As there are so many quality glues, how do you know which is best?

In this article, we’ll look at JB Weld and Gorilla Glue, compare the two, and see which is the better adhesive.

Both these two adhesives are great for small-scale and large-scale repairs, construction fixes, and more.

But they each have pros and cons, and we’ll see how each adhesive fares in specific situations.

Keep reading for a more detailed comparison between the two types of glue!

Check out my guides on Mod Podge vs. Elmer’s and Gorilla Wood Glue vs. Titebond for more info.

JB Weld Review

JB Weld is a 2-part epoxy with one part resin and one part hardener. These two substances need to be mixed before you apply them, though.

Using JB Weld will take a bit more time, but the results are great.

This adhesive is steel-reinforced, so JB Weld is almost as hard as steel after it dries.

With a tensile strength of nearly 4000PSI, this super glue can hold almost any material, even the heaviest ones.

Few other types of glue have such a high tensile strength, so you’re in good hands with JB Weld.

The adhesive formula is waterproof, petroleum-proof, acid-resistant, and chemical-proof.

It creates a very strong bond and is great for gluing metal. It’s great for automotive repairs.

It can also resist high temperatures up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and most solvents on the market.

Once it becomes dry, JB Weld is completely non-toxic so you can use it on dishware without problems.

Moreover, you can drill, paint, tape, sand, or file the adhesive once it becomes dry. It won’t degrade in any way.

I strongly recommend JB Weld for construction projects, arts and crafts, common and complex repairs, and more.

It’s pretty much the strongest glue around. It also works on a smooth surface.

Gorilla Glue Review

Gorilla Glue is a famous adhesive brand that offers great results. While there are many types of Gorilla Glue, I’m talking about the original one here.

That one is made from polyurethane, so it needs moisture to dry and cure properly.

Polyurethane is a yellowish adhesive that bonds very well to porous materials like wood. Gorilla Glue was originally made for wood only.

You can still use it efficiently on other porous materials like rubber, paper, cardboard, and more.

It’s also important to know that Gorilla Glue takes 24 hours to dry and cure fully so that clamping will be involved.

While it’s not as strong as JB Weld, Gorilla Glue does have impressive tensile strength.

Moreover, it’s very resistant to water and most other hazards.

Lastly, Gorilla Glue will expand as it dries out, which means it’s the perfect adhesive for filling out holes.

Direct Comparison of Categories

We’ve reviewed each adhesive individually, but it’s time to compare the two, going through various categories directly.

We’ll go through a series of aspects, including the applications they can be used for, bond strength, safety concerns, how easy they are to clean up, and what materials they can be used on

Applications

We’ll start with JB Weld super glue. This adhesive’s main purpose is repairs of all kinds.

With its 4000PSI tensile strength, JB Weld can hold up even the heaviest materials together. For this reason, many people use it industrially for construction work.

This goes hand in hand with its high resistance to water, petroleum, most solvents, chemicals, acids, and high temperatures (up to 500 Fahrenheit).

JB Weld bonds have a long lifespan, even among other quality glues.

Many people appreciate that they can work with the glue even after it’s dry. It can be sanded, painted, drilled, filed, and more.

Considering that JB Weld has a dark grey color when dry, painting over it is necessary when doing arts and crafts.

On the other hand, Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane adhesive that’s mostly useful for wood.

While it somewhat works on other materials, its efficiency is only at its peak when working with wood.

If you’re working in carpentry, then Gorilla Glue is one of the best adhesives you can have.

But if you want a versatile adhesive fit for general repairs on porous and non-porous materials, Gorilla Glue is not it.

Materials

This is where JP Weld proves its superiority as a great adhesive.

You can use it for various materials, including metals, plastics, wood, tile, stone, brick, fabric, jewelry, paper, cardboard, and more.

Both porous and non-porous materials are good to go with JP Weld.

It’s hard to find a material that JP Weld can’t bond, and this is something the brand prides itself on.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have Gorilla Glue, a polyurethane adhesive that aims to bind wood.

When bonding wood, Gorilla Glue provides superb tensile strength and long-term resilience.

This adhesive also works on other porous materials like fabrics, paper, etc. But it’s almost impossible to use Gorilla Glue for non-porous materials like plastics and metals.

Strength

There’s only one situation where Gorilla Glue is better than JP Weld – when you’re gluing wood.

Polyurethane is far better than any other adhesive at bonding wood together.

But if you want a versatile tensile strength, then JP Weld is your top choice.

It has a superb 4000PSI worth of tensile strength and is highly resistant to most external hazards, including water, high temperatures, solvents, acids, and more.

Gorilla Glue is also waterproof and highly resistant to these risk factors, but JP Weld is a 2-part epoxy, so it’s still a better glue overall.

Once dry and cured, JP Weld bonds are extremely hard to break apart.

Whether it’s a heavy impact, a shock, high temperatures, solvents, or other hazards, JP Weld bonds will stand strong for a long time.

The conclusion is that JP Weld is more resilient than Gorilla Glue.

Still, you may not like that JP Weld requires mixing before use. This will lead to a mess, so there’s that.

If you don’t like making a mess and can sacrifice a bit of tensile strength, then Gorilla Glue is better.

Cleanup

Comparing the two types of glue, I found out that JB Weld is messier. Because you need to mix the resin and hardener, it’s easier to make a mess.

Moreover, once you apply JB weld, it’s extremely hard to clean it away. So, if you made a mistake, doing something about it isn’t easy.

Gorilla Glue requires no mixing because the glue is one substance only. The polyurethane will be applied slowly and carefully, so the chances of making a mess are low.

Moreover, Gorilla Glue is not runny, which further improves its maneuverability.

Moreover, Gorilla Glue is a bit easier to clean after it becomes dry. So, in this contest, Gorilla Glue wins.

Health Precautions

Gorilla Glue is extremely toxic and has many health warnings stating that, if ingested, even death is a likely scenario.

It can’t be used for dishware and similar objects. However, JB Weld has a non-toxic formula once dry and cured.

This doesn’t mean it’s not harmful if ingested in sufficient quantities, but a small gulp is harmless.

Wrap Up

After assessing these two types of glue, I conclude that JB weld is better than Gorilla Glue, not just in one aspect.

It has higher tensile strength and a more versatile approach to materials; it can be used for more applications than Gorilla Glue and has a non-toxic formula.

Moreover, JB Weld is more resistant to external hazards like temperature, water, solvents, acids, etc.

Despite being harder to clean and prone to making a mess, JB Weld is well worth this compromise!