Here's the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you! Slime: amzn.to/47P0krS (updated kit) Westweld: amzn.to/3EwzaI7 DynaPlug: amzn.to/3CpMIDI Grand Pitstop: amzn.to/3nN4U6a Digital Tire Inflator with Pressure Gauge: amzn.to/3kmhgjy Westweld Adhesive: amzn.to/3hNHHNo Valve Core Removal Tool: amzn.to/3Av8Wni Tire Pressure Gauge: amzn.to/3ExWMfO
For anyone who has NOT ever put in a tire plug, tip your hat and give this man the respect he deserves. Put a tire plug in and you will become enlightened to the WORK that went into this video.
Indeed! I came to the comments to see if anyone could appreciate the force it takes to get a plug in a tire. Usually I'm laying on the ground or navigating a fender and trying to brace myself against anything I can to muscle them in.
@@ProjectFarm I am impressed by your skill at thinking of ways to test these things. The drill bit test with the bike wheel and barbell weight was impressive. Along with vise grip test. The side cutter test, the expoxy test etc. all well done rapid fire cut to the chase and genius.
Went to comments to say this. I along with others want to seriously say, Thank you! I imagine on tire plug #whythehelldoidothis it was hard to continue. But if you didn't already know a bunch of us out here appreciate you. And all the effort you put into these tests. Keep on grinding man.
He has over 2M subs, I think he’s doing just fine! And he deserves it…the modern consumer reports (which actually was terrible) but still intended as a compliment!
In the past 2 years I've bought a pressure washer, battery charger, shop vac, tire pump, and now tire plug kit all only after watching your reviews so I know I'm getting the best. You take out the guess work and can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your channel!
It’s one thing to make a review video, it’s another thing to buy something because a review video, and it is indeed a wholly different thing to then use what you bought from a review video for an extended period of time and be happy with the results. I love good news, super happy to hear that your own anecdotal review worked out and validated PF’s hard work!
Just wish he would of done a highway test since one of the main reason's they fail is from being pulled out by 65mph+ centrifugal force, repeatedly on the high way.
@@MR-nl8xr In the real world if it’s installed properly, that will never happen. It’s way too tight for that too occur. If it did, it would leak to start with and you’d know it. I’ve never, ever heard of a plug coming out. Not once. I’ve plugged many tires that went all the way to recycling without an issue.
Yep, I've installed hundreds of these plugs for friends and family and the occasional person in a parking lot with a flat. Even on new tires, they will last the life of the tire. The manufactures of these kits just can't accept liability for claiming life of the tire in the event it fails in today's litigious society.
I punctured one of my current tires when it was brand new. A cheap tire plug fixed it for a year. Then I simply fixed it with another tire plug which now lasts for two years. We're talking 200km/h(130mph) Autobahn.
I don’t recommend it, but I have personally used 3-5 plugs in the same hole in tires before that had large punctures and it still works. This was on off-road only tires, and I wouldn’t personally do it on a road worthy vehicle, but in a pinch, it does work.
I am somewhat surprised that the grass runway owners allowed some aspects of his testing. From what I understand from some users of a nearby grass runway only relatively lightweight low pressure low speed turf tire equipped UTVs, ATVs, or SUVs are normally allowed on the runways and taxiways.
One thing I've never seen anyone complement you on is the sheer amount of planning you've got to do in order to give things multiple days, weeks, months, or even a whole year to cure or wear before returning to complete your tests. Bravo and thank you for your hard work and diligence!!
I can’t like this enough. PF is awesome at planning and execution. He covers things I’m sure many people wouldn’t even think of but once you see it, you say “oh yeah, that’s a great test and valuable for someone buying.”
Been running a slime plugged tire for 2 years now with no problem. Most repair shops won’t plug a tire anymore saying they aren’t safe so I plug my own. I think the real reason they won’t plug a tire is they can’t make enough money. If you monitor your tire pressure you will be fine. Project Farm is the best
Front tires are used for steering. Lose a front tire at speed and you could go flying into a barrier or oncoming traffic. If you notice in time, you can safely decelerate, but when you lose a plug, air comes out much faster than with a small screw. Otoh, I've never had a plug come out -- it's more likely to happen if the hole is too large to plug safely in the first place.
@@benb8075 that myth about the front wheels being more important is long proven wrong. The rear -non steering- axel provides the stability. You rather want to loose a front wheel instead a rear.
I remember watching this guy when he was just getting started. Now over 2 million subs! Congratulations! You deserve it! Whenever I need to buy something I always check here first to see if it’s been reviewed. Thanks
I watch this guy's videos whenever they come out. He is unbiased, unpaid by "product lobbyists" and his demos are outstanding. I trust his testing end results. It's why he has over two million subscribers. Watch the video where he tests spray on ceramic coatings. Very informative on which product to buy. I hope this guy is making good money with these videos, he deserves it.
