SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING

Materials/Specification 4/5

Spout and extension are made from stainless steel, the body is aluminium alloy with a rugged, neatly applied, protective powder coat finish. Look closely and you’ll notice a neatly sculpted cutout. That’s so you can hang it on the tool board for safe-keeping.

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The plunger has a wide surface area for convenient, thumb delivery and is made from “engineering grade plastic”. Many, including my long-serving Finish Line feature plastic spouts, which are serviceable enough, but metal is what I'd hope for at this end of the market and indeed, anything wearing a "pro" tag.

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The System EX Pro’s broad spout is what I use for contexts where I want to deliver more generous quantities e.g. filling hub and headset races, pedal bearings, Hollowtech II axles and quill stems. The extension is for precision work, such as suspension and grease ports-the sort employed on some old school Campagnolo hubs and more recently, WTB’s Grease Guard systems. Then of course, those little fasteners common to racks, mudguards, seat post binder bolts and cleats.

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What’s the difference between mini grease guns and pen types?

Since we’re here, its' perhaps worth exploring the difference between pen and mini grease guns. The latter, such as Park GG-1 and my long-serving Dualco unit are vacuum primed. The cylinder is filled with the grease, ditto the head. During this phase, it's imperative to purge any air within the grease, cylinder and lid, otherwise it will not flow.

 

Same principle applies, although in practice, I've always found loading pen types more convenient.  This is particularly true when switching between specialist greases. I tend to pack mini grease guns with a synthetic, such as  White Lightning Crystal High Performance Clear Grease TESTED : WHITE LIGHTNING CRYSTAL GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com).  These can be applied to pretty much any component or surface without fear of galvanic corrosion (seizure) or damage to seals, boots and other rubberised components.

 

Load the body with your chosen grease- yep, pack it full, before screwing the tube on. This will create the seal and ensure reliable flow. I keep two pent-ype guns and load them with different greases for convenience. Otherwise, if you're going from a lithium or PTFE-infused tube to a synthetic, remember to flush the body and mozzle through with degreaser and warm water to avoid cross-contamination.  

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Compatibility 3.5/5

Now you’d be forgiven for thinking that tubes were pretty much universal, right? Not quite. I’ve had no issues with the Muc-Off Bio Grease TESTED : MUC-OFF BIO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com), Green Oil Eco GreaseTWELVE MONTH TEST: GREEN OIL ECO GREASE (sevendaycyclist.com) Park Tool Polylube 1000 TESTED: PARK TOOL POLYLUBE 1000 LUBRICANT FOR BICYCLES (sevendaycyclist.com)  and Zefal Pro ii Zefal Pro II Grease | cycling-not-racing but strangely, Peaty’s Bicycle Assembly Grease PEATY'S BICYCLE ASSEMBLY GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com) and Peaty’s Speed Grease required some butchering of the thread PEATY'S SPEED GREASE | cycling-not-racing (sevendaycyclist.com). This isn't the case with my Finish Line.

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Performance 3.75/5

I tend to glove up before getting busy these days but forgoing these in the interests of investigative journalism. I’m pleased to report fingers have remained gunk-free. The big plunger means it’s easy to pump grease where you want/need it.

 

Temperature and grease have some influence over flow rates, but delivery has been reassuringly efficient, even at lower temperatures. I've defaulted to ours over the past few years. Routine maintenance, more intensive overhauls of hubs, headsets and bottom brackets through to complete builds, the System EX Pro Grease Gun has been my go-to.

 

My preference is for a really beefy grease for lower headset bearings, since these take a battering, even on well-dressed winter bikes and daily drivers. Muffin, Ursula and Denise all had their lower bearings packed with Juice Lubes Bearing Juice The Juice Lubes Bearing Juice Long Term | cycling-not-racing . Zefal Pro ii plugged into the System EX Pro Grease Gun and delivered to the upper set. Ursula’s rear XT hub bearings had finally succumbed to pitting and general wear after 2.5 years hell n' highwater service.

 

When it comes to hubs, I deliver a thick bed of grease to the races and axle using the standard nozzle and set the bearings down. Further layers are applied with the extension, avoiding wastage, potential cross-contamination, and mucky fingers

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Took the same route with other fasteners- stem bolts, mudguard eyelets. Quick, efficient and minimal clear up, which saved time and minimised wastage. I’ve only experienced issues with flow, once grease tubes dropped below 50% full. Disconcerting when you're in the zone but easily rectified. Unscrew the grease gun, pack the body with fresh grease, screw the tube home again-you're back in business.  

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Care/Durability 3.75/5

After three years' service, the inevitable workshop carelessness hasn’t left any obvious calling cards. Testament to the materials and build quality.

 

Value 3.5/5   

          

Generic pen-type grease guns, perfectly serviceable ones at that, can be had for £10, although we get what we pay for. Being frugal is not about buying cheap, rather getting the best return for our money. Weldtite TF2 Grease Gun is £14.99 but of primarily composite construction. Finish Line Grease Injection Pump Gun retails at £24.99. Again, mine has served me very well, has good ergonomics, but more plastic.

 

Not sold on the pen types? The Dualco  Pro Grease Gun comes in at £34.99. The less refined Mini counterpart aimed at home mechanics gives change from £20. All metal construction and precision tip are great for workshop duties, although as I said earlier, it favours bulk lubricant. Fine if you’re fond of a particular multi-purpose blend, not so good if you’re fond of specialising/mixing things up. 

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Summary

Grease guns are very convenient workshop staples and cheaper models will serve a lot of home mechanics well. It's also very keenly priced compared to some direct rivals. In my view, the System EX Pro’s hardier build and extension port justify the additional few quid. Especially if you enjoy home maintenance and/or have a big fleet of bikes.

 

Michael Stenning

Verdict: 3.75/5 Well executed grease gun for home and workshop overhauls.

Extra UK