I recently spent quite a while struggling with a Dewalt automatic caulking gun at work. I had to apply a considerable amount of acoustic caulking at the base of drywall, but it just wouldn't cooperate. My boss managed to use it effortlessly when he showed me, but I kept running into issues. After trying to troubleshoot, I got questions like 'Did you press the trigger?' despite demonstrating that it often wouldn't work. Sometimes it would dispense caulk but then stop working altogether. From my experience, the gun functions well when pointed straight up, but once I angle it down, it quickly fails. I noticed it seems to work a bit better with a brand new tube of caulk too. There's a second trigger for pushing caulk and a first one that possibly releases the tube. The battery is fully charged. I'm just confused about the quirks of this tool since I spent a whole day being unproductive and I go back to use it again soon. What are the nuances I should be aware of?
2 Answers
I was actually looking into getting this gun! It seems like a solid investment. Are you using the 10oz model? I've heard that one works great, but practicing with it beforehand is the key. I bought mine to tackle some driveway cracks, and trust me, I wouldn't want to do that manually for 30 tubes!
Make sure to adjust the speed dial and cut the nozzle smaller for easier application. Those factors can really help manage the flow of caulk better! Also, have you tried different angles? Sometimes changing how you hold it can make a difference too.
I’ve tried multiple speed settings, but nothing really clicked. I’m still not sure if there's a perfect setting for getting it to work consistently.
Just a heads up, mine is the larger size, meant for bigger tubes, but I've found these guns often get passed around and treated roughly. I can apply pressure manually with a regular gun, and I don't think the issue is with the caulk itself.