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Best Heat Gun: 19 Corded and Cordless Heat Guns Tested From $20 to $185
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Nineteen heat guns were bought for this comparison — six cordless and thirteen
corded, from a $20 Harbor Freight Warrior up to a $185 USA-assembled Master
Appliance. Three of the cordless guns are Chinese knockoffs built to run on
Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita batteries, bought so they could be tested
alongside the genuine tools they copy. Every gun was timed melting through a
glue stick held an inch from the nozzle, given exactly three minutes to pour
heat into an aluminum block with a temperature probe buried in it, run up to
its own maximum temperature, and measured for power draw, noise and weight.
Two findings carry most of the weight. Corded guns are in a different league:
the slowest corded gun through the glue stick still beat the fastest cordless
one by 39 seconds, and the $20 Warrior drove nearly 90°F more heat into the
aluminum block than the best cordless gun in the group. And spending above
about $60 buys very little — the $55 Craftsman was both the fastest and the
hottest tool in the review, ahead of guns costing two and three times as much.
Fastest cordless gun at 2 minutes 9 seconds and the hottest at 926.1°F
Cordless Heat Guns
Name
Purchased for ($)
Link
Made In
Knockoff Milwaukee
$36.00
—
China
A $36 heat gun that runs on Milwaukee M18 batteries and copies the M18 tool it was tested against, claiming 400 watts and 932°F. It was the slowest gun in the review, needing 3 minutes 28 seconds to melt through a glue stick held an inch from the nozzle, and it topped out at 783.3°F — about 134°F short of the genuine Milwaukee M18. Three minutes on the aluminum block took it to 186.4°F. It comes with four attachments, weighs 1.22 pounds and reads 72.9 dB, four decibels louder than the tool it imitates.
Reaches operating temperature in about six seconds and is rated to 470°C, or 878°F. It melted the glue stick in 2 minutes 44 seconds, roughly 45 seconds quicker than the $36 copy, drove the aluminum block to 201°F over three minutes and measured 917.6°F at full heat — comfortably past its own rating. At 68.9 dB it is one of only three guns here under 70 decibels. Two attachments, an LED work light, and 1.64 pounds, nearly half a pound more than the knockoff.
Knockoff DeWalt
$36.00
—
China
Claims 990°F reached in two to three seconds, and ships with five attachments and a trigger lock, the most accessories of any cordless gun here. It cut the glue stick in 2 minutes 38 seconds and reached 192°F on the aluminum block, both ahead of the Knockoff Milwaukee, but its measured peak of 827.4°F landed 163°F under the advertised figure. At 1.165 pounds it is the lightest cordless gun in the group; 73.1 dB.
Two heat settings, two attachments, and the same 990°F rating as the copy that costs a third as much. It was the quietest tool in the entire review at 64.5 dB, and the strongest cordless performer on the aluminum block at 224.6°F after three minutes. It melted the glue stick in 2 minutes 16 seconds for second place among the cordless guns and measured 919.2°F at maximum heat. 1.175 pounds.
Knockoff Makita
$55.00
—
China
The best-equipped cordless gun on paper — an LCD display with adjustable heat and fan speed, three attachments, a pair of gloves and a 1,022°F claim — and the weakest in practice. Run at its highest heat and fan setting it needed 2 minutes 51 seconds on the glue stick, managed only 176.4°F on aluminum after three minutes, and peaked at 779.5°F, the lowest maximum temperature recorded in the review and 243°F under its own rating. 72.6 dB, and just over a pound.
The fastest cordless gun in the review at 2 minutes 9 seconds through the glue stick, with the glue starting to run at around 25 seconds. Compact at 6 5/8 inches long, rated to 1,022°F with 7.1 CFM of airflow, and supplied with four attachments and an LED light. It measured 926.1°F at full heat, the highest of any cordless gun, and 222.4°F on aluminum. Quiet at 69.7 dB, and 1.48 pounds, noticeably heavier than the copy of it. The catch is the $160 price.
The standout of the review. It drew 1,590 watts against a 1,500-watt rating, melted the glue stick in 1 minute 2 seconds — the fastest of the nineteen guns — drove the aluminum block to 443.5°F in three minutes, and measured 1,279°F at maximum heat, 79°F beyond its own 1,200°F claim and the hottest reading taken here. It is also the quietest corded gun at 72.4 dB, with two fan speeds and a variable temperature dial.
A slide switch with three airflow settings — cooling, low and high heat — four attachments, a rubberized pistol grip and an integrated rear stand. It draws 1,730 watts, matching the Hercules, and uses them well: 1 minute 5 seconds on the glue stick for second place overall, 441.3°F on aluminum, and 1,176°F at maximum heat. That last figure is 26°F short of its 1,202°F claim, and at $157 it costs nearly three times the Craftsman that beat it on every measurement. 73.9 dB, 1.565 pounds.
