What foam gun?

[bilabonic]

Hi all

Looking to get a decent foam gun that will last as I have door frames and other areas to fill.

I've viewed Screwfix/Toolstation and its mixed messages tbh.

Some plastic parts etc.

Anyone who regularly uses one recommend one?

Plus do i require the cleaning agent to keep it running smoothly?

Cheers.

 

[23vc]

I’d say any gun has the ability to either self destruct or get clogged, so I’d just buy the usual basic screwfix ones. Think my current screwfix/toolstation one’s been going a couple of years and the one from eurocell (I think) before that at the same price was similar.

I also never bother cleaning them. I just scrape the dried stuff off the nozzle and it carries on where it left off, days/weeks/months later. Never remove the foam can unless it’s empty, and replace straight away with a new one if removed.

 

[endecotp]

Looking to get a decent foam gun that will last

Don’t bother, get the cheapest you can find (eBay used to have some much cheaper than Screwfix) and treat as almost-disposable.

 

[yorksbuilder]

Roughneck one. Treated just as 23vc mentions, worked for ages

 

[noseall]

As above. We use the disposable cans, rather than the gun as we use more low-ex adhesive stuff.
However all the window fitters we work with tell a similar story to the fellas above.

 

[Wayners]

Just buy the £10 foam gun from B&Q.
For the control.
When can runs out I often blasted foam cleaner through then a new can of foam.
I always had foam in the gun and could leave for 3 months no problem.
I've never managed to clean gun out and store with no foam inside.
They clog.
Never sand or scrape the end as it buggers the seal. Foam keeps leaking.
Keep the end clean with foam cleaner when you are working.
After storing for months it will clog and die but done job

 

[stevie888]

I wavered for years about getting one only being diy but a fiull house refurb prompted me to get a roughneck from Toolstation. The only mistake was not getting one years ago. I probably use <1/3 of the cans I did before, and that's foaming all sorts of bits I wouldn't have bothered with before as too much agg and it's quicker and far far cleaner.

As others say don't bother to clean. Just used mine yesterday after a couple of months gap: no issue at all.

 

[^woody^]

I bought a cheap two gun set "Preciva" from amazon a few years ago expecting then not to last long based on other more expensive ones i had previously, and I've not had to use the second gun yet. The first has lasted even with a can siting on it unused for months.

 

[mrrusty]

I've had really good experience with this. https://www.cwberry.com/concept-foam-gun Pricey, but strips down easily if it does get clogged. I use it infrequently and leave a can on for 2-3 months at a time. I do sandpaper the end of the brass nozzle occasionally to get a good clean squirt, and it doesn't seem to cause any problems https://www.cwberry.com/concept-foam-gun

 

[opps]

Roughneck one. Treated just as 23vc mentions, worked for ages

I purchased the partially teflon/PTFE Roughneck one. I have been happy with it. From memory it was less than £30. The full PTFE version was just shy of £50. Mine has a PTFE needle and can be stripped down.

It was supplied with two long(ish) straws and two conical nozzles which go down to 2mm in diameter.

I often leave the foam can attached for up to 6 months. After each use, I spray the end with gun cleaner to prevent the end of the pin getting stuck.

During the summer, my foam gun spends much of the time on scaffolding, and, accordingly, gets wet. Mine is now nearly two years old.

My first foam gun was a freebie from BondIt with a purchase of 6 cans of foam. After using it once the nylon ball got stuck even though I flushed it with gun cleaner. The second was a £12 one from Amazon. It lasted a month and you wouldn't strip it down.

Edit - unlike the one recommended by @mrrustyy , mine has a flow knob to throttle the rate at which the foam comes out of the gun. After each use, I turn the knob to prevent accidental discharge.

 

[mrrusty]

Edit - unlike the one recommended by @mrrustyy , mine has a flow knob to throttle the rate at which the foam comes out of the gun. After each use, I turn the knob to prevent accidental discharge.

It does - the brass thumbwheel behind the trigger, and that's what I do too