Do you need to repair something at home, or you’re interested in arts and crafts?
Then, one of these three adhesive brands will likely prove useful.
Some of the most popular adhesive brands professionals use are Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and Krazy Glue. There’s a good reason for that too!
These brands sell many products, but we’ll stick to their flagship products for this review.
I’ll talk about the main characteristics of all three products, their pros, and cons, and compare Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and Krazy Glue.
At the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what type of glue you need.
Keep reading for more information!
You can also check out my comparison guides on Mod Podge vs. Elmer’s and JB Weld vs. Gorilla Glue.
Loctite Review
We’ll begin by talking about Loctite. You should know that this is a brand name, not a specific product.
But its flagship product remains Loctite Threadlocker, which I’ll focus on for this review.
As a brand, Loctite is American-made. It’s very popular among professionals and not only for producing high-quality adhesives with high holding power, resilience, and versatility.
Loctite Threadlocker contains polymers, which make it ideal for the construction and automotive industries.
The glue is made from a liquid synthetic polymer that will cure in an anaerobic environment, meaning that it needs air and humidity for the curing process to finish.
It won’t cure in the air or water alone.
Moreover, Loctite Threadlocker must be placed between two pieces of metal to harden and cure completely.
Once these requirements are met, the liquid synthetic polymer, which is still toxic, will harden to a plastic-like consistency.
The texture, once hardened, will resist years of toil and wear and tear.
Regarding usability, Loctite Threadlocker is best used in the automotive and construction industries.
More specifically, you should apply the glue on a bolt or screw thread if you want to lock it into place.
It serves a very specific goal: glue nuts and bolts together to their intended machinery.
With the glue in place, the bolts can absorb a crazy amount of impact without getting loose. So, Loctite Threadlocker is great for metal-to-metal applications.
How Does Loctite Work?
More specifically, Loctite Threadlocker is based on a synthetic polymer that will harden and cure when it comes into contact with two metals.
Simply put, a compound inside the adhesive will activate when placed on active metal. So, you should only use this type of product on metal.
Its drying time is relatively short, at 10 minutes, and the curing type is the typical 24 hours timeframe.
If you clamped the two pieces of metal properly, it shouldn’t take more than 23 hours for the glue to cure.
Is Loctite Toxic?
When ingested, Loctite Threadlocker is barely toxic but still harmful. It retains a bit of toxicity in its liquid form, so I wouldn’t recommend touching it with your bare hands.
However, once cured, it’s completely harmless because the toxic substances have gone through a chemical reaction that makes them non-toxic.
It will irritate your skin and eyes in its liquid form, so I recommend wearing gloves and a respirator when working with Loctite Threadlocker.
Also, you should work in a well-ventilated environment to be safe.
Gorilla Glue Review
Gorilla Glue makes many products, but its flagship remains Gorilla Glue Polyurethane Glue.
That’s what I’ll focus on for this review. It’s the most popular product in their product line; granted; it’s very useful and multi-faceted.
Gorilla Super Glue polyurethane adhesive is a special glue that hardens quickly and makes for the perfect glue for home applications.
Its chemical make-up is quite different from similar products in that it only hardens when coming into contact with moisture. It’s similar to cyanoacrylates (super glue) in this respect.
This Gorilla Glue super glue contains a polymer (polyurethane) that becomes plastic-like when it hardens but retains its flexibility and resilience over the years.
It’s one of the best adhesives for regular repairs or construction jobs at home!
Thanks to its amazing bonding capability, you can use it for anything you can think of.
Gorilla Glue polyurethane glue can bond with ceramics, metals, wood, textiles, fabrics, and more. So, you can repair toys and even clothing around the house.
The adhesive has high impact resistance and can bear a lot of weight, which makes it great for bigger-sized applications.
It remains fairly flexible once cured, even better for arts and crafts and dynamic applications.
How Does Gorilla Glue Work?
Similar to Loctite, Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane adhesive that keeps a tight hold on the bonded materials.
However, unlike Loctite, Gorilla Glue doesn’t need metal to harden and cure. Instead, its polyurethane polymer is activated when subjected to moisture, just like a super glue acts.
A chemical reaction hardens the substance to a plastic consistency when the polyurethane polymer enters into contact with moisture.
This makes Gorilla Glue more versatile than Loctite simply because you can use it on more materials.
However, Gorilla Glue takes two hours to dry and another 24 to cure. Where Loctite takes a few minutes to dry and set, Gorilla Glue is a bit slower.
Still, the bond is incredibly strong and resilient to most external hazards.
Is Gorilla Glue Toxic?
While it’s not quite toxic, even if you ingest it, I’d advise against that. Even if there’s a very small intoxicating risk, why subject yourself to it?
However, it does bond to the skin very quickly, so I recommend wearing gloves when working with it. Don’t inhale the fumes, and try working in a well-ventilated environment!
Krazy Glue Review
Lastly, I’ll talk about Krazy Glue, which, like the other two, is a brand of adhesives.
Thankfully, its flagship product is named Krazy Glue, which makes this review easier.
According to experts, this adhesive is super glue, one of the best you’ll find on the market.
Krazy Glue is a cyanoacrylate, so it’s water-based. It only hardens and cures when in contact with moisture, so keep that in mind next time you use super glue.