Harbor Freight's 14-amp gun, rated 1,700 watts and 1,200°F, with three attachments and the longest power cord in the review at 10 feet. It measured 1,730 watts, the joint-highest draw here, and 1,246°F at maximum heat, second only to the Craftsman. It took 1 minute 10 seconds on the glue stick and reached 440.4°F on aluminum, within 3.1°F of the winner. 73.1 dB and 1.675 pounds.
The cheapest gun in the review, sold at Harbor Freight with a 6-foot cord, a three-way switch and two temperature settings. It drew 1,516 watts against a 1,500-watt rating, melted the glue stick in 1 minute 21 seconds — 48 seconds faster than the quickest cordless gun — and reached 1,020°F at maximum heat. Its 314.2°F on aluminum after three minutes is the lowest of the corded group, and at 79.4 dB it is among the loudest tools here. 1.025 pounds.
A popular budget gun with variable temperature control, two fan speeds, a built-in stand and four attachments. It melted the glue stick in 1 minute 6 seconds, third fastest of the corded guns and quicker than tools costing five times as much, and reached 354.4°F on aluminum. It draws 1,590 watts against an 1,800-watt claim, and its measured maximum of 940°F is a long way under the 1,202°F printed on the box. 78.1 dB.
A 12.5-amp variable-temperature gun rated to 1,112°F, with two airflow settings of 79 and 132 CFM. It drew 1,510 watts, melted the glue stick in 1 minute 23 seconds and pushed the aluminum block to 363.6°F — mid-pack and consistent. Its measured peak of 886°F is the lowest of any corded gun here and 226°F below its rating. At 73.9 dB it is noticeably quieter than the Seekone. 1.2 pounds.
Rated 1,350 watts and 1,000°F, with two temperature settings, a built-in stand that makes cool-down safer and a three-position side handle. It actually drew just over 1,500 watts and measured 1,016°F, both better than advertised, and it moves a lot of air: the glue began melting inside 15 seconds and the stick was through in 1 minute 12 seconds. It reached 355°F on aluminum. At 0.97 pounds it is among the lightest guns here, and at 80 dB it is the loudest.
Two fixed settings of 750°F and 1,000°F, three attachments, and the lowest power draw of any corded gun at 1,238 watts. It makes that back on airflow: 1 minute 10 seconds on the glue stick and 380.3°F on aluminum, ahead of several guns pulling 300 watts more. Its measured maximum of 1,120°F is the fourth highest in the review and well past its own top setting. The lightest tool here at 0.875 pounds, and quiet for a corded gun at 72.9 dB.
The only gun in the review made in the USA, rated 1,500 watts and 930°F, with two fan speeds and one attachment. It drew the third-most power of any tool here at 1,619 watts, started melting glue in around 10 seconds and finished in 1 minute 7 seconds, one second off the Seekone. On aluminum it reached 403.9°F, fourth best overall, and it measured just over 1,000°F at maximum heat. 79 dB, and just over a pound.
A 1,500-watt dual-temperature gun with high and low fan speeds, a temperature control dial and an integrated support stand that lets it sit upright hands-free. It measured 1,521 watts, took 1 minute 17 seconds on the glue stick and reached 357.3°F on aluminum, with a mid-pack maximum of 1,036°F. At 1.59 pounds and 76.5 dB it sits at the heavier, louder end of the group.
Rated 1,550 watts and 13 amps, with a variable temperature knob, a kickstand for vertical stability and a 9.6-foot cord, the second longest here. It measured 1,520 watts but does not move much air, and that shows: the glue did not begin melting until around 20 seconds and the stick took 1 minute 30 seconds, the joint slowest of the corded guns. It reached 360.5°F on aluminum and almost 900°F at maximum heat. The heaviest tool in the review at 1.83 pounds; 75.8 dB.
Rated 11.6 amps and 1,000°F, delivering 15 CFM through a wide support base that resists tip-over. It drew just over 1,500 watts and measured 1,044°F at maximum heat, past its rating, but like the DeWalt Corded it does not move a great deal of air: 1 minute 30 seconds on the glue stick and 364.5°F on aluminum, both mid-pack. Quiet at 72.8 dB, and 1.415 pounds. It costs about twice what the DeWalt Corded does.
The most expensive gun bought for the review at $185, assembled in the USA, rated 1,740 watts and advertised to reach a maximum of 1,200°F quickly. The unit that arrived was broken and took no part in the testing.
Price
Lower is better
Prices at the time of testing, for the bare tool — the cordless guns are priced without a battery or charger. The spread runs from the $20 Harbor Freight Warrior to the $185 Master Appliance, and the $55 Craftsman that finished first sits nearer the bottom of it than the top.
