The Best Caulking Guns In 2023

Top 5 Best Caulking Guns 2023:

1. Dripless Inc. ETS2000 Ergo Composite Caulk Gun
2. Newborn 930-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun
3. DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Caulking Gun, (DCE560B)
4. Newborn 250 Super Smooth Rod Revolving Frame Caulking Gun
5. 3 in 1 Caulking Gun (HEAVY DUTY CHROME PLATED)

If this article caught your attention, then we assume you must be a carpenter, repairman or a passionate DIYer.

Well, a caulking gun is not a must-have item for a home toolkit, but there is no doubt that a piece of tool like this one can be very convenient around the house.

Over time, your home will develop cracks and gaps that must be adequately sealed to prevent bugs from getting in, and avoid spending too much electricity while heating or cooling your living space. Of course, you can always call the professional to do this for you, but you must expect it to be pretty costly.

Luckily for you, the best caulking gun can help you to do that job in no time and save you some money. So read on to learn how to pick the best one for you.

Related: The Best Hot Glue Guns

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5 Best Caulking Guns In 2023: Detailed Reviews

1. Newborn 930-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun – Great For Light Temporary Projects

The Newborn is a brand that is well known among the DIYers since they offer you various models of the caulking guns that are affordable and durable at the same time.

The Newborn 930-GTD is a manual caulking gun meaning you will have complete control of what is happening. Pull the trigger when you need caulk dispensed, and when you are finished, release the trigger, and the dispensing will stop. 

It is straightforward to use, and it won’t cause fatigue of your hand, considering the fact that the both trigger and the handle are padded with silicone for additional comfort. This is excellent news for people who have hard time gripping objects because of hand issues like arthritis.

The caulking gun has a solid build, so you don’t need to worry it will come apart since it is cheap. It comes with a steel half-barrel that has a capacity of 1/10 gal of cartridges and an average thrust ratio of 10:1; it can only be used with low viscosity materials like silicone, caulk, and latex. 

It is advertised as a dripless caulking gun. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true since the rod will ooze occasionally out but not too much at least. If you are on the budget and you don’t want to spend too much money on a thing like a caulking gun, get this one. It is the most affordable one that you can find that has great durability and capacity.

2. Newborn 250 Super Smooth Rod Revolving Frame Caulking Gun – Built Like A Tank

We are back with one more model of caulking gun from Newborn. The reason why this Newborn 250 is on our list is that it shows up as the most comfortable manual caulking gun to use with all types of viscosity caulk and even with thick sealant.

So as we said, this is a manual caulking gun. The pressure rod works smoothly, and you can easily control the flow by releasing the pressure when you need to slow down since this unit is not drip-free. Thanks to the revolving barrel it will consistently dispense sealant without you putting in too much force to dispense the adhesive or sealant. This comes very handily when working around corners.

This is one of the toughest caulking guns available at this moment it comes with a steel revolving frame and zinc alloy handle and trigger. This means the caulking gun is resistant to bumps and corrosion too. It is very easy to use even though the trigger is a bit tighter than we prefer. Also, this unit is faster than most of the other models you can find on the market.

The capacity is good, and you can fit 1/10 gal of cartridge in it, and the thrust ratio is 18:1 making this unit suitable for all kinds of adhesives as we already mentioned. For example, you can even use acrylic, asphalt, cement and butyl. The unit is equipped with a built-in seal puncture and a spout cutter to allow you to open the cartridge without having to use a separate knife.

3. Dripless Inc. ETS2000 Ergo Composite Caulk Gun – Great For Handling Sharp Corners

EST2000 Ergo Composite is a manual caulking gun made from plastic. While it’s a good value for the money, it can be only used for doing some simple work, like fixing toilets, windows, wooden walls. This means it has limited functionality. Based on the material used for construction, the operational life is limited too.

Many models are labeled as dripless nowadays, but this caulking gun is truly dripless. But that’s not all, this model can accommodate both dripless and drip-only settings. Some people prefer the drip setting because it allows them to get the best bead orientation which is crucial when working around corners. On the other hand, some might prefer the non-drip setting.

