Heat Gun - what's hot and what's not!

[Blinky]

I am slowly expanding some my workshop tool kit. Having borrowed my brother's heat gun a few years back I am now looking at buying one myself for things such as shrinking plastic tube, softening plastic tube, drying (gently), paint stripping etc. Happy to take advice from anyone with expertise or even bad experiences with a product. Bunnies and Master have them for $39 all the way up to >$100 with similar specifications, so what are the differences?

Thanks in anticipation

[loanrangie]

I would just get a cheapy , i have a ryobi that rarely gets used but i would an ozito or similar if i was buying now.

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[pop058]

I would just get a cheapy , i have a ryobi that rarely gets used but i would an ozito or similar if i was buying now.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using AULRO mobile app

X 2, The ozito (a Bunnings brand I believe) is great value and has a good warranty. Obviously not "top of the range" quality, but for the amount of use mine gets it is ideal.

[Beery]

The dearer ones will usually have greater temperature and fan speed control. Ive got a green Bosch, about 5 years old. It has 3 fan speeds and a temp range of 50-630?C adjustable in 10?C increments shown on an lcd screen. Probably not always necessary to have that much control, but it can be handy. My girlfriend even used it as a hair dryer once!

Cheers
Tom

[d2dave]

I purchased a Makita one about ten years ago. This was the most expensive of the lot but I liked the variable heat setting. It has had a lot of use and still works like new.

If you don't intend to use it often a cheapie will probably be ok.

There is an old saying.

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the price is forgotten.

So to me it depends on what you can afford. If you can, get better than a cheapie.

About 10 years ago I purchasd a 12 volt cordless drill from Bunnings. It was an XU1 brand, which I think was their own brand, like ****ito.

After about three weeks and there was nothing wrong with it, I chucked it out.

[Blinky]

Hey, telling my wife she can use it as a hair dryer makes it seem like the heat gun is not just for me. I like the way you think!

[vnx205]

I bought a GMC about the fourteen years ago. It died last year.

During that time I used it to do the same job as steamer to make it easier to bend and twist strips used to build ten strip built kayaks. That adds up to a huge amount of time and equates to about $3 or $4 per kayak.

In my experience the temperature needs to be adjusted partly by varying the distance between the gun and the work.

I replaced it with an Ozito. I doubt many DIYers would use heat gun more than I do. I did use it for a number of other jobs like stripping paint.

An expensive one would need to last me about 40 years to offer the same value for money.

The cheapy did the jobs I needed it to do.

[pannawonica]

I still use a Makita, had it atleast twenty years of occasional use.

[steveG]

My old XU1 lasted more than 10 years, and have just recently replaced it with a Ryobi for $49.
The Ryobi was the only one at Bunnings that didn't have a stupid bulky trigger guard.
Mine often gets poked in tight places behind dashes or in engine bays doing heat-shrink on wires, and I felt the guard was going to prevent me from getting the heat where I wanted it.

Steve

[d2dave]

My XU1 was in perfect working order when I threw it away. This was for a number of reasons.
Had one battery that would take 3 hours to charge and then last five minutes. Didn't have a two speed gearbox.

At around the same time I also purchased an XU1 240 volt drill. I was drilling a piece of half inch thick steel and it got that hot it caught fire.

GMC.
10 years ago I purchased a GMC nine inch grinder. ($150) As I don't use the nine inch that often I thought it would last.
I had to do a small cutting job on some concrete. The blade jammed and I immediately removed it. Game over.

It was about three years old, still looked new as it had done such little work.
Out of warranty so stiff.

Not long after this my 6x4 trailer got hit up the arse and bent the draw bar. I needed another grinder.
At the time GMC had a return policy, from memory 14 days. You could return a used tool no questions asked

So I decided to buy one, use it and take it back. Bunnings did not have a 9 inch but they had a 7 inch so I reckoned it would be big enough.

By the time I finished removing the draw bar the gearbox in the head was stuffed.

My last 18 volt cordless drill was a GMC from their platinum range. These are the heavy duty ones. They did last better but have not come close to my Makita 18 volt.

Now I know you can buy a handful of cheapie's for the cost of a quality drill so over time the cost is similar, except with a quality drill it will usually be more ergonomic and lighter.

A lot of my cheap drills have actually out lasted the battery in which case it is cheaper to buy a new drill.

My Makita recently had a battery die. The drill is still going strong and it was worth getting a new battery.

For my 9 inch grinder. I went and spent $300 on a Metabo. I expect it to last long enough to be able to hand it down to my son when I fall off the perch.

So this is my take on power tools. Have had a few and come to the conclusion that quality is better value.

