Debate: Did that $800 injector puller set save you or burn you?

I dropped $800 on a fancy injector puller set about 6 months ago, thinking it would save me time on every job. So far, I've used it maybe 3 times, and on the last job it snapped a tip on a stuck injector, costing me an extra $200 in damage. But then again, when it works, it cuts my time from 2 hours down to 20 minutes on those tight Ford Powerstroke setups lol. A buddy of mine swears by the old slide hammer method and says I wasted my cash. He's done like 50 jobs with a $40 setup and no issues. I'm starting to think maybe the cheap way is better for most trucks and you only need the high end stuff for the real rotten ones. What's your take? Have you guys gotten burned by a specialty tool that seemed worth it at first?

3 comments

3 Comments

oscarc121mo ago

Honestly, isn't the whole point of a pricey tool that it bails you out on the real rotten ones where the cheap stuff wrecks your knuckles and the truck? @miles_hall, I get liking that mid-range kit, but the time I saved on three nightmare Powerstrokes in one month already paid back half my $800 set, even with that broken tip. If you're only doing clean trucks, save your cash, but for guys like me digging into rusty junk every week, the high-end tool is the difference between a 20 minute job and pulling an engine.

miles_hall1mo ago

Swapped out my old slide hammer for a mid range kit around $300 a couple years back and never looked back. That $800 set sounds like overkill unless you're doing these jobs every single week on rusty farm trucks. I figure the sweet spot is something tough enough for the bad ones but not so fancy you cry when it breaks. My cheap setup has handled 30 something powerstrokes just fine with only a couple bent tips that I filed down. You probably got upsold on features you won't use half the time.

karen3611mo ago

Man, I feel that. I've been in the same spot where I spent way too much on a tool I barely used, and it stings every time I look at it. @miles_hall nailed it with that sweet spot idea. A $300 kit that does the job is just smart. I'd rather spend the extra cash on other stuff I actually need.