A grease gun is useful in lubricating items in garages or workshops. Grease guns function like nail guns only that the latter is useful for driving nails instead of grease. The manual gun comes in two types, those that need a trigger to operate and those that don’t need a trigger to operate. Some use air power to administer the grease. For a grease gun to function, you need to load it with grease or a lubricant.
Although loading a grease gun is a simple affair, most people struggle a lot. The advantage of using grease over oil is that it doesn’t leak easily.Consequently, refilling a grease gun is not similar to refilling machines that use oil as a lubricant.
If you are operating a grease gun, it’s essential to know how to load it properly for reliability and efficiency.Proper loading helps in averting the problem of under or over greasing, which may affect the lifespan of your grease gun. Below here, we’ll share the procedure of loading a grease gun. Keep reading.
Common Grease Gun Types
A grease gun is a simple and user-friendly tool. Before we jump right into the procedure of how to load and prime any grease gun, we’ll look at the different types of the grease gun. Although there is no much difference in loading any type, it worth mentioning them.
They may look similar, but they function differently. For example, there are manual and automatic types. Everything else becomes easy when you master the gun and the different types.
Manual grease guns
Notably, there are those types that use some kind of force to push the lubricant out. When loading such, you need to use both hands. When loading your gun, you need to use one hand to pull the handle while the other loads the cartridge.
Before diving into how to reload a grease gun, it’s vital to note that a manual grease gun will rely on the lever to pump the lubricant from the hose or the barrel. The same applies to manual grease guns that have triggers or handles.
It gets tricky when working on a large project and multitasking becomes a problem. Sometimes the handle might fail to fasten, which can cause problems when squeezing the lubricant out.
Instead of holding the handle and fastening the cartridge, there could be a problem with multitasking. You can get help from someone else at home or at the workshop.
Pistol handle grease guns
The manually operated grease guns will require the use of force to pump. It helps if the grease gun functions just like a pistol and have a trigger. Some manual grease guns don’t have a trigger and rely on a piston to push the lubricant out.
These work as the manual grease guns only that you need a trigger handle to push the lubricant out. The downside of this type is that sometimes there may not be enough force to push the grease out when you compare to the lever types.
Grease guns that use airpower (Pneumatic types)
These types use air and are suitable for use in large industries for large projects. They involve compressing the air by the use of a large hose, and this releases the lubricant. They help ease the job where a large amount of grease is needed. They may not be suitable for small projects in the workshop and garage. They are costly to use since they require large amounts of grease.
Battery power grease guns
Other types use battery power, where high pressure is needed to release a large amount of grease. These are becoming popular since they are easy to operate and are cordless. Therefore, there are no cables that may obstruct you.
Likewise, you can use them for outdoor operation. The only disadvantage is that you must charge the grease gun before any project.
Does the type of grease or lubricant matter?
Although the market is awash with different types of grease or lubricants, a thick option is desirable. The method of refilling differs depending on the type of cartridge. However, it’s advisable to stick to one type to prevent damage to the grease gun. However, the steps of how to fill a grease gun with bulk grease are different for industrial grease guns.
Parts of a grease gun
Before you learn how to load a grease gun, the first step is to disassemble and study the individual components. Probably, you are wondering what a barrel is. The barrel is simply a small tube where you’ll load the grease. It is a tube or part of the grease gun where you will load the grease from the grease storage unit. The storage or the tube is also the cartridge.
The barrel is more like the internal storage of the grease. Usually, when there is little grease, you can replace it.
The other part is the coupler, which is the connector or the points that support the hose. It also attaches to your gun’s head.
The head of the grease gun has the pathways or the valves where the grease passes when you are lubricating parts. These valves allow for easy movement of grease from the gun’s barrel to the hose or fixed tube. There is the filler nipper that injects the grease or the lubricant out.
Loading a grease gun easy steps
After mastering the parts of the grease gun and understanding how it functions, the loading part becomes relatively easy. It’s important to have all your materials ready to prevent any last-minute rush.
For the sake of this review, we shall base our discussion on the procedure to load a manual grease gun. The reason for this is that it is suitable for normal projects in the workshops or garages. If you are new to grease guns, your first option will be a manual one.
In this project, you will learn how to use grease guns. You’ll need a grease gun, cartridge and gloves for protecting your hands.
Unscrew the barrel
On the T handle or the trigger point, unlatch the barrel. Hold the barrel in a way that the opening is facing the lubricant tube.
Grease the plunger
Start by smearing grease on the head of the grease gun. If the gun is new, you’ll find that the plunger is dry. In this case, open the head and apply a little grease where it comes into contact with the barrel.
Remove the seals from the cartridge
How do you load a cartridge grease gun? Remove the seal from both sides of the cartridge so that the grease is visible from either side. Using a small cloth, hold the cartridge and push forth the grease out. Here it forms a dense shape on the surface.
Put the cartridge to the barrel
Remember, the first step was to unlatch the t handle, now bring forth the cartridge towards the barrel. Ensure now the grease is on the barrel to be loaded to the grease gun.
Latch the barrel
Now screw or lock the barrel on the gun’s head. Now, if you are wondering how to put grease in a grease gun, the barrel pushes the grease further to the head. Next, apply force to the t handle the barrel downwards.
Remove trapped air
If there is any air trapped, remove it by unlatching the barrel slightly. Then apply force to the handle and screw tightly. There will be a fizz to signal air out. Always ensure the barrel is tightly in place before use.
By pumping, pull the grease inside the barrel. Also, you can push the barrel using a plunger. When the barrel fills, clean the end and return it to the grease gun unit.
Amazing tips for loading a grease gun
- If you have a problem in knowing how to load a grease gun cartridge, gently pull the handle and latch it properly. Then, unscrew the grease gun head and put the cartridge right into the gun’s barrel. Screw gradually and unfasten the bar. If there is air trapped inside, unscrew to allow air out.
- If you are alone, don’t remove the seal from the cartridge before you pull the handle back. Therefore it becomes easy to place the cartridge inside when your hand is free. It is basically the same with how to load a grease gun with a cartridge.
- If you are working on a large project, you may need a lot of lubricants. One big hurdle would be how to load a grease gun properly. Refrain from refilling a spent cartridge since it can lead to damage to your grease gun. Fresh grease may not suction properly, especially when using a vacuum or a pump.
- It’s essential to follow the instructions of how to put grease in a grease gun so that the lubricant doesn’t get too hot. Similarly, it’s not a must to use a vacuum to load your grease gun. You can simply scoop, although it may cause air to be trapped inside.
- Take caution when loading your grease guns as contaminants may get mix with the lubricant. These can damage the grease gun and now the issue will be how to change a grease gun.
Final Words
Before you know how to use a grease gun properly, or how to use a grease gun, you must load it properly. Since they rely on cartridges for the supply of grease, these may vary when it comes to size. It’s vital to ensure you are using the right size.
Some grease guns may need manual filling, which can get a little complicated. For your next loading to be simple, clean the grease gun after use and don’t mix different types of lubricants. The bottom line is, before filling with grease, it’s essential to know how your grease gun works, know the models and the parts.
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