@@Ojodeoro666 Bread, Butter and a JB Weld cylinder head! If you catch that joke, you are one of the ones who has been watching since the 'Early Days' of this channel. Yall Take Care and be safe, John
@@cristiansalas6374 wow you're right! They have it on their Amazon listing and their official website. Thanks for letting me know! He's off to a great start.
@@juliovaldez6310 indeed! With all of the hard work he puts into his videos and testing he deserves it. The meticulous testing is astounding. He's tested products in ways I never even would have thought.
@@cristiansalas6374 Yeah!!!! CERAKOTE Did Honor He's job by putting His Logo on the bag!!!! I buyed the product after watching Hes video and I was Soo impressed that they put His Logo in may package!!!
Have been using Slime for years, recently used up the 11 plugs, saved alot of tires. Never let me down, all repaired tires were used until totally worn and never leaked air.
My family is attracted to picking up random objects in their tires, I honestly never knew there were so many different types of plugs. I've always used the slime or the cheap stuff off the shelf at walmart and have never had a leak for my "temporary" repair, which would be until the tire got replaced when all four tires were no longer good
I have done the same, used whatever was cheapest and NEVER had a problem. Same as you, once repaired it's been good for the life of the Tyre. Many of these Kits appear to be Identical just with different branding. I have bought them for as little as $4 and they all worked fine.
As a former delivery driver, I've used loads of different tire repair kits, and as a general rule I can say that most if not all plugs are decent enough to fix a punctured tire, so even with having seen this video, I'll just keep buying whichever one is in store when I need it. i've worn out several sets of tires with plugs in them, some even 2 or 3 plugs. Another great, thorough video though!
Same. Been using them for 20+ years. They've lasted the life of the tire. I think I've only had one or 2 leak immediately after install, but just pull it out and start over and your good.
I've never had any problem with low-end rubberized string tire plugs like those from Slime - I've driven thousands of miles over years on them (I had new tires on my car when the neighbors built a new house, and I got a few screws used to attach stucco mesh in my tires during that time). I find that E6000 cement makes an even better 'lube' and glue for the rubberized string tire plugs, and it doesn't dry out in the tube for years, even after opening. I agree about the Slime handles, but there are other versions of those handles which are larger and more comfortable. I've never had to rebalance a tire after putting in a plug, either.
My luck with those rubber string plugs ran out on a major road trip lol. The belts separated and the tire disassembled itself 800 miles from my destination
@@wallacegrommet9343 Sounds like you got air in between the inner belts somehow. I've been using those rubber string plugs now on my family's cars since 1973, and have never had a failure with them. I guess I've been quite lucky. FWIW, use a lot of 'glue'. The kits usually don't have enough in them for more than one repair.
All of these seem easy because he's working on the tire in a warm, lit shop and not on the side of a cold, dark road or parking lot, with that there a new kind that is easier and one just pulls out the nail then twist in the plastic plug, snap off the tab and air up.. much better in my opinion.
One of my first jobs was in a Service Station and we fixed tires (yes, long ago) and I can't say how many tires we plugged over the years. It was a lot. We never had issues getting simple tread penetrations to seal up and no one ever came back to complain. Back then (late 70's) the plugs looked like the Westweld ones in this video but they were brown and not made of rubber. It was some kind of sticky fibrous material. I personally would not worry about using a tire that had a plug in it. The likelihood of a catastrophic failure of a tire from a tire puncture repair (barring other damage) is very small unless you drive very fast and push tires to the limits. Just my opinion anyway... Great job testing as always.
At the shop in work in we have one of those old plug kits the tools look very similar to the westweld brand and even has some red plugs left! I think its a “safety seal” kit. I was told the kit was purchased from a traveling salesman for safety seal. At every stop he jabbed a hole in his own trucks tire and repaired using his demo kit. He had hundreds of plugs in his tires and some plugs had thousands of miles on them. I guess he sold at least one kit at every shop he stopped in at.
I can concur. I was a mechanic for Nissan and I plugged hundreds of tires with the rope plugs. I applied vulcanizing cement to them as well before I installed them. I had zero come-backs. Patches on the other hand, I've had several come back; which is kind of lame considering the ease of the plug over the patch, but the customer demanded a patch over a plug.
Plugs have proven themselves over and over and personally use them on my own cars. The only bad thing about plugs is if an idiot owns the car and drove miles with a flat tire and shredded the internal sidewall. So plugging the flat cured that but this internal side walls are ruined and can blow out. Again only an idiot would drive miles on a pure flat tire but it happens all the time.
I worked as a mechanic for a few years. Tire plugs were a regular repair and I swear by them. Often times the plugs outlast the tires they're put into. I always recommend owning a kit in your car and a cig lighter pump. You can fix most leaks without even taking the tire off the car.
Yeah. It's supposed to be not legal for a shop to repair a tire like this anymore and plugs are supposed to be used only for a temporary repair. Which is ridiculous because the plugs work just fine. I've never had one leak and I consider it a permanent repair. I will continue to fix my tires that way despite the new regulations.