Glue Stick Melt Time, Corded Heat Guns
Seconds to melt through a glue stick held one inch from the nozzle — lower is better
The whole corded field finished inside 30 seconds of each other, and price explains almost none of the order. The $55 Craftsman won at 62 seconds, the $157 Makita Corded took second at 65 and the $23 Seekone third at 66, while the two most expensive corded guns — the $145 Milwaukee Corded and the $79 DeWalt Corded — tied for last at 90 seconds. Airflow separates them more than wattage does: the Wagner matched the Hercules at 70 seconds while pulling almost 500 fewer watts.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Craftsman
62
2
Makita Corded
65
3
Seekone
66
4
Scorch Marker
67
5
Wagner
70
6
Hercules
70
7
Black & Decker
72
8
Porter Cable
77
9
Warrior
81
10
Wen
83
11
DeWalt Corded
90
12
Milwaukee Corded
90
Glue Stick Melt Time, Cordless Heat Guns
Seconds to melt through a glue stick held one inch from the nozzle, each gun on a fully charged 5 amp-hour battery — lower is better
The Makita 18V came out on top at 129 seconds with the DeWalt 20V second at 136. Every one of these times is slower than the slowest corded gun by at least 39 seconds, which is the real story of the cordless class. The Knockoff DeWalt is the one copy that keeps pace with a genuine tool, beating the Milwaukee M18 by six seconds, while the Knockoff Milwaukee trails the field by 37 seconds.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Makita 18V
129
2
DeWalt 20V
136
3
Knockoff DeWalt
158
4
Milwaukee M18
164
5
Knockoff Makita
171
6
Knockoff Milwaukee
208
Heat Driven Into an Aluminum Block in Three Minutes
Temperature in °F measured by a probe inserted into the block after exactly three minutes of heating — higher is better
This is the closest thing here to real work, and it splits the field cleanly in two: every corded gun beat every cordless one, and the cheapest corded gun beat the best cordless one by nearly 90°F. Three tools finished within 3.1°F of each other at the top — the Craftsman at 443.5°F, the Makita Corded at 441.3°F and the Hercules at 440.4°F. Among the cordless guns the genuine tools all outperformed the knockoffs, with the DeWalt 20V leading at 224.6°F.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Craftsman
443.50
2
Makita Corded
441.30
3
Hercules
440.40
4
Scorch Marker
403.90
5
Wagner
380.30
6
Milwaukee Corded
364.50
7
Wen
363.60
8
DeWalt Corded
360.50
9
Porter Cable
357.30
10
Black & Decker
355
11
Seekone
354.40
12
Warrior
314.20
13
DeWalt 20V
224.60
14
Makita 18V
222.40
15
Milwaukee M18
201
16
Knockoff DeWalt
192
17
Knockoff Milwaukee
186.40
18
Knockoff Makita
176.40
Maximum Temperature Measured
Highest temperature in °F each gun actually reached when run flat out — these are measured readings, not the ratings printed on the box
Measured peaks run in both directions against the advertised ones. The Craftsman came out on top at 1,279°F, 79°F past its own 1,200°F rating, with the Hercules at 1,246°F and the Makita Corded at 1,176°F. The Wagner, Black & Decker and Milwaukee Corded also beat their labels. Going the other way, the Seekone reached 940°F against a 1,202°F claim and the Wen 886°F against 1,112°F, and all three knockoffs finished short of the figures on their boxes by between 149°F and 243°F.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Craftsman
1279
2
Hercules
1246
3
Makita Corded
1176
4
Wagner
1120
5
Milwaukee Corded
1044
6
Porter Cable
1036
7
Warrior
1020
8
Black & Decker
1016
9
Scorch Marker
1000
10
Seekone
940
11
Makita 18V
926.10
12
DeWalt 20V
919.20
13
Milwaukee M18
917.60
14
DeWalt Corded
900
15
Wen
886
16
Knockoff DeWalt
827.40
17
Knockoff Milwaukee
783.30
18
Knockoff Makita
779.50
Power Draw Measured at the Outlet
Watts pulled by each corded gun at its highest setting — a bigger number is more electricity used, not automatically more heat delivered
Most of the corded field clusters around 1,500 watts, with the Hercules and Makita Corded drawing about 230 more and the Wagner about 260 less. Wattage predicts the results only loosely: the Craftsman won every performance test on 1,590 watts, 140 fewer than the two biggest draws, while the Wagner produced the fourth-hottest peak temperature in the review on the least electricity of anything corded. Two guns fell short of their own ratings — the Seekone claims 1,800 watts and pulled 1,590, the DeWalt Corded claims 1,550 and pulled 1,520.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Hercules