This model is lightweight, but it is crafted from plastic, so it is fragile, consider yourself forewarned. You control the flow of the sealants by pressing the trigger. It comes with a revolving frame that will provide you with bead orientation. Also, when using the caulking gun with a revolving frame, you do not need to change your hand position to handle the changes in sealant direction.

The unit can accommodate 1/10 gal cartridges in and with the thrust ratio of 12:1 you can easily use it with thicker sealants like latex and adhesives for sub-floor. This unit comes complete with everything you might need in a caulking gun, a convenient hanging hook on the back, a built-in spout cutter and a seal puncture for an opening cartridge with ease.

4. DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Caulking Gun, (DCE560B) – Professional Tool For The Best Performance

DEWALT 20V Max caulking gun is the only automatic model on our list, and it runs on a rechargeable battery. This is great since most automatic models run on a cord and they are not suitable for outdoor use. This one, on the other hand, can be carried around with ease. The bad thing is that the battery and charger do not come with the tool, so you must buy it separately, and this product already costs a lot.

This adhesive gun model will make sealing and glueing much easier since it allows you to make speed adjustments during the operation. The variable speed trigger allows you to control the flow of your adhesive and variable speed dial allows setting maximum and minimum flow rates. The trigger can also be put in the lock mode when needed. The maximum speed setting is 21 inches per minute.

It features a sturdy built so you can be sure it will withstand years of use that’s why it is suitable for professional use. This model can be used with various thick adhesives like latex, silicone, polyurethane, epoxy, and more. The holding capacity of this unit is 10 oz.

We are sure all of you used a manual caulk gun before, and you all know they aren’t drip-free, well most of them aren’t. This model is dripless since it comes with an Anti-Drip feature that automatically retracts the plunging rod when you release the trigger. The unit is very comfortable to use and hold since the rubber padding guarantees you ergonomic grip.

5. 3 in 1 Caulking Gun (HEAVY DUTY CHROME PLATED) – Suitable For Big Repairs

This is a heavy-duty manual caulking gun; therefore, you can expect it to be quite heavy and bulky with a large grip. In other words, it will be hard to use for people with smaller hands. But no matter what this tool will provide you with smooth operation.

It comes in industrial design, so the frame is made from rust-free heavy-duty plated chrome which ensures the durability and strength of this tool. The strong plate can handle the majority of sealant, no matter how thick they are. The thrust ration is 12:1, which is enough for handling latex, silicone, caulk, and some adhesives for the floor.

It is compatible with standard 1/10 gal cartridges. The unit comes with the spout cutter inside and the sealant puncher. Opening the cartridge is a piece of cake with this gun. It is easy to use since you can control the flow of adhesive using the trigger.

This unit is supposed to be dripless, but it is not. There are times when it will offer a dripless application, and there are times when it will fail you down. This is common to almost all manual caulking guns that are labeled as drip-free.

It is advertised as suitable for home and industrial use, but we can’t agree with that. If you purchase this caulking gun to use it for your fine detailed DIY projects, you will waste your money unfortunately since it is too large for that. If you need a unit to help you fix your sealant on the roof, wooden wall, or floor, this is a good option.

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Key Factors To Consider When Choosing A Caulking Gun

Usually, the caulking gun is something that most of us infrequently use for small reparations or our DIY projects. If that is the case in your household, then you should not spend some serious amount of money on it. But, that does not mean you do not need to spend a little more time considering which model you will purchase since they can be convenient around the house. That is why we recommend you to read our buying guide.

1. The Rod

When using the manual caulking gun, the rod is something you must check first. When squeezing the hand trigger, the caulking gun forces a rod into a tube of caulk, which results in the caulk being pushed out the tip of the tube. There are two types of caulking gun rods.

• Ratchet rod – Caulking guns with ratchet rods are inexpensive and suitable for home use and light DIY projects. The problem with this type of rods is that the sealant will ooze out as long as you don’t twist the end of the rod and pull it back to release pressure and stop the flow. This way, the application is messy, and you will waste a significant amount of sealant.
• Smooth rod – This type of rod is a bit neater than the previous one. The models that are advertised as dripless come with a smooth rod. They are called dripless since the gun should stop the flow of the adhesive the moment you release the trigger. This works better in theory than in real life, but some do offer you a dripless application.

