Wasted $150 on a 'professional grade' caulking gun that couldn't handle one tube

Bought that fancy dripless caulk gun from the big box store thinking it would save me time on a bathroom trim job. Third squeeze and the rod bent like a wet noodle, left a trail of half-squeezed silicone all over my baseboards. Anyone else had luck with those cheap aluminum frame guns or should I just stick to the plastic ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

terry_carter1527d ago

Is it just me or does that "professional grade" label basically mean nothing anymore? My buddy Dave bought the same kind of fancy caulking gun last spring for a big window job he was doing. First tube went fine, second tube halfway through the rod just snapped clean in two. He was so mad he threw it in the trash right there and went back to using his old plastic handled gun that he has had for like ten years. @taylor.amy you hit the nail on the head, they really do just stamp "professional" on anything now and charge double. I think the cheap aluminum ones are a total roll of the dice, sometimes you get lucky sometimes you don't. Honestly half the time the simple plastic guns work better because they flex a little instead of breaking, even if they feel like toys.

taylor.amy28d ago

...and that's kind of the problem with everything these days, isn't it? You pay for something that's supposed to be "professional grade" and it's just the same cheap junk with a bigger price tag. I swear they just slap that sticker on stuff to make you feel like you're getting something better. The metal frames on those guns are barely thicker than a soda can, it's embarrassing. It's like how everything from tools to furniture is designed to break right after you buy it so you have to get another one. Plastic ones are ugly and feel flimsy but at least they bend a little instead of snapping. Sometimes cheap and simple gets the job done better than trying to look fancy.