Which Wood Glue is Best? Let's find out! Showdown with Titebond, Flex Glue, Elmer's & Gorilla.
Wood glue comparison showdown comparing Titebond Original, Titebond II, Titebond III, Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue, Elmer’s Wood Glue MAX, Elmer’s All Purpose (Craft), Gorilla Wood Glue, and Flex Glue. Tensile and shear load testing, including performance following continuous water exposure. I bought all of the wood glues tested to ensure an unbiased review. Hope this review helps you pick the wood glue that’s best for your projects.
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➡ Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):
Titebond Original: https://amzn.to/2QhkJ2O
Titebond II: https://amzn.to/2QdqYoe
Titebond III: https://amzn.to/2QezTpB
Elmer’s Wood Glue Max: https://amzn.to/3gk0sUT
Elmer’s Craft Glue: https://amzn.to/32ey5T1
Elmer’s Original Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3aMhLwF
Gorilla Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3hkLdfU
Flex Glue: https://amzn.to/3l1vtkd
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Canon 70D Camera: https://amzn.to/31b5Gy0
Azden Microphone: https://amzn.to/34d3DLE
Go Pro Bundle: https://amzn.to/31aince
This video is only for entertainment purposes. If you rely on the information portrayed in this video, you assume the responsibility for the results. Project Farm LLC
I love this channel. I look forward to new videos all the time. I think clamping the 2×4’s together instead of using screws would have given you more consistent results. Seems like there is the range of results within the same glue is too big, and would suggest user error rather than glue failure. Some glues had result of over 5000, then down to about 2000. That is a huge difference within the same glue. Unless there was something wrong with the glue I don’t think it would be that inconsistent.
Saw another video that wasn’t even close to the quality and detail of your testing and in his Gorilla glue beat Titebond by a large margin which surprised me. As a longtime Titebond user, I was dismayed. I should have come to Project Farm first. Your testing is much better and reaffirmed my faith in the Titebond I’ve been using for so many years. Thanks Todd!!
I just bought wood glue last weekend. I saw the Flex brand and it scared me, glad I didn’t buy it. I bought Titebond 3, something in the back of my mind told me to. Must have been watching this video years ago. 😁
I’m only being critical bc this test is scientific. Overall this is great and much appreciated!! I did notice an issue with the first test. The bolt on viewers right would shift upon applying pressure changing the force applied. And it only shifted on some tests.
I watched the other video on construction adhesives with JB in there as well. I was trying to compare to find out the overall best adhesive/glue, but I suppose the different surface areas of the wood tested is a factor? Bottom line, if you were going to hang off a cliff and had to depend on one of these adhesives, what would you choose?
liquid steel
What about Weldbond? I’ve used it for years. Built an Adirondack guideboat with it 30 years ago still perfect.
the most important part of buying wood glue is the DATE. It makes no sense in purchasing glue that has been sitting on the shelf for over a year. Learn the codes and inspect them to make sure the glue is fresh. Why spend your hard earned money for two year old glue? Learn the codes and use them. And if the retailer has rubbed them off ..go buy them elsewhere!
You are brilliant and conduct the most in-depth research testing of anyone on the planet. Absolutely the best! I followed you for YEARS and I hope you NEVER die!!!
You consistently have the best comparison reviews. I don’t know how you find the time. I get tired just watching all the testing and research you do! Thank you.
2×4 kiln dried white pine is some of the worst ‘commercial’ wood on earth…
It appeared to me, that pre-1980’s, Elmers All Purpose glue, was the best glue for gluing wood on the long grain. Those days are over.
I would add to this test: Titebond Liquid Hide Glue and Old Brown Glue (both ready to use hide glues in a bottle); water thin cyanoacrycalate glue (like the one from Bob Smith Industries, not sure if there are other thin enough used with the technique where you flooding the joint so there is a lot of penetration), and construction adhesive. You could add hot hide glue to the test too, but I doubt you want to go through the trouble of preparing it and heating it.
I would be interested to see how these wood glues hold up against liquid nail.
As usual you are Thee man and your use of logic keeps me sane in this world
End grain to end grain gluing has the weakest bond
I’d love a revisit of this. I feel like both the formulations, and your testing (ideas and equipment), have improved.
I watch all of your videos before I purchase anything. Sometimes it even removes “brand loyalty”.
Thank you for being you.
Love to see a polyurethane based “construction adhesive” thrown into the mix.
Suggestion: comparison of wood fillers.
Thanks for requesting this one and please let me know if there are other brands you’d like tested in the future. Here are the brands tested. Thanks again, Todd
Products Tested In This Video (in no particular order):
Titebond Original: https://amzn.to/2QhkJ2O
Titebond II: https://amzn.to/2QdqYoe
Titebond III: https://amzn.to/2QezTpB
Elmer’s Wood Glue Max: https://amzn.to/3gk0sUT
Elmer’s Craft Glue: https://amzn.to/32ey5T1
Elmer’s Original Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3aMhLwF
Gorilla Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3hkLdfU
Flex Glue: https://amzn.to/3l1vtkd
Questions: With most of your tests results are usually within a few % points of the average. In this test the outliers were dramatically different by thousands of pounds….what explains these dramatic differences wood grain?
