At a glance: Hot air gun

Hardly any power tool can be used for so many different applications as a heat gun. The functioning of the devices is similar to an electric hair dryer. However, they should not be used to dry hair. At temperatures of up to 600° C, there would soon be nothing left of the magnificent curls.

The cheapest devices are already available for less than 20 Euro, brand devices 29 Euro. They usually have two or three temperature levels and are suitable for simple jobs such as removing old paint or lighting the grill. For more demanding work, where more precise temperature adjustment is required, We recommend purchasing a hot air gun with stepless temperature adjustment. There are differences here too: The cheaper devices only vary the heat output, With the more expensive ones, electronics control the temperature in the nozzle and automatically adjust it. Such devices are especially preferable then, if attachment nozzles with a small cross-section are to be used. Otherwise, unregulated devices can easily overheat. With programmable devices, the optimal settings can be set (temperature and air volume) for specific applications at the push of a button. Nevertheless, you should not rely on the temperature information when working and practice on a test piece first.

SHOPPING TIP

■ Für einfache Arbeiten genügen Heißluftgebläse mit zwei oder drei Temperaturstufen. By changing the distance from the nozzle, the temperature at the workpiece can be reduced.

■ Kommt es auf eine exakte Arbeitstemperatur an, for example when bending or welding plastics, you should prefer a device with electronic control.

■ Sinnvoll sind Heißluftgebläse, where air volume and temperature can be adjusted independently of each other.

■ Achten Sie auch auf das Zubehör, that the manufacturer offers for your heat gun, because different nozzle diameters often prevent the use of third-party nozzles. reducing nozzles

are also often coded and can usually only be used with electronically controlled hot air guns.