Top 10 Best Caulking Guns 2023

Brief History of The Caulking Gun

The first known puttying-tool was invented in 1894. 

Canadian inventor Theodore Witte of Chilliwack, British Columbia filed a patent for what he called a “Puttying-Tool”. 
It was a cylinder with a nozzle at the front end in which an adhesive putty could be placed and pushed out using a hand crank at the rear end.

His original inspiration is said to have come from watching a baker decorate his cake with icing. 
In any case, the caulking gun has become an essential tool for any contractor and hobbyist alike.

Up to the mid-’50s, caulking gun cylinders had to be filled by hand, a messy job.
It was only from the early 1960s, when disposable cartridges made their appearance, that the caulking gun began to replace the traditional putty knife for a wide range of sealing and adhering jobs. 

Manual, Battery Powered or Pneumatic?

Depending on the application and type of caulk, different caulking guns can be used to get optimal results:

• • Manual 
  • Battery powered 

• Pneumatic

A manual gun is the most affordable and most popular way to dispense caulk. By squeezing the handheld trigger, the caulk is pushed out through the nozzle. The harder you squeeze, the faster it will flow.

Once the preferred choice of most professionals, battery powered caulking guns are also gaining in popularity fast with DIY’ers.
They make caulking easier with less muscle fatigue and allow for more consistent seams.

If you have access to air power, like in a workshop, pneumatic caulking guns are in the long run the least expensive, most reliable choice among the non-manual types.

Which Type of Caulking Gun?

Standard Size

The most popular caulk guns are standard compact ones that only accept 10 oz disposable caulk tubes. 

Large Size

Most large caulk guns can be used to dispense both 10 oz and 29 oz disposable caulk cartridges.

Convertible

Some caulk guns can be converted to not only accept tubes but also caulk sausages or bulk caulk.

Dual Cartridge

Dual cartridge guns, a special type of caulk guns, are used to mix and dispense two-part epoxy, resin or glue. 
The curing or hardening process takes place when the reactive constituents of the resin and curing agent mix.
Standard size cartridges are 2x 300ml (2x 10oz) for a 1:1 mix or 1x 300ml (10oz) + 1x 150ml (5oz) for a 2:1 mix.

Caulk Tubes, Sausages or Bulk?

Caulk Tubes

For DIY and low-volume professional use, 10 oz disposable caulk tubes are the most popular by far and also the easiest to use. 
You can buy them anywhere and they come in the widest product range from all brands. 
They are reusable too if you use a nozzle cap.

Large size 28 oz, 29 oz or 30 oz tubes commonly contain adhesives and are almost exclusively used for large volume heavy-duty professional purposes.

Caulk Sausages

Caulk sausage and bulk-loading are more cost-effective if you have to caulk in very large quantities. If that’s not the case, stay away!

10 oz, or the more popular 20 oz disposable sausage cartridges, also called foil packs are also mainly used for professional applications. 
For large quantities, this type of packaging is more economical, leaves up to 90% less waste volume and often has a longer shelf life than tube cartridges. 

Disposable sausage cartridges are not reusable and you need to clean the inside of your caulk gun and its nozzle thoroughly immediately after application. 

Bulk Caulk

Contractors sometimes opt for bulk or bucket caulk which is the most economical packaging for very large projects.
If you don’t plan on caulking with a vengeance, this is not for you.

What Is Thrust Ratio?

Manual guns with different thrust ratios are available for use with different caulk viscosities. 

A lower thrust ratio number means you’ll have to apply more pressure to push the caulk out of the nozzle. 

A higher ratio means less power has to be applied but the consequence is that less caulk will come out with one squeeze. 

For example: a 3:1 thrust ratio enhances your squeezing power only 3 times, while a 18:1 ratio multiplies your hand pressure by 18, which is a huge difference! 
Thrust ratios between 3:1 and 18:1 are about the lowest and highest you’ll find for typical caulk guns. Even higher ratios can be found for specific use.

Professional grade manual guns sometimes even have a dual or adjustable thrust ratio, which allows you to adjust thrust according to the caulk you’re using.

Some examples to get a feel with different ratios :

• Thrust ratios up to 10:1 for low viscosity caulk like silicone, acrylic and polyurethane
• Thrust ratios up to 18:1 or higher for medium to high viscosity kits like medium viscosity adhesives and polymers
• Thrust ratios from 18:1 up to 26:1 are used for high viscosity dual component epoxies, anchoring paste, polyurethanes and thick construction adhesives

You should however take in account that using a high thrust ratio caulk gun equals slower caulking speed, while a low ratio gun will finish the job faster. 
If your hand doesn’t cramp up that is…

It’s just like with a bicycle: in low gear you’ll effortlessly crank your pedals but your bicycle will move at a slow speed. 
In high gear you’ll have a much harder time turning those pedals but your bike will move faster.

Choose a low thrust ratio for runny, low viscosity caulk or if you have higher than average squeezing power and stamina. 
For high viscosity, thick caulk or to prevent your lower arms and hands from cramping up, better choose a high thrust ratio. 

Battery powered caulk guns have an adjustable thrust setting switch, while a pneumatic guns’ thrust ratio can be adjusted by adjusting its air pressure.

What is Dripless, Non-Drip or Drip-Stop?

All caulk guns apply the same principle: they push out caulk, glue, epoxy or other material through the nozzle or spout by applying pressure to a piston situated on the inside of the cartridge, tube or caulk gun housing.  

