Lever Vs. Pistol-Grip Grease Guns: What's The Difference Between These Tools?

If you're looking to grease up some components, you're likely going to have to choose between a lever-action or a pistol-grip style grease gun. But which one is right for you? Both grease gun styles are available from a variety of retailers. In fact, even Harbor Freight has grease guns like these. At Harbor Freight, prices for lever-action and pistol-grip grease guns vary more by brand than by style.

The most obvious difference between lever-action and pistol-grip grease guns is the manner in which they're operated. Lever-action grease guns have a long handle attached by a hinge to the grease cylinder at one end. Pistol-grip varieties require squeezing a shorter lever in a self-described pistol-grip fashion. Both types pump grease from cylindrical reservoirs into grease fittings, commonly known as "zerks," via a hose or grease tube, depending on the design.

In addition to their design characteristics, the two grease gun styles have other differences. For example, pistol-grip grease guns are easier to operate. Lever-action grease guns typically require one hand on the lever and another on the grease cylinder to pump grease to the fitting. Pistol-grip guns allow pumping grease with one hand.

While the pistol-grip style grease gun is often easier to use in tight spaces due to its one-handed operation, it's impossible to say that one style is always better than the other. In some cases, the lever-action style delivers grease faster and at higher pressures, which can be a benefit. However, for most DIY applications, many users feel the pistol-grip variety's one-handed operation outweighs its slower grease delivery and lower pressures.

A Holt-branded pistol-grip grease gun made SlashGear's list of Harbor Freight tools that should always be in your RV, thanks to its compact size, budget-friendly price, and ease of operation. When applying grease to a camp-trailer's wheel bearings through a grease zerk, the lower pressure and slower grease delivery help ward off over-greasing the bearings. Over-greasing trailer wheel bearings can cause bearing seal failure and result in grease infiltrating the trailer's braking surfaces.

However, if you're maintaining farming or other heavy equipment, you may be better served by a lever-action grease gun in some cases. Larger equipment often affords easier access for the required two-handed operation of the lever-action grease gun. Ultimately, if you have the space and budget to allow the possession of two grease guns in your arsenal, having one of each would be an ideal way to cover any grease application scenario.