heat gun

[oldyam80sg]

Does anyone know where i can get a decent heat gun?Am looking to shrink wrap some wires on my SG and was wondering about if i need a really hot one or how much heat is required to heat shrink wrap?We had one at work but a supervisor used it once and never returned it.

[alan36]

I know blow dryer is not hot enough. I used my lighter to shrink the stuff when I used it. You should be able to get a Heat gun from any hardware store or parts house.

[oldyam80sg]

Thanks Alan-I'll try Walmart first.

[trbig]

Good ol' Harbor Freight tools will probably be cheapest. If you are going to use it commercially.. maybe not. But a few times now and then... probably be perfect for you.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66001


Tod

[dbeardslee]

I wouldn't buy anything at Harbor Freight that says "Chicago Electric" on it - pure crap. I had one of their heat guns. Lasted for one use, then something fried inside and that was the end of it. I've seen many references to Chicago Electric on the web, and the consensus seems to be to stay away from it. Bought one at Ace Hardware that cost a few dollars more, but works every time I plug it in.

[soccer4m]

ebay heat gun

Try Ebay,,,,they are all made in China no matter which brand you get. I got one for 14.00 and it works great. They come with all the attachments and a nice plastic case to store the stuff in. Believe it or not, I use it for redoing the plastic faded bumpers on my 500,000 mile Toyota Previa. All of them are notorious for fading and I saw a youtube video, using a heat gun to semi remelt the plastic and they look like new. It works great. It has a high,med,low setting for different applications. So,,Ebay has various prices but they basically just heat and blow. Good luck,,Mike in S.Diego

[trbig]

No, Chicago Electric isn't Snap-on or Craftsman.. but it's not meant.. or priced.. to be. I've bought a lot of C/E stuff that is one-time or very infrequent use, and never had any problems except for a grinder I bought. BUT.. Harbor Freight is also great about taking stuff back.. (like if it only worked once)... and replacing it hassle free.

Paying more doesn't necessarilly mean trouble free either. I've had plenty of problems from Black and Decker, Dewalt, etc.. Most of the time I kind of expect problems, and buying stuff on Ebay that you may have to return.. can sure be a hassle.. along with extra or lost shipping fees for exchange.

SO.. Yeah, their stuff is usually pretty cheap.. but it usually works well for the average guy for a long time still.

Tod

[Bigfoot]

I agree with Tod. I have used some harbor freight stuff with good results. And I have never had a problem with returns there either.

[TopCatGr58]

Yep,

I got one of the C/E heat guns from HF last year, has worked just fine for many heat shrink applications and such! Has 2 temp settings. YMMV!
T.C.

I will say the 50 foot blue PVC 3/8" air hose I got last year is already bubbling and leaking! HF was having a sale on GoodYear hoses, so I bought a 50foot black one of those, hoping the goodyear brand quality of rubber will last a bit longer than the other Chicago Pneumatic stuff I got from there!

[dbeardslee]

I've bought lots of stuff from Harbor Freight, and for the most part I've been very happy with the purchases. They have a lot of hand tools that work well, and they have budget-priced torque wrenches that also work well. I've got the 50' hose from Harbor Freight, and it works great. Needs a dryer on the end for paint work, but any hose that long probably has the same issue (condensation inside the line). Also bought a hose real from them for the 50 footer - it's a good quality reel that also works well.

My problem with their Chicago Electric brand tools, is that they just aren't made very well. Their power tools use a lot of plastic, often in places subjected to stress. I thought I was safe with a heat gun, as it has very few moving parts, and low and behold the moving part was what broke. The element still got hot, but the fan no longer turned. Maybe I just got a bad one, but that experience put me off CE. I still go to Harbor Freight for lots of stuff, but if it plugs into an electrical outlet, I go someplace else.

[b.walker5]

I have a Makita heat gun that produces up to 2kw of heat over 5 heat settings and 2 fan speeds.

As an electrician I use it on a daily basis for heat shrink and many other uses, including plastic welding (with the right adaptors). It was at the more expensive end of the price range but i've had it for 6 years and never had a problem with it, and it's still a current model.

I tend to buy tools in the higher price range and I generally don't have to replace them very often. Some of my stuff I still have, and use, from my apprenticeship days over 30 years ago.

[Ken Talbot]

I use a Milwaukee variable temperature heat gun, with a dial for setting anywhere from 212 degrees to 1100 degrees. Yes, you can solder with it, and it does a great job for heat-shrinking, especially with the various nozzles it comes with for concentrating the hot air stream. Not cheap, but a great example of "you get what you pay for".

[crazy steve]

No, Chicago Electric isn't Snap-on or Craftsman.. but it's not meant.. or priced.. to be. I've bought a lot of C/E stuff that is one-time or very infrequent use, and never had any problems except for a grinder I bought. BUT.. Harbor Freight is also great about taking stuff back.. (like if it only worked once)... and replacing it hassle free.

I'm with Tod on this one. A rule that I use for buying at HF is if the item is 1/2 or less in price compared to a 'name' brand, you'll do ok as far as value.

And I actually like their small grinders; catch 'em on sale for $20, they last 1-2 years usually (and I sometimes use these pretty heavily) then throw 'em away. I've got 3 name-brand grinders in a drawer (Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch), all with bad switches and the replacement parts are $25-40 each. The switches seem to last about 1-2 years..... do the math.

One thing to be careful of though; a lot of HF tools aren't OSHA legal, so it's not a good idea to take 'em to work.

'78E original owner

[dbeardslee]

I've had really good luck with stuff from Northern Tool. Their prices are competitive, and even their Northern Industrial house brand is pretty decent quality. Here's a link to their heat gun page - http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...atchallpartial

[foreda]

Heat Gun

www.grainger.com