@@TheEgg185 government and lawyers I remember in Louisiana over ten years ago when they told tire shop I worked for that i would still plug my own to lazy to take tire off
I have been told they are illegal. However I still can’t find the law. However I have seen insurance policies that will not cover damages caused by “plugged “ tires.
Back when I worked for colony tire in 2005 we always used a patch with a rubber stem that you pulled through the hole and vulcanized with rubber cement. Nowadays most tire shops immediately discredit that type of repair just to sell you another tire or set of tires. Greed has run rampant through the tire industry. Good work project farm for putting all those that discredit this repair to shame!
Some of the plugs have been known to fail catastrophically resulting in fatalities. I think the fact almost anyone can fit these plugs could be part of the reason for this. Most workshops will examine the condition of the tyre, size and placement of the hole first. In some places the plugs are recommended as a temp fix. I did some work in a workshop where we used a kit identical to the Western Weld. They worked well enough and I don't believe there were ever any problems. Having said that, where I am we have a very mild climate and almost never experience snow or below zero temperature which may affect these plugs. We also never used them in sidewalls or off the tread.
@@CheepchipsableWell my friend. Where I am from, people and tire shops don't care much where they put the patch on tires since tires are very expensive and hard to find. Tires that are repaired can last a month or tire life, depending on the condition of the tire and roads. You probably don't believe this but I had seen tires that you literally can see wires and the air. We call that tires "Chivas".
@@Cheepchipsable (replying to 6 months old comment but what I'm about to share is worth it) Here in Philippines, tire plugs are often used and lasts the life of the tire itself. I know someone here in manila has used tire plug on his motorcycle and he even had 12 hours trip. That's approx. 450km or 280 miles, Manila to Tuguegarao.
The installation of 100 tire plugs was over the top in testing. Outstanding, and yes, I can imagine quite a workout. I've never had a tire plug fail on any of my off road vehicles. Thank you for another outstanding test and face off.
As a mailman, I pulled into the tire shop for new tires... the employee came to get me and wanted to know what was going on with my right front tire... we counted 52 plugs that I had put in over a period of time. Most of them were Slime plugs showed in this video. Never had a problem with them. Great video as always! You're awesome brother!
The secret to reaming and pushing the plugs into the tire is to inflate the tire to 30-40 lbs .The tire wont collapse while the plug is inserted.The simple slime handle works fine when the tire is fully inflated.I have plugged about a half a dozen tires, have only used the slime inexpensive plug kits with 100 % success and the repair lasted the life of the tire
Yup, Slime makes some pretty good stuff. I've been using them for years and they've never let me down and they're cheap. The weird contraptions just seem to complicated to be useful and cost too much to boot.
After many uses the slime handle breaks comes loose from the shaft making it useless, western weld ones are much better, however the eye often does not feel big enough for the thicker wicks that come in the kit
The best tire repair kit is the one someone is carrying when you blow a tire on a camping trip! :) I blew a tire on my truck hauling a trailer full of camping gear way up in the mountains of Central Utah. With the help of some very friendly folks in a SxS and an overland-prepped Tacoma, we used four of the Slime-type plugs to fix the rather large hole in my tire. Once the tire stopped leaking and was holding pressure, I was back on the road again. I had the best time watching these guys spring into action to fix a busted vehicle! Truly, the off-road community has lots of great people. And it looked like you had a lot of fun spinning that Suburban around in the grass!
Ha! Those guys had a better time than you!!! I love it when I can help someone out who needs it and send them happily down the road. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Some of us just like to fix sh**. Pay it forward. I'm glad you didn't have your trip ruined waiting for a tow truck and shelling out loads of cash.
@@jasons7044 I do remember him cutting open some filters But it doesn't seem to have done a separate video focused entirely on the oil filter I searched "oil filter" and "filter" but couldn't find any
Looking back to this video today, thanks to having a tire issue this past weekend. I had a tire losing air on my SUV even after filling, so I brought it in for repair. The tire tech showed me that I had 2 screws in the tire, and one was too close to the edge for them to repair. I should note this is a BJ's membership warehouse location, all they do are tires, the repairs are free, so they are not earning commissions on selling new tires. I purchased the tires from them in 2020 and had a good run of some 60k miles since then, on tires they rotated every 8k miles for free. We planned on replacing the tires before next winter as they have been solid but nearing the tread wear indicators anyway. Being an AWD vehicle, 1 tire is not an option. I purchased the new tires I wanted but they would not be in for at least 3 days, so I stopped for a Tire Slime plug kit and patched up the tire as a temporary solution.. Something people may not realize is WHERE to put the tire! In your videos, if people are paying attention, the patched tire is on the rear for a reason!! IF you must patch a tire, for safety, MOVE IT to a rear tire location!! If by chance the tire plug fails, and odds are it wont, but if you mathematically hit the bad luck lottery you will want that tire ON THE REAR and not a tire that steers!! My wife drives this car daily as she travels for work, and I moved the plugged tire to a rear as it was just safer for her, until we can have four new tires installed tomorrow. Looking over your video again, Im buying the Westweld kit asap.
