Dad called them alemites. The rest of the world calls them zerks. Whatever you call them, they are used to squirt grease into a bearing or bushing. When I was a youth, greasing vehicles or equipment was a constant chore. While waiting for the oil to drain out of the family car, we would grab the grease gun and grease the front end. As I recall, there were six on a Ford sedan. Upper and lower ball joints, and one on each tie rod.
All that required a grease gun, and I always hated grease guns. Not because I didn't understand the need for lubrication, but because the basic grease gun was horrible. Changing the grease tubes is an exercise in frustration. Compress the big spring, lock it into place, unscrew the metal tube, pull out the old grease tube, Insert the new grease tub. Invariably when reassembling the gun, something would go wrong, the spring would get loose and shoot grease all over the shop. Much cursing. Grease everywhere. I would have it from my ankles to my earlobes.
A month or so ago, I realized it was time for an upgrade before the spring greasing season. The tractor needs grease, the zero-turn needs grease and my ancient grease gun needed to go into the trash. So, I started casting about for alternatives. I came upon a German invention called the Lube Shuttle. I watched some videos and decided to order one. It's a little pricey, but it is supposed to take all the frustration and mess out of greasing. It uses plastic tubes instead of paper tubes and they screw into the gun.
I looked on Amazon and found one. I ordered it along with a case of grease. It came in yesterday, and this morning I unpacked it, assebled it and lubed the zero-turn in about fifteen minutes. Mo hassle, no problem.
Below is a video that explains how it works.
My Dad didn't use tubes -- we (I) had a big can of grease and sat down to pack grease into the gun. MESSY!! And in New Orleans summer the grease oozed out of the gun at both ends, even out of the screw cap.
ReplyDeleteI remember it well and have never owned a black grease gun myself. I always bought tubes and NON-BLACK grease guns. I think my hands are getting slippery just from typing about it.
I'm with Bob, my grandfather was a mechanic for over 50 years and he 'taught' me how to pack a grease gun. To this day, I hate them!
ReplyDeleteYou would have to remind me about packing grease guns. I had buried that unpleasant memory.
ReplyDeleteShut up and take my money!!!
ReplyDeleteWhen i got a service station job and got to use the power grease gun in the service bays... Oh boy.
ReplyDelete"Is this heaven?"
"No it's 84th Street Exxon"