Which Glue Gun To Buy

[niall Y]

I've had a few of these in my time, and I can't say that I've been impressed with any of them. Whether taking an age to heat up, the glue-sticks not passing through with the action of the trigger, or giving up the ghost entirely, just as I'm about to use them for the first time in ages. So, having not bothered for a while I now find myself needing another.
The question is : Which of the currently available models would other members advise me to buy, and which ones should I avoid?

 

[scooby]

I’ve had one of the green Bosch ones for absolutely ages and never had any problems with it. Heats up pretty quick and just works.

 

[recipio]

I have the Stanley Fat Max which I find good. It heats up in about 30 secs and has Hi and Lo settings. I tried a gas heat gun once but the thing was always out of gas when I went to use it.

 

[PerryGunn]

The one I have is no longer available but one feature that I find very useful is that it has variable temperature - sometimes it's very convenient to be able to make the glue a bit thicker or thinner by nudging the temperature up/down a bit

 

[supertom44]

I bought the Bosch one but it gets very little use, the trigger on mine is painfully stiff. Much prefer my cheap Amazon one.

 

[g8dy]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09LC8Y...d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams
I got this one because i use dewalt batteries.

Works great for me.

 

[Oscar43634]

I bought this it's been great so far, they do more robust versions but the basic has been fine for me:
https://www.gluegunsdirect.com/shop/tec-glue-guns/art-and-craft-glue-guns/tec-305-12mm-glue-gun/

 

[Bristol_Rob]

I recently bought/invested in a decent cordless glue gun after struggling with crappy guns for too long.

I bought: the 808 model

Glue Guns Direct

I also bought the adapter for my makita batteries and this gun works amazingly well.

It has 2 heat settings
Blue light = lower power (stand by power)
Then flick to Red light on the switch and its full power.

Glue comes out quickly as I wanted. Or just a dab - gives great control.

They also sell different glues for different applications.

All glues are permanent glues. None are designed to be temporary.

They get my vote.

 

[Ollie78]

If you want to go posh get the Boegh consult knot filling one, best glue gun I have used. Its actually a decent size rather than a sort of mini kids size one that many are.
Comes with 2 different sized nozzles.

https://woodrepair.com/BCD-360-Knot-Filler-gun/50002
Ollie

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Gluegunsdirect. I bought a kit (some of which I won't use, but passed on to someone who will) and 5kg of glue at a ridiculous price - it's more than I will ever use.

A few ideas for people who don't use one -
https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/101-uses-for-a-hot-melt-glue-gun.100646/post-1298642

 

[Just4Fun]

I recently bought a cheapo no-name glue gun from a poundland-style shop. Never had one before, and only used this one twice. I'm not really sure what they are supposed to be good for. If I had to pick 1 word to describe the result of using a glue gun I would pick "ugly". So I wonder what application you have in mind that will "need" a glue gun.

One thing related to selecting the best glue gun is what size of glue stick is best? I have seen 7mm and 12mm. The gun I bought uses 7mm sticks. I can make a serious mess with that and I can't think of anything I am likely to do that would benefit from 12mm sticks. Am I missing something?

 

[HamsterJam]

I’ve got the Bostik blue/orange glue guns (both sizes). I use the big one most and feed it with non Bostick general purpose glue (the current lot from Screwfix IIRC).
Both work fine apart from a tendency to dribble a bit.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

One thing related to selecting the best glue gun is what size of glue stick is best? I have seen 7mm and 12mm. The gun I bought uses 7mm sticks. I can make a serious mess with that and I can't think of anything I am likely to do that would benefit from 12mm sticks. Am I missing something?

The pro turner I know uses three 11mm ones at the same time to glue blanks up to 50kg to a wooden faceplate.
You can put more glue through a larger one hotter and quicker. I assume these would be a little large for you, then -
https://www.gluegunsdirect.com/shop/glue-sticks/15mm-glue-sticks/https://www.gluegunsdirect.com/shop/glue-sticks/43mm-glue-slugs/

 

[niall Y]

Thanks for the feedback folks. I've had a look at all of the suggestions. Was initially thinking of the Bosch, but some of the reviews I've read don't fill me with confidence. Glue guns direct site looks quite interesting, though I have to marvel at the price of some of their machines.
Will have to lay the information before the committee ( my partner), who will be using it first. I will add a brief up-date when I try out whichever one we choose.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Much of their stuff is for industrial use - you get much what you pay for.

 

[robgul]

I've had a very basic glue gun for about 40 years - simplicity itself with no trigger . . . you hold and push the glue stick through with your thumb - it just works!

I was given the little Bosch Glue Pen cordless a while ago, the glue line, when it works is for very fine work - but I wouldn't recommend it as the trigger mechanism is very flakey.

.... I am considering an Einhell cordless (I'm on that battery platform for about a dozen tools) as I need a more substantial gun for an upcoming project.

 

[cemannion]

There is a cordless glue gun on amazon which uses dewalt batteries and is fantastic. It heats up quicker than my corded ones, a bit heavier but just an excellent tool for £25

 

[Sideways]

Hot melt is a bit crude.
I've found when I do use it, I want to apply a decent amount. With a small gun, the start of the bead is cooling and setting before i'm ready to press the parts together.
Get a powerful one with a 2 or 3 finger size trigger so you can apply it quickly.
Like shoulder planes, a big 'un will do small work, but the opposite isn't true.
I have something no name Chinese but it's great.