This is my favorite channel by far now. Over 2mil subs and you somehow find the time to reply to darn near every comment! You sir, are an inspiration and an excellent role model and I want to thank you. You can tell how thankful you are, keep up the great work!
This was one of my favorites so far. The “Dukes Of Hazzard” tire testing was awesome! I like the Slime brand because they work good and they’re easy to install.
@@GunnysWrenches Its not just Slime brand, I can't remember which brand it was, but I had a handle fail when I was using it, I was very lucky to not impale myself. IF you are going to use something with that design, buy the one with the most robust looking handle.
@@gammaxi1275 I’ve seen several mechanics get injured with the “cheap plastic” handled brands. I purchase the complete metal type at my shop for our mechs. One brand is called “original safety seal” in a red case the other all metal type is “BlackJack Tire repair” in an orange case
100 plugs is way above and beyond what I would’ve ever expected for a comparison! Like always this was some great info for us! I had to plug a tire on my 1ton work truck a few weeks back; I think those are 10 ply tires, the slime kit did not work very well on those tires. So I’ve been looking for something better. You really put the test on the old suburban. Soccer moms everywhere are gonna be requesting a “best soccer mom drift vehicle” from you!
I've been driving for 55 years. I'm a retired mechanic. I've been using tire plugs as long as I can remember as a permanent fix (not near the sidewall) I have had no problems. I use the slime style plugs. One trick I have learned is to use a 13/64" drill bit in a drill motor instead of a reamer when possible. It takes the work out of the job. Also fill the tire up to it's max tire pressure (before you pull the nail or screw out) so the tire holds its shape while you work
its all good until tire plug fails at high speed. there's a reason why plugs are considered temporary fix and patch as permanent fix. don't risk the lives of your loved ones or anyone who travels with you in your car because of your stubbornness to keep using plug on flat tyre
@@lordjaashin Show me the proof or evidence of failures at high speed. Or even of failures, full stop. I have my own experience and am reading a ton of comments from real world users and no one has reported a single failure.
There are actually special drill bits for tire plug repairs, especially in places where wires might show up. Normal slime style plugs are very good and they rarely fail. But sometimes we patch the tire from the inside with special patch/plug kit (sort of a flat patch with sticking out plug to be inserted into the hole) - I never have seen this one to fail.
@@lordjaashin never heard of one failing. I used one on my track car this summer. Into pitlane, jack up find leak, plug it and out on the track again. Held up until the tire was bald... Had them on my daily, my motorcycle.
i used slime tires plugs only twice in my life. and both times, the plug held until it was time to change the tires from normal wear and needing new tires. as far as you go, project farm, i love the video as always. and only go based on your reviews. hands down the best review on youtube. no bias and no unnecessary information. just straight to the point. thank you buddy.
Add 2 more from me. The repairs were good for the lifetime of the tires. The only issue with these kits is that the rubber cement is extremely volatile and will dry out once opened, long before you need to use it again. So my policy is, one kit is good for single repair only, unless you get multiple punctures within a small time frame, which is unlikely.
If you're going to keep a kit in the car, I'd like to see how they perform after being stored in a vehicle for a year or more. OTOH, if you don't carry a kit, it's likely that Slime will be the choice, as you're likely to find it at the nearest auto parts store or Wallymart.
Slime or the like is the only kind I've ever used, I'd never seen any of these others. I can say they held up fine just in a box in the back of the van over several years. They always worked fine. I've had several of those plastic handled tools break on me though.. I'd definitely buy the metal tools if I ever came across them.
I bag the plugs & have them in an old Chinese food container with the tools & glue canister. The plugs can be less sticky but the rubber cement really helps lube & seal.
This is an excellent idea for a follow-up. It could be cycled through several heat and freeze cycles, subjecting it to several changes from -40 to just shy of boiling. That kind of repeated and relatively rapid temperature changes would work as accelerated aging. As a side project at the same time, it could be interesting to see if investing in some kind of airtight container for the kit would be advantageous.
I've been using the slime plug kits for years. Never ever had one fail. I also operated a sweeper truck and as you can imagine I get all sorts of stuff in my tires. Plug kits are a life saver. Slim kits have never let me down. Great review thank you for your hard work on this video. Very impressive 👏 👌 👍🏻 😀
I’ve taken those slime plugs well over their recommended speed, life cycle and number of plugs per tire ( I was broke at the time). If I have to plug a tire, the tire may hit the wear bars before the plug fails
I used to carry a “stop n go” branded mushroom plug kit in my motorcycle similar to the one tested here. The one time I actually needed it, I could NOT get the plug to squeeze through the funnel. I tried several times. Now I exclusively carry a cheapie rope plug kit just like the slime branded one here. They work great, don’t take up much space, and are very inexpensive. On motorcycle tires I will only use these kinds of plugs to get me home where I can patch them internally due to the obviously greater risk. I have run the rope plugs in car tires for many thousands of miles without issue.
