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I have a very old (maybe 25 years old) Commotion heat tool that I think may be dying. Still gets very hot, but I have a feeling not as hot as it once did. I am thinking of getting a new one in the near future. I have heard a lot about the Wagner heat tool and wondered what your thoughts are on it, and on other brands.
I bought the Wagner and am very happy. It gets hot quickly and is therefore ideal for embossing. I too had a heat tool for ages and before it died I bought a Ranger. Lasted about 2 months and the replacement, broke too after a very short time with occasional use. Jennifer McGuire recommended it in her Favorite Crafty Video on tools in 2017. So, I took a chance and bought it with absolutely no regrets. You'll be happy!
Last edited by Savagetwin; 05-13-2019 at 12:57 AM..
Reason: Typo
Look around when purchasing it. I had seen it on Walmart for $19 but it is now $42. Same on Amazon. I don't know what happened, but maybe Jennifer's recommendation sent the price skyrocketing. ;)
So many of the best known card makers use Wagner, it may have had an effect on price. I’ve seen it in various places for around $40 for several years. Joanne sells it under the Hero Arts brand, so perhaps buy with a coupon?
I ruined my first one - my fault - yet Wagner would have replaced it, so they stand by their products. (I didn’t take them up on it.)
I keep it in a silicone holster that grips onto the top of a nearby desktop when not using it. Just don’t keep it on when in a holster. See previous paragraph.
A Ranger tool has been handy when wanting wider, slow, gentle heating without moving water around, but for heat embossing, Wagner is ace.
Don't forget to check your local hardware supply to see if there is anything similar. Seems like a lot of our tools started out there but then get a higher price tag for crafters.
The Wagner heat tool has been used for non-crafting, non-hobby applications for years too. (Wagner has other higher powered heat guns also.) Here it is for $24.99 - though shipping is about $11.00. If you find something else for $5.00 shipping is free.
Harbor Freight is one of my go-to sources for many items that are tools replicated under brand names for crafting. You can probably find a perfectly wonderful heat gun there for a reasonable price (and the staff is generally pretty knowledgeable, too). Just make sure that they know you want to use it for crafting and not for construction/industrial purposes, lol!
Agree about Harbor Freight bounty - just be careful not to get a cheap knock-off. They have great stuff - and poor quality stuff.
HF was a big go-to store for many of us working with kiln-formed (fused) glass - but the ratio of great to nope was about 50-50. It’s easier to tell in person, if you’re lucky enough to be near a store. (And it’s a hoot to visit if you’re a hardware store/storage junky.)
Thanks so much for the great info. I will definitely check it out. I hope I get another one before the one I have completely dies. I'm sure I will be right in the middle of embossing something. :-)
Be careful of the hardware store offerings: my hubby had one - it was meant to remove wallpaper!
I have a Wagner and love it. It heats so quickly that there's less warpage. Also, you can cover a piece of cardboard with tin foil. Heat emboss on that and the foil directs the heat back to your project to help prevent warping.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I just saw a video on you-tube about heat guns; and she recommended the Wow heat gun. It has 2 heat controls, one for drying and one for embossing. It was by Laurel Beard if you want to check it out.
I miss placed my heat tool so I ran to HL and bought another. My best friend asked to borrow it the next day. It was still in the package. Of course I loaned it to her. She called me about an hour later telling me that the heat gun had caught FIRE!!! I took it back to HL. Oddly enough I did not want a replacement. I went to Harbor Freight and bought theirs. It has the same wattage (strength) and it was $8.
I miss placed my heat tool so I ran to HL and bought another. My best friend asked to borrow it the next day. It was still in the package. Of course I loaned it to her. She called me about an hour later telling me that the heat gun had caught FIRE!!! I took it back to HL. Oddly enough I did not want a replacement. I went to Harbor Freight and bought theirs. It has the same wattage (strength) and it was $8.
The next day I found my original heat gun. SIGH
Ugh! Glad no one was hurt. You can report the faulty heat gun to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. It could prevent fires or injuries.
https://www.cpsc.gov/ - on my iPad, there’s a blue tab on the right of the page to report a product.
Need a New Heat Tool
