9 Best Heat Guns (Review) In 2019

Wagner is a German company that is mainly known for creating paint spraying tools. But, they’re quick to point out that they do so much more than just tools for spraying your car. The Wagner Spraytech Heat Gun is one of their newer products in this vain and we’ve selected it as our Best Choice heat gun in this list. At the excellent price of $23.99 (at the time of writing), it’s one of the most affordable and impressive heat guns on the market. For these reasons, it’s quickly become a best-seller online.

The gun itself comes in a bright yellow, durable casing and has a lightweight handle to make it easy to hold. There are three easy-to-use settings on the handle, which let you choose from ‘off’, ‘low’, or ‘high’ – the low setting is 750º Fahrenheit and the high setting is 1000º Fahrenheit. This gives you the flexibility to perform a range of different jobs with the Wagner Heat Gun, from thawing out excess ice in your freezer to loosening tough bolts.

Next in our list is the Genesis GHG1500A. It’s the cheapest heat gun we’ve included, and at less than $20, it’s an absolute bargain. But, as with all cheap products, we’re always a little more cautious about their quality. If you spend $200, you sort of just expect it to work. So, when something is a tenth of that price, we need to look a bit deeper. Fortunately, this product stands up. There are a few potential problems and we’ll outline them first.

You choose the temperature setting using a very similar 3-position switch to the Wagner gun, and it’s got two heat settings – 750ºF and 1500ºF – which makes it even more powerful. The problem is, some customers aren’t 100% sure it can handle the extra heat at first. It’s likely that you’ll need a ‘burning in’ period before you use it properly. That means you need to blast it on the higher settings, preferably outdoors, and make sure it’s working correctly. Think of it like wearing a pair of stiff shoes in.

Now, for something a little more serious. The Porter Cable PC1500HG is more suited for people planning to use their heat gun regularly. It’s higher-quality in almost every way than the cheaper options available, and it’s a huge upgrade on their previous heat gun model, the Porter Cable 1700.

For starters, they’ve upgraded the way it looks. It has Porter and Cable’s recognizable colors covering a tough-looking casing. And it’s not just tough-looking, it’s made to withstand some serious knocks. They’ve also included an ergonomic rubber handle, which has a power switch with two temperature options. Unlike the two previous heat guns, they don’t make it obvious how hot each setting is, but we’ve found out that they’re 900ºF and 1150ºF. Interestingly, that means it’s not as powerful as the Genesis heat gun, but it should still have plenty of oomph to get the job done.

Black & Decker is one of the world’s most famous tool manufacturers. Their name is synonymous with both quality and good value, which is why we had to include the Black & Decker HG1300 in our list. This heat gun is ideal for stripping paint, loosening nuts, thawing ice, and even soldering. It’s powered by a 1350-watt motor that puts out plenty of power but is a little on the noisy side if we’re honest. So, if you’re planning to use your heat gun in the middle of the night, you might want to look elsewhere.

But, if you’re a normal person, who does their DIY in the day, keep reading. One thing that really stands out on the HG1300 is the high-quality, sturdy orange casing. This is a feature on all Black & Decker tools and lets you know it’s not going to break easily. Plus, because it’s bright orange, it’s easy to find and looks great in any tool collection. Another slight problem is that it doesn’t come with a carry case, which you would sort of expect for the price.

Dewalt is another one of those brands that are known for excellent quality. They make almost every power tool under the sun, and the Dewalt D26960K is one of the best. It was definitely a strong contender to be our Best Choice product because it really takes the idea of a heat gun to the next level. You’ll have noticed by now that most heat guns follow a standard design of having two heat settings. This the first area that the D26960K is different. It has an LCD display that allows you to adjust the temperature in 50ºF increments from 150ºF to 1100ºF. This makes it by far the most versatile and precision tool we have featured yet. It gives you the ability to find the exact right temperature for whatever job you’re doing.

The other great thing about this product is that it comes with so many accessories. You get seven different nozzles, a couple of paint scrapers, and some other different tools, all included in a sturdy carry case. Dewalt has really thought of everything so you’re ready for the job as soon as you open the box.

The next heat gun on our list is designed for industrial applications. That includes pendulum welding, heat shrinking, soldering copper tubes, plastic pipe forming, and more. Arguably, any of the heat guns featured could perform these tasks, but Makita HG551V 1020-Degree Heat Gun is going to do the job better and for longer.

The rubber body is designed to have perfect balance when it sits in your hand. And, unlike most heat guns, the temperature controls are on the top of the gun, instead of the handle. These features make it a lot easier to hold it for long periods of time. 

The MasterWorks Heat Gun is an interesting entry to this list. It’s not from a really well-known company, it’s not the cheapest, and it’s certainly not the best. So why have we decided that it deserves a place on the list of the best heat guns? Well, because it’s by far the most feature-laden heat gun for under $30. Sure, you could go for our Best Value option, but if you want extra nozzles, multiple temperature settings, and other accessories, you’re going to have to spend a lot more. So, think of this as our second Best Value heat gun.

It comes with five different attachments including a reflector nozzle, a deflector nozzle, a reduction nozzle, a triangular scraper, and our favorites – a BBQ lighter. That means you’re fully equipped for anything, from firing up the charcoal to removing paint from a wall. It’s also got three different temperature settings – 122ºF, 752ºF, and 1022ºF. So, it’s not quite as versatile as the Makita and Dewalt guns, but it’s better than most of the budget options.

The Milwaukee 2688-21 M18 is the daddy of heat guns. Well, at least you would hope it is because it costs over three times more than its nearest competitor on this list. So, what makes it so special? Well, there are a few things. Firstly, it’s designed for use by professional tradesmen. If you need to thaw a bit of ice out in your freezer or loosen a bolt that you can’t untighten, you probably don’t need this gun. This is designed professionals who need a reliable tool for heating tubing and other applications. You can tell that it’s designed for heavy use because of the quality of the construction. It’s made to last.

The second main difference is that it is battery powered. Instead of being powered by a long and cumbersome power cord, it takes its power from a REDLITHIUM™ battery. This is Milwaukee’s own brand of powerful, portable, and rechargeable batteries. It can heat 40 connections on one charge, and you can buy extra batteries if you think you’ll need them.

Master Appliance Master HG Series Heat Gun looks more like a turbo-charged hairdryer than an industrial heat gun. But, don’t be fooled by its looks, it’s as good as any other modern-looking heat gun on this list. The reason it looks different to a lot of other heat guns on the market is that it is different.

It has a die-cast aluminum housing, which is painted in a glossy red paint. On the back, there is an oversized, flat rubber stand to make it easy to rest when you’re not using it. And, it is comprised of parts that are easily replaceable, so you can fix and maintain it yourself. Not many companies think about how to make their products last a long time now. There is a culture of creating products that last a couple of years and then break, but that’s not Master Appliance’s style. The heating elements, motor brushes, and other parts are easy to source and fit yourself.