What to think about when choosing a hot melt glue gun
Use the jobs you’re going to do as a starting point for your decision. Are you dedicated to decorative arts and craft work, will you do some fix and repair at home or is it a large installation job? Once you identified your area of use, it's time to look at what different features you might need.
Area of use
Arts and craft - for decorative work
Uses for these glue guns are truly diverse – decorate furniture, customise T-shirts or other garments, attach badges or other decorative material – the only limits are the imagination. Working with arts and craft require precision and with their precision nozzle this allows for perfect control of the glue. I
It's also common that you apply glue to heat sensitive material, such as glass, plastic, leather or balloons. Then a low temperature glue gun is ideal. See our glue guns perfect for arts and craft
Fix and repair - for projects at home
The next category of glue guns is designed for use around the house, garden or garage. Attach cables, resole shoes, fasten mouldings or frames, repair toys, wooden furniture or porcelain or chinaware – you can approach all these tasks with confidence.
These guns offer the demanding home user versatility and effective fastening in any number of situations. See our glue guns perfect for fix and repair
Installation - for large projects
Here, a glue gun with high glue output is most effective. They can be used for fastening PVC and electrical cables, carton sealing as well as for furniture and woodworking. See our glue guns perfect for installation work
Different features - what do they mean?
After identifying the area of use you, it's time to consider the features you think you’ll need in your glue gun – for example, what does fast heating up time mean? What’s the benefit of high glue output? Let us guide you through the different features.
Do I need a cordless glue gun?
A cordless glue gun is a great alternative if you’re working in a tight or awkward space or away from a power outlet. These come in two types. One type is battery-powered; it uses a removable 7.2V li-ion battery to heat up the glue gun.
The other type is heated via cable, which is removed when the gun is hot. The glue gun can then be used cordlessly for a period until it needs reheating.
Consider the implications of this when choosing – do you want to keep returning to a power outlet to reheat the gun? If this sounds like it could be inconvenient, a battery-powered model could be a better choice.
What is glue output?
Glue output is a way of expressing how much glue a gun can deliver in one hour – it is expressed as grams per hour (g/h). All glue guns have a specified glue output, allowing you to compare capacity and choose a model that suits your needs – for example, if you want a tool for intensive jobs that require fast application, choose a high output model.
What is heating time?
Heating time describes how long it takes the glue gun to reach operating temperature after it’s switched on.
What benefits does adjustable temperature offer?
Being able to set an exact temperature is a feature found on higher specification glue guns. This allows the heat to be set at the exact level for the glue being used. Some installation type glue requires a specific temperature for a perfect bond.
What’s the advantage of interchangeable nozzles?
Interchangeable nozzles increase versatility and optimise the flow of glue. Apart from the standard nozzle supplied with the glue gun, a range of nozzles is available.
- Wide spread nozzle creates several thin lines of glue and is ideal for carton sealing, flooring or carpet fixing.
- Extended nozzle, perfect for working in narrow or tight spaces. Its small 1.5mm diameter increases precision and is handy when fixing fibre optic cables and electronic components etc.
What’s the difference between mobile and fixed stand models?
Basically, a fixed stand offers more stability when this is required - perhaps when gluing with extra precision or as a support for intensive jobs.
For tasks that demand more room to manoeuvre, a mobile stand is the best solution. You can fold away a mobile stand to give maximum space in front of the gun.