Cordless grease guns

[cowboydoc]

When I was at JD picking up my Gator they had a cordless 12v grease gun that was made by JD. Price was $129.95.

 

[CVHoss]

You mean to tell me that I could have had a <font color=green>JD green</font color=green> one at the same price!! Now I'm upset./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Hoss

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - It appears my first estimate of the number of grease fittings on the EF-500, 416, was slightly exaggerated. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif There are, in fact, only 67, as far as I know now - I fully expect to find another one somewhere sooner or later.

Nevertheless, having pumped three tubes of grease into said 67 fittings, I feel I can now say with some authority that the Lincoln 12v model cordless grease gun performs very well. It has at least as much, if not more, pressure as the Lincoln hand pump model I have.

Also, it's very easy to measure the amount of grease you put in. There's a well-defined stroke of the piston for each "shot" that goes in. I usually hold the trigger down for three strokes of the piston, unless I see fresh grease coming out of the joint sooner. That seems to be about equivalent to three pumps with the hand gun.

I can tell you one thing with some certainty: It sure is nice to be able to hold the end of the hose on the fitting with one hand and just squeeze a trigger with the other. Not only that, but when you've done 67 of them, and used almost a whole tube of grease in the process, you sure are glad of the savings in time and effort.

I haven't had to recharge the first battery yet, much less switch to the second, so battery life is more limited by shelf time than usage for the average person, I suspect.

Frankly, I think the thing will about pay for itself in grease savings in short order, especially if you use synthetic grease, like I do. I used to lose a fair bit to errant squirts when the end of the hose popped off the fitting, but now I can hold it with one hand - no more flying grease! Verdict: Two thumbs enthusiastically up - more if I had 'em.

 

[MikePA]

Mark, thanks for the report! Your observation re: having to hold the hose on the fitting was my major problem with the manual grease guns. I had one grease gun with a flexible hose, when I could easily reach the fitting and a second grease gun with the metal snout when I couldn't. There's nothing like thinking you have the hose connected only to find you didn't and you just pumped out a small pile of grease. Or in your example, the hose pops off /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif Wasted grease, wasted paper towels to clean the mess up. Aargh! Greasing the tractor, FEL and deck are on my agenda for this weekend. I'm looking forward to using the cordless grease gun.

BTW, which synthetic grease do you use?

 

[Redfisher]

<font color=blue>It sure is nice to be able to hold the end of the hose on the fitting with one hand and just squeeze a trigger with the other. Not only that, but when you've done 67 of them, </font color=blue>

Amen to that Brother./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - <font color=blue>I'm looking forward to using the cordless grease gun.</font color=blue> So you bought one already? Maybe I knew that and forgot already...

<font color=blue>Wasted grease, wasted paper towels to clean the mess up. Aargh!</font color=blue> Obviously, you've had the same experience with the hose popping off the fitting - what a pain. You'll like the cordless, then.

<font color=blue>BTW, which synthetic grease do you use?</font color=blue> I use Amsoil's Multi-Purpose NLGI #2 grease. It's quite a bit thicker than the normal stuff, so it isn't really suitable for extreme cold weather use in wheel bearings, but for just about everything else, it's great. It offers extremely high resistance to washout, without sacrificing the wear protection you usually do with greases specifically formulated to be water resistant. It also stays put under normal use in heavy duty equipment a lot better than the lighter grades of petroleum or synthetic greases. I've used it a long time and have never had to replace anything I've ever used in due to wear (I've broken a few things, but not worn anything out), except the universal joints on my pickup (and they've got a very good reason to fail prematurely/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Mark:
Power Trac recommended using high temperature grease on the spindles of the mower. I bought some Amsoil race grease over the net, but haven't yet put any in. I suspect that someone somewhere has cautioned not to mix regular grease with synthetic. I, being a lawyer, have assumed such warnings to be phantom liability related, rather than the result of scientific testing of mixtures, so my intention has been to just start using the expensive stuff when next I grease.
Just out of curiosity, however, did you feel compelled to wash out the 67+ greased joints to eliminate European fossil grease before starting the Amsoil?

 

[MChalkley]

Charlie - I've heard it said that you shouldn't mix synthetic and petroleum grease. It's never been said by Amsoil. In fact, if you look at the Amsoil product data sheets, you'll always find a line item labelled something like "Compatibility with petroleum products" and the following rating is generally "Excellent". I personally suspect the "you can't mix 'em" rumor was started by individuals selling petroleum products to discourage others from switching to synthetics.

So, no, I did not feel compelled to wash out any of the EF-500's 67 grease fittings... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[MikePA]

The rebirth of this thread (thanks, Mark) prompted me to get out all my owner's manuals and record what gear oil, grease, etc. everything needs as well as forming an order for Amsoil.

The tractor, mower deck, post hole digger and rotary mower all need

1. NLGI #2 grease
2. 80W/90W Gear Oil

MarkC - do you also use the other Amsoil products, e.g., hyd fluid, engine oil? If so, which product?

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - I use Amsoil Series 2000 75W90 gear oil in the differentials, planetaries, and transfer case of the EF-500.

I use Series 3000 5W30 HD Diesel oil in the engine, after it's "broken in".

I use AWI ISO 46 hydraulic oil in the HST and implement pump hydraulics. (Technically, I don't use it yet - I've got 6 5-gal pails of it in the garage that's going to be put in next week.) I used to use ATH in the Kubota HST, because it was the right viscosity, but I'd probably use AWH instead now, because it's a better grade of oil, though more expensive. But when you average it over a several year lifespan, it's not much more.

