Exactly!! I broke down and bought a Lincoln, and even read the instructions a few times. Was hoping there was some secret lore that would be revealed, or learn the correct incantations. Swear words don't help.

Jokes aside, grease points are super critical, and they NEED lubed on a schedule, but it's a PITA and messy so it's easy to "forget". I just use a general all purpose moly chassis grease.

 

I bought the same gun from HF. It doesn't "leak" but I keep it in a drawer on its side with a rag wrapped around the business end just in case.

I use the green grease, and it doesn't drip or liquefy.

 

Joe, He said his is not a Harbor Freight. Mine hang in those plastic holders on the wall and they seem to leak and mine are old high quality guns, not chinese junk.

 

The common denominator here seems to be the type of grease used. Maybe? Because my Chinese junk gun doesn't leak.

 

Nature of the beast. So I buy an over $200 electric Lincoln, and there is
a puddle of oil in its case??? I will live with that, cause thats the best
thing I ever bought. (my woods are loaded with grease guns I flung)
another question>? how come every time you grab the grease gun its
empty, but still has a little grease in it. The electric pumps every drop
out. I guess the electric may be not for everyone, but we have a lot
of greasing 15 min electric over 1/2 hour with hand gun for a backhoes
2 zillion fittings....

sam

 

I hang mine from the shelve and place them all inside of tube socks

 

I've cut a hole in the top of an old antifreeze jug and I let the whole thing set under the bench out of direct sun.
It never fails though, I go to pull the mess out from under the bench and the hose catches on something and whips around and slops a goop of grease on my forearm. Then you set the jug down so you can wipe your arm and the top heavy jug with grease gun poking out of it falls over and the oily drippings run out on the floor.


So, in the end, it would almost be easier for me to just hang it off the end of the bench to randomly drip on an old rag.........sigh


Bobby

 

Timman is right. I too have a lincoln that was my dads before me, it is at least 60 to 70 years old and doesn't leak. I have only had to replace the rubber hose and the tip.
Elmo

 

On my old gun, the T-rod would sometimes slip out of the notch while I was putting a new cartridge in... it launched a fresh cartridge against the garage door once.

 

I think there would be a pretty good market for a disposable grease gun. Maybe even electric. I noticed weed killer comes with a battery driven sprayer now, pretty clever.

 

I would be in a heap of trouble if my handle slipped. I take the head off and shove the body down in a bucket of grease, pull the handle back and locked. It sucks the barrel full of grease without any air. Then put the head back on and good to go. I think the grease is cheaper in the tubs and buckets.
Elmo

 

You're right, it's a lot cheaper. And i'm thrifty, too. But the whole grease gun routine is such that avoiding the mess would be worth it for folks who don't need to service a fleet or a D9 everyday.

 

Now THAT would really make me use some inappropriate language!

 

....Never done that......
However, I used to fill grease guns direct from the bucket and one bump of the handle would puke a whole gun of grease everywhere! Which is one reason I use the cartridges now........

 

OK, I think I learned something here. Maybe if I stop buying the cheap general purpose grease, my gun will stop dripping? Nice! Also, to solve my drip, I hang it on the wall with the edge of a crumpled up paper towel held between the body and the wall. The crumple is necessary so that the pt is 3 dimensional and the oil drip will hit it. The paper towel seems to control the drip by absorbing it until I need to grease something again. BTW, last year I bought a new grease gun and got one-hand squeeze handle. Much better than the two-hand lever model.