Cars and some machine tools; especially if you use and work on older models but even some of the modern ones require one. Another use, although not applicable to the average Doper, are amusement park rides. Almost all of them require regular, if not daily, use of a grease gun.
I just bought one this past year. I had moved and I have no idea where any of the ones I used to have are. I needed it for my lawn tractor, but will also use it on my vehicles when I do oil changes. While most bearings and suspension joints are sealed these days, not all of them are. A sealed suspension joint is expected to last about 10 years/100,000 miles. A grease-able joint may only last a year or two or 10,000 to 20,000 miles after the last time it was greased, or essentially forever, or until the boots/seals are damaged or torn, probably because a grease monkey (no pun intended) pumps too much grease in them.
I have two. A pneumatic that I use on the tractor and associated attachments, and a small manual one I use on my chainsaw and other small equipment. It also gets used on my ammo reloading machines.
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I have one of this style, although NOT a HF model.
I bought it back in the early 1990s, and used it up through the early 2000s, when the vehicle I bought at that point had sealed ball joints and no zerks on the suspension, and none since have needed its services either.
Since then, it’s just been taking up space in the garage.
I’m coming over. I’ll bring a bunch of 45.
Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?
poonka poonka
Unless you’re driving on concrete, how do you keep from getting grease all over your chest? Is this the male version of putting on makeup in the car?
I do. You need one if you maintain a vintage railroad signal, like
this one. But not down below, oh no. You climb up a spindly ladder to hit the bearings on the rotating heads.
On my '67 Mustang.
I think Dad inherited his brother in law’s. I had a Honda CD 150 with grease nipples, and I used the gun.
I have two. I first bought one with a lever handle and that sucked so I then bought one with a pistol grip. I use it on my riding lawn mower.
Yup. Use it on the lawn tractor and the metal working lathe.
I haven’t used my grease gun in years until just a few weeks ago. A neighbor has an 80’s Buick and it had a grease fitting on a tie rod end. Probably a replacement part.
Use them all the time at work on industrial motor clutches, pumping units, salt water pump packing, valves…
I own 3 or 4. The pneumatic gun gets used the most, then the small one. The lever action ones get used only if I don’t want to hook up the air gun. Things like tractors, even new ones, have a lot of grease zerks.
We have 7 lathes in my machine shop. Use several guns with different greases for different applications. The pneumatic one can really get away from you if you aren’t watching.
I might still have one laying around. I think I sold the last thing with a zerk fitting a few years ago.
Zerk fitting? I always heard “grease nipple”.
From here