How to Load Grease Cartridges That Prime First Time — Avoid Air Gaps
Pick and load grease cartridges that prime the first time. Spot cartridge “polarity,” avoid side-stored or heat-slumped tubes, and load your grease gun properly to prevent messy air gaps.
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Why do some grease guns prime right away, and others leave you taking apart the head and cleaning grease off your hands? In this short, practical guide, we show precisely how to choose and load grease cartridges so your gun primes on the first pull.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
Cartridge polarity explained: which end is “up” and which end goes into the gun (the aluminum pull-tab end is the down end; the plastic slip-off cap is the up end).
Why side-storage and heat cause grease to slump and create an air gap that prevents priming.
A simple loading sequence: remove the tab, insert the tabbed end first, slide the cartridge until it seats in the pump head, follow your gun’s directions — test with one quick pump.
Quick checks you can do at the store or garage to avoid buying or using a bad cartridge.
WHY THIS MATTERS
An air gap between grease and the pump head = air introduced into the pump = a non-priming gun and a messy, time-consuming fix. Do these quick checks and you’ll save time and frustration.
QUICK STEP CHECKLIST
1. Inspect cartridge orientation — find the aluminum pull tab (down).
2. Avoid cartridges stored on their side or left in heat.
3. Remove the pull tab, insert the tabbed end first into the barrel.
4. Slide the cartridge fully until it seats in the pump head.
5. Follow your grease gun instructions and give a test pump — the gun should prime immediately.
We use LockNLube grease guns and accessories. The guns have primed the first time every time, and their proprietary grease coupler grips onto a zerk fitting, freeing up your hand to use the gun with two hands!
Check out our review of their pistol grip LNL153 Pistol Grip Gun here:
https://youtu.be/c9ezXEFJtb0
LockNLube also offers a lever handle version grease gun, their LNL151. See what we think about it here:
COMING SOON!
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