@@ToshkoAndreev the plug is not the problem, it´s the tire if it has been run flat. The inner liner can be damaged, now think about how fun you can have going 200km/h on your bike and the tire explodes.
Future test: cold patch for asphalt pothole repair for driveways. I'm sure a lot of homeowners will appreciate it. You can make a few 1sqft boxes that are 2 inch deep to mimic a small pothole in your driveway. Then test several brands of "easy diy permanent" cold patch asphalt repair kits to see which hardens/cures quickest and which stays solid after a week or two after patching. (I've used cold patches that took well over 3 weeks to fully cure/harden. I was able to use a stick and move it around even after 2-3 weeks).
@@schlomoshekelstein908 I think it could be tested with multiple freeze/defrost cycles. Because that's how most paved surfaces are damaged, when water seeps in cracks and freezes, expanding inside.
@@schlomoshekelstein908 oh I get that. I meant to say "test to see if solid after a week or two" because I've tried using cold patches that were still soft and moved around after a week. It didn't fully cure/harden after a whole week!
The city paved my alley way and it made all the water that normally went down the alley into the street dump into my yard then into my basement. I made my own curb out of that stuff and the water flowed into the street again. I was surprised how hard it got after a week of sitting.
I have used both the rope type plugs and the plug guns pretty extensively, my experience is that for steel belted radials the rope plugs are the best, as the steel belts will cut the rubber plugs of the plug gun. For bias ply tires such as equipment tires the plug gun works really well and I prefer it.
I never saw a mushroom plug for a tire. I like the Dynaplug, a nice design and very compact. Great testing as always! You were having way too much fun in that SUV. LOL Be prepared for many "Reaming Lube" comments.
I picked up the mushroom type for my motorcycle from Stop and Go and glad i did, I managed to get 2 punctures within a month and rode it with plugs in for the rest of the tires life. Tho riding a motorcycle tire with plugs in it isn't recommended, there are a lot of people who still do because if tire prices. Also this was in the rear, if it was a front tire I would of changed it right away.
@@pheelix- I’d watch this video if you’re using it on motorcycle tires. There are some disadvantages. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Qm6fTWaj3QE.html
Those mushroom plugs are OLD. I still have my Dads Mushroom guns from when he ran his own garage in the 60's and 70's. The mushroom plugs do work but I find rope plugs are so much easier to deal with.
The effort and determination in doing these videos is astounding, this man just punched a hundred holes in a tire just to cover it back up for a test, heads up to you sir, and as always a good test this, keep up what you're doing man, it's very informative👍🙂
A good trick for the slime plugs is heat them a little bit with a lighter. They become stickier after applying heat. Project Farm keep up the good work sir!
When I used to autocross regularly I picked up a nail in one of my race tires when it was pretty new. Plugged it with a kit similar to the slime kit and proceeded to race on those tires for a season until the cords were showing and they were shot. The plug never failed. That was when I felt more than confident using them for my daily drivers. I've repaired several over the years and never had an issue.
Yeah I had a "new" set of tires maybe 3 months old and caught a nail in the middle. Slime plug, forgot about it until I replaced the tires 4 years later. Guess it worked well lol
I've been watching your channel for years now and the progression to these high quality, excellent videos is amazing! Better than most of the pro test companies now. I constantly go back and watch your other vids before making a purchase.
I used to run a service truck for DOT and used the slime plugs a few hundred times with near perfect results. At one time, I was responding on the shoulder daily and getting one to two flats per shift. Rather than heading in and changing the tire every day I just kept using bandaids. The most I had in one tire was 11 plugs. One was even in the corner of a shoulder. They held great all day on the highway and smacking potholes.
The western weld style has been my favorite plug and I consider them a permanent repair. The lube is actually a vulcanizing agent that bonds the plug to the tire. The smooth reaming tool pushes the fibers or wires aside with out nicking or cutting them. Those strands will return and bind the plug in place. I tried removing an old plug on a worn out tire that had been in place for over a year. It would not budge as a whole and had to be pulled strand by strand.
@@fauxque5057 That is the nanny government's stance as well. Me, I've installed and used slime plugs on tires for many many tens of thousands of miles (the rest of the tires natural life until it was worn out and replaced) therefore I'm going to continue this practice as I have yet to have one of my plugs cause any issue.
I just remember, I was once out of rubber strips and didn't had old inner tubes either, but had plenty of rubber cement. I cut 4 thin strips of fleece fabric 4 x 1/4 inches, doused them in rubber cement and used them as you would a plug. That tire held up pretty well and allowed me to get home.
Love the program, my friend. I will note, as a former mechanic and tire installer, you probably wouldn't have noticed a tire balance problem with the tire on the rear of the vehicle and even on the front you probably wouldn't feel anything until you reached around 55mph ( I don't know why that specific speed but always at 55). The belts almost never get "broken" or slipped from inserting the tool, the distortion is so small it has minimal effect on the life of the tire. But as all products go they have to warn of the possibility. I also have used tire slime and similar kits with great success. I can assure those at home that the Tire Slime kit will work perfectly! If one is looking to fix their own tire and wants to do it safely and inexpensively, these Tire Slime kits are just what one needs.
