How to Use a Grease Gun Properly?


Have you ever imagined how painful it would be working with machines if there was no grease? I bet, you cannot even think of repairing work without this essential liquid.

Using a grease gun makes the grease work even easier. But how to use one, is something you need to learn first.

I am not going to talk about rocket science, so there is no reason for you to freak out. So, let’s jump straight on to the article.

What Is A Grease Gun And Why Do We Use That?

It is a tool which is loaded with grease inside of it. Using this gun, you can apply grease or any liquid oil to car parts, tools, and machinery.

Grease gun reduces friction and increases the life of the parts. It is important to keep all the necessary parts lubricated so that you can use them for a long time. Just after applying grease to any machinery part, it performs like a new one.

Additionally, the gun can inject grease into areas that are tough to reach.

Loading The Grease Gun

To use a grease gun properly, you must learn how to load the gun.

The first thing you need to do is hold the gun and remove the head from its barrel. You will have access to its rod handle.

Pull the rod handle and lock it. Now, you can see where the grease is stored inside the tube. People call it a cartridge as well.

Loading grease gun

When you refill the cartridge with grease, insert the cartridge into the barrel. It would be helpful if you clean the tube after pulling out an old cartridge.

Here, make sure you pull the tag on the end of the cartridge. Otherwise, the grease will not come out from the gun.

You also need to make sure that the cartridge is pushed in enough and the rim should be in contact with the rim of the gun. Now, you need to reinstall the barrel to end cap while keeping it loose.

From the end cap, turn out the rod handle and release it. There must be enough pressure for forcing the grease to come out from the tube. Therefore, you need to depress the rod handle. What it does is, it forces the grease to stay in the head of the gun.

Pump a small amount of grease through the nozzle. Before attaching the nozzle, make sure the grease that you just pumped out, is cleaned.

Tighten the cap that you removed earlier. You need to push down the air bleeder so that it can force out the air.

If the air is released, the grease gun will have stable pressure.

Now, the gun coupler should be placed at the end of the hose. It will help you to grease the exact area you want.

And finally, try pumping the lever handle to ensure that the grease flows from the gun properly.

What Kind of Grease Should You Use?

So, what type of lubricant or oil you should use? You will find lots of types of lubricants on the market. If you want the best result for your work, then without giving a second thought, buy thicker and heavier grease.

Also, there are pre-refilled cartridges on the market. If you do not want to re-use the same cartridge again and again, you can buy grease in a refilled cartridge.

How to Apply the Grease?

Here comes the best part. If you can apply the grease correctly on an object, half of your work is done.

Applying the grease correctly means you target a location and eject the grease to the same place. In this way, you can assure the efficiency of using the grease.

You do not need to apply grease everywhere in the machine. Therefore, set a target which you need to put the grease on.

Check if the grease gun is working properly. The grease needs to flow smoothly. If the targeted location is easily accessible, then the attached tube to the gun’s head will be sufficient to apply grease.

In case, you cannot reach to the target easily, the hose will help you out in this case.

When you connect the gun to the targeted location, then determine the quantity of grease that you are going to apply and put pressure according to it.

After putting the necessary amount of pressure, you can pull the trigger or lever handle. The grease will be applied to the targeted location thoroughly.

Additionally, you can also pour the grease by creating necessary pressure through the gun’s piston at the end of the gun barrel.

Air filled grease guns are easier to use. It uses both the hose and compressed air that force the grease to be more steady. And it is mostly used by the professionals in garages and workshops. 

However, if you have a battery functioning grease gun, you need to be careful about maintaining the time to pour a certain amount of grease.

Using a zerk fitting with the grease gun will be more efficient. Check whether the hose is free from any damage to avoid unwanted circumstances.


Using a grease gun is not only limited to pulling the trigger. As every tool need adequate maintenance for functioning properly in the future, therefore, you also need to take care of your grease gun's maintenance part.

Every time after you are finished with pouring grease, you must clean the grease nipple by pumping out the excessive grease. Then, wash the nipple and let it dry completely. We recommend you to wash the nipple with warm water for the best result.

Here are our tips for maintaining your grease gun properly:

  • Do not mix the existing grease with a new one. It is highly recommended to use a different grease gun for different types of lubricant. If you cannot help but use only one gun, make sure you clean it properly before filling with new lubricant.
  • The head of the grease gun should not be tightened too much. It may damage bearing shields or seals. Excessive pressure can cause pressure failure which affects its functioning as well.
  • Always take safety precaution before using the gun. Working with grease can be messy. Therefore, wearing a pair of gloves is a must. If you want, you can wear glasses too.
  • You need to be extra careful regarding the spilling of grease on the floor. Clean your working area every time after you are finished with your work. You do not want to fall on the floor by stepping on the grease.
  • Most of the lubricants are flammable. If your lubricant is flammable too, you must stay away from fire while working with it at any cost.

Frequently Answer Questions

1. What is the use of a grease gun?

A grease gun is one of the most common workshop and garage tool. It is generally used for lubricating different parts of machines. The gun can apply grease to areas that are difficult to reach. With the help of its nipple, you can easily pour grease into a specific target.

2. How many types of grease gun are available in the market?

There are three types of grease gun that you will find on the market.

  • Hand-Powered Grease Gun – The pressure is produced by hand cranking or trigger mechanism. There is another type of hand-powered gun that forces the grease to come out through a piston.
  • Pneumatic Grease Gun -  It is air powered grease gun that compresses air into the gun.
  • Battery-Powered Grease Gun – This type of grease gun is used by professionals. It is ideal for working with high pressure and can pour more amount of lubrication.

3. How much pressure does a grease gun put out?

Grease guns are capable of producing up to 15,000 psi per shot. Nonetheless, most of the bearing lip seals cannot take up to 500 psi. That is because these guns can generate significant pressure that can blow out protective seals.

4. How many grams are in a grease gun pump?

The quantity varies depending on the size and age of the gun. The standard amount of grease that comes out per pump is three grams. Again, it can be higher than that.

5. Is it necessary to use a glass while working with a grease gun?

If you wear a pair of gloves, this will get things done for you. But, taking an extra precaution is always welcomed. So, even if you can work fine with a grease gun, wearing a glass will boost your confidence level to some extent for stressful works.

Final Words

Using machinery requires lubricating from time to time. It increases their working performance as well as extends life.

How many times this did thought come to your mind that if you would pour a bit of grease, your machine would still perform like a new one?

The user experience after applying grease on a machine is very satisfying. And if you have a grease gun, it can make things easy for you.

Not only it will increase the accuracy, but also it will use the lubricant more efficiently.

After reading this article, we do not think using a grease gun seems difficult to you any longer.

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