the pressure - 2,000 - 15,000 psi capable. Squeeze too hard/fast and they may very well leak. After use, well a little grease goes a long way! I've got a cheap one and a cheap Draper one that masquerades as a good one - neither leak - do you store it near the engine where it gets hot?

Edited May 17, 2022 by Slow and Steady

[Barneyp]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

So the ones that use grease cartridges are no better? How is it that I can have a silicone cartridge in a gun that doesn't leak everywhere, but they design grease guns that leak all over the place that you have to keep inside a couple of plastic bags because of the mess they make? Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to design something better?

It depends on your definition of "better", from the comments on this thread it seems it is (or at least was) possible to make grease guns that don't leak. But the modern definition of better means - cheaper, easier to make, and likely to sell in large numbers.

There's no point in manufacturers making things that last forever, where is the repeat business going to come from?

[Ray T]

Dispensed with grease guns and fitted greasers to the prop shaft and Plummer Block.

[Ronaldo47]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

How is it that I can have a silicone cartridge in a gun that doesn't leak everywhere, ....

Silicone is a homogenous viscous  substance.

 

Automotive grease is a mixture of a hydrocarbon oil and a soap whose job is to make the oil stay put.

 

As noted above, it is the runny  oil component of grease that leaks. The  viscous soap component stays put. 

[Slim]

3 hours ago, blackrose said:

Sounds like I need to find a 50 year old grease gun for sale...

A brand new Wanner 315 is only £33. complete with flexible hose. I was amazed. When I bought mine it was on a par with Snap-on tools of today and priced accordingly

 

[Slim]

1 hour ago, blackrose said:

 

So the ones that use grease cartridges are no better? How is it that I can have a silicone cartridge in a gun that doesn't leak everywhere, but they design grease guns that leak all over the place that you have to keep inside a couple of plastic bags because of the mess they make? Surely it cannot be beyond the wit of man to design something better?

As I understand it and open to correction ordinary high melting point grease is basically oil mixed with some kind of soap. Over time they seperate like most mixtures hence leakage. Look in any old tin of grease and you will find pools of thick oil.

[nb Innisfree]