 

[MikePA]

Does the synthetic grease have the same smell as non-synthetic?

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - Um, well, I gotta tell ya - ya stumped me on that one. I don't see that listed in the specs, so I guess I'll have to go stick my nose in a tube of it. I'll letcha know...

 

[MikePA]

After reading my post, I guess that does sound like an odd question. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I've always thought that brown/black grease had a horrible smell and wondered if they'd 'cured' the problem with synthetic.

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - First of all, I hope you appreciate that I don't go sticking my nose into 14-oz. cartridges of grease for just anybody. Now, with that out of the way...

I just finished a thorough olfactory examination of two tubes of grease. On my left, I have a tube of Coastal #1 multi-purpose grease (which I purchased at Advance Auto parts this evening for $1.99 just for you - so if you don't switch to Amsoil grease right away, I'm sending it to you postage collect). On my right, I have a tube of Amsoil Multi-Purpose #2 grease.

Test, phase 1 (Eyes open, because objectivity and completely unbiased evaluation is no problem for me): Remove cap from Coastal crap. Sniff. Gag. Smells like, well, like crap. Familiar grease smell. Remove cap from excellent Amsoil product. Sniff. Inhale deeply. Exhale completely so can inhale aroma of Amsoil grease once again. Wow, man, like, rad, it's like taking a trip without ever leaving the farm. The unmistakable aroma of cherry is present, or is it raspberry, maybe grape. Ok, so maybe it's not unmistakable, but it's reminescent of some kind of fruit.

Test, phase 2 (just in case some bias crept into phase 1 of test): Close eyes. Shuffle tubes around a while. Stand up, spin around 5 times. No, sit down after 3rd rev. Feel sick. Go have a beer. Come back. Sit down. Close eyes. Shuffle tubes around a while. Forego spin this time. Pick up one tube with eyes still closed. Sniff. Wipe grease off nose. No question, this is Coastal crap - that same horrible grease smell - like it's spoiled and it hasn't even been thrashed by the raw power of an EarthForce machine yet. Open eyes for verification. Correct. Close eyes. Sniff other tube. This is clearly wonderful Amsoil product. If only I had a little whipped cream and a spoon...

I hope you're happy. I'm going to have another beer. I feel I've earned it. (And, just for the record, I'm serious about the smell of the two products. I don't understand the "fruity" smell of the Amsoil, but it's there. It was even there before I started the beer.)

 

[MikePA]

I am overwhelmed by your dedication (spinning and whirling) and sacrifice ($1.99 + a beer) in pursuit of the truth. The same passion you display in improving your hydraulic steeds, you have brought to the Great Grease Mystery! I will be buying Amsoil, if for no other reason than the new and improved smell, that I would not know of except by your experiment. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Your are, indeed, a STAR member of TBN.

Now, what are you going to do with the tube of Coastal grease???? /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

 

[bphillips]

What - no taste test ....

 

[Dozernut]

Sir I am humbled. I stand in the shadows of a great literary author. When you publish I will be one of your first readers. Your writing is mindfull of Patick McManus or Dave Berry, who are writing about tubes of grease. Good write!

 

[MChalkley]

Mike - This is perhaps the first time in history that someone has chosen a lubricant based solely on its "nose". I've personally chosen single malt scotch, and wine, based on their bouquet, but grease, no.

As for what's in store for the tube of Coastal grease: I thought I'd use it for nasty tricks at the next TBN gathering, whenever and wherever that is. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif In the meantime, I plan to convince everyone that I've given the tube to you. That way, when they find something on their shoes (or brake pedal) that smells like cat dung, and discover that it's really just grease, they'll think it was you...

 

[MChalkley]

bphillips - I had decided to leave the taste test out of my report, but since you asked: The Amsoil is a bit gummy, like creamy peanut butter mixed with a little cream, perhaps. Not a bad texture at all, though I think I'd give better palatability ratings to the #1 grease, based on consistency alone. From a taste standpoint, though a bit bland, it's not bad, for grease.

The Coastal grease, alas, like chitterlings, or chitlins, as we call them in these parts, never made it past my nose. Anything that smells that bad ain't passing my lips, not even for Mike.

(Just for the record, for the humor-challenged, I did not taste the Amsoil grease either. It's probably toxic, though I didn't check.)

 

[MChalkley]

Dozernut - By now, you have no doubt received countless private messages from TBN long-timers begging you not to encourage me. I apologize for their behavior in filling your inbox with all those passionate pleas. Though you may find this so hard to believe that you suspect me of jesting again, very few people find me funny. You are to be congratulated on having one of the world's truly great senses of humor. Either that, or everyone else is right. Nah, couldn't be. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I've always wanted to be an author, but I think my gift truly lies in "How-To" books, much in the style of Bob Newhart's character. I'm currently on sabbatical from the writing profession, following the poor sales performance of my first endeavor in this field, a booklet entitled "13 Easy Ways to Disassemble a Crowbar". Still, few authors found literary success with their first work, so I'll soon start my second, "Large-scale Earthmoving With Your Lawn Tractor". Based on your encouragement, I plan to follow it with "Grease Nosing for Beginners". One of the chapters, "It's Only Brown-nosing If It's Not Amsoil", will thoroughly develop the reasoning behind Amsoil's bright red color, as well as its delectable aroma.

(Seriously, though, thanks for the kind words. And welcome to TBN!)