Need a grease gun and grease recommendation.

[edgephoto]

I have been working on and off all winter working on my Cat 426 backhoe. Soon I will be able to use her to start clearing my land to build a house and barn. I am at the point where I need to start greasing everything via the zerk fittings. Pistol grip type guns aggravate my carpal tunnel. The lever type cartridge models are ok.

I think with the amount of greasing and quantity of grease needed I should go with something I can use with bulk grease. There is no compressed air where the machine will be. At least not until I get my shop built but that is a long way off.

I see these foot operated units. Are they any good and if so which brand is good and which brand to stay away from?

Lastly what grease do you guys like for a Caterpillar 426 hoe? Obviously Cat sells a number of greases but something not Cat branded will save a few bucks if it can do the job.

 

[Swetz]

edgephoto, I started a discussion on this a couple months back (see link below). Since this thread, I did actually purchase a backhoe, and serviced it. I currently have a lever grease gun. It works ok. My long term plan is to ask for a Milwakee 18 volt grease gun for Christmas. I currently have several Milwaukee M-18 tools, so why buy another brand. For grease (also discussed on the thread) I went with Schaeffer 02212029 Moly Ultra Grease. I purchased it on Amazon (see link). I am not an Amazon person, but it was there and available. I used about 2 tubes of grease doing the entire tractor, and was tired of pumping by the time I was done.

I hope this helps!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DKA5B8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/a-question-about-greasing.81162/

 

[Delmer]

Skip the lever, go straight to battery. Bulk is not worth the trouble unless you're running a fuel and lube truck for a contractor. Stick with tubes.

If you have a cordless tool setup already, use that brand. Otherwise, there's lots of used cordless grease guns cheap, you don't need a lot of battery life to do one backhoe, the batteries get weak with age and won't pump as much as they used to.

 

[edgephoto]

@Swetz Thanks for the links. I tried using the search feature and could not find anything pertinent. I did get 195 pages of results.

@Delmer I will look at battery operated cartridge models. I have Milwaukee stuff so I will probably look at that.

You think battery operated cartridge model is better than a foot operated model that fills from a pail?

 

[DB2]

We use the foot type from Lock and Lube and it works great.
No fussing with with air locks and two hands available at all times for wiping, moving hoses out of the way etc. Best of all hands and arms don’t get sore.

 

[mitch504]

There is no way that with one backhoe bulk grease is worth the hassle. Like swetz said, about 2 tubes per application. My guys and I go through about 20 tubes a week. I really like the Alemite A500 for a manual gun, but, after being given an Alemite battery gun by a customer who was selling out, I developed a strong allergy to hand pumping. I loved the Alemite gun, but sold it to a another customer and bought a Milwaukee M18, because I had lots of other M18 tools. The M18 gun has been better than the Alemite, which was great. I have a little less trouble with air lock, and the battery life is better.

By all means, WHATEVER you buy, put a Lock'n'lube coupler on it.

Wow, this made me think what a difference 10 years makes. 28 years of using a lever gun, and ABSOLUTELY HATING to grease. Then about 10 yrs ago, my first battery gun, then a better battery gun, then a couple years ago, a great coupler. WOW! Now I only dislike greasing.

 

[DB2]

We get about four fills per pail. A lot less waste regarding empty tubes. To each his own however.

 

[mitch504]

I was just saying for somebody who only has one machine used a day a week, maybe, I couldn't see bulk. What's he going to use, 2 tubes a month?

For my operation, I put a lever gun and a few tubes with every machine, and the battery gun on the service truck. The lever guns almost never get used.
With the foot tubs, how do you grease things like on top of a trackhoe boom?

 

[DB2]

Good point about the booms. I only chimed in because he specifically asked about the foot models.

When we are busy we grease 20 machines a shift. One thing I don’t miss is watching a guy standing there pumping frivolously to get the next tube primed.

 

[edgephoto]

I have one machine and will use it on weekends, most likely one day on a weekend. I appreciate all the input.

I will look at battery guns. If I use 2 tubes per greasing then I am good with that. The foot operated looks handy but filling it is messier. I think cost-wise foot operated bulk vs. battery gun is not a big difference. I just want something simple and easy to use.

 

[Coaldust]

Thumbs up to the Milwaukee M18 grease gun. The DeWalt is a decent tool, also. I've settled on the M18 and M12 platform. Battery vs manual? Get both. The manual gun can push grease at higher pressures for those plugged up or dried out zerks. Or, sometimes you are greasing something delicate and don't want to over-grease. The Alemite 500 is an awesome tool. I have an original Stewart Warner 500 that must be 40 years old. Can't tell a bit of difference between the original and a brand new Alemite 500.

I worked for a Alemite distributor and used the battery powered gun, myself. We had lots of battery returns and complaints from customers. DeWalt and Milwaukee are miles ahead, but your mileage may vary.

Grease? Holy cow. That's a multi page discussion right there. I would stay away from bulk like everyone else suggests. It will expire way before you can use it all. And contamination control becomes an issue. I like Chevron Ultra-Duty EP. But, I drink the Chevron kool-aid.

Check out Mystick JT6. Or, P66 Multi-pled 600. Helluva product. Amazon.com.

