For something as simple as a grease-gun and zerk-nozzle it’s surprising how many are unfamiliar with how it works.
The nozzle on original guns is adjustable. If you look at the barrel, it can be seen to rotate versus the NPT fitting (where it screws onto the hose-end or delivery-tube-end….. and that differential adjustment is what decides how tightly the nozzle will “grip” the zerk fitting.
If the nozzle is not properly adjusted it will not grip the zerk… and it will leak grease all over instead of delivering it into the zerk. It will also “pop” off the zerk and generally frustrate you.
The “Lock-n-Load” pleases many folks who don’t understand the system because LnL design has an “over-grip” which is factory-adjusted and the thumb-lever basically re-adjusts that each time it is placed on a zerk. If an original nozzle were properly adjusted …and if the zerks are all the same sizes not having been substituted by an unknowledgeable person resulting in variously-sized zerks…. then an ordinary grease gun and nozzle will work fine.
Just because it is relatively expensive (and because my original guns all work fine) I refused to buy a LnL ….until I visited HF and saw their cheap copy.…so I bought it and it works fine. (Don’t know about the other posters’ experience…my HF “LnL” works fine. I do not plan to buy another however as I don’t find it as convenient to get into tight spaces as the original (and properly adjusted) nozzles. (I have 5 grease guns with 5 different specialty greases.)
Back in the early ‘60s a new invention hit the market…. the electric can-opener. Most of us in middle-class families found that especially humorous …that some folks had ”more dollars than sense” to spend good money on a labor-saving device that was further lazy-ed up with electricity. LOL. For goodness sakes! Too lazy to open a CAN..?? LOL
Of course, a few years later and we all had electric can openers. Then we got tired of the darn things sitting and taking-up kitchen-counter-space and they always acquired a greasy-food-particle gearing-system that had unknown pathogens living on it.
My house has reverted to an old-style hand-cranked can opener that un-seals the rim rather than cutting the lid ….and it is quick, easy, and remains clean. The lids of the cans can also be put back onto the can for temporary re-sealing of the unused contents if necessary
I have to say…. I’m rolling my eyes at you guys who buy an automatic grease-gun…. the pneumatic ones at the professional-shops I can understand….but the expensive, environmentally unfriendly chineese-lithium-battery-driven ones are especially egregious to my present thinking. ( I figure it’ll be at least 2 more years before I own 5 of them.)
Wow - - guess you can count me as unknowledgeable after 50+ years of greasin' stuff.
Forgive me Father, for I have sinned............
1. I haven't had shit for luck adjusting a coupler in 20+ years. I'll admit probably cheap couplers on the Chinese stuff I've bought over the years. Ruined one trying.
Must be my lack of knowledge.
On "old" guns I grew up with, I could adjust them when needed, but was seldom an issue.
We scooped grease from barrel by hand to fill the guns.
Never used a grease cartridge until I was in my 20's and had left the farm. Almost 40 years later, still have to pay attention which direction they go.
2. I'll admit that I have not swapped out my zerks so they're all the same size.
I work 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. 3 days off in 2+ years.
My time can be a little tight for other obligations called "life," including using the things that need greasing, so they need greasing.
3. 15 years ago, I bought a PNEUMATIC Campbell Hausfeld grease gun on sale at Tractor Supply for $20+ after Christmas.
Yes, just like a pro shop would use. That coupler was adjustable a little, and for many years all was bliss....
4. I did have issues with some of the zerks when I bought the Kubota.
I bought a LnL 8 years ago (see #2).
5. My trusty $20+ CH pneumatic grease gun, like a pro shop would use, crapped out last year.
6. Last year I bought a Milwaukee Fuel 18v Grease Gun.
Matches my Milwaukee tool kit.
I'll confess I did get another battery with it, as it matches my tool kit.
It's a smaller capacity battery. I hope I get some credit for that.
The convenience and speed allows better and quicker service I need to do. Refer back to #2.
7. I'll confess we've had a conventional electric, kitchen counter-stored, Can Opener for nearly of my life.
We did go a coupe years with a manual on the farm. Things were pretty tight financially in those days for my folks. No embellishment there. We had some tough years.
We've probably had 5 or 6 during our 32 years of marriage....
I'm a former commercial cook, and my wife is half Italian.
We can open a lot of cans of tomatoes in a sitting....
Please offer your forgiveness..... please.....
I can do 5 Hail Mary's if needed.
Although I swore I would bring my kids up Catholic (which I did), someone will have to tell this poor example of Methodist the words in a Hail Mary.......
