Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty?

   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #1  

KennK

Silver Member
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
217
Location
NE Wisconsin
Tractor
John Deere 3320
I'm relatively new to using a Dewalt cordless grease gun. Yesterday I was greasing my JD tractor & front end loader, and after finishing with the FEL fittings I realized that even though I'd run 8+ pulses on each fitting, I hadn't actually seen grease oozing out of many (most) of them as is typical. I pumped the grease gun into the air, and sure enough no grease came out. I put in a fresh tube, and finished greasing the tractor. I found myself air pumping every few fittings just to be sure, but that creates a messy paper towel in one hand.

Thinking back, with a manual grease gun, when the tube is empty, I clearly feel no trigger resistance. With the Dewalt grease gun that is not possible.

Is the only way of knowing that a Dewalt grease gun's tube is empty is a lack of grease ooze and doing air pumping? Any advice is appreciated!!
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #2  
Just pull on the plunger before you use it to see what’s left is what I do with my manual pumps.

I also have two because I hate switching in the middle of machine prep:censored:
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #3  
You can hear a difference in the sound it makes. It makes more of a slapping sound when it’s empty.
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #4  
I hold the flexible plastic tube and can feel a difference in the pulsing in the tube between grease and air. As 4570 said, I also notice a sound difference and a difference in the sound of the motor.
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #5  
It's mostly the sound change for me also, however, the "hammering" or pulsing feel also smoothes out when empty. I can feel the change on the first or second cycle.
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #6  
Hmmmmmmm. I wonder how he knows when the oil can is empty. :ROFLMAO:
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #7  
Just pull on the plunger before you use it to see what’s left is what I do with my manual pumps.

I also have two because I hate switching in the middle of machine prep:censored:
This is a guaranteed way of knowing just how much grease remains in the tube
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #8  
I usually just hit the prime valve on my DeWalt gun before and after doing each fitting to see if grease oozes out. Not much waste or mess doing it that way.
As others have said, I can also hear the difference in sound made by the motor when it's out of grease.
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty? #9  
I also am not 100% sure when it’s empty. I just do a little in the air if I have doubt.
 
   / Dewalt Grease Gun - How to know tube is empty?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Thanks all - except Tinhack - for your input.

Tinhack, it's snarky replies like yours that stop people from posting to forums.
 
 
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