Heat gun vs hair dryer for shrinking heat shrink tubing - I have a strong opinion

I spent $45 on a proper industrial heat gun from Wagner last month and it's been a game changer for cable repairs. But my buddy swears by his $12 hair dryer from Walmart and says I wasted my money because his tubing shrinks just fine. The heat gun works way faster and doesn't blow connectors around but it's bulky and I burned a cable sleeve once. Has anyone else tried both and found a clear winner or am I just being picky?

4 comments

4 Comments

baker.christopher10d ago

Yeah I read an article that said heat guns hit 1000 degrees while hair dryers max out at 140, @elliot_roberts.

elliot_roberts17d ago

Isn't it funny how we all pick one tool for everything and then defend it like it's our kid's soccer team?

nancy_king2917d ago

defend it like it's our kid's soccer team" - that's honestly the most accurate thing I've read all week. It's like we adopt a tool and suddenly we're its personal bodyguard or something. I had a friend who swore by Notion for everything, like it was the only app that could save civilization. They'd argue with people over the smallest little features, as if their whole identity was wrapped up in it. But really, it's just a tool, not a family member. Kinda wild how attached we get to things that are supposed to make our lives easier.

johnson.river17d ago

Ha! Yeah, I've been down this exact road. In my experience, the heat gun is the way to go if you're doing more than a couple tubes a year. The hair dryer works but it takes forever and I've had issues with the heat not being focused enough, especially on thicker tubing. @nancy_king29 is right though, we get weirdly protective of our choices. I burned a wire once with my heat gun too, but I just keep the nozzle moving and it's fine now. Your mileage may vary but if you're already happy with the heat gun, stick with it. The hair dryer is fine for a quick fix but I wouldn't trust it for anything that needs to hold up long term.