[bee utey]

You could buy a second hand Makita, then you have quality at a good price. Example:

Makita HG1100 Thermocouple Heat GUN 1100 Degree in Botany, NSW | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MAKITA-HG1100-Thermocouple-Heat-Gun-1100-Degree-/161539098673?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item259c7b0831)

[drivesafe]

I bought a 2 heat setting Matabo heat gun a little over 30 years ago, and it was worked hard for most of that time.

Then about 6 months ago the two speed switch failed and because of it's age, I could not get a new switch.

I rebuilt the switch but it now only runs full on.

I was in Masters a few weeks later and found a $20 two speed heat gun and it has worked fine so far so I bought another one so I don't have to keep moving them from one work spot to another.

For $20 I don't care how long they last as they get worked hard in my workshop.

[d2dave]

You could buy a second hand Makita, then you have quality at a good price. Example:

Makita HG1100 Thermocouple Heat GUN 1100 Degree in Botany, NSW | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/MAKITA-HG1100-Thermocouple-Heat-Gun-1100-Degree-/161539098673?pt=AU_Power_Tools&hash=item259c7b0831)

If I was in the market for one I wouldn't be able to get this quick enough.

[steveG]

My XU1 was in perfect working order when I threw it away. This was for a number of reasons.
Had one battery that would take 3 hours to charge and then last five minutes. Didn't have a two speed gearbox.

At around the same time I also purchased an XU1 240 volt drill. I was drilling a piece of half inch thick steel and it got that hot it caught fire.

GMC.
10 years ago I purchased a GMC nine inch grinder. ($150) As I don't use the nine inch that often I thought it would last.
I had to do a small cutting job on some concrete. The blade jammed and I immediately removed it. Game over.

It was about three years old, still looked new as it had done such little work.
Out of warranty so stiff.

Not long after this my 6x4 trailer got hit up the arse and bent the draw bar. I needed another grinder.
At the time GMC had a return policy, from memory 14 days. You could return a used tool no questions asked

So I decided to buy one, use it and take it back. Bunnings did not have a 9 inch but they had a 7 inch so I reckoned it would be big enough.

By the time I finished removing the draw bar the gearbox in the head was stuffed.

My last 18 volt cordless drill was a GMC from their platinum range. These are the heavy duty ones. They did last better but have not come close to my Makita 18 volt.

Now I know you can buy a handful of cheapie's for the cost of a quality drill so over time the cost is similar, except with a quality drill it will usually be more ergonomic and lighter.

A lot of my cheap drills have actually out lasted the battery in which case it is cheaper to buy a new drill.

My Makita recently had a battery die. The drill is still going strong and it was worth getting a new battery.

For my 9 inch grinder. I went and spent $300 on a Metabo. I expect it to last long enough to be able to hand it down to my son when I fall off the perch.

So this is my take on power tools. Have had a few and come to the conclusion that quality is better value.

Dave, I think you're confusing heat guns with real power tools. If the OP was asking about drills/grinders etc I'd completely agree with you.

Heat guns are little more than a fan forced toaster - a heating element, fan and switch ;)
Expensive ones have better heat control which is great - if you need it.
For the OP's purpose of doing a bit of heat shrink etc that fine heat control isn't required. IMO the $$ saved would be better put towards a decent cordless drill/driver or other tool where quality definitely IS worthwhile.

They're also a tool that is so cheap that I don't think its worth the risk buying a used one. I think you're better off with a cheap new one with warranty (even the Ozito is 3 years), than an second hand "quality" one that the element could die tomorrow and you've done your dough.

Steve

[d2dave]

Dave, I think you're confusing heat guns with real power tools. If the OP was asking about drills/grinders etc I'd completely agree with you.

Heat guns are little more than a fan forced toaster - a heating element, fan and switch ;)
Expensive ones have better heat control which is great - if you need it.
For the OP's purpose of doing a bit of heat shrink etc that fine heat control isn't required. IMO the $$ saved would be better put towards a decent cordless drill/driver or other tool where quality definitely IS worthwhile.

They're also a tool that is so cheap that I don't think its worth the risk buying a used one. I think you're better off with a cheap new one with warranty (even the Ozito is 3 years), than an second hand "quality" one that the element could die tomorrow and you've done your dough.

Steve

Yeah, you are probably right, I did get a bit carried away. Was just trying to point out though, the difference between cheap and quality.

My apologies for sort of hijacking the thread.

[slug_burner]

The ones with a fine heat control have a feedback mechanism which controls the heat but also safeguards the heating element.

I am like d2dave, buy the best you can afford. Only you can tell what you can afford. I don't like to blame my tools for a poor or unfinished job.