Once it meets with moisture, it’ll set within a few seconds and cure within a few hours.
Krazy Glue is a versatile type of glue that you can use for pretty much anything.
It works best on regular repairs involving plastics, porcelain, leather, ceramic, glass, vinyl, rubber, etc.
You can use it for many applications, even in arts and crafts or model-making.
How Does Krazy Glue Work?
Being a cyanoacrylate glue, Krazy Glue only works when put in contact with moisture and not before.
However, you won’t need to spray water on it to encourage a chemical reaction. Generally, air moisture is enough for the super glue to harden and cure.
However, if the atmosphere is arid, you may need to spray some water in the air to bump up the moisture.
But chances are there’s enough moisture in the air already.
Once it starts to harden, it’ll finish drying in a few seconds or minutes, depending on the quantity of moisture in the air.
Krazy Glue has become a very popular adhesive used for many household applications.
Is Krazy Glue Toxic?
Super glue is mildly toxic, I’d say. It’s harmful in its liquid form, and you shouldn’t ingest it.
It also emits harmful fumes, so it’s better to wear a mask or respirator when working with it.
After Krazy Glue cures, it’s harmless and poses no health risks. I recommend working in a well-ventilated environment to avoid breathing in harmful fumes.
Wear gloves also because super glue bonds quickly to the skin and is hard to remove.
Loctite vs. Gorilla Glue vs. Krazy Glue
Now that we look at each glue individually, it’s time to make a side-by-side comparison of all three. Let’s start with:
Applications
Loctite is a synthetic polymer that only activates when placed on metal constructs.
So, you’ll only be able to use Loctite Threadlocker for metal applications. The polymer hardens and cures only when sandwiched between two metal parts.
So, Loctite Threadlocker can be used to tighten bolts and nuts and for general metal repairs.
Gorilla Glue is much more versatile than Loctite. It can be used for many things because it sticks to many materials, including glass, plastic, metal, wood, fabrics, etc.
It even sticks to very smooth surfaces that other adhesives have problems with.
You can use Gorilla Glue for general repairs, medium-scale constructions, and arts and crafts.
This adhesive boasts insane holding strength, great resistance to impact, water, and solvents, and is also very easy to use.
Krazy Glue is quite average when it comes to adhesives. This super glue is a great option to bond various materials together.
It won’t bond super smooth materials, though. However, it’s just the thing for small repairs and various building tasks.
Materials
Loctite Threadlocker only works on metal, and that’s about it. Krazy Glue works on materials that are at least slightly porous, while Gorilla Glue is the most versatile of the bunch.
It works on porous and non-porous materials alike, including super-smooth plastics and metals.
Strength
Loctite Threadlocker is super strong, heat-resistant, heatproof, and impact-resistant.
It also resists vibrations to a high level, making it resilient over time.
It’s why professionals use it to tighten and secure bolts and screws, after all!
Krazy Glue is very strong in its own right and can bear a lot of weight. The bond hardens to a plastic-like consistency but isn’t very impact-resistant.
Despite doing very well against water and heat, Krazy Glue is very weak against solvents.
Gorilla Glue is the strongest glue out of all three. Its versatility allows for extra maneuverability with applications, and the bond hardens immediately.
It has high tensile strength and shear strength and high resistance to water, heat, impact, vibrations, and solvents.
Cleanup
Loctite Threadlocker is the easiest to clean on this list. You can use water and acetone to remove it even after it has dried.
Gorilla Glue is just as easy to clean using water and acetone. However, after it dries, it’s a bit harder to remove.
As for Krazy Glue, it’s not waterproof, so you could use water to try to remove it.
If it doesn’t work, go with acetone, and you should succeed! However, if it gets on your skin and dries, removing it’ll be extremely difficult.
I recommend wearing gloves when working with it.
Health Warnings
While Loctite and Gorilla Glue is fairly toxic and may cause irritations on your skin and around your eyes, Krazy Glue is much worse.
This cyanoacrylate emits toxic fumes that can severely harm your health if inhaled for long periods.
It can also irritate your eyes, hands, and mouth, so don’t ingest it under any circumstance!
Main Differences
There are quite a few differences between these three adhesives, so I’ll review them quickly.
In terms of composition, Loctite Threadlocker is a liquid polymer, Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane, and Krazy Glue is a cyanoacrylate.
Loctite can only be used for metals; Krazy Glue works on everything but the smoothest materials, while Gorilla Glue works on virtually everything.
In terms of applications, Loctite is best used for construction, metal repairs, and automotive repairs. Krazy Glue and Gorilla Glue are great for crafts and general repairs!
Loctite and Gorilla Glue cures in 24 hours, while Krazy Glue cures in 5 minutes, and they’re all waterproof and very easy to clean.
Loctite and Gorilla are minimally toxic, while Krazy Glue is more dangerous.
Wrap Up
Between Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and Krazy Glue, you should choose the one that best matches your needs.
Are you working with metal? Do you need a fast-drying and curing time? Then Loctite Threadlocker is the best option.
Krazy Glue is super glue, so it sets in a few seconds.
Is versatility more important to you? Gorilla Glue is what you’re looking for, then.
It’s super strong, waterproof, heatproof, impact-resistant, and can bond virtually any material.