10 Best Heat Guns in 2022
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Heat guns are devices that fire out a stream of concentrated hot air, a little like a hairdryer but far hotter and more intense. Heat guns are used for a wide range of different activities, ranging from DIY, crafts, and building works to more advanced chemistry, engineering and physics tasks, and no matter what your purpose in buying a heat gun is, you are going to want to be sure that you are purchasing the best hot air gun that you can find to get the best performance possible.
These guns are generally used at home for tasks such as stripping paint, drying out damp wood, and thawing out frozen pipes, and all of these tasks require different properties from the heat gun in question. Working out which heat gun model is the best for your particular needs can be difficult, so we’ve put a number of the best heat gun 2022 models through their paces to find out which gives the best performance in particular situations.
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Below, you will find our best heat gun reviews, exploring the important features of our 10 favorite heat guns in 2022 and breaking down all you need to know about each one. There is also a buyers guide, where you will find an introduction to all the things you need to know about any type of heat gun in order to understand what you need to look out for, for your particular needs.
View the Best Heat Gun, Below.
- PORTER-CABLE PC1500HG 1500-Watt Heat Gun
- Steinel Heat Gun Kit, 25th Anniversary Edition
- SEEKONE SDL-2816 Heat Gun
- Milwaukee 2688-20 Cordless Heat Gun
- DEWALT D26950K Heavy Duty Heat Gun
- BLACK+DECKER HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun
- Genesis GHG1500A Dual Temperature Heat Gun
- Wagner Spraytech HT1000 Heat Gun
- Master Appliance HG-501D Industrial Heat Gun
- Wagner Spraytech HT400 Heat Gun
1. PORTER-CABLE PC1500HG 1500-Watt Heat Gun
The Porter-Cable PC1500HG 1500-Watt Heat Gun features dual fan speeds, high and low, to give a high level of control over the amount of airflow at any given moment. This best heat gun offers operating temperatures from 120 to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit and can be adjusted in intervals of 20 degrees for fine, precise control. As an added bonus, the fan speed and temperature are controlled by separate dials, giving even more control over the precise output of the heat gun.
It is also a very lightweight model of a heat gun, weighing about two pounds, which makes it easy to use for more extended periods of time without developing fatigue in your hands and arms in the process. This is one of the most versatile heat gun options out there and offers excellent performance for home DIY tasks or professional contractor work on smaller projects.
The range of fan speeds possible from the Porter-Cable PC1500HG 1500-Watt Heat Gun makes this heat gun one of the best heat gun options with the most precise control and widest range of uses available on the market right now.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. Steinel Heat Gun Kit, 25th Anniversary Edition
If you are looking for a high-quality heat gun with all the accessories included as standard, then the Steinel Heat Gun Kit, 25th Anniversary Edition is an excellent choice for most needs. This offers a significant discount on the advanced and complex Steinel HL 2010 E IntelliTemp heat gun, with all of the most important accessories included, and a durable aluminum carrying case thrown in for good measure.
This heat gun offers precise control with a 120 degree to 1150 degree temperature range that can be adjusted in 10-degree increments for careful control and temperature manipulation. This model of a heat gun is well constructed, with the powerful DuraTherm heating element protectively enclosed in ceramic to extend the life of all of the components of the heat gun as far as possible.
The 25th-anniversary edition Steinel Heat Gun Kit is a powerful premium heat gun that offers excellent functionality and versatility in a well-designed and durable package that promises to last for a long time in perfect operational condition.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. SEEKONE SDL-2816 Heat Gun
The SEEKONE SDL-2816 Professional Heat Gun is a powerful and well-designed heat gun with a number of advanced design features and premium components designed to offer the best heat gun performance and user experience possible on a tight budget. This affordable heat gun is far more advanced than you might expect from the budget price, making this one of the best heat guns for the money options available.
Its 4 included nozzles allow it to be used for a wide range of applications with no need to buy additional accessories for specific situations, while the 2 temperature and flow settings give excellent control over the airflow and temperature produced for more advanced control levels.
Offering a high level of versatility in a durable and long-lasting shell, the SEEKONE SDL-2816 Professional Heat Gun is a powerful and flexible heat gun that is appropriate for a wide range of different situations and promises a long lifespan thanks to some excellent design features and choices of materials.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. Milwaukee 2688-20 Cordless Heat Gun
Most heat gun models are corded heat guns, but the Milwaukee 2688 20 Cordless Heat Gun operates on a single Xc 5.0 battery instead of requiring a power cord, making it an excellent choice for working in places where power outlets are limited or inaccessible. Its compact 6.4-inch body allows this cordless heat gun to be used in tight spaces, and the built-in LED illuminates dark corners so you can see what you are working on when using the Milwaukee Cordless Heat Gun in darker confined spaces for safety and ease of use.