Whatever, I would stick with a lithium complex EP NLGI #2 with moly. Especially since that machine has so many plain pin bushings.

 

[mitch504]

Yeah, I have looked at the foot ones with interest, and when my friend gave me the battery one, I was looking hard at an air operated five gallon pump with a 50' hose reel to go on the service truck. I have bunches of trucks and machinery, but there's only 2 full-time and one part-time of us, so most of it sits. Like I said, using 10-20 tubes a month, I stayed with simple.

I use Mystik JT6, I have been tempted by some of what I've learned on HEF, but 30 yrs ago, I switched from using whatever was on the front of the shelf at the parts store to exclusively Mystik, and the improvement was amazing, and am reluctant to change what works.

 

[Ct Farmer]

Alemite A500 lever gun with Lock N’lube coupler.

As for grease, something with 5% moly. Switched to Schaefer 238 a few years ago and really like it. Been using mostly NLGI 2 but keep some #1 for winter and #3 for bucket pins.

 

[Steve Frazier]

A couple years ago Home Depot had a real decent sale on Milwaukee M12 tools so I bought the kit for the shop at work, we had been using DeWalt 18V to that point. Liked them so much I went on line to see what other tools are available and got the grease gun as we service 6 mowing machines every week. Love it!! I can only imagine the M18 tools are better. I don't know if they can use bulk grease or not.

By the way, I liked these tools so much I bought several, including the grease gun, for my personal shop!

 

[cuttin edge]

edgephoto, I started a discussion on this a couple months back (see link below). Since this thread, I did actually purchase a backhoe, and serviced it. I currently have a lever grease gun. It works ok. My long term plan is to ask for a Milwakee 18 volt grease gun for Christmas. I currently have several Milwaukee M-18 tools, so why buy another brand. For grease (also discussed on the thread) I went with Schaeffer 02212029 Moly Ultra Grease. I purchased it on Amazon (see link). I am not an Amazon person, but it was there and available. I used about 2 tubes of grease doing the entire tractor, and was tired of pumping by the time I was done.

I hope this helps!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DKA5B8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/a-question-about-greasing.81162/

2 tubes, is that for one grease job on one back hoe? I can use about one tube on a Volvo grader. I pump until I hear the crack of the moisture, anymore than that is a waste. They have on in the shop, it counts your shots, and tells you how much grease you have left. Seems to have great power, as it pumps red grease when it's cold. I think it's made by Lincoln. My father had a Lincoln 12 volt. Been in my mother's unheated shed for over 10 years now, so the battery is probably no good.

 

[AzIron]

If you keep a backhoe greased up good you should be able to grease 3 to 4 times on one tube and I only grease once a day unless I am digging an elevator pit with a 3 foot bucket I grease the 4 zeros on the bucket curl at lunch as well but that's only 2 to 3 pumps per zero

I use vavoline 985 never had pin problems and second the Milwaukee m18 gun I made fun of electric guns till dad got one I had mine a week later

 

[CM1995]

Milwaukee 18V grease gun is the way to go. We have 3 spread across 2 crews and myself. Tried the Dewalt first and wouldn't buy another one - PITA to keep primed. No issues with the Milwaukee.

 

[Swetz]

AzIron, I was told that it would take 2 tubes in my thread. I thought it was a lot. When I purchased my backhoe, I greased every fitting on the machine as I normally grease my other equipment, and it was just about 2 tubes of grease. Perhaps, I used a bit more than I normally would because it was my first time with this machine. I haven't been able to use the machine more than an hour since greasing as all the rain in my location, so time will tell. To be honest, I am not stuck on how many tube of grease, but rather that each and every zirk takes grease, and I see the grease made it out of the void at the end, and the grease that is flowing is clean and water free

 

[cuttin edge]

AzIron, I was told that it would take 2 tubes in my thread. I thought it was a lot. When I purchased my backhoe, I greased every fitting on the machine as I normally grease my other equipment, and it was just about 2 tubes of grease. Perhaps, I used a bit more than I normally would because it was my first time with this machine. I haven't been able to use the machine more than an hour since greasing as all the rain in my location, so time will tell. To be honest, I am not stuck on how many tube of grease, but rather that each and every zirk takes grease, and I see the grease made it out of the void at the end, and the grease that is flowing is clean and water free

Not critisizing you using 2 tubes, just seems to be a lot. Might have been dry. I know a lot of guys that make sure every pin has grease oozing out all around every pin, makes a mess. Our plant loader has an automatic greaser, as there are days when the machine never stops. The boys say it uses less grease than a gun when you figure it out. Never liked them. I find that when you are greasing, is when you find any problems.

 

[Swetz]

cuttin edge, I didnt think you were criticizing...all good. I have some experience with the auto greasers on very large transmission line (high voltage electric) cable tensioners. I have mixed feelings about them myself. Our guys tend not to grease the equipment at all...kinda not my job attitude. So, that said, it is better that then nothing. My main problem with them is I have seen them die and still have lots of grease in them...said another way, I feel they are not that reliable. My experience was like 20 years ago, so perhaps they are better now. As for an owner/operator, especially if he/she is mechanically inclined, there is no better to get a feel for your equipment that to physically look at it and touch it, and greasing will cause both of them to happen.