The 10 Best Grease Guns

Editor's Notes

October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:

The Milwaukee 2646-21CT M18 stays on top for anyone with a barn or a fleet, but the bigger change is what sits beside it. Most people grease a handful of fittings a year, so the list now leads its manual side with the Lincoln 1142, a lever gun that costs little and lasts.

We dropped the Lincoln 1884, which costs far more than the Milwaukee and DeWalt kits for the same pressure and hose, and the Lincoln AC2440 corded shop gun. The Lumax LX-1176 and Lumax LX-1152 are no longer sold. The old LocknLube listing now sells a foot pump, so the LockNLube LNL153 pistol grip takes its place. The Carbyne Lever Handle and OTC 2310 had too little track record.

The deciding evidence was makers' pressure and flow ratings, years of mechanic and farm forum posts on which guns keep sealing, and a marine contractors' safety bulletin on grease injection injuries. None of these brands has a grease gun recall on file.

May 27, 2021:

After doing a decent job of cleaning this list up last year, and without any noteworthy newcomers to dethrone any of our existing choices, we made it through this round of updates without making any major changes, believing that our existing selections continue to represent some of the best options in the category.

As the order of our rankings might suggest, we recommend a battery-powered model like the Milwaukee 2646-21CT M18 or DeWalt DCGG571M1, to those who can afford one, but we continue to retain several manual models closer to the bottom of our list, for users on a budget. The LocknLube GG80001 is a smart choice, if you’re working on heavy machinery and not afraid of bulk filling, while the Lincoln AC2440 is our suggestion for anybody looking for a corded model.

February 17, 2020:

During this round of updates, while most of our selections maintained their positions, we did replace Lincoln’s 12-volt and 18-volt models, the 1244 and 1844, with the company’s 20-volt offering, the Lincoln 1884 – which features a useful LCD screen to keep users advised of the tool’s battery life and issues alerts anytime it loses prime. We also decided to eliminate the Alemite 1056-SE4, observing that its expensive price seemed out of line with its basic design. Our other new additions were the Lumax LX-1176, a budget-friendly, battery-powered model that’s suitable for casual users who’re tired of the hand cramps that sometimes come with manual alternatives; and the LocknLube GG80001, a manual model that can be pumped by foot, features a ten-feet hose and is a great option for users who don’t mind bulk filling their grease.

A few factors to consider for this category:

Power Source: Tools in this category typically have one of four power sources:

Manual: These grease guns are powered by good-old-fashioned elbow grease. While models like the Lumax LX-1152 and Carbyne Lever Handle depend on users’ grip strength to manually pump the lubricant via trigger or lever, the LocknLube GG80001 sets itself apart by including a foot-operated pumping lever. Although these options can be reliable and affordable choices, operating them can be tiresome, and many professionals prefer to avoid them.

Pneumatic: In a manner similar to pneumatic sanders and pneumatic drills, pneumatic guns like the OTC 2310 harness the power of compressed air to dispense grease. Although options like these are considerably easier to handle than a manual model, they have the disadvantage of needing an air compressor to function – which might not be the biggest deal for users looking to outfit their mechanic shop, but will amount to an additional expense and/or inconvenience for others.

Electric: Models like the Lincoln AC2440, which plug into any common 120-volt wall outlet, are on par with pneumatic alternatives as far as ease of use goes, but they do have a big of edge in terms of versatility in that a wall outlet is often easier to come by than an air compressor. However, they still need to be plugged in, which won’t do you much good if you’re trying to service a machine parked way out in a field, for example.

Battery: Options like the DeWalt DCGG571M1 and Milwaukee 2646-21CT M18 are considered to be some of the best on the market, and use the same batteries as the companies’ other cordless tools, ultimately creating automatic, portable offerings that have the potential to save users a lot of time and hassle.

Loading Method: Most of our selections can accommodate grease tubes/cartridges, which many users prefer because of the relatively mess-free method’s simplicity. However, users who prefer to bulk fill their guns (an option that’s primarily tolerated because it’s considerably cheaper than tube filling) will likely appreciate options like the Carbyne Lever Handle and Lumax LX-1152, because they have provisions that allow them to be filled up via dispenser pumps. This is a much tidier method than bulk suction filling, which essentially involves dunking your barrel in a tub grease and yanking on its follower handle to suck grease up into its tube, effectively treating the gun like a giant syringe.

Output Pressure: While selections like the Carbyne Lever Handle and OTC 2310 generate smaller maximum output pressures of 4,000 PSI and 4,800 PSI, respectively, other models like the LocknLube GG80001 and Milwaukee 2646-21CT M18 can put out pressures as high as 10,000 PSI. Most users won’t require pressures that high. But, if you do have some high-pressure applications in mind it, it would be prudent to do a bit of research to ensure that the model you’re considering meets your needs. Also, be wary of flexible application hoses, as there have been reports of hoses having maximum pressure ratings that are less than that of the gun they come with.