Customer Reviews

Great Stuff Pro Gun 14

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Great Stuff Pro 14 Applicator Tool

This tool is made by (or for) Dow Chemical Corporation to dispense Great Stuff PRO foam. They offer three models of applicator tools, the 13, 14, and 15. The 13 is the least expensive and the model 15 costs about twice as much as the 14. This is the review of the model 14, the tool sold here.

Pros:

- This is a well engineered, designed, and manufactured tool.

- Much easier to control, faster, and more precise, to dispense foam with this tool than to dispense Great Stuff non-Pro foam using the included one-time-use plastic applicators.

- Tool is adjustable for bead size and it's pretty easy to control volume output with the oversized trigger.

- I don't get as much of the sticky foam on myself compared to using those plastic applicators.

- Unless you are using a flexible plastic tube extension, releasing the trigger STOPS the foam from dispensing.

- The included flexible plastic tubes press onto the nozzle, used for getting into tiny or deep areas. (However, foam will continue expanding out of the tube when you release the trigger.)

Cons:

- Unless you have at least one big foam job, it's hard to justify the expense of this tool. I.e., if you have only small foaming jobs, consider using the Great Stuff foam that come with the plastic applicators.

- Works only with Great Stuff PRO foam, the kind with the large threaded can-top which is screwed into the tool's receiver. The Stuff sold in stores like Home Depot and Lowes in my area is the non-Pro variety, which doesn't work in this tool. Dow Chemical should design ALL Great Stuff foam cans to be usable with the applicator tool OR the plastic applicator. That would greatly increase the usefulness of this tool. Do an Amazon or Google Shopping search on "Great Stuff Pro Foam".

- Even with the Great Stuff Pro cleaner (see Customer Photos), it's not easy to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny of the tool. Because of this, the tool is practical only for fairly large jobs. If you're just doing one window for example and don't have any other planned uses for the foam, it could take longer to clean the tool than it would to just use the non-Pro foam with the plastic applicator, which you throw-away when done.

If you plan to remove the Stuff can before tool storage, by all means run the cleaner product through the tool before-hand. The problem with cleaning the tool occurs if the Stuff in the tool's insides is allowed to harden.

However, if a can of Stuff maintains an air-tight seal with the tool, it sometimes works to just leave the semi-used (or empty) can attached, for long periods.

- Tool instructions say the applicator tip is replaceable, but I couldn't find a source on the web that sells them. However, the tip is brass, and doesn't seem to be subject to wear.

Other:

Do all your foaming on the same day, non-stop, so there's only one cleanup, unless you plan to leave the foam can attached to the tool to re-use in the near-term. Foam on a hot day, or at least a warm day. Cold temperatures (e.g., below 50s) severely retard foam expansion.

Other than a difficult cleanup, Great Stuff is a first-rate foam insulator/sealant. It expands extremely well, dries stiff, sticks to anything, has no water to breed mold, and can be cut and sanded. In fact, it expands with some force. Larger fills create greater force, which is why it's meant ONLY for smaller gaps. I made the mistake once of filling a small 2x4 cavity behind a plaster wall, and by the next day, the expanding foam had pushed the plaster away from the stud by about 1/4", severely cracking it. The most common mistake is to use too much, as it continues to expand for several hours.

My advice is to avoid water-based foam sealants, such as one brand sold by Home Depot, even though it's easy to clean up. The problem is, it doesn't expand anywhere near as much as Great Stuff, doesn't get as hard after it "cures", isn't as sticky, traps its moisture behind the cured foam (creating a potential mold issue), and will rust any steel it comes in contact with. Since it doesn't get hard, it doesn't cut easily; and forget about sanding it.

Summary:

For large foaming jobs in renovations or house construction, this tool is clearly the best method to dispense Great Stuff foam.

