The Best Grease Guns: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Makita XPG01Z

Check price on Amazon See why it wins Compare all

The XPG01Z publishes the highest flow rate in the group at 10 fl oz per minute while matching everyone's 10,000 PSI ceiling. The DCGG581B gives up a little flow and adds a published tubes-per-charge figure, at 2.3 lbs less.

Cordless grease guns are mostly sold on the same number. Three of the four state a maximum of 10,000 PSI and the fourth states more than 8,000. Pressure is what pushes grease through a clogged fitting, and past a point the guns in this class have enough of it. What actually decides how long you spend under a machine is flow rate, and across the three guns that publish it the figures run from 5 fluid ounces a minute to 10.

RBE top pick

Makita

XPG01Z 18V LXT Cordless Grease Gun

Buy it

The highest published flow rate here at 10 fl oz per minute, at the same 10,000 PSI ceiling as everything else.

Best for: Anyone with a lot of fittings to service in a session, where twice the flow of a slower gun is the difference between an hour and two.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• 10 fl oz per minute maximum flow, the highest published figure in this comparison.
• 10,000 PSI maximum pressure, matching both DeWalts.
• Lock-on switch, so you are not holding a trigger through a long fill.
• Onboard LED light, a 47-1/4 in. flexible hose, and it runs on the widely available 18V LXT platform.

Know before buying

• 11.4 lbs with a battery, the heaviest tool in this group by more than 2 lbs.
• Makita publishes no tubes-per-charge runtime figure.
• Makita lists no overall tool length.
• Bare tool, with battery and charger sold separately.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

DeWalt

DCGG581B 20V MAX 2-Speed Grease Gun

Buy it

Nearly the Makita's flow with a two-speed transmission and a published figure for tubes per charge.

Best for: General equipment and vehicle maintenance, where the two speeds and the runtime figure matter more than the last ounce per minute.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• 9 oz per minute and 10,000 MAX PSI, both published, within 1 oz/min of the highest flow here.
• Two speeds plus a variable speed trigger, so you can creep grease into a fitting or move it fast.
• 47 in. reinforced hose, longer than the DCGG571B's or the Milwaukee's.
• DeWalt publishes up to 7 tubes dispensed per charge, a runtime figure the Makita and the older DeWalt omit.

Know before buying

• 9.06 lbs, which is still a two-handed tool at the end of a long reach.
• 20.6 in. long, so it needs room to work alongside a machine.
• DeWalt's 9 oz per minute and tubes-per-charge figures are quoted in speed 2 with a DCB203 battery.
• Bare tool, battery and charger extra.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

DeWalt

DCGG571B 20V MAX Cordless Grease Gun

It depends

Same 10,000 PSI ceiling as its own replacement and roughly half the flow, which is the whole story.

Best for: Occasional greasing where you have a handful of fittings and the price gap against the two-speed model is real money.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• 10,000 MAX PSI, identical to the Makita and the DCGG581B.
• Variable speed trigger and an onboard LED for finding fittings in the dark.
• A pump filter screen to keep dirt out of the pump mechanism, which DeWalt states explicitly.
• 9.0 lbs, lighter than the Makita and the DCGG581B.

Know before buying

• 5.0 oz per minute, roughly half the Makita's flow and just over half the DCGG581B's.
• 42 in. hose, 5 in. shorter than its own replacement.
• Single speed, with only the trigger for control.
• No published tubes-per-charge figure, so runtime is unstated.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Milwaukee

2446-20 M12 Cordless Lithium-Ion Grease Gun

Skip it

A compact, light M12 gun that lists a run time, but states the lowest pressure here, no flow rate and a single speed.

Best for: Occasional greasing for someone already on M12 batteries, where a light, compact gun matters more than top pressure or a published flow rate.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• 7.2 lb and 14 in. long on Milwaukee's spec table, the lightest and most compact tool in this comparison.
• Milwaukee states up to 7 cartridges per charge, a run time figure only one other maker here publishes.
• Onboard fuel gauge and integrated hose storage.
• 5 year limited tool warranty, and it runs on the M12 battery system.

Know before buying

• States more than 8,000 PSI, the lowest pressure figure in this group against 10,000 PSI for the other three.
• No flow rate is listed on the product page.
• 36 in. flex hose, the shortest of the four.
• One speed setting, with no way to creep grease into a small sealed bearing at a lower rate.
• No work light is listed.

See our pick instead See it on Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

Five things decide a cordless grease gun. Maximum pressure comes first only because it is the headline, and it turns out to be the least discriminating spec in the class: three of the four state 10,000 PSI and the fourth states more than 8,000. Flow rate comes second and matters far more, because it is what converts pressure into time saved. Third is hose length and flexibility, since a gun that cannot reach the fitting has no pressure at all where it counts. Fourth is speed control, because filling a small bearing at full rate blows the seal and filling a large one slowly wastes the afternoon. Fifth is runtime, which only DeWalt and Milwaukee publish, as tubes or cartridges per charge.

The field is fairly uniform on hardware and uneven on disclosure. Every gun here is a battery-powered pump feeding a flexible hose and a standard coupler, weighing roughly 7 to 11 lbs, taking a standard 14 oz cartridge. What separates them is what each manufacturer chose to measure and print. We took the two largest professional platforms, added DeWalt’s older single-speed model to show what a generation of the same 10,000 PSI rating actually changed, and included Milwaukee’s compact M12 gun as the lighter, smaller option.