1730
2
Makita Corded
1730
3
Scorch Marker
1619
4
Craftsman
1590
5
Seekone
1590
6
Porter Cable
1521
7
DeWalt Corded
1520
8
Warrior
1516
9
Wen
1510
10
Black & Decker
1500
11
Milwaukee Corded
1500
12
Wagner
1238
Noise Level
Decibels measured while each gun ran at its highest setting — lower is better
The three genuine cordless guns are the only tools that stay under 70 decibels, with the DeWalt 20V quietest of all at 64.5 dB. Each of them is also quieter than the knockoff built to copy it, the DeWalt 20V by a full 8.6 dB. Among the corded guns the Craftsman is the quietest at 72.4 dB, which is unusual for a tool that also finished first on every heat measurement; the Black & Decker is the loudest tool in the review at 80 dB.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
DeWalt 20V
64.50
2
Milwaukee M18
68.90
3
Makita 18V
69.70
4
Craftsman
72.40
5
Knockoff Makita
72.60
6
Milwaukee Corded
72.80
7
Knockoff Milwaukee
72.90
8
Wagner
72.90
9
Knockoff DeWalt
73.10
10
Hercules
73.10
11
Wen
73.90
12
Makita Corded
73.90
13
DeWalt Corded
75.80
14
Porter Cable
76.50
15
Seekone
78.10
16
Scorch Marker
79
17
Warrior
79.40
18
Black & Decker
80
Tool Weight
Pounds for the bare tool, with the cordless guns weighed without a battery fitted — lower is better
Under a pound of difference covers the whole field, but it is felt in overhead work. The Wagner is lightest at 0.875 pounds and the DeWalt Corded heaviest at 1.83, more than twice as much. The cordless figures here are for the bare tool, and a 5 amp-hour battery adds meaningfully to each: the Milwaukee M18 at 1.64 pounds is already heavier bare than most of the corded guns, and each genuine cordless gun is heavier than the knockoff that copies it.
Full results table
Rank
Product
Result
1
Wagner
0.88
2
Black & Decker
0.97
3
Knockoff Makita
1
4
Scorch Marker
1
5
Seekone
1
6
Warrior
1.02
7
Knockoff DeWalt
1.17
8
DeWalt 20V
1.18
9
Wen
1.20
10
Knockoff Milwaukee
1.22
11
Milwaukee Corded
1.42
12
Makita 18V
1.48
13
Craftsman
1.56
14
Makita Corded
1.56
15
Porter Cable
1.59
16
Milwaukee M18
1.64
17
Hercules
1.68
18
DeWalt Corded
1.83
The Verdict
The pick for best overall is the Craftsman at $55. It melted through the glue
stick in 1 minute 2 seconds, the fastest of the nineteen guns; it drove the
aluminum block to 443.5°F in three minutes, the highest of the group; and it
measured 1,279°F at maximum heat, 79°F past its own 1,200°F rating and 33°F
clear of the next tool. It manages that on 1,590 watts, less than the Hercules
or the Makita Corded pull, and it is the quietest corded gun in the review at
72.4 dB.
For value the standout is the $23 Seekone, which melted the glue stick in 1
minute 6 seconds — four seconds off the Craftsman, and quicker than heat guns
costing five times as much. The $60 Hercules is the other strong buy, with
1,246°F at maximum heat, 440.4°F on aluminum, the longest cord here at 10 feet. The Makita Corded finished second overall
and was second fastest on the glue stick at 1 minute 5
seconds, but at $157 it is hard to justify against the cheaper tool that beat
it on every measurement. Among the cordless guns the Makita 18V was fastest at
2 minutes 9 seconds and hottest at 926.1°F, with the DeWalt 20V just behind at
2 minutes 16 seconds and the best cordless aluminum result of 224.6°F.
Two things are worth carrying into a purchase. The maximum temperature printed
on the box is a claim rather than a result, and the measurements here diverge
from it in both directions: the Craftsman, Hercules, Wagner, Black & Decker and
Milwaukee Corded all ran hotter than advertised, while the Seekone came in
262°F under its 1,202°F rating and the Wen 226°F under its 1,112°F. And the
three battery-powered knockoffs were beaten by the genuine tools they copy on
every measurement taken — the Knockoff Makita is sold on a 1,022°F figure and
reached 779.5°F, the lowest peak in the review. Cordless guns of any brand are
far slower than corded ones: bending PVC pipe with weight hung from the end,
the Milwaukee M18 split the pipe instead of bending it after two minutes, while
the Makita Corded had the same pipe bent in 38 seconds. They earn their place
where there is no outlet to plug into, and for heat-shrink tubing they have
more than enough heat.