It is not as powerful as most models of a corded heat gun, and does not offer the same maximum temperatures; this is never going to be the hottest heat gun available, but it provides solid performance and the convenience of a cordless heat gun design to offset this limitation.
The Milwaukee 2688 20 Cordless Heat Gun is one of the best cordless heat gun options out there, offering solid performance in a compact body with no cables required, making it an easy option for working some distance away from a power outlet.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. DEWALT D26950K Heavy Duty Heat Gun
The LCD screen of the Dewalt D26950K Heavy Duty Heat Gun allows you to keep an eye on the current temperature of your heat gun for a high level of control and monitoring and allows you to adjust the temperature in increments of 50 degrees. That may not look like much control, but when the range of temperatures goes from 120 to 1100 degrees, there are many possible temperature settings.
This model of heat gun also comes with a set of 2 accessories for added versatility, ensuring that you do not need to pay extra for alternate nozzles. It also features some helpful safety features, such as automatic overload protection to automatically shut down the heat gun in the event of overheating to avoid further problems and damage to the gun, the target, or the user.
The Dewalt D26950K Heavy Duty Heat Gun is one of the most powerful heat guns available on the market in 2022, making it an excellent choice for anyone who might want to use a heat gun for more extensive and more advanced DIY projects or professional situations.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. BLACK+DECKER HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun
The Black + Decker HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun is a basic but reliable and well-built model of a heat gun. It only offers two temperature settings, at 750 degrees and 1000 degrees, but those are the two most important temperatures for most purposes. An inbuilt stand also allows for stable hands-free use and cooling down the heat gun after use. This is a basic model, but it's well built, with all of the high-quality materials and durable construction that you would expect from a Black & Decker tool; this heat gun is going to last for a long time and keep you working with no problems throughout its long and impressive lifespan.
It is also a cheap heat gun model, although it does not include any accessories, so if you need specific nozzles or other accessories, then you are going to need to be aware that the price may be a little higher than the basic price of the gun alone.
The simplicity of the BLACK + DECKER HG1300 Dual Temperature Heat Gun makes it a great choice as a starter heat gun for someone new to heat guns. It’s easy to understand and use and is a relatively cheap heat gun for its build quality!
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Genesis GHG1500A Dual Temperature Heat Gun
The Genesis GHG1500A Dual Temperature Heat Gun offers a wider range of temperatures than most dual temperature heat gun models, ranging from 572 degrees to 1000 degrees rather than the more standard 750 degrees to 1000 degrees range. This wide range makes it a versatile model of a heat gun that is ideal for a wide range of different jobs, enhanced by the fact that it comes with 4 alternate nozzles included, allowing you to adjust it for a wide range of tasks straight out of the box rather than requiring specific accessories to be purchased for different tasks.
This is the best heat gun for the money out there, as it’s as affordable as some of the most basic models of a heat gun, but includes enough extra accessories to help it really stand out from the crowd. These extra accessories ensure that this is a particularly versatile heat gun that you can get a great deal of use out of without needing to spend more money on additional accessories.
The Genesis GHG1500A Dual Temperature Heat Gun is one of the best heat guns for the money that you will be able to find if you're looking for an affordable, mid-range heat gun that works well in a wide range of different situations.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. Wagner Spraytech HT1000 Heat Gun
If you are looking for a cheap heat gun, then you can't do much better than the Wagner Spraytech HT1000 Heat Gun. The build quality might be a little flimsy, and it might only have 2 heat settings (750 degrees and 1000 degrees), but it's a great choice for such a low price. The fan has 2 possible speeds, giving a little more control, and it is flexible enough to be able to perform most standard household DIY tasks for which a heat gun is needed, from stripping paint and bending plastic pipes to shrink wrapping and loosening rusted bolts.
It's not the best heat gun out there, but if you are on a tight budget, then the Wagner Spraytech HT1000 Heat Gun is unquestionably the best cheap heat gun available for standard home use.
Heat guns can be expensive, and the Wagner Spraytech HT1000 Heat Gun is a great cheap heat gun that’s impressively powerful and versatile for such an affordable budget product.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. Master Appliance HG-501D Industrial Heat Gun
The Master Appliance HG-501D Series Heat Gun is a powerful, industrial quality heat gun that is powerful and durable enough to be used for anything from small home projects to larger professional projects requiring constant activation for extended periods of time. It's not the lightest gun out there and may cause arm fatigue over prolonged use, but it's so powerful and well suited for industrial work that this extra weight is not at all surprising.
