Grease Guns for Multiple Applications?

SoCal Angler · February 27

Not sure where the best place to post this, but thought I'd try here....

I have average experience with grease guns. I don’t live on a farm so no tractors. I grease for maintenance purposes, which is not much more than 1-2X per year for the below vehicles/toys.

I have and use the inexpensive off the shelf grease guns and they have troubles with leaking, air pockets, etc. I purchased these because they are readily available, and for the most part, get the job done…albeit with much frustration and usually a mess!

I grease my vehicles front ends, my travel trailer wheel bearings (mainly repacking), my boat trailer wheel bearings (mainly repacking) and my outboard steering tube, swivel bracket, etc.

The above all use a different grease cartridge:

New Truck: Considering Mobil 1 (14oz)

Trailer: Red N Tacky (14oz and 16oz tubs)

Boat Trailer: Lucas Marine (14oz.)

Mercury Outboard: 2-4-C (3 oz. tubes

With that said, it appears I need at least 4 different grease guns to avoid the mess and waster of changing grease guns for each grease application. I currently have one or two guns (as I have not needed a gun for trailers (because I do a complete repack), however a gun would be handy for in-between repacks on both trailer and boat trailers. Plus I would like to take a grease gun with me on longer trips when I take the boat or trailer.

For those of you that have trucks/vehicles, boat trailer, travel trailer/5th wheels, etc.,

What are you doing for grease guns?

One for each application?

Better quality grease guns (McNaught, Lock-n-Lube, Alemite, etc) or the inexpensive off the shelf type?

Which gun with hoses fittings, etc and grease are you using for greasing a 2023 GMC Sierra, 3500, 4X4?

Thanks!

newdude · February 27

You might be able to simplify it down to one or two greases.

GM calls for grease meeting NLGI #2, Category LB or GC-LB. What do your other applications call for from the manufacturer?

newdude · February 27

Actually I will add some to this. You could cut it down to 2 greases. Below are some examples. Doesn't have to be Amsoil but they do make some great products.

Synthetic Polymeric Grease NLGI #2: Truck, Chassis, Equipment - AMSOIL for the truck and your regular trailer.

https://www.amsoil.com/p/amsoil-100-synthetic-water-resistant-grease-gwr - for the boat and boat trailer.

Edited February 27 by newdude

PFTX_5.3 · February 27

I would 100% add a locknlube fitting to the end of any grease guns. I have a couple of John Deere manual grease guns but recently I got a Ryobi Electric one for $100 and added a locknlube to it and I'd never go back

XY74 · February 29

I am a fan of this system. https://lube-shuttle.us/ Painless cartridge changes, can switch between types of grease very easily without waste.

SoCal Angler · February 29

58 minutes ago, XY74 said:

I am a fan of this system. https://lube-shuttle.us/ Painless cartridge changes, can switch between types of grease very easily without waste.

Checked out their grease gun....well designed....BUT....you must use their proprietary grease cartridges. That's a deal breaker for me

PFTX_5.3 · March 1

1 hour ago, SoCal Angler said:

Checked out their grease gun....well designed....BUT....you must use their proprietary grease cartridges. That's a deal breaker for me

Most power tool companies make a power grease gun that takes standard cartridges.

SoCal Angler · March 2

Looking at only manual grease guns. Since the frequency of greasing is not often, I may stick with the inexpensive trigger style full size grease guns. Also going to try the $5.00 locking couplers from Amazon. I'll see how they perform.

Edited March 2 by SoCal Angler

64BAwagon · March 5

On 2/27/2024 at 11:43 AM, PFTX_5.3 said:

I would 100% add a locknlube fitting to the end of any grease guns. I have a couple of John Deere manual grease guns but recently I got a Ryobi Electric one for $100 and added a locknlube to it and I'd never go back

The lock n lube will not work on the lower ball joints. I use a pistol grip gun for chassis grease. Buy a name brand one and put a flex hose on it at least 12 inches. I use Lucas Red n tacky for chassis and bearings. I don't use the EZ lube on my trailer since a good repack is all they need. The EZ lube was designed for boat trailers. You choice for the boat trailer grease is soild in my opinion. I buy the tubes for everything and scoop it out for my bearing packer. Like many other things I buy grease when it's on sale and I don't need it, that way I have it when I do.

PFTX_5.3 · March 5

1 hour ago, 64BAwagon said:

The lock n lube will not work on the lower ball joints. I use a pistol grip gun for chassis grease. Buy a name brand one and put a flex hose on it at least 12 inches. I use Lucas Red n tacky for chassis and bearings. I don't use the EZ lube on my trailer since a good repack is all they need. The EZ lube was designed for boat trailers. You choice for the boat trailer grease is soild in my opinion. I buy the tubes for everything and scoop it out for my bearing packer. Like many other things I buy grease when it's on sale and I don't need it, that way I have it when I do.

I haven't ran into any problems greasing LBJ's with the locknlube, I do have a flex hose on my gun though. Yep all consumables only get bought in bulk when they're on sale

XY74 · March 5

On 2/29/2024 at 6:49 PM, SoCal Angler said:

Checked out their grease gun....well designed....BUT....you must use their proprietary grease cartridges. That's a deal breaker for me

I thought about that for a bit and decided it wasn't that big of a deal to me. They make various spec greases and if it meets the spec of whatever I am using it for, then I am happy. For as much grease as I use, it will be a while before I run out of a 10 pack. (My small tractor drinks grease!)

PFTX_5.3 · March 6

20 hours ago, XY74 said:

I thought about that for a bit and decided it wasn't that big of a deal to me. They make various spec greases and if it meets the spec of whatever I am using it for, then I am happy. For as much grease as I use, it will be a while before I run out of a 10 pack. (My small tractor drinks grease!)

Must be nice LOL. During the busy seasons, we go thru about a tube a day, the rest of the year is only about a tube a week

SoCal Angler · March 7

On 3/4/2024 at 4:19 PM, 64BAwagon said:

The lock n lube will not work on the lower ball joints. I use a pistol grip gun for chassis grease. Buy a name brand one and put a flex hose on it at least 12 inches. I use Lucas Red n tacky for chassis and bearings. I don't use the EZ lube on my trailer since a good repack is all they need. The EZ lube was designed for boat trailers. You choice for the boat trailer grease is soild in my opinion. I buy the tubes for everything and scoop it out for my bearing packer. Like many other things I buy grease when it's on sale and I don't need it, that way I have it when I do.

The only time I use the EZ Lube on travel trailer and boat is after repacking and putting everything back together. I will squeeze a few pumps just to take up the air cavity left behind after repack, even though I push as much grease into cavity as possible, there is always an air cavity left behind. More important to do this on boat trailer, as it is dipped in water and water will fill that air cavity.