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Caulk is used everywhere from window and door frames to bathrooms, kitchens, roofs, siding, and pipework. There are also some clever, unconventional ways to use caulk around the house that you might want to investigate. There are two secrets to getting an effective, professional finish when DIYing with caulk. The first is knowing how to choose the perfect caulk for every job. The second is using the right type of caulk gun.

Choosing isn’t as easy as you might expect. While it’s possible to buy a cheap caulk gun for as little as $10, such as the Bates Choice Caulking Gun, there can be drawbacks with these tools. The challenge is that more expensive caulk guns can run anywhere from $30 for a good mechanical tool right up to several hundred for cordless models, such as the Albion Cordless Bulk Gun.

The obvious question is, are the expensive caulk guns actually worth buying? The answer is not a straightforward yes or no. While the high-end tools will probably appeal only to professionals, some of the mid-range models offer benefits that make them an attractive option for homeowner use. To find out which caulk guns could be worth investing in, we need to understand a bit more about the different types of caulk you might use and how different types of caulk guns work.

If you’re just running a bead of silicone around a bath or down a gap in a window frame, then a basic, cheap caulk gun will do the job. However, it will have a ratchet mechanism that delivers caulk in small steps. For around $30, you can get a tool like the Newborn 250 Super Smooth Rod Caulking Gun. As the name suggests, this has a smooth action that gives greater control and helps create a more professional finish.

Another big consideration is the viscosity of the caulk being used. Silicone and latex caulks are relatively thin, whereas butyl and polyurethane are considerably thicker. As a result, they require a lot more effort to push through the nozzle, which can impact your ability to deliver an even flow. Here’s where thrust ratio, the force applied with each trigger pull, comes into play. A cheap caulk gun might have a 10:1 ratio, whereas more expensive, heavy-duty models might be as high as 26:1.

The most expensive caulk guns are the battery-powered models. They don’t quote thrust ratio because when you pull the trigger, they dispense caulk continuously. Instead, they have a pressure rating. The Ryobi One+ Caulk and Adhesive Gun, which retails for $119, delivers up to 500 pounds of thrust. The pro-grade Milwaukee M18 Cordless Caulk and Adhesive Gun delivers a staggering 950 pounds, but then it does cost $369.

If you’re a contractor, then how quickly you work is important. It makes sense to have a cordless tool that has adjustable speed and continuous high pressure so you don’t have to worry about smooth caulk delivery or hand fatigue; you just get on with the job. Many of the more expensive caulk guns also accept sausages rather than standard cartridges, offering material savings of between 25% and 50%.

These things will seldom be important to DIYers, and in addition to the price, you’ll have a tool that’s bigger, heavier, and more complex mechanically, so there’s more that can go wrong. Low-cost mechanical caulk guns are efficient and durable, and if you’re working with only common silicone or latex caulks, thrust ratio isn’t an issue. There are also clever caulk gun tricks that can be total game changers, so for many, an expensive caulk gun is simply overkill.

That said, if you already own other tools from popular brands like Craftsman, DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Ryobi, you can find compatible cordless caulk guns that start at around $60, such as the MaxMore Cordless Caulking Gun. If you’re a serious DIY enthusiast taking on multiple tasks around the home, they certainly make life easier. Although these are obviously more expensive caulk guns, given the time and effort they save, they can actually be worth buying.