The XPG01Z is the gun to buy if the job is volume. Makita publishes 10 fluid ounces per minute at 10,000 PSI, and that flow figure is the highest in this comparison by a full ounce over the nearest DeWalt and double the older one. On a machine with a long list of fittings that is the difference between one session and two. The lock-on switch is the detail that reveals who the tool is for: you set it running and let it fill rather than holding a trigger through every fitting, which is what you want when there are thirty of them. It carries an LED and runs on 18V LXT, which is as widely available a platform as exists. It also lists low and auto-speed modes with a variable trigger and a 47-1/4 in. flexible hose. The cost is weight. At 11.4 lbs with a battery it is over 2 lbs heavier than everything else here, which you feel at the end of a stretched-out arm, and Makita publishes no runtime figure.

The DCGG581B is the better all-round tool and the one most people should buy. It publishes 9 oz per minute against the Makita’s 10 and matches the 10,000 MAX PSI ceiling, so it is giving up very little on output. In exchange it adds a two-speed transmission on top of the variable speed trigger, which means you can creep grease into a small sealed bearing on the low setting and then run a large fitting at full rate. The 47 in. reinforced hose is 5 in. more reach than DeWalt’s own previous model and worth more than it sounds when the fitting is behind a guard. It is also one of only two guns in this comparison that publish anything about runtime, quoting up to 7 tubes per charge, which is the figure you actually plan a day around. At 9.06 lbs it is 2.3 lbs lighter than the Makita.

The DCGG571B is a useful lesson in reading a spec sheet, because next to its replacement it looks nearly identical and is not. Same 10,000 MAX PSI. Same battery platform. Same rough weight at 9.0 lbs, and actually 2 in. shorter at 18.5 in. Then the flow rate: 5.0 oz per minute against the DCGG581B’s 9. That is not a small difference, it is nearly half the output, and it is the number that determines how long you stand there. The hose is 42 in. rather than 47 in., and there is one speed rather than two. What it does have that the newer gun’s page does not mention is a pump filter screen, stated as protecting the pump mechanism from dirt and contamination, which is a genuine longevity feature. Buy it only if the price gap against the two-speed model is large and your greasing list is short.

The 2446-20 is the one to skip if you want a gun to hold up against the others on output, and it is a fair tool for a different buyer. Milwaukee lists it at 7.2 lb and 14 in. long, the lightest and most compact gun here, with an onboard fuel gauge, integrated hose storage and up to 7 cartridges per charge. The page also states more than 8,000 PSI, which is the lowest pressure figure in the group against 10,000 PSI for the other three, and it lists no flow rate. The hose is 36 in. and the gun has a single speed setting, so there is no low setting for a small sealed bearing. If your greasing list is short and you already own M12 batteries, the weight may matter more to you than those numbers.

Makita XPG01Z 18V LXT Cordless Grease Gun vs DeWalt DCGG581B 20V MAX 2-Speed Grease Gun: which should you buy?

The Makita XPG01Z and the DeWalt DCGG581B are separated by one ounce per minute and 2.3 lbs, and the weight is the bigger number. Makita’s 10 fl oz/min is the highest published flow here, and the lock-on switch makes it the better tool for a long list of fittings where you want the gun running rather than your finger working. But 11.4 lbs with a battery, held out at arm’s length under a machine, is genuinely tiring.

The DeWalt gives up that ounce and buys back a published runtime. Two speeds plus a variable trigger is real control, and it is the difference between filling a small sealed bearing without blowing the seal and hoping, though the Makita also lists two speed modes and a 47-1/4 in. hose. The DeWalt and the Milwaukee are the only guns in this comparison that tell you how long a charge lasts, and the DeWalt’s up to 7 tubes comes with a published flow rate. If you grease a fleet, take the Makita for the flow. If you grease a tractor, a trailer and a truck, take the DeWalt, because the lighter weight and the runtime figure will matter more often than one ounce a minute.

What to look for

• Flow rate, not pressure: three of the four quote 10,000 PSI, and the published flow across them still varies two to one.
• The conditions behind the flow figure: pressure and flow define the tool, so check what battery and speed setting the flow is quoted with.
• Hose length and whether it is reinforced: the range here is 36 to 47-1/4 in., and reach is what decides whether the gun is usable on an awkward fitting.
• More than one speed: a low setting lets you fill a small sealed bearing without forcing grease past the seal.
• A runtime figure such as tubes per charge: only two manufacturers in this group publish one, and it is the number you plan a day around.
• A pump filter: grit is what kills a high-pressure pump, and a screen between the cartridge and the mechanism is a real longevity feature.

Our final take

Maximum pressure is the number this category is sold on and the number that separates it least, since three of the four state 10,000 PSI. Flow rate is where the real spread is, and it runs from 5 oz per minute to 10 across guns that share a pressure ceiling. The Makita XPG01Z takes the top of that range and pays for it in weight. The DeWalt DCGG581B is the tool we would actually buy: 9 oz per minute, two speeds, a 47 in. reinforced hose, and a published runtime figure alongside a published flow rate. The older DCGG571B is the same pressure and half the flow, which is worth knowing before you buy the cheaper DeWalt by accident. The Milwaukee 2446-20 is the lightest and lists a run time, and it states the lowest pressure, no flow rate and a single speed.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Makita XPG01Z 18V LXT Cordless Grease Gun vs DeWalt DCGG581B 20V MAX 2-Speed Grease Gun.

More in Tools & DIY

Grease Guns, Explained Plain-English guide → Makita XPG01Z 18V LXT Cordless Grease Gun vs DeWalt DCGG581B 20V MAX 2-Speed Grease Gun Head-to-head → The Best Hard Hats: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Heat Guns: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Helping Hands: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Hex Key Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)