Quick answer: The right filling machine depends on how your product flows. For thick products like lotions, creams, sauces, honey, gels and pastes, use an SGP cream and liquid piston filler. For thin, free-flowing liquids like essential oils, tinctures, juices, cleaning solutions and oils, use an SGY liquid-only piston filler. For very small doses of thin cosmetic or pharmaceutical liquids, look at the FT1000 peristaltic pump or FG1000 gear pump filler. If you're filling clear bottles at higher volume and need a consistent fill level, look at the CE-FIL-OF11 overflow filler.
We hear this question a lot: "I make ___. What machine do I need to fill it?" So we put the answers in one place. Find your product below to see which machine we recommend, what size to get, and why.
Filling machine recommendations by product
| If you fill… | We recommend | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lotions, creams, body butters | SGP piston filler | Built for creams and highly viscous products; hopper-fed |
| Sauces, dressings, condiments | SGP piston filler | Handles thick and pourable sauces with ±1% liquid accuracy |
| Honey and thick syrups | SGP piston filler | A piston pushes thick product that won't flow through a hose |
| Thin syrups | FG1000 gear pump filler or SGP | FG1000 lists syrups; plugs into 110V |
| Gels and ointments | SGP piston filler | Designed for gels, ointments and pastes |
| Essential oils and tinctures | SGY-60 piston filler or FT1000 peristaltic | Accurate small fills of thin liquids |
| Perfumes, serums, eye drops | FG1000 gear pump or FT1000 peristaltic | Low-viscosity cosmetic and pharmaceutical liquids |
| Juice, water, beverages | SGY piston filler or CE-FIL-OF11 overflow | Free-flowing liquids; overflow for level-filled clear bottles |
| Cleaning solutions and chemicals | SGY piston filler or SGP | Fully pneumatic; suited to chemical and flammable applications |
| Motor oil and cooking oil | SGY piston filler or SGF-1-D gear filler | SGF-1-D lists olive, cooking and motor oil |
| Lubricants, adhesives, coatings | SGP-5000 or SGP | Thick industrial fluids in large containers |
3 questions to answer before you choose
- Does your product pour freely? If it flows like water, juice or oil, a liquid-only filler (SGY) works. If it's thick, slow to pour or holds its shape, you need a cream and liquid piston filler (SGP).
- What size container do you fill most? Piston fillers come in sizes by fill range, from 10–60 ml up to 500–5,000 ml. Pick the one that covers your most common fill.
- How many units do you need per day, and what power do you have? Single-head machines suit smaller runs. Dual-head models fill two containers per cycle. SGP and SGY fillers run on compressed air only (5 CFM at 90 PSI), while gear pump and peristaltic fillers plug into 110V.
Lotions, creams and body butters
Recommended: SGP Cream & Liquid Piston Filler
Lotions and creams are too thick for gravity and overflow fillers, and for many pump fillers. The SGP is built for creams, liquids and highly viscous products. Product sits in a hopper on top of the machine and feeds down into the piston cylinder, and the SGP is rated at ±2% accuracy on creams.
- 1–2 oz jars and sample sizes: SGP-60 (10–60 ml) or SGP-120 (30–120 ml)
- 4–8 oz bottles and jars: SGP-250 (45–250 ml) or SGP-500 (75–500 ml)
- 16–32 oz pumps and tubs: SGP-1000 (100–1,000 ml)
- Large-format creams and body butters: SGP-5000 (550–5,000 ml, standard 22-gallon hopper)
- Higher volume: the SGP dual head fills two containers per cycle
Sauces, dressings and condiments (including hot sauce)
Recommended: SGP Cream & Liquid Piston Filler
Sauces, dressings and condiments are listed applications for the SGP series, and it's built with 316 stainless steel (food grade). Because the SGP handles both thin and thick product, one machine can cover a thin hot sauce and a thick barbecue sauce.
- 5 oz hot sauce bottles (about 148 ml): SGP-250 (45–250 ml)
- 12–16 oz sauce and dressing bottles: SGP-500 (75–500 ml) or SGP-1000 (100–1,000 ml)
- Gallon foodservice jugs: SGP-5000 (550–5,000 ml)
Filling hot? If your process fills product at high temperature, call us before you buy so we can confirm the right machine for it.
Honey and syrups
Recommended: SGP piston filler for honey and thick syrups; FG1000 gear pump filler for thinner syrups
Honey is a highly viscous product, and that's what the SGP is designed for. Skip liquid-only fillers for honey, since they draw product through a hose. For thinner syrups, the FG1000 tabletop gear pump filler lists syrups as an application, fills 5–4,000 ml and plugs into standard 110V power.
Gels, ointments and pastes
Recommended: SGP Cream & Liquid Piston Filler
Gels, ointments and pastes are right in the SGP's wheelhouse. For large containers, the SGP-5000 is built for thick pastes, gels and ointments.
Essential oils, tinctures and serums
Recommended: SGY-60 liquid-only piston filler, FT1000 peristaltic pump or FG1000 gear pump filler
These are thin liquids filled in small bottles, so accuracy on small volumes matters most.
- SGY-60 (10–60 ml): our most affordable piston filler, rated ±1% on liquids. It draws straight from your bulk container through a hose. It's a good fit for 1–2 oz dropper bottles.