All of the components of the Master Appliance HG Series Heat Gun are well built and well-chosen, and the entire heat gun is designed to be easy to repair and maintain, with reinforced heating elements and motor brushes designed for easy removal in the event of problems and breakages, prolonging the lifespan of this impressive industrial heat gun.
Heat guns are expensive pieces of equipment and can be challenging to repair when they break. The Master Appliance HG Series Heat Gun is built to be repaired and adjusted for easy maintenance, keeping this heat gun operating for as long as possible.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. Wagner Spraytech HT400 Heat Gun
If you're working on the sort of small, detailed project where you might need a mini heat gun for electronics or other complex work, the Wagner Spraytech HT400 Heat Gun is a great choice. Its compact body makes it one of the smallest heat guns out there, and the pencil-style design makes it easy to give detailed, fine control over your heat for delicate work.
It only reaches a maximum temperature of 650 degrees Fahrenheit, making this a low temp heat gun that isn't as powerful as some of the hottest heat gun models out there, and it only pushes air out at a rate of around 4.7 CFM, making this far less powerful than larger models. This is an excellent option for hobbyists, crafters, and those who need to use a heat gun for electronics.
Thanks to its tiny size and impressive versatility, the Wagner Spraytech HT400 Heat Gun is one of the best mini heat guns available. This mini heat gun is an excellent choice if you're looking for the best heat gun for cosplay or the best heat gun for electronics, or other small, detailed work.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Heat Gun Buyer’s Guide
Types of Heat Gun
There are three main types of heat guns available on the market, all of which are useful for different situations and uses. Most of the more unusual styles of a heat gun are primarily used for construction work or other industrial situations, but it’s still worth knowing about the options available before you set out to buy a heat gun.
The most common style of a heat gun on the market is the electric heat gun. All of our top 10 heat guns above fall into this category, as they are the easiest to obtain and generally powerful enough for most domestic tasks. The majority of electric heat guns are corded, but cordless heat guns are also available (although these are often less powerful). Electric heat guns are fast and powerful, and available in a wide range of different sizes and power levels for different uses.
Gas-powered heat guns are also available. They’re more powerful than corded electric heat guns, although often larger. These heat guns are usually powered by a butane fuel cell and offer a high level of power and portability for use on larger construction projects where access to electricity is limited or difficult.
The final class of heat guns is more unusual and less useful for home use, and this is the industrial heat gun. These are expensive and heavyweight heat guns that are out of the reach of most domestic users and offer far more heat than is needed for home DIY projects. They’re ideal for large professional projects, but the extra heat available from these models can be dangerous if you’re not sufficiently trained in their use.
Nozzle Types
Once your heat gun has drawn in the air supply and heated it up, it has to force the air out of the nozzle. Different nozzles are used for different patterns, and spreads of heat, ranging from focused, narrow beams to wider and more diffuse options, and knowing which nozzle type to use for the job at hand is an important part of using a heat gun.
There are many different nozzle designs available, but some of the most common include flat and fishtail nozzles, which spread the heat out over a wider area, cone or reducer nozzles, which focus the heat into a smaller beam for more precise control and a higher concentration of heat, and scraper nozzles, designed for stripping paint. You can also buy reflector nozzles, designed for soldering pipes, and glass protector nozzles, which protect glass windows from direct heat when stripping paint from window frames.
Some heat guns come with a range of nozzles included, while others require you to buy them separately. However, some of the more unusual shapes of nozzle will almost always need to be purchased separately.
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Temperature Control and Airflow
Temperature control is an important thing to consider when buying a heat gun, as different jobs require different temperatures for safe and effective completion. Some heat guns only offer a couple of different temperatures, but some of the more advanced models offer a wide range of temperatures, covering anything from 150 degrees to over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The airflow is also important, and a high level of control over fan speed gives equal control over how much hot air your heat gun blasts out. As with temperature, you’re generally going to need to shell out more money for a more advanced model of the heat gun in order to get a high level of control over the airflow of your heat gun.
If you use too low a temperature or airflow level for whatever your current task is, you may well find that it won’t work effectively, and either you’ll achieve no results at all or it’ll simply take far longer to get anywhere. If your temperature or airflow is too high, however, then you run the risk of melting or burning the materials you’re targeting. If you want to use your heat gun for a wide range of different purposes, you’re going to want a heat gun that allows precise control of both.
Expert Tip
Heat guns might look like hair dryers, but they’re far more powerful and dangerous. You should always be very careful when using a heat gun, and wear protective gloves at all times!
Did you know?
It doesn’t matter how advanced and high-end your heat gun is, all heat guns work in the same way. They pull air in, heat it up, and then fire it out through the nozzle.