Decent Heat Gun?

[Matt Meiser]

I'm in need of a new heat gun. My second cheapie (in about 15 years) has bit the dust. I thought I'd get a decent one since that's what I usually do when replacing tools these days but I need it for Friday morning so I need to buy local. Seems like all that's available is a Milwaukee at Home Depot ($70) and a couple Wagners or a Porter Cable ($25-40.) Or another Harbor Freight to replace the one I've had for maybe 5 or 6 years.

Anyone have experience with the Wagners or Porter Cable? Or are they HF quality with a fancy label? How about the Milwaukee? Worth the price (and drive--closest HD that has it in stock is 20 mins away.)

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Matt,
You won't go wrong with the Milwalkee. When you set it down, even to take a rest while using it, leave the fan run and just shut off the heat. The machine won't burn it self up that way. I've had mine for years and it still works well.
faust

[Dave Lehnert]

Matt,

We use this gun at work (Manufacturing) Built like a tank but can get heavy if you need to use/ hold it for 20min or longer.
ULINE has very fast shipping. We order stuff before 6pm and most often it is on our dock by noon next day (UPS).
http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-491/Heat-Guns/Deluxe-Heat-Gun?pricode=WU346&gadtype=pla&id=47380394242&gclid=CK7-r6iU67wCFcURMwodgzYAKQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Mike Henderson]

I got one from Lee Valley - it was a special they had. It's been a great heat gun. But I don't know if they carry it in regular stock.

Mike

[John Schweikert]

I have the Dewalt LCD heat gun. Very pleased with it. Just choose your temp with the LCD, 50 degree intervals.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D26960-LCD-Heat-Gun/dp/B003079A56/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1393465744&sr=8-4&keywords=dewalt+heat+gun

[Rick Thompson34]

I've had good luck with a Wagner -- it was left behind by the previous owner of our old house and we've put it to good use over the years.

[Andrew Fleck]

I have a Wagner and have no complaints. I don't use it a lot, but it works well when I do need it. I think I picked it up at Lowes a few years ago.

[David G Baker]

Matt, Check out a local Electric/electronic supply house for a heat gun that is used for shrink tubing. Grainger had them in the old days but don't know about now. The Grainger heat guns have a larger snout and a base that you can set the gun up so it points upward.

[Dave Lehnert]

I have the Dewalt LCD heat gun. Very pleased with it. Just choose your temp with the LCD, 50 degree intervals.

http://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-D26960-LCD-Heat-Gun/dp/B003079A56/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1393465744&sr=8-4&keywords=dewalt+heat+gun

The DeWalt looks like a nice gun. See they also have it available without the LCD display for $59. Was $47.20 end of Jan. May pick one up myself if the price drops again. Did not know Dewalt made a heat gun.

[george newbury]

Based on recommendations I bought the HF red one with 2 speeds and cool down. I like it. It's in Mississippi. I needed one in Virginia so I bought the 2 speed Wagner at HD. It works ok but I like the cool down of the HF.

[Matt Meiser]

That Dewalt does look nice. My HF gun isn't 100% done yet but it keeps cutting out momentarily. I think I'll order the Dewalt and home UPS shows up before it dies.

The Milwaukee at HD doesn't have an air-only feature so probably not worth the extra $10 and hour of time to go get it.

[johnny means]

I've been beating on my Milwaukee for years. No fan only setting. I would forget to use it anyway. Maybe the extra $ are for a more robust heating element that doesn't need to be coddled.

[johnny means]

BTW, my brother used it to heat his room for a few weeks at one point.

[Tom M King]

Matt,

We use this gun at work (Manufacturing) Built like a tank but can get heavy if you need to use/ hold it for 20min or longer.
ULINE has very fast shipping. We order stuff before 6pm and most often it is on our dock by noon next day (UPS).
http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-491/Heat-Guns/Deluxe-Heat-Gun?pricode=WU346&gadtype=pla&id=47380394242&gclid=CK7-r6iU67wCFcURMwodgzYAKQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I have one of those that's so old it has a three position, metal toggle switch. I'll bet it's been used for hundreds of hours, and it still works as good as a new one.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I bought the Dewalt, none LCD model about a year ago (IIRK...), it's worked very well. Heat shrink is it's main use, no problems with it.

Johny, heated his room? That's funny, and clever!