I've used the Slime Kit a few times and they worked great. The plug insertion process of the repair will give you a bit of a workout at times, but in the end you're back on the road in a short time.
I live 2 miles from the pavement here in the Mojave Desert. With 5 vehicles and 3 double axle trailers, I have 32 tires that I maintain and I do it a lot. I have several different kits and each one has pros and cons. My experience is that unless your puncture is straight in, don't use mushroom plugs. Mushroom plugs also have a higher rate of developing leaks after time. Rubberized rope plugs are so much more reliable. They plug well at an angle and I've never had a single repair fail, and I've repaired more than I count. Another thing to keep in mind is that any diy repair will void your road hazard warrantee. Great video 👍
It’s amazing that after the personal expense of buying all the tools & equipment used in testing as well as the stuff being tested you put hours of hard work on each video. We appreciate it! 👏👏👏👏👏👏
This video looked like it was a lot of fun yeeting yourself around the fields! 😂👍 Amazing as ever, I used the slime one a few months ago, and it's still working perfectly.
You are the man! These videos are insane! Glad you haven’t made this channel full of a bunch of sponsorships and ads. Im sure you get tons of companies reaching out to do that. Love the content man.
I had a kit identical to the Westweld kit, but red box in my semi truck when I drove one. I would go pick up trailers at drop yards with flat tires, instead of waiting for a garage to come fix the tire and loose money waiting, I'd plug the tire, air it up then be on my way. I have traveled about a thousand miles on them and no issues, making money with the tire plugs and not loosing it while waiting. That has been over 20 years ago and still have it and use the kit.
I run a company that does custom shower installs. We have 22 vans and everyday on and off multiple construction sites. Picking up nails and screws is super common. We keep one of those kits that are just like the Westweld one in the shop. Would say average 2 plugs per week across the fleet. Sometimes more. Have literally never had one fail.
@@ProjectFarm Sorry for the delay, you are very welcome Todd. Thank you so much for everything that you do, the time and money you spend in everything to make things better for us to make a decision on, without wasting money.
I use that exact same slim kit to repair tires I take to the drift track. The plugs do not fail even after miles of skidding on pavement. I get all the way down to the steel belt package across the entire tread width and the plugs still hold! They are 👍.
I've used cheap rope style plugs and have never had one fail. I've had them stay in tires for 5+ years and 10s of thousands of miles. I do try and purchase the largest thickness plug I can find. I also buy single use rubber cement .5oz containers that I use when needed. Rubber cement is vital and it always dries out if you let it sit for months between plugging, as I always do. I just did a plug this weekend in my wife's brand new tires. She picked up a roofing nail. That plug will last until her tires wear out. IMO, you dont' need these fancy inserters/tools. They cheap kits work. Use rubber cement on the reamer and plug as lube which then sets up as an adhesive when it dries. Thanks for your work. Love the channel.
I always try and use the rubber cement but I’ve done plenty without and it doesn’t ever seem to make much difference. In my mind it makes me feel better though.
@@jimyeats I bought a cheap $15 repair kit, like the Slime, probably 25 years ago. I buy the replacement "gewey worms" for less than $5 when I run out. I've never used the adhesive since the first tube that came with the kit ran out. Four cars in the family and never had an issue with a plug repair. When the temperature is below 50 deg. F and I'm doing a repair at home, I heat the worm with a heat gun to get it nice and sticky just before it's inserted.
As a former mechanic I have plugged countless tires with slime brand name copy tire plugs without rubber cement. Usually on the car. Never once had a problem. I’ve done a few on my personal vehicles that were almost into the sidewall…One thing I like to do differently when I can is to use a cordless drill to drill the hole after I pull the screw or whatever out. Then use the plug tool…Awesome video as always.
yeah...agree with the use of a cordless drill to make sure the hole is clear enough and just big enough for the plug, otherwise you could be fighting the steel ply mesh..
As a tire repair man I've installed a lot of plugs. A side cutter works great for pulling the nails and cutting the plug afterwards. It is much easier to install a plug in an inflated tire. They are really amazing how well they work. If hole is big you can use multiple plugs.
The plugs themselves are almost never the issue. It's the unknown condition of the inside of the tire and how long it has been run on low pressure. The tire can be dmamaged internally which is why it is recommended to dismount the tire and inspect it before patching it from the inside. If you know the tire doesn't have any internal damage then a plug is fine.
I've run enough tire plugs over the years to know that you are correct. A "good tire plug" will hold for pretty much the tires expected tread life as long as it was a nail or screw. With larger holes from say a piece of metal get the tire replaced as soon as possible.