I’ve inherited a hardwood chair that needs re-gluing. It has slender back slats (1/3" shaped dowels, really. Even the Amish don’t do this sort of craftsmanship) – not excited at the prospect of dissembling so I’m exploring alternatives.
This stuff is supposed to expand the wood. Questions abound: does type of wood play into the expansion results? Viscosity? Tensile strength? Surface tension?
Briwax ChaiRX First Aid for Ailing Chairs, 4 Oz
You should do a video on hand files pretty please
Great video!!! How about cell phone screen saver glass?
Once again you hit the ball right out of the park great job! GREAT video! Every time I go to test something and I am reading what it says it can do I say "We`re gonna test that!"
7:59 titebond 3 was 2235 over the elmersmax 2175 🤔
As a bee keeper tite bond II and III have always been our go to glues for bee hives which are exposed to the weather year around but after this video I may have to try that Elmer’s max. When I run out the tite bond that is. Also my experience has been that the gorilla glue clear is much better then the original and it works better for bonding different types of materials together. I use it when I put a new handle in a tool or when a handle gets loose. Works great for that. Great video once again.
Always great tests
Which wood filler is best and low priced?
I’m not sure why I need this information or when I’ll use it, but now I know. Cool channel.
I usually only put about 2500lbs of food at a time on my cutting and charcuterie boards and I use titebond 3, so I’m good right?
It occurs to me that a true glue test can’t have the substrate failing. Wood is too inconsistent.
Thanks. Silicone material is all over our tools but it’s also the hardest material to glue coz’ nothing almost sticks to silicone. Could you test the best glue to glue silicone to ABS plastic, to PBT plastic and other plastics, to metal of different types from stainless steel to iron to aluminum to copper, to silicone to silicone,
Rubber cement and Eclectic E6000 as I’ve experience would stick for awhile for a few days and then unglue to the silicone., You could try maybe alternatives like wood glue (I doubt Elmer’s Glue even it’s industrial formula or silicone sealants for aquariums will work and last though but that might be a fun experiment, we never know it may surprise us 🙂 ). Not sure if superglue will stick well and last especially if the silicone part moves a bit but that might be experimented on too- there’s always only one way to find out. 🙂
The test would be very important for a lot of industries from industrial to home stuff which would be the majority.
Thank you in advance.
God bless.
I’m not too proud to admit that I consult Project Farm before every vital purchase. My only problem is the paralyzing anxiety I get when I need a tool that hasn’t been Project Farm tested and rated. 😳
As a DIY home improvement woman, I am so turned on by this.
I guess it’s an informative comparison but no woodworker glues butt joints like that, not without reinforcement. Irrelevant use cases. Edge grain to edge grain is what should be tested.
Your videos are very informative but you’re extra my annoying.
I love it!
Fyi if making cutting board be careful which you choose. Many arent designed for food contact. If i recall titebond 3 is the only one designed for food contact indirect of the tite ond family
I found the best wood glue……is the one in the shed that has not turned to a solid rock on the occasion that I need to glue something
"FLEX" big hat no cattle.
I’ve watched a couple of your videos, and they are great. you give a non biased opinion on the products.
Elmers buys their base polymer from Franklin International, I.e. titebond
Did OU EVERTRYLepage wood glue/?
This channel is the Wikipedia of Consumers Report…top 10 YouTube channel for sure and a must before buying something.
I think the amount of pressure by pressing together after putting glue has alot to do with it. The screws holding can very in pressure and be very inconsistent. That was the reason for very inconsistent results. If you were to measure how much force you were pressing together and use it on all it would be better results . Just my opinion
Great video and methadology as always. Thanks. I wish you had tested LePage Waterproof because that is easier to find where I am (Vancouver) and I think it is meant to be a titebond 3 competitor but I can’t find any facts.
I use TiteBond 3. Yesterday I braced 2 sheets of plywood at 90 degrees with a 3×3 piece of wood and glue that was pressed out from the main joint, got onto the 3×3 in the 90. I tried to knock it out and the glue in the corner held it so hard the 3×3 sheered in half down the grain!
As always great videos and information for us consumers thanks again !, I hope my contribution of a dollar a month adds up to help bring more testing.
The interwebs is reading my mind. I just bought some Titebond II earlier today. I used some Gorilla recently and had some excess to clean up after it dried, and it was super hard. The piece got rained on, and I walked by it the next day, and all the joints had separated. I did not expect that.
An old fashioned glue test involving hot hide glue, fish glue or other glues would be interesting