- FT1000 peristaltic pump (10–5,000 ml): product only touches the tubing, which means fast changeovers and no cross-contamination between products. It's designed for small-volume, non-viscous liquids in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
- FG1000 gear pump filler (5–4,000 ml): built for low-to-medium viscosity liquids including perfumes, eye drops and cosmetic liquids, with a drip-free ball-valve nozzle.
Juice, water and other beverages
Recommended: SGY liquid-only piston filler to start; CE-FIL-OF11 overflow filler at higher volume
Beverages are free-flowing, so the SGY is a simple, accurate first machine. It's built with 316 stainless steel (food grade) and rated ±1% on liquids. When you need clear bottles filled to the same visible level on the shelf, the CE-FIL-OF11 is an automatic, PLC-controlled overflow filler built for beverages, personal care products and cleaning solutions.
Cleaning solutions, chemicals and flammable liquids
Recommended: SGY liquid-only piston filler (thin products) or SGP (thick products)
SGP and SGY piston fillers are fully pneumatic. They run on compressed air with no electrical connection at the machine, which makes them a good fit for chemical and flammable applications. The SGY can draw directly from a pail or drum.
- Spray bottles (16–32 oz): SGY-1000 (100–1,000 ml)
- Gallon jugs: SGY-5000 (500–5,000 ml)
- High volume: the SGY dual head fills two containers per cycle
Motor oil, cooking oil and other oils
Recommended: SGY liquid-only piston filler or SGF-1-D dual head gear filler
Free-flowing oils work well on the SGY. If you'd rather have a 110V electric filler, the SGF-1-D dual head gear filler lists olive oil, cooking oil and motor oil as applications and fills 5 ml–10 L per head. For quart bottles of motor oil (about 946 ml), use the SGY-1000 (100–1,000 ml).
Lubricants, adhesives and coatings
Recommended: SGP-5000 or SGP; SGP dual head (large capacity) for bulk runs
Thick industrial fluids need a piston to push them. The SGP-5000 lists lubricants, adhesives and coatings as applications, fills 550–5,000 ml and comes standard with a 22-gallon hopper. For bulk production, the large-capacity SGP dual head (SGP-1000-D and SGP-5000-D) comes standard with a custom 26-gallon hopper.
Want to fill, cap and label on one machine?
For low-viscosity liquids, the CFL200 compact filling line combines bottle feeding, gear pump filling (5–4,000 ml), cap torquing and labeling on one tabletop line.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best filling machine for lotion?
For lotions, creams and body butters, a cream piston filler like the Cleveland Equipment SGP is the best fit. It is built for creams, liquids and highly viscous products, feeds from a hopper on top of the machine, and is rated at ±2% accuracy on creams. For 8 oz lotion bottles, the SGP-250 (45–250 ml) or SGP-500 (75–500 ml) covers the fill.
What machine do I use to fill hot sauce or salad dressing bottles?
Use an SGP cream and liquid piston filler. Sauces, dressings and condiments are listed applications for the SGP series. A 5 oz hot sauce bottle is about 148 ml, which the SGP-250 (45–250 ml) covers. If you fill product hot, call us before you buy so we can confirm the right machine for your process.
Can a piston filler fill honey?
Yes. Honey is a thick, highly viscous product, which is what the SGP piston filler is designed for. The SGY liquid-only filler is not the right choice for honey because it draws product through a hose and is built for free-flowing liquids.
What is the best filling machine for essential oils and tinctures?
For small bottles of thin liquids like essential oils and tinctures, the SGY-60 liquid-only piston filler (10–60 ml) is a strong, affordable option. If you want tubing-only product contact for fast changeovers and no cross-contamination, the FT1000 peristaltic pump is designed for small-volume, non-viscous pharmaceutical and cosmetic liquids.
What filling machine should I use for cleaning chemicals?
Use an SGY liquid-only piston filler for thin cleaning solutions, or an SGP if your product is thick. Both are fully pneumatic with no electrical connection at the machine, which makes them a good fit for chemical and flammable applications. The SGY-5000 (500–5,000 ml) covers 1-gallon jugs.
What machine fills motor oil, lubricants or cooking oil?
For free-flowing oils, use an SGY liquid-only piston filler or the SGF-1-D dual head gear filler, which lists olive oil, cooking oil and motor oil as applications. For thick lubricants, adhesives and coatings, use an SGP cream and liquid piston filler, such as the SGP-5000 for large containers.
What is the best filling machine for juice, water or other beverages?
For a first machine, an SGY liquid-only piston filler handles free-flowing beverages accurately (±1%). If you fill clear bottles at higher volume and need every bottle filled to the same visible level, the CE-FIL-OF11 automatic overflow filler is built for beverages, personal care products and cleaning solutions.
How do I know if my product is thin enough for a liquid-only filler?
If your product pours and flows freely like water, juice or oil, a liquid-only filler like the SGY will work. If it is thick, slow to pour, or holds its shape like a cream, gel or paste, choose an SGP cream and liquid piston filler. If you're unsure, send us your product details and we'll recommend a machine.
Can one filling machine handle more than one of my products?
Often, yes. The SGP piston filler handles both thin liquids and thick creams, so it's the most flexible choice if your product line includes both. Pick the size that covers your most common fill volume.
Not sure what fits your product?
Tell us what you're filling, how thick it is, your container sizes and how many units you need per day, and we'll recommend the right machine. Call 866-888-6327 (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm CST), email sales@clevelandequipment.com, or browse all piston fillers.