I have an old Sears Craftsman grease gun with the long lever arm (not pistol type grip) and a flexible hose. I fill it with standard chassis/wheel bearing grease bought at auto parts stores - NAPA, Valvoline being two brands on my shelf. I use this infrequently, maybe 4 times a year, and every time I do, oil that has separated out of the grease drips out of the plunger rod on the back end of the gun, usually down my arm. It also tends to cover most external parts of the tool, and I now approach the tool wearing disposable gloves.
Filling the gun is by definition a dirty job and I accept that. (It's using the tool that gets me.) I pull the plunger rod all the way back and to one side, latching its groove in the slot on the back. The pump mechanism/head is then unscrewed from the body, and I fill it using (literally) clean tuck pointing tools, pushing the grease down into the cylinder. Reassembly and a wipe down completes the job. Since I don't use much grease, I was never interested in filling the gun with a pump type filler. Years ago I tried a grease cartridge, but replacing the plunger end was too much of a chore. Too, while doing so, I managed to dislodge the spring loaded pump rod. The front of the gun was still unscrewed at the time, and the entire contents of the cartridge was pushed out of the tube in one quick, smooth motion. Never went there again.
Are all brands of grease guns this messy? I store mine wrapped up in rags, in a doubled paper bag with either cardboard or newspapers under the gun to catch any oil that leaks. Has anyone found a grease that does not bleed oil? Do they package grease in a caulk style tube that is foolproof?
Filling the gun is by definition a dirty job and I accept that. (It's using the tool that gets me.) I pull the plunger rod all the way back and to one side, latching its groove in the slot on the back. The pump mechanism/head is then unscrewed from the body, and I fill it using (literally) clean tuck pointing tools, pushing the grease down into the cylinder. Reassembly and a wipe down completes the job. Since I don't use much grease, I was never interested in filling the gun with a pump type filler. Years ago I tried a grease cartridge, but replacing the plunger end was too much of a chore. Too, while doing so, I managed to dislodge the spring loaded pump rod. The front of the gun was still unscrewed at the time, and the entire contents of the cartridge was pushed out of the tube in one quick, smooth motion. Never went there again.
Are all brands of grease guns this messy? I store mine wrapped up in rags, in a doubled paper bag with either cardboard or newspapers under the gun to catch any oil that leaks. Has anyone found a grease that does not bleed oil? Do they package grease in a caulk style tube that is foolproof?