2. Thrust Ratio

Thrust ratio expresses the amount of force you generate every time you squeeze the hand trigger. The higher the thrust ratio, the more force is used with each squeeze. This is crucial since different types of sealant have a different kind of viscosity.

Thicker sealants require the use of the caulking gun with higher thrust ratio to be able to dispense the sealant like epoxy, or acrylic. A thrust ratio goes in the range from 3:1 to 28:1. Guns with lower thrust ratio are suitable for dispensing thin types of caulk, such as water-based caulk, latex caulk, silicone, and latex.

3. Revolving Frame 

Revolving frame is important since it will prevent forming lumps and bulges when running a bead of caulk, especially around the corners. It is very challenging to run a continuous bead around a corner considering you must change the hand position and the angle of the gun to match the direction of the sealant. The revolving frame will allow you to rotate only the frame instead of the whole gun; this way, you do not interrupt the flow of caulk.

4. Powered Or Manual Caulking Gun

A manual caulking gun is suitable for a smaller home and DIY projects. If the design is not ergonomic, you will experience hand fatigue very quickly. Also, they aren’t dripless so if a messy workplace annoys you, consider buying a powered caulking gun since they come with Anti-Drip feature.

A few years ago powered caulking guns were reserved for commercial and industrial projects only. Today, DIYers are discovering all the benefits of using a powered caulking gun. They dispense the sealant in a continuous stream, so they create a smooth bead. Also, there is no hand trigger, meaning there is no thrust ratio.

To regulate the dispensing pressure, all you need to do is lightly squeeze the finger trigger. Your hands will be grateful. You also must be aware that this type of caulking gun is a bit expensive. There are three different types of powered caulking guns.

• Electric – They come with a cord and require access to an electrical outlet, so they can be tricky to use outside. With light pressure on a finger trigger, you will dispense just the right amount of sealant every time.
• Battery Powered – This type of gun features a removable battery and a charger. They are suitable for use where the electric outlet isn’t available. Typically battery life is up to three hours per single charge. We recommend you to purchase an extra battery if you have a lot of caulking to do.
• Pneumatic – The most popular powered options for home and workshops are air-powered caulking guns. There’s no battery to charge, electric outlets and cords, but you will need an air compressor. Also, dispensing pressure can be regulated by adjusting the pressure on your air compressor, which can be very handy.

See Also: Best Staple Gun & Best Heat Gun

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Bottom Line

Which model is the best and the most affordable caulking gun, strictly depends on you and your budget. Today we have assembled a buying guide for you with some of the models that we liked the best. In the end, if none of these five models matches your requirements, you are free to continue searching. That is why we also included a list of tips on what to look for when buying a good caulking gun. 

Happy hunting.

Best Overall Value: Dripless Inc. ETS2000 Ergo Composite Caulk Gun

• The Dripless Ergo Composite caulking gun is a straightforward and affordable tool that will impress you with its efficacy. It works great with most caulks and adhesives, as long as they come in the form of a standard 10/1 gal cartridge. Indeed, plastic that is used for crafting is not the most durable one, but considering the price, we can’t complain.

Best Budget Option: Newborn 930-GTD Drip-Free Smooth Hex Rod Cradle Caulking Gun

• There is not much to be said here, the price alone speaks for itself. It comes with several attractive features like an easy-to-grip trigger, smooth distribution, rod that automatically retracts after every pull and prevents dripping. Also, it features an ergonomic design and padded handle for more comfortable use.

Premium Pick: DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Caulking Gun, (DCE560B)

• DEWALT 20V Max cordless caulking gun as we already said is the only automatic mode that we put on the list. It is powered by the rechargeable battery. It is perfect for outdoor use since it does not require an electric outlet. Yes, it is expensive; especially if we consider that we must buy the battery and the charger separately. But we guarantee you that no other caulking gun will provide you with the quality and functionality as this one.