How to use a cordless grease gun
Updated: 21.10.2026
You fit a new cartridge, pull the trigger, and the motor runs while the nipple stays dry. That is the usual first hour with a cordless grease gun, and it is usually air in the barrel, not a dead tool. This page is the load, the bleed, the coupler and the point where you stop. It is not a ranking. Prices and awards are on the [cordless grease gun comparison](/hub/compressors/cordless-grease-gun). Products Compared used maker instructions and the Health and Safety Executive. We did not film these eleven guns.
You fit a new cartridge, pull the trigger, and the motor runs while the nipple stays dry. That is the usual first hour with a cordless grease gun, and it is usually air in the barrel, not a dead tool.
You fit a new cartridge, pull the trigger, and the motor runs while the nipple stays dry. That is the usual first hour with a cordless grease gun, and it is usually air in the barrel, not a dead tool. This page is the load, the bleed, the coupler and the point where you stop. It is not a ranking. Prices and awards are on the cordless grease gun comparison. Products Compared used maker instructions and the Health and Safety Executive. We did not film these eleven guns.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Air bleed | How you limit a shot | Hose | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Einhell Einhell TP-GR 18/690 Li Solo | Not stated | Two settings; dose dial | 120 cm | 8.4 | about £159.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Ovshnrr Ovshnrr cordless grease gun kit | Not stated | Not stated | 100 cm | 7.4 | about £69.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Bostar Bostar 21 V grease gun kit | Metal valve, with bleed steps on the listing | Three speeds and lock-on | 1 m | 7.1 | about £79.99 | View offer |
On this page
Load the cartridge
A UK multipurpose cartridge is typically a 400 g NLGI 2 lithium EP tube, which listings often call 14 oz. Pull the rod back and lock it, unscrew the barrel, and seat the tube with the open end toward the pump head. Peel the seal on that end. Leave the closed end at the plunger. If you reverse the tube, the plunger pushes on the cap and you get noise without grease. Release the rod so the spring loads the plunger. A plunger still hooked back lets the motor spin on an empty head. Do not thin cold grease with oil to force a gun that has not been bled yet.
Bleed until grease shows
Air in a new cartridge is normal. The fix is the bleed on that gun, written in that manual. There is no single screw that every ASIN in this set shares. Makita's DGP180 instructions say to loosen the air-drain valve until grease shows, and to wear goggles. That manual is for a Makita gun, which is not one of these kits. Bostar's bullets, for the KWT-81 that is in this set, say to open the bleed two or three turns until grease appears if the motor runs and will not pump. TaskStar lists a metal bleeder, and a UK review says that screw can leak. Einhell, Ovshnrr, Seesii and Gautesy do not state an air-bleed valve. If the sheet is silent and the motor still runs dry, that is a return, not a vent drilled in the barrel. Point the coupler into a rag, not at your face.
Couple on and know how to stop
Wipe the nipple. Push the coupler on square until it clicks and stays. A coupler that is half on will spit grease sideways and starve the joint. Bravex reviews mention a nozzle that slips. If yours walks off, stop and reseat it. Do not hold it on with a finger over the gap. Hose joints need a spanner. The Health and Safety Executive says not to feel for hydraulic leaks with a hand. Use card if you need to see a smear, with the gun stopped. Know the stop before you lock the trigger. Bostar's lock-on cancels with another trigger pull. Einhell lists a trigger lock. Bravex can run continuous or a set volume. Farmers Weekly found that battery guns make it easier to over-grease because you lose the feel of a lever. Stop when fresh grease appears at the seal.
When to stop
Stop and treat it as an injury if grease breaks the skin. High-pressure injection can look like a small puncture. The Health and Safety Executive records a fatal detachment of a grease nipple during track tensioning, notes serious injuries above 100 bar, and notes anecdotal risk from about 7 bar. Go to A&E and say it was a high-pressure grease injection. Do not try to squeeze the grease back out. Track tensioning is not a practice job. A nipple that has blown out must not be reused. Ordinary nipples are in scope. The adjuster is not. The cordless grease gun for tractors page repeats that limit. Return the gun if a second careful prime still produces no grease, or if the pack is swollen or hot. At work, PUWER 1998 applies to the gun as work equipment.
Common questions
Why does the motor run and nothing come out?
The usual cause is air in a new cartridge, or a plunger rod still locked back. Seat the open end of the tube toward the pump, release the rod, and open the bleed the instructions name until grease appears. Bostar says two or three turns. If your gun's sheet describes a different vent, use that. A motor that runs dry after a proper prime is a fault to return, not a gun to run until it smokes.
How do I bleed air after a new cartridge?
Follow the valve on that model. Makita's DGP180 manual says loosen the air-drain valve until grease shows, and wear goggles. That is a Makita gun, not these kits. Bostar, which is in this set, says open the bleed two or three turns until grease appears if the motor runs and will not pump. Then close it. Point the coupler into a rag while you do this.
Do I need eye protection?
Yes, while you prime and while you couple on. Grease leaves a bleed screw or a loose coupler as a jet. Makita's instructions say goggles for the air-drain step. The same precaution fits any of these guns. Ordinary glasses are a weak substitute for goggles when the vent is at face height.
What if grease breaks the skin?
Go to A&E and name a high-pressure grease injection. The wound can look trivial. HSE cites serious cases above 100 bar and anecdotal risk from about 7 bar, and these guns are sold on claims far above that. Do not wait overnight, and do not try to press the grease out yourself. Take the cartridge name if you still have it.
Can I tension tracks with it?
No. HSE records a fatal injury when a grease nipple detached during track tensioning. Do not reuse a nipple that has blown out. Follow the machine procedure, which may call for a different tool and a guarded setup. A cordless gun is for ordinary grease nipples once it is primed. It is not a track adjuster for a Saturday trial.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources, the Einhell UK page and the Makita DGP180 manual. amazon.co.uk listings checked on 19 October 2026.
- HSE: hydraulic injection injury (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: track tensioning (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk: PUWER 1998 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: PUWER overview (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Einhell UK: TP-GR 18/690 Li Solo (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Makita: DGP180 instruction manual (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Farmers Weekly: battery-powered grease guns (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Farmers Weekly: electric versus manual grease guns (retrieved 19 October 2026)