Same here. I've even temporarily used multiple plugs to plug one hole lol. After a bad experience with discount tire and there tire patches failing multiple times on one tire I started using these simple diy plugs
As a former Tire mechanic and emergency road service guy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve plugged a tire on tractor and trailers, and cars. I do it on my own vehicle and others. But we always recommend to get them patched instead, yes it’s not very common on new tires. But you can do damage to the steel cords, on retread trucking tires you can comprise the the cap with a plug. I really enjoyed this video, I can say I’ve never plugged a tire more than 4 times. And it was really cool to see all those plugs
@@TonyGingrich it's not a problem in Canada, and we've got some over the top safety regulations at certain tire shops, any chance they get they'll tell you the tire has to be replaced. One common reason is a sidewall puncture.
I absolutely appreciate the hard work that goes on in these videos! I have one suggestion to those who use a plug installer like slime... The plastic handle can give out under pressure. Get a metal handled installer. A close friend of mine had the metal go through the plastic handle and messed his wrist up badly. Be safe out there and cover the eyes anyway. Why not?
This is, WITHOUT QUESTION, one of the best channel's on RU-vid. I'll probably never use 90% of the products tested on this channel, but I just can't seem to stop watching, and I get so excited when I get a notification of a new video from Project Farm.
Bought the Dynaplug years ago, repaired three tyres and all are still holding pressure after about four years, and they're in use every day. Excellent testing with a well thought out pattern...... as usual !
Please test some tire pressure gauges for accuracy and repeatability (self-consistency). And durability. Thanks for the great work this week as always.
As a former member of an off-road race truck team, I received a western weld kit for free about 15 years ago. I’ve kept it in my truck since then, and have put in about 20 plugs on my own tires and random people’s tires that needed help. I’ve never had one fail, and don’t even think twice about whether or not they may leak. Install, inflate, and forget about it. They have never let me down.
For me, having had to use one of these kits on the road, the biggest difference is being able to use the kit on the side of the road without removing the tire. The slime kit allows you to do that easily and the others don't. At the end of the day, these kits are designed to get you to a service station to properly fix or replace the tires and for all that, the Slime kit is the winner IMO. The Dynaplug is a close second but it looks like most holes would require at least 2 plugs given the size of the cords.
@Marvin Murphy I could see where the Grand Pit Stop kit might be more difficult, but like you, I'm wondering which kit can't be used on the road. That seems to be what these kits are made for. They certainly aren't viable in any "tire" shop.
Amazing tour de force! Well engineered testing. Beautiful and engaging cinematography. 100 tire plugs blows my mind. Thank you from the rural West where these kits really matter.
Don't cheap out on taps, and don't buy tap sets. But them as you need them. You rarely need all the sizes in the kit, and you rarely need the dies. Buying a $8 tap, that's the size you need, every few months, is a lot better than buying a kit for $600, or buying a crappy out for $75.
I keep one of these kits in each of my cars (on top of having a spare). I wouldn't run any of them indefinitely, but this testing seems to confirm my suspicion that they're stronger than most people think. However, I think your standard plug patch that a shop would use is still probably the safest option when installed correctly.
I've run tire plugs nearly the entire life of the tire in fleet truck tires. Normally I bring all my tires to a tire shop to avoid liability, but in a pinch I will install a plug.
Most tire shops take the tire off and put a patch on it from the inside which is really the best and most permanent solution rather then going in from the outside
I’ve been using tire plugs almost 40 years. Never had one fail. I typically leave the tire on the vehicle while installing the plug. The ones I’m currently using are the Slime brand. They definitely need the adhesive to install them. Not that it makes a better seal, but rather as a lubricant. Because the little tubes of adhesive dry out once opened, I bought a jar of it on Amazon for about $6. Great content, thank you!
Yes Sir. I too have been plugging tires for about 40+ years and I really have never had any issues with a standard plug repair. I have seen problems with some really rigged up things like a bunch of plugs in one hole (trying to repair something that was really not repairable). Yall Take Care and be safe, John
I have been using the sticky rope version for decades. For simple nail/screw hole repair they have always lasted for the full service life of the tire. Fear of failure and need to rush the replacement of the tire is overblown.
Torque sticks will get you close as long as you are regulating your air pressure. Your air gun will also be happy for that. Still have to set final torque by hand to make sure rust, burs, ect. didn't make you short of the mark though. Important to remember, if you add a lubricant it is impossible to measure torque. Clean dry thread is how it's measured. Neverseize and you will overtorque everytime.
Great video as always! Well…The Westweld is identical to the Safety Seal kits everybody had when I trucked the Haul Road to the North Slope oilfields. The Slime is very similar. Great time and trouble savers! Used a lot! In the trucking world I recommend carrying along a cheap cordless drill with a 1/4 and 3/8 bit to ream the hole. Also, most of the time the plug would not leak ever but sometimes it would after a month or so. Good idea to get it patched at some point. When patching leave the plug there. Just cut it off flush on the inside. This helps keep road salt from corroding the steel belts. Good luck getting a tire shop employee to understand all this!
