What's Included In Harbor Freight's Brake Bleeder Kits And How Much Do They Cost?

As a car owner, preventive maintenance for your vehicle should be a priority, because it is cheaper to fix an issue before it becomes a mechanic's hourly job. With that being said, there are several DIY car maintenance tips and tricks to help you out. Part of preventative maintenance, though, is tackling a problem when you first notice the signs. For example, when you see a leak, you fix it, not wait for it to worsen.

When dealing with your brakes, if you notice any abnormalities, you'll want to get it fixed right away. Harbor Freight has many tools to help if you are working on your brakes and rotors, but what about the more simple jobs, like pulling the air out of a brake line to ensure you'd brakes are working properly? In this article, we'll review the multiple choices from Harbor Freight's brake bleeder lineup, including price, power, and the supplies the kits come with.

Harbor Freight sells different brands of hand-operated brake bleeder and vacuum pump kits. However, be aware that these sets only come with the ability to pull brake fluid and air bubbles out of the brake lines. It doesn't come with a master cylinder auto-refill, so you will have to pay close attention to your reservoir. It is advised that you fill up the reservoir before you bleed your first brake line and check the amount between jobs as you move on to each corner of the vehicle. If the reservoir becomes depleted of brake fluid, you will end up pumping more air into the brake lines. This advice is for if you are trying to pull the air out of the brake lines — not if you are doing a full brake bleed change.

The three kits are fairly similar in terms of materials. They all come with a vacuum pump with a pressure gauge attached and a brake fluid reservoir for used fluid. Additionally, there are vacuum hoses which connect to the bleed screw, the reservoir, and the pump. Each kit also has a set of hose attachments to make the process easily adaptable.

The most affordable is made by Pittsburgh Automotive, which costs $25. Its rating of 3.7 out of five stars is fairly low — however, many of the more recent written reviews are satisfied with it. The mid-grade option is from Mityvac at $48. It has a 4.2 rating from over 1,000 reviewers. Lastly, at $70, the most expensive is made by Maddox with a 4.1 rating from only 250 users. Many say it's well-made, and they enjoy all the extra attachments to assist with multiple jobs.

A pneumatic brake bleeder makes for a much easier task because it uses the air from a reliable air compressor to create the vacuum which pulls the brake fluid out of the vehicle's brake lines. This means you simply hook it up to the bleeder screw, hold the throttle with the air compressor on, and observe until there are no air bubbles left in the line. Additionally, these sets come with auto-refills for your brake fluid reservoir. As brake fluid is being pumped out of your brake lines, the auto-refill will keep fluid in the master cylinder, so new air bubbles do not form.

Harbor Freight sells two brands of pneumatic brake bleeders with auto-refill kits that are on opposite ends of the pricing spectrum. The cheaper of the two kits is from Pittsburgh Automotive and is priced at $30. It comes with the auto-refill kit with four master cylinder adapters for your reservoir, a 34 ounce container for used fluid, and a hose to attach to the bleed screw. This set has a 4.1 out of five-star rating from over 1,800 reviewers, many of which are very impressed with the tool.

The more expensive, yet higher-rated kit is made by Holt Industries. It costs $100 and comes with a 4.6 out of five-star rating from over 350 reviewers. This set comes with a four quart bleeder container, a 40 ounce refill bottle, a brake bleeding hose, two bottle adapters, and four bleed screw adapters. It also comes with a wand attachment to remove brake fluid from the master cylinder.

It's important to know when it's time to invest in a brake bleeding kit, so you can get the job done at an appropriate time. Granted, you do have the option of doing it manually if you have someone else to help you, but not only will having a kit make it easier to ensure the air is out of your lines, but it'll also allow the job to go by a lot quicker.

Because braking systems are hydraulic, meaning that fluid is pushed through a confined space, air can get passed along with it. If that happens, you'll notice it when you're actively using your brakes. Due to the low pressure, when you push the brake pedal down, it'll feel spongy. Additionally, you may notice that it takes a bit longer to stop. It's important to work the air out as soon as you notice these symptoms. Additionally, you'll want to make sure you replace your brake pads when it's time as well. Keeping an eye on these important safety components of the vehicle will help keep you and others on the road safe.