Help! Not sure what glue gun to get

[Snickersallday]

I have a 10 watt Elmer's mini gun not sure if I can use this for builds like the guinea pig. Want a glue gun that can do long beads without getting cold. I prefer it to be cheap cause I didn't know I would need all these supplies 😅 but if it's expensive I understand you get what you pay for and will just save a bit longer.

 

[kdobson83]

Depends on what shops are near you. Id assume you have a Walmart somewhat close by, they have 2 or 3 options you can choose from, all pretty cheap. Your looking for a glue gun thats about 40watts or more and that is NOT a mini.

If you only plan to build a few builds here and there, these cheaper guns will probably work fine for you. But if you plan to build a LOT, like me and some of the other FT fans here, maybe get something a little better than a Walmart special. Flite Test has their own branded glue gun that is pretty good. You can also find quite a few good options on Amazon as well. See the link below, this is the gun I got about 4 years ago. It is still going strong even after countless builds. Only $25 on Amazon right now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08513M3FY/?tag=lstir-20

 

[Merv]

I use the regular size Walmart glue gun, 40 watts.
Works great.

 

[Bricks]

Once you have your glue gun watch which hot glue sticks you buy, you want the clear ones, the cloudy ones are not near as good at least for me.

 

[Snickersallday]

Depends on what shops are near you. Id assume you have a Walmart somewhat close by, they have 2 or 3 options you can choose from, all pretty cheap. Your looking for a glue gun thats about 40watts or more and that is NOT a mini.

If you only plan to build a few builds here and there, these cheaper guns will probably work fine for you. But if you plan to build a LOT, like me and some of the other FT fans here, maybe get something a little better than a Walmart special. Flite Test has their own branded glue gun that is pretty good. You can also find quite a few good options on Amazon as well. See the link below, this is the gun I got about 4 years ago. It is still going strong even after countless builds. Only $25 on Amazon right now.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08513M3FY/?tag=lstir-20

What would be the best between 40w Walmart one, yours, or flite test 80w?

 

[randyrls]

I have THREE hot glue guns. The Adtech Pro200, the Flite Test, and one I got on Amazon.

Either one of the first two are good ones.

• I am partial to the Adtech it gets the glue VERY hot and feeds well. Don't touch the glue unless you want to do a "D-MN THAT'S HOT!" The Adtech may not last as long at the current FT offering. The gears tend to fail and the gun will not feed after that. Metal gears in the feed might be an improvement.
• The FT gun is adjustable to temperature, but tends to be slow on glue feed. You may have to squeeze the trigger one time before you get any glue.
• The last one is the loser. I hoped that the longer tip would get into odd / tiny spaces better, but it doesn't get hot enough. OR it dissipates the glues temperature.

The Adtech https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KVB0EM/?tag=lstir-20

The Flite Test: https://store.flitetest.com/flite-test-300w-glue-gun-w-adjustable-temp/

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PGDLHBQ/?tag=lstir-20

The most important thing is to let the gun come up to full temperature. Don't plug it in and expect to use it 3 minutes.

Hope this helps.

 

[Snickersallday]

I have THREE hot glue guns. The Adtech Pro200, the Flite Test, and one I got on Amazon.

Either one of the first two are good ones.

• I am partial to the Adtech it gets the glue VERY hot and feeds well. Don't touch the glue unless you want to do a "D-MN THAT'S HOT!" The Adtech may not last as long at the current FT offering. The gears tend to fail and the gun will not feed after that. Metal gears in the feed might be an improvement.
• The FT gun is adjustable to temperature, but tends to be slow on glue feed. You may have to squeeze the trigger one time before you get any glue.
• The last one is the loser. I hoped that the longer tip would get into odd / tiny spaces better, but it doesn't get hot enough. OR it dissipates the glues temperature.

The Adtech https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KVB0EM/?tag=lstir-20

The Flite Test: https://store.flitetest.com/flite-test-300w-glue-gun-w-adjustable-temp/

This one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PGDLHBQ/?tag=lstir-20

The most important thing is to let the gun come up to full temperature. Don't plug it in and expect to use it 3 minutes.

Hope this helps.

So adtech is best but reliability not as good? When the gears fail is replacement possible or naw?

