Surprisingly we get asked on so many occasions: Will non Tecbond Glue Sticks fit in a Tec Glue Gun & will Tecbond Glue Sticks fit in a non- Tec Glue Gun?
To answer this question, I must state that we only recommend that Tecbond glue sticks are used in Tec glue guns. With this said, customers do use Tecbond glue sticks with non- Tec glue guns and non Tecbond glue sticks with Tec glue guns!
Let’s take a look at the 11mm – 12mm glue sticks that are available in the UK:
Tecbond 12mm glue sticks like many European glue sticks are made within a tolerance of 11.3mm to 11.7mm diameter and work well in most glue guns aimed at 11mm, 12mm glue sticks and especially within the Tec 12mm range of glue guns. We have tested the Tecbond 132-12-300 glue sticks for example, in the Bosch PKP18E, Bostik TG4 and several of the Taiwanese Homeease K range of tools which appear in the UK under many different disguises, as many suppliers own brand these tools, the Tecbond glue sticks performed well.
We tested several Chinese/Taiwan imported 12mm glue sticks and found that they operated within 10.8mm to 11.3mm diameter range slightly small than the Tecbond glue sticks and most European equivalents. We tested these grades through the Tec 810-12 and they seem to run reasonably well, glue sticks from the Far East that where tested were very high in viscosity, so the risk of “glue back up” was not too much of a problem. Please note: there is always a risk of “glue melt back” or “glue back up” with all glue sticks falling below 11.3mm diameter, not all glue sticks from the Far East are high in viscosity.
Glue stick from the USA, we found the 12mm glue sticks specification range to be within 11.5mm -12.3mm i.e closer to ½” mark although a lot of US glue sticks we looked at have been sourced from the Far East. With the US glue sticks, anything much over 11.8mm starts to get increasingly difficult to feed through a Tec glue gun, so some US glue sticks at the top of their specifications where a problem.
What we can say to conclude, Tecbond 12mm glue sticks (like all Tecbond glue sticks, 15mm-43mm) are made in the UK to a very high specification and work exceptionally well through the range of Tec glue guns. All Tec glue guns come with a 12 month warranty from the date of purchase.
Using a non-Tecbond glue stick in a Tec glue gun may void the warranty – Click Here
Related links
Glue Stick / Glue Gun Terminology – Explained
Undersized competitor 43mm glue slugs / cartridges
Some Popular Customer FAQ’s
Q: Can non-Tecbond glue sticks be used in Tec glue guns, and vice versa?
A: While it’s recommended to use Tecbond glue sticks in Tec glue guns for optimal performance, users have reported using both Tecbond sticks in non-Tec guns and non-Tecbond sticks in Tec guns with varying degrees of success.
Q: Are there size compatibility issues with different brands of glue sticks and guns?
A: Yes, there can be compatibility issues based on the diameter of glue sticks. Most Tec and European glue sticks are within a specific size range that fits well in Tec guns, but some non-European glue sticks may vary in size and viscosity, potentially affecting performance.
Q: What risks are associated with using incompatible glue sticks and guns?
A: Using glue sticks that are not specifically designed for your gun, especially those smaller in diameter or with different viscosity, can lead to issues like glue backup or meltback, potentially damaging the glue gun.
