Cheap-Ass Tools: A $10 Heat Gun
By Chuck Cage
Sure, it’s not the quality of a Bosch. But hey — for $10 you can own your own heat gun. This cheapie from Harbor Freight works great for shrinking tubing or removing glued-on emblems from vehicles. (Just take your time and don’t melt the paint.)
I own a similar model also from HF, and I’ve had pretty good luck with it. Both the one pictured and the one I own are 1500W models, drawing 11-1/2A via a standard 120V outlet. This one appears to offer more insulation than mine, though the handle on mine never really gets hot. A three-way switch lets you select from two heat levels and “off.”
As always, YMMV. But how much mileage do you need to get out of this $10 unit before you get your money’s worth?
1500W Dual-Temperature Heat Gun [Harbor Freight]
December 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
When I think of where to save money, it’s not on items that you hold in your hand and can acheive several hundred degrees.
December 27th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
My last heat gun was a Ryobi for $18 from of all places “Big Lots.” They have some decent tools at times.
December 27th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
I bought one of these for slightly over ten bucks, and it never came on. It would take me five in gas and two hours to return it, so I just saved the cord and chucked it in the trash.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:42 am
My Harborfrieght heat gun lasted all of three hours. A waste of $10.
June 2nd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Mine died on the first use after 5 minutes of use. Harbor Freight is one of my favorite stores, but this was a big waste of money.
June 4th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Mine died after a few hours of short blasts use. Closer inspection showed power failing to get through a capacitor of sorts. I would think there is a simple repair. Maybe the $20 gun lasts longer?
June 16th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
“You get what you pay for” is said alot for a reason, it’s true!
If you want a reliable heat source, where the tool will last more that a few minutes and where you can actually control how much heat you get, then buy from a reliable source like Steinel, Milwaukee Electric Tool (the power tool people), Makita, Craftsman etc.
I don’t know about you, but I want some control when handling over 1000 degrees!