Pressure has to build before there’s enough stored energy to push out the caulk. 
When you stop building pressure, there will still be enough residual energy left to keep the paste flowing. This will result in unwanted material dripping out for a few seconds or longer, depending. This can get messy fast.

That’s why over the years, caulk gun manufacturers have developed different yet similar systems to solve this issue and call it Dripless, Non-Drip or Drip-Stop,… depending on their marketing, branding and/or patents.

Depending on the caulk gun design, this residual energy can be released mechanically in several ways to solve this problem:

Manual caulk guns:

• most common: by pressing a thumb lever
• by pulling an index-finger trigger 
• by pushing the squeeze-handle forward
• by rotating the rod
• automatic drip-stop by design
• …

Battery-powered caulk guns:

• mechanical rod-reversing action when trigger is released
• automatic “slip”-release when trigger is released
• …

Air-powered caulk guns:

• Automatic air-pressure release when trigger is released 

Caulk Types

Disposable caulking tubes can contain all sorts of sealants and adhesives:

• Acrylic latex (painter’s caulk)
• Vinyl latex
• Acrylic tile sealant
• Siliconized acrylic sealant
• Pure silicone
• Neutral silicone
• Adhesives
• Butyl rubber
• Asphalt caulk
• Polymers
• Mortar repair
• Fire-proof caulk
• …

However, there are three main types of caulk:  

• Latex caulk: Works well on porous and non-porous surfaces and is ideal for filling gaps. 

It can be painted, making it easy to blend in with its surroundings. 

• Silicone caulk: Best for non-porous surfaces and the best choice for gaps or cracks that may expand or contract. 

Ideal for wet areas. E.g. around sinks or tubs.

Neutral (non-acidic) silicone can be painted but is more susceptible to mold. 

• Specialty caulks: Concrete caulk for filling in driveway or sidewalk cracks, kitchen and bath caulk for tile installation, roofing caulk to fix small roof leaks,…

Things to Consider

Seal Puncture tool

Most caulk guns on the US market have a built-in seal puncture tool. 

This thick pointy needle is about 4 to 5 inches long and can be used to poke in the spout of a new caulk tube to puncture its seal right before use. It can be used to puncture sausage cartridges too.

It can also come in handy to puncture dried-up caulk in a used spout

if you want to re-use a caulk tube. 

A seal puncture tool can be bought separately too, of course.

Spout Cutter

Some caulk guns have a built-in spout cutter in their handle also. 

Most spout cutters look like an inconspicuous hole in the top part of the gun handle. When you squeeze the handle, a sharp edge or sometimes a small knife blade cuts off the inserted spout tip.

A spout cutter can cut a spout-end straight or at an angle.

It has to be said that most built-in spout cutters leave a lot to be desired.

In most cases, a snap-off knife does a much more precise, clean spout-cutting job. 

However, it can be a time-saver if you don’t have a knife at hand…

Final Thoughts

Well, I guess it’s fair to say that a caulking gun is one of the most underestimated tools in the shed…

Make sure you buy one that best fits your purpose and budget and you really can’t go wrong with this versatile tool!

Here’s a quick recap:

If you’re not convinced you’ll use it often, don’t go all-in then! 

Just dip one toe in and see what gives, you can always upgrade once you get the hang of it: Maybe try the most affordable of the bunch? 

It’s by no means cheap quality, no matter what its price suggests…

The best overall was chosen because it’s so versatile and well-designed. 

For all situations and all types of caulk, this awesome Heavy-Duty caulk gun with dual thrust ratio will be your t(h)rusted companion. 

You can use it to dispense any standard caulk in the 12:1 setting but it will also willingly handle the stickiest pastes and glues if you flip it to the 24:1 high-thrust setting.

Speaking of which: If you already own a standard caulk gun that isn’t up to the task of dispensing high viscosity epoxy, mortar, resin or glue, the Red Devil Extreme-Duty is the high-thrust gun that will get the heavy-lifting done without you breaking a sweat! 

It’s very affordable too… 

If  you’re looking for smart, space-saving solutions, check this silly gun: Siligun. It may look silly, but it’s damn smart and above all: compact!

Now we’re in the “smart & compact” department, you should take a look at this great innovation also: a rodless caulk gun! Yep, no rod poking in your eye. Cool stuff… Sounds like magic, and it works magic too! 

The professional-grade large 20 oz clear barrel gun from Newborn takes three kinds of caulk ammo: 20 oz tubes, sausages and bulk. 

It’s even available in 10 oz and 30 oz size and in different colors…

If you’re planning to not only caulk the kitchen sink but also want to renovate and improve your old house? 

And your parent’s house while you’re at it?

Chances are your old caulk gun will outlast your cramped arm muscles… Better use the appropriate tool for large chores like that!

If you wanna save a lot of money in the process, you should go for the budget-friendly battery powered Ryobi, which works great! 

If you wanna compete in the Caulking Pro-League, the battery powered tool of choice is the Dewalt 10 oz or its bigger 29 oz caulking sibling.

Finally, for all you project junkies that create awesome stuff in their garage, shed or workshop and have air-power within arm’s length: 

Why not caulk with an affordable, quiet, durable pneumatic caulk gun?

May the (air)power be with you! 

Oh, and don’t forget that dual-component gun to construct or repair heavy-duty bonds. That’s in a league of its own too…

Yep, if you buy the right tools for the job, you’ll be saving a heap of bucks.

No matter how you caulculate (pun intended).

Keep up the good work!