 

[randyrls]

So adtech is best but reliability not as good? When the gears fail is replacement possible or naw?

In my case I learned the hard way--- don't try to use the gun until it has reached operating temperatures. I wait at least 15 minutes before trying to use it. On more than one occasion I got glue backing up into the glue tube and had to cut & pry the glue stick out with dykes and needle nose pliers.

The Adtech lasted 6 years so not that shabby.

 

[bisco]

with the hot gons, be careful not to melt the foam with the tip, i learned the hard way

 

[Flyingshark]

So adtech is best but reliability not as good? When the gears fail is replacement possible or naw?

I bought an AdTech Pro 200 around when I started building foam board planes seven years ago and I haven't had issues with the gears. I do do the same thing as @randyrls and wait more like 10 minutes instead of 5 to make sure it gets all the way up to temperature though. I just plug it in a bit before I'm ready to start gluing and cut the rest of the parts for a plane while it's heating, so it's not really a burden. It's definitely not the cheapest, but it made sense for me at the time, since I was pretty sure I'd build a lot of planes with it.

 

[ColoFlyer]

I have been using this one from Home Depot. 80 watts works great keeps the heat for long beads.

Arrow Professional Hot Glue Gun GT80 - The Home Depot

The Arrow GT80 glue gun is a heavy-duty, durable glue gun great for both DIY and pro applications. 80-Watt of power heats up fast and stays hot for maximum glue throughput. Ergonomic design is easy to

www.homedepot.com

Same one on Amazon
Arrow Fastener GT80 Heavy Duty Professional Glue Gun

And here is a Dual Temp 100 Watt Arrow Professional, which will probably be my next purchase.
Arrow Full Size Dual Temp Glue Gun

 

[Mr NCT]

I bought an AdTech Pro 200 around when I started building foam board planes seven years ago and I haven't had issues with the gears. I do do the same thing as @randyrls and wait more like 10 minutes instead of 5 to make sure it gets all the way up to temperature though. I just plug it in a bit before I'm ready to start gluing and cut the rest of the parts for a plane while it's heating, so it's not really a burden. It's definitely not the cheapest, but it made sense for me at the time, since I was pretty sure I'd build a lot of planes with it.

+1 on the adtech pro. I have one that's been trouble free for years

 

[LitterBug]

I stole my Wife's super cheap, no brand, model 1200, 40 WATT glue gun a few years back. It does the job on small planes, but is a pain on l-o-n-g beads.

I also have a mini 3S powered one in my flight bag for quick repairs at the field.

I really ought to pick up one of the recommended ones listed in this thread. Something with a better feed mechanism, and better heat would be super nice.

Cheers!
LitterBug

 

[Bricks]

I have one from Menards Surbonder 100 watts going on 6 years,paid $22 for it, long beads not a problem. Do want to be careful 100 watts she is hot.

Litterbug I also use a mini plunged into a 3S battery works great at the field, does take some time to heat up.

 

[Shurik-1960]

I have 2 guns for different glue diameters......but I don't have any airplane models glued together with gun glue...))))

 

[joelspangler]

I have several ryobi cordless 18v glue guns... the cheaper version only has one temp, and it gets too hot and often winds up melting foamboard, so I don't use that one for planes very often, but it comes in handy around the house for other things + in the woodshop. I also have many of the ryobi 18v dual temp units, and on the low setting it's perfect for assembling foamboard. I think I have 5 of them, so when I do free build days at the club for little glider planes, it is much easier for everyone to have access to glue guns. I also have several of the RMRC hot glue guns - they're super cheap and run on 3 cell batteries and the smaller glue sticks. With the RMRC guns, you do have to be careful as they have no low voltage protection - you have to periodically check the voltage of the batteries... they do last surprisingly long though on a 2200mah cell, plenty long to build something like a tiny trainer.

Remember when buying glue that there are two sizes... one is about 1/4 inch in diameter, and the other is closer to 1/2 inch. In either case, try to buy the longer glue sticks - I buy gorilla glue 1/4 sticks that are 8 inches long, and I buy adtech brand for the bigger sticks that are 10 inches long. The longer sticks of glue really help with not having to add a new stick at a critical point in the build.