What Are The Best Sealant Guns?
Various trades all over the world dispense silicones, sealants, caulks, mortar, and adhesives from cartridges and foils every single day. In order to push the contents of the tubes out, the correct dispensing gun should be used, but with so many options out there – which is the best sealant applicator gun for my specific task?
In an earlier blog, ‘Not all mastic guns are the same’, we covered the different gearing or thrust ratios of sealant applicator guns and explained that higher ratio guns are easier to dispense the product in the tube, but the control of flow can be compromised. This makes selecting the right caulking gun for specific applications essential for optimum results.
For this article, ‘What are the best sealant guns?’, we’re going to look at the most common applications and recommend the perfect mastic guns, also known as caulking guns or skeleton guns, for ease of use and the best end results. It will cover:
- What is the best mastic gun for sealants?
- What is the best mastic gun for grab adhesives?
- What is the best mastic gun for fillers and caulks?
- What is the best mastic gun for resins and thicker adhesives?
- What is the best mastic gun for all-in-one sealants and adhesives?
- What is the best mastic gun for 400ml foil packs?
- What is the best mastic gun for 600ml foil packs?
- What are the benefits of Maxitek sealant mastic guns?
There are a number of entry-level low-cost mastic guns available today, with a thrust ratio of just 7:1 – or even less. These sealant applicator guns are not going to feature in this article, because quite frankly, I wouldn’t recommend using them. It’s hard work dispensing the mastic or adhesive from the tube, straining the users’ hand and wrist, and accomplishing a nice, neat bead of silicone is nigh on impossible.
What is the best mastic gun for sealants?
When applying a bead of sealant from a tube or cartridge, whether it be a silicone sealant or any polyurethane or polymer-based sealant, it’s important to get the right balance between ease to pump the trigger, and control of the product coming out of the nozzle. The optimum thrust ratio for sealant applications is 12:1, so the perfect mastic gun would be the Maxitek Control Flow Mastic Gun. This sealant applicator gun is suitable for cartridges up to 400ml, features a 360° swivel action barrel for easy handling in use, and has a dripless design, with an auto-release recoil device, for minimum waste and mess.
What is the best mastic gun for grab adhesives?
When dispensing tubes of construction grab adhesives, the objective of the task is to simply push out the contents of the tube onto the reverse of skirting boards, tiles, decorative panels, and architraves, plus other building materials. Little or no control of the bead is required, so controlling the flow of the adhesive is not essential. The Maxitek Control Flow Mastic Gun would easily perform this task, but the Maxitek Extreme Force Mastic Gun may be a better option if you’re gunning out grab adhesives on a regular basis, as the trigger thrust ratio is an impressive 24:1, requiring half the effort compared to 12:1 mastic guns, and significantly minimising any strain on the users’ hand and wrist. Like the Control Flow mastic gun, Extreme Force is suitable for larger cartridges, up to 400ml, and features a 360° swivel action barrel.
What is the best sealant gun for fillers and caulks?
When applying tubes of filler or caulks, there can be a requirement to control the bead – when caulking the top of skirting boards after fitting for example – or the user simply needs to fill a void or crack that’s going to be tooled down afterward. If you’re flitting between both these scenarios, you’re better off using the Maxitek Control Flow Mastic Gun. This allows you excellent control where the finished bead is visible but also makes dispensing cartridges fairly easy. For thicker fillers, where achieving a finished bead is not required, I’d definitely recommend the Maxitek Extreme Force Mastic Gun to make dispensing much easier.
What is the best mastic gun for resins and thicker adhesives?
Resins and tubes of thicker adhesives are generally higher-viscosity materials that require greater effort to get the contents of the cartridges out of the tube and through the nozzle. You can easily identify thicker or higher viscosity products that are hard to dispense, as their nozzles are often pre-cut with a wide opening. For these types of products, it’s essential you use the Maxitek Extreme Force Mastic Gun to avoid hand and wrist fatigue, or even injury.
What is the best mastic gun for all-in-one sealants and adhesives?
There are numerous all-in-one sealants and adhesives available on the market these days. By their nature, these products can be used as grab adhesives, sealants, fillers, and caulks… so which applicator gun is best? For an all-around mastic gun that provides the user with control, for sealant applications, as well as ensuring the dispensing process is not too difficult, the Maxitek Control Flow Mastic Gun is the ideal universal dispenser, for a variety of tasks on the job site.
What is the best mastic gun for 400ml foil packs?
An excellent universal foil applicator gun for dispensing sausage packs up to 400ml in size is the Maxitek Duo Flow 400 Mastic Gun. It’s called ‘duo’ because not only can it dispense 400ml foil packs, but it can also dispense standard cartridges up to 380ml.
By simply sliding off the foil plunger, the mastic gun quickly converts from a foil pack applicator gun to a traditional cartridge mastic gun. The robust translucent polypropylene barrel also allows the user to easily identify the contents, without having to unscrew the end of the gun. The trigger thrust ratio is 12:1 – the perfect gearing for most universal sealant and adhesive applications
What is the best mastic gun for 600ml foil packs?
Exactly the same design and 12:1 trigger thrust ratio, as the Duo Flow 400, an excellent universal foil applicator gun for dispensing sausage packs up to 600ml in size, is the Maxitek Duo Flow 600 Mastic Gun. Like the smaller 400ml equivalent, it’s called ‘duo’ because not only can it dispense 600ml foil packs, but it can also dispense standard cartridges of 380ml plus – although it’s a long tube for standard cartridges, it provides a ‘get-out-of-jail’ option if ever required on the job site.
What are the benefits of Maxitek sealant mastic guns?
The Maxitek range of sealant applicator guns has been designed for the professional trade and industrial users. They are of very high quality, with numerous features and benefits including:
- Hook end for easy withdrawal of the plunger mechanism and convenient hanging of the mastic gun in the workshop or van.
- Built-in puncture tool for clearing tube openings or nozzle ends.
- 360° swivel action barrel for accurate nozzle positioning and easy handling in use.
- Auto-release recoil device minimises mess and waste.
- Patented adjustable screw to cut thrust gaps and set the trigger position for varying hand sizes – from smaller to larger-sized hands – for maximum comfort and minimum fatigue in use. The trigger positions are factory-set to a medium-hand size but can be easily adjusted if required.
How to load a foil pack
View the complete range of Maxitek sealant and adhesive applicator guns here.