I have the slime kit (that comes in plastic case, but uses the same exact tools) and used it a several years ago to install 3 plugs into a fairly new tire. It worked well, and those plugs never leaked over the life of the tire. The only uncomfortable part using it is the amount of pressure you have to apply onto those plastic handles, which is the only thing preventing a “spear” from shooting into your hand. The entire time i was worried about the plastic handle breaking which would send the metal tool directly into my palm. I just got a new car, and that kit has to be at least 6 years old now. The mere thought of the plastic handles having gotten brittle over time has me looking for a new kit to keep in the car. I noticed at Advanced Auto, Slime has a “professional” kit now with all metal handles. I’m thinking a $40 purchase (even if i never have to use it) is worth it, just to have confidence in the tool. My hands are what pays the bills.
I revisited this video after struggling horribly with one of those slime type kits (not slime brand, but same plastic handle) and just got myself (well, technically my wife) the dynaplug. Your concern is the same thing I was thinking and I don't know if it was the cold or just and old/deteriorated rubber strip but it was horrible to get it in. I plugged a tire last year and it was no where near that complicated (also, was in the middle of summer and working under the sun, so heat helped I'm sure) I wasn't sure if the tool would break or if I'd pull something. There's another comment here that mentions that the scenario you feared happened to a friend of theirs, so yeah, stay safe.
I’m a sheriff for Des Moines, IA and I just want you to know that your videos get me through my 16hr overnight shifts when absolutely nothing is going on. Keep up the good work!
Yeah, tires are one of my things I love doing. Good choice on finding the old cracked hard rubber tires for the tests. I have never seen a plugged tire have a problem. I have seen a lot of those temp repairs end up permanent. I have found a couple surprises in the tires I was patching. One already had two of those plugs and looked like they had been there for quite some time. Good job.
I have always had great success with tire plugs. Never had one come loose, leak, give me any balance issues. And, having fixed another tire just a couple weeks ago, I cannot even imagine doing 100 of them! Thanks for all of your (hard) work on these videos!
I use a plug kit called the “Stop and Go” tire plugger and I really like it. I’ve plugged many ATV, mower, car, and truck tires with it, and I haven’t had any issues. It’s basically the same as the grand pitstop.
I have it too, and its great quality, includes a zip bag. The trick is to shove the mushroom plug up into the gun tool so that its like an inside out umbrella.
Prior to watching this video, I didn't know that plugging a tire was so easy and could be done without taking the tire off the rim. I ordered the Western Weld kit and used it for the first time today and it was simple and easy to use. It's feels go to know that I'm no longer at the mercy of tire shops that refuse to repair minor punctures, just so they can sell me a new tire. Thanks!
@@purduephotog Using a tire plug kit to repair a punctured tire is remarkably easy and convenient. The process is straightforward, requiring only a few simple steps that even a novice can master. First, you locate the puncture and use the included tools to clean and prepare the area. Next, you insert the plug, ensuring a secure fit, and trim any excess material. The entire repair can be completed in minutes, saving you the hassle and cost of visiting a professional mechanic. Best of all, tire plug kits are compact and portable, making them an essential item for any driver to keep in their vehicle for emergencies.
@@scubasteve06 no I meant more along the lines of the physical strength to get the plug into the tire. I've destroyed those plastic ones trying to push and twist it in. Even the metal ones feel like they'll break
@@purduephotog While tire plugs may not be the best option for everyone due to various reasons, they have worked exceptionally well for me. In particular, the kit offered by Western Weld stands out as a high quality and well designed product. Its user friendly design made the repair straightforward, even for someone with minimal experience. The process did not require an unreasonable amount of effort, and the results have been reliable and long-lasting. This kit has proven to be a convenient and effective solution for my tire repair needs.
@@SloppyMechanics I guess you find a bad one of anything if you look hard enough. I have towed a 32ft travel trailer all over the southern US with a 2005 5.3L 4L65 and not one single issue. Yet.
I have been using a tire plug kit for years it looks just like the West Weld kit the tools are identical but the case is red in color i get it off amazon. have used it for years on our equipment trailer tires and on tires on our equipment and never had a problem. Great unbiased review as always Todd. Thanks for all you do!!
Great job. A few things to add for those watching. Diagonal cutters are often the easiest tool to remove nails with. Conventional plugs are easiest to install with the tire inflated, as the tread flexes less. In fact, sometimes bumping the pressure a bit above normal can help even more. I had the slime brand handle come off on a set I purchased for personal use while performing a field repair - something to keep in mind. Finishing the job using pliers to grip the tool was very difficult. I have used the north shore labs/ safety seal kit before and it appears almost identical to the western weld kit. Possibly made by the same mfr and rebranded? In any case, I always put downward pressure on the sliding part of the tool - i always thought it was to help keep the plug fully in the tire when removing the tool. Mushroom plugs look cool but once a self vulcanizing plug is inserted it fans out and accomplishes essential the same thing. Finally, an old school way to finish off the install is to burn the protruding end of the plug until it's nearly flush. Having said all that I only patch tires these days unless it's a field repair.
