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Servicing some pedals and wondered if there was a more precise way of getting grease into those finicky bits so started looking at a grease gun / dispenser and came across one of these…
seems like a good idea, works with my grease of choice, anyone used or owned one? Any good or should I set fire to a tenner now?
I got one of those! Somewhere...
I've had it for years. It works pretty well for stuff like bearings and pedals.
I also bought a refillable one like this https://amzn.eu/d/5T4z2GL and stuffed it full of waterproof grease.
+1 for the small grease gun linked above. Ebay is full of them. I got one recently, having had one of the Weldtite-like ones for years. It's fine but does limit the grease that you can use as it has to have that thread.
If the pedals have and enclosed cartridge for the bearings (like Shimano SPD pedals do), then unscrew and remove that, then put grease in the pedal so the axle hole is covered. Push the cartridge back in and the new grease will purge the old grease from the system.
The Weldite ones are fine - as are the metal refillables, which are more robust. The plus point of the Weldite one is that it's a simple plug and play rather than decant and play option, however the one we have does occasionally seem to weep unwanted grease in annoying places. I think, subjectively, you get more pressure with the metal ones, which maybe makes them a better call if you're lubricating via a grease nipple.
I have the exact same Weldtite grease gun. Must’ve had it for ~5 years and it’s still going strong. Works pretty well, it carries on weeping a little bit once you’ve stopped plunging so you need to stop earlier than you think but you soon get used to it. I think it’s absolutely fine for a home mechanic. You do need to make sure you get a tube of grease with the tread on it so takes a little longer to search but it’s not that difficult and a tube of grease lasts me quite a long time so it’s no real bother at all.
Another vote for works pretty well. When the tube is empty I plan to refill it with Silkolene Pro2 grease from the tub I've got.
I had one of those metal ones for greasing Pace RC35 forks. Lent it to a "mate" and didn't see it again.
I got a park tool refillable one like that one above, and a tube of the fancy Mobil grease, enough for about 50 years.
As above I have the Weldtite one and also a refillable one for marine grease. They both work well
I have the Dualco version of the metal refillable one linked above, and a tube of ExxonMobil XHP222 (blue, very sticky, very smelly, extremely good grease for wheel bearings etc) which will be enough to last a lifetime.
I keep meaning to buy Dualco to hold some more benign grease for less heavy-duty applications.
I'm going against popular choice ^^ and say that I've hardly used mine.
It does precision, but that's the only advantage that I found. The red grease that came with mine didn't manage the winter commuting season before turning pink and emulsified (I don't cycle if I'm likely to get a soaking although I do get caught out).
I'd put the money towards something else
The red grease that came with mine didn’t manage the winter commuting season before turning pink and emulsified
Get some XHP222 in there...
Thanks all, for the amount of use it will realistically get, might take a punt on one, might be handy if only for the fiddly bits
I think I got a cheap eBay metal one and it cracked almost immediately, I then bought a Dualco one and I've had it years and use it frequently
Pace badged Dualco here. Bought it in about 1998 and it's done sterling service for the last 26 off years.
Filling is easy if you buy tubs of grease with a plastic inner 'lid' with a hole in it. Just refill by pushing the open grease gun down over the hole.
Has anyone got a recommendation for grease guns that attach to the nipple on a Santa Cruz link?
I had one of these years ago. I think it broke eventually. It does a job and gives you a small, tidy stream of grease. I can't say I ever found it satisfying to use though, it always made me want a proper gun with a trigger.
I’ve had one of those for donkey’s years. Still going strong.
I have one, it's got to 15 years old, it works fine.
I'm sure there are better options out there, but I'm not shop mechanic so for my usage it's spot on.
the only downside to weldtite gun is the head cracked on the thread of the bottle. so i've got 1/2 a tube of grease and would need to buy another tube to work the gun
Forgot to say, although the little gun is good, the weldtite grease isn't that great. It's not something I'd use again on anything that was likely to get wet.
XHP222 in the metal squirter is the business for bearings. It was actually quite therapeutic scooping the grease into the tiny can. Wearing gloves, obviously.
@whatgoesup is that the stuff for industrial pump/motor bearings that Papa Smurf excreted after a bad night on the Smurf Guinness and sticks like shit on a blanket?
Has anyone got a recommendation for grease guns that attach to the nipple on a Santa Cruz link?
@chrismac should be a standard grease nipple? Screwfix/toolstation will have one that takes industrial Cartridges, XHP222 god tier stuff that.
XHP222 god tier stuff that.
Does it smell a bit like bacon ala Silkolene RG2? Otherwise not interested
Got a weldtite grease gun. Been fine for yonks, the cheap one I had was rubbish.
I now have 2 dualco guns one with XHP222 and one with a tub of Shimano's special grease.
As an aside what is so special about the special grease. Apart from it's ability to separate in a grease gun. It doesn't get used much
I use a Dualco with Mobil XHP222, and a dualco copies with various greases for other applications. I like the mess free grease application.
If you buy tubs of grease with a disc on top they work well for loading grease guns rather than manually packing.
I found the nozzles that screw onto the plastic grease tubes tend to lose their prime when sitting and will not pump grease without faffing.