suggestions for a heat gun

[D3ath]

first time builder and im gathering the supplies needed for my build. im going to be using foam for the armor of course. and ive been looking online at heat guns,
but for some reason when i read the reviews people tell about how the heat gun shorts out and sparks and the motor catches fire, so of course it discourages me from even buying it.
so i figured i'd ask you guys what the best heat gun in your experience is for the best value!
any input at all would be fantastic and i hope to hear back from you guys!
supplies already collected
hot knife
glue gun
spackle (with brushes to apply)
sander
HOT GUN ORDERED!!!

items not obtained yet

foam- not obtained yet. any input on this would be great as well
Velcro straps
and small misc items for build
bookmarking misc items to round off build

 

[Chernobyl]

There's no one decent 'quality' buy - you're far better off reading reviews and finding something for yourself. Often, product failure is down to user inexperience, so don't be too discouraged by a purchase unless the reviews are overwhelmingly negative.

 

[D3ath]

There's no one decent 'quality' buy - you're far better off reading reviews and finding something for yourself. Often, product failure is down to user inexperience, so don't be too discouraged by a purchase unless the reviews are overwhelmingly negative.

thats the problem. the reviews are somewhat 50/50 on everything ive looked at. which is why im curious as to what seems to work the best, from the more experienced people here.

 

[Chernobyl]

From what I can infer from the reviews and such, the main issue tends to be with people letting the heat guns get too hot. If you use them sensibly they should be fine.

 

[FlyinPhil]

I think I bought my heat gun for like 12 bucks at princess auto (like harbor freight in the states) about 6 years ago. Dual heat, used it on tons of automotive projects and all of my armor making.... heck, I even use it to cure spray paint in my cold garage in the winter. Still runs like a champ. I wouldn't be too concerned with reviews, and just pick up a cheap one that will do the job.

 

[D3ath]

I think I bought my heat gun for like 12 bucks at princess auto (like harbor freight in the states) about 6 years ago. Dual heat, used it on tons of automotive projects and all of my armor making.... heck, I even use it to cure spray paint in my cold garage in the winter. Still runs like a champ. I wouldn't be too concerned with reviews, and just pick up a cheap one that will do the job.

yeah thats what im leaning towards, cause most reviews are super positive and then most are just bashing the product, which most likely from consumer fault. Do you have any incite on the EVA foam? im leaning towards maybe just amazon but for all i know it could be cheaper else where and ive been looking like crazy

 

[MoeSizzlac]

Do you have any incite on the EVA foam? im leaning towards maybe just amazon but for all i know it could be cheaper else where and ive been looking like crazy

You could also try walmart.

 

[FlyinPhil]

I just buy mine locally... get good quality stuff if you can. That may sound silly, as it's hard to compare the quality of puzzle shaped floor mats that are designed to be stepped on, but let me share my experiences quickly.

The first pack of foam I purchased was awesome. It was fairly firm, cut and shaped easily, and was fairly uniform in thickness. For the life of me, I can't remember where I bought the stuff.

The second couple packs I got were $10 each, so super cheap, but an absolute nightmare to work with. They were quite a bit softer than my first pack, which made the foam really hard to cut consistently, and dulled my blades very quickly. .... I think I used 2 sheets of the stuff, and the rest is still in my closet.

The most recent two packs I bought weren't quite as nice as the first pack, but we're still pretty good, and are more than adequate for making armor.

 

[death1ink]

I just got a $20 heat gun from Harbor Freight