I've stuggled with Great Stuff for years - love the result, hated holding the can upside down, trying to aim the straw, the dribbling product after releasing the trigger, etc. This applicator tool fixed all that for me. Its well made, comfortable to hold and use, and fairly easy to adjust rate of flow. Also, releasing the trigger really does stop the flow completely so using the product is significantly less messy. I'm still having a little trouble at the very smallest bead end of things, but I think that is matter of technique and the foam characteristics. Best of all, no more having to waste material if the job isn't big enough for a whole can. I can do some air sealing, and if I'm interrupted or think I'll need a second lift in a deep cavity I can simply close down the applicator, clean the tip with acetone, and come back later. The first can I used was still fine at the end of a month. If I wasn't doing so much home improvement the tool might not be practical given the cost, but for me it was definitely worth it for the reduced aggravation and increased efficiency.

As mentioned in many previous reviews, this gun is great for large jobs. For small jobs it's a waste of time and money, especially for the fact that you need to use a bunch of cleaner to really get it cleaned up (if you don't run enough through it, you'll be in big trouble next time and could ruin the gun).

I've owned a Pro 14 for a little over a year and was fairly satisfied with it, until I had a problem...

The gun would no longer seal properly where the canister screwed on. Foam would come out from around the top. I tried two different brand new cans and it was still leaking, so I called Dow. After speaking with a technical rep, they informed me that the seal had failed. I was surprised at this, as I have only used this gun at the LIGHTEST possible duty level (I have MAYBE ran 24 cans through it since I've owned it). The rep told me that the warranty is only 30 days from purchase! She also said that there are no parts available for purchase and that they do not service the guns!

When I purchased this gun, it sold for just under $300 dollars. I have seen no where near the ROI I was expecting from this and, for a commercial product, this is completley unacceptable. I always thoroughly clean the gun and have never dropped it or left it exposed to the elements.

Dow cannot possibly expect to compete in the commercial tool industry with such poor service for their customers.

I love this gun.
The foam starts as soon as you pull the trigger and stops as soon as you let it off.
The best thing about this is there is no waste.
You can use it once then use it again a week later.
You don't have to use a whole can as you would with the regular can of foam.

The Pro Gun 14 addresses all the problems I had applying great stuff foam from the can with a straw:
1. no need to use the can up in one day because the foam hardens in the straw
2. no foam leaks out after you release the trigger
3. the control knob allows fine adjustment of the foam bead size (as small as 1/4 inch)

It's easy to change cans. You can store a can which isn't empty attached to the gun for 30 days.

You need to buy a can of great foam cleaner to clean off the gun nozzle between uses or to clean out the gun for storage. It's kind of a pain to clean hardened foam from the nozzle after using the gun. The cleaning can has a spray nozzle so you can spray the nozzle to soften the hard foam so you can scrape it off.

I highly recommend buying a Pro Gun to apply great stuff foam. It totally transforms the process of applying great stuff foam from a pain to a pleasure.

If you're building a house, or if you're a contractor, or subcontractor -- you NEED this applicator gun. It's much easier to clean up, much more effcient use of "Great Stuff" insulation (less waste) because you can control the rate that it is applied. It paid for itself the first day that I used it. If I bought individual "Great Stuff" cans with the included applicators (like your would buy at Lowes or Home Depot) then I would have paid more than buying this Pro applicator gun and using the Pro cans. FYI - I only used 4-5 cans for an entire 3500 square foot house.

I have been through a few of the pro 13 guns which usually cease and this gun is clearly a much higher quality and has a removable tip that can be replaced. Lined with teflon, there is far less risk of foam curing in the gun, better bead control (turns in "clicks" for precise changes in bead size, overall feels much more rugged than pro 13 gun. I personally use this in the pest control field and it is a useful tool for excluding pests from your home as well as insulating.

I agree with another reviewer here. The gun has a short shelf life. It worked fine when it worked but after very light use foam comes out from the threads where the gun attaches to the foam can. Even after cleaning no foam is dispensed. I would not recommend this tool-Check out the Hilti or Pur-Fil gun. This gun is not designed for everyday professional use. I give it no Stars!

I have used the spray cans of insulation which are OK. This Gun has now been used for a year and on three different houses ( all remodel jobs). Very easy to use. I will recommend it to anyone who has to add spray insulation to windows and doors.

This allows you to use foam with better control then a caulking gun...
Truly a pleasure to work with!!!!!
The ability to reuse cans of foam is also a huge cost savings
The cleaner also works amazing, cleanup takes a few minutes