[Michael Mahan]

I just got one from HF $10.oo with a coupon on this current email coupon offering
works great 2 speeds
for that money I can use this one & buy 3 more for the prices on the others I don't use one often so I can't justify spending more
I was surprised how big it was & it puts out a whole lotta heat for $10.oo .

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

Matt,

We use this gun at work (Manufacturing) Built like a tank but can get heavy if you need to use/ hold it for 20min or longer.
ULINE has very fast shipping. We order stuff before 6pm and most often it is on our dock by noon next day (UPS).
http://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-491/Heat-Guns/Deluxe-Heat-Gun?pricode=WU346&gadtype=pla&id=47380394242&gclid=CK7-r6iU67wCFcURMwodgzYAKQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I believe those are made by Master. It's considered to be on of the best heavy duty heat guns. I have an identical model that was sold by Bosch 20 years ago, I don't know if they still have them though. The nice thing about that style is they have a built in foot and the unit can be adjusted to various angles and also various temperatures.

[Rich Riddle]

In the military they gave the avionics technicians Master heat guns that could also be turned upside down on a base. The Master units also had pieces one could attach on the end the would "roll" the heat around the tube needing to shrink. I use a Wagner these days and have for over a decade (same one). At times wish for the heat gun attachment with the Master, but it's not worth the extra expense. In this picture of the Master unit, the attachment that "rolls" the heat is the last one on the right.

283523

[Michael Mahan]

we had those back in my old airlines days , many a nasty burn from that chrome barrel I do remember & they were Heavy to boot
the airline threw out all those due to asbestos holding the heating coils IIRC
I would guess that's a new unit without the asbestos

[Chris Fournier]

I have a Milwakee that is adjustable in 10 degree increments and has a digital readout of the operating temperature. Overkill for most I know but I used it for heat treating cane when making cane fly rods and I needed the feature. It has been a great tool. It is made by a Swiss firm and branded Milwakee. I'm a buy once cry once kinda guy I guess.

[Matt Meiser]

Ugh...looks like it might be stuck in Kentucky so I might have to run out and buy one locally anyway.

[Rich Riddle]

Ugh...looks like it might be stuck in Kentucky so I might have to run out and buy one locally anyway.

Matt,

Where in Kentucky are you stuck?

[Art Mann]

I have a Wagner and I don't like it very much. The hot surfaces are not well protected and the cord is very stiff. The support that came with it is essentially worthless. That combination makes the unit extremely hard to use without burning the cord or the surroundings.

[Matt Meiser]

Matt,

Where in Kentucky are you stuck?

Not me, the heat gun I ordered.

[Dave Lehnert]

Not me, the heat gun I ordered.

Ever get the heat gun? How you like?

[Brian W Smith]

We have an ancient one like Dave Lehnert posted.Gets used everyday in the finishing dept.......gets also used as a hand dryer @ sink,haha.

[Matt Meiser]

Yep, Fedex updated tracking to show the one I ordered would be delivered Tuesday so we went Friday night to Home Depot and I picked up the Milwaukee. Then Saturday morning the tracking said out for delivery and I hadn't opened the Milwaukee yet so I held out to see if Fedex would actually show up. Glad I did as I didn't realize that the Dewalt still has infinitely variable temp control where the Milwaukee was dual temp. The Dewalt will adjust from "hair dryer on low" to "melt the insulation right off the wires" It seems to be a nice tool. And it has a built-in stand to stand it on its back pointed straight up.

[Dave Lehnert]

Since my last post, I now work for a new employer.
At my new job we use this Porter Cable heat gun. Feels very well made compared to the $10 HF model.
We use this gun daily without problem and feel it is a bargain at the asking price of $30 on Amazon.
This will be my next gun when my HF gives out.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zkwpmkxGL._SX425_.jpg

[Max Neu]

I recently bought a Kobalt at Lowes with LCD,different shaped ends for specific applications.It has more features than I need,and it seems to be made pretty well.

[Dimitrios Fradelakis]

I too have a Wagner and have been very pleased with it's performance.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Matt,

I used one professionally to warm up transfill lines, valves and connections while doing liquid helium transfills on MR magnets. Initially I bought a Milwaukee. There is a local service center. I used these in the presence of MRI magnetic fields and over time, the magnetic field damages the motors in the heat guns. Later I found out it cost as much to repair the Milwaukee as it did to buy a new Wagner at the local HD. After that, I just bought a new Wagner when ever the old one died.

Both worked equally well for me.