Portable Induction Bolt Heater

[billt460]

Anyone have any actual experience using one of these things? They're not cheap, but it looks like it could save the day with removing rusted, frozen bolts and nuts. And not overheat everything around it, like what happens when you use a torch. They have cheaper models, along with cheaper links to this one. But this is the only one I could find that was short enough to hot link.

https://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.c...Ws7mY5SUAD6NZZGbcVu-Nu3u_20aAr32EALw_wcB

 

[Kira]

Too bad they don't make on for broken-off studs.

 

[atikovi]

I have the full size version bought maybe 5 years ago. Have probably only used it three times. It really only works good on nuts, expanding them so they remove easy. Not much help with bolts where the heat may weaken the head and snap it off when you wrench on it. Also, there is little access when the part you are trying to get to is deep in the engine compartment.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted by Kira
Too bad they don't make on for broken-off studs.


Isn't that the point of using heat to begin with? Get heat on before you try?


Originally Posted by billt460
Anyone have any actual experience using one of these things? They're not cheap, but it looks like it could save the day with removing rusted, frozen bolts and nuts. And not overheat everything around it, like what happens when you use a torch. They have cheaper models, along with cheaper links to this one. But this is the only one I could find that was short enough to hot link.


Cant say I do, but we know that most all penetrant only go but so far on heavily rusted parts.

This thing makes all the sense in the world... but they need to figure out how to make it more like a soldering iron and less like that monstrosity that it is. I get it that they're probably pushing 1kW through that coil, and that much energy rapidly changing to heat isn't the best thing to have near the hands... but if one wants to use this for any practical application where access is a much more significant consideration, I think it needs to be smaller...

 

[WyrTwister]

Here is a video of Eric O. using one on his South Main Auto youtube channel .

I have no personal experience with it / one .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3u1IBgefNDs

 

[ragtoplvr]

handheld induction heater. Cool.

Years ago that took big box of parts.

Rod

 

[kschachn]

I do not have one, but my amateur mechanic friend does. I think he paid around $500 for his kit plus some other attachment he wanted. My impression of seeing it work is that it is useful, it is not a miracle tool but the times he's used the thing on my cars it seems to have helped. It does work on studs or any other protruding part where you can get the piece in the coil.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted by JHZR2
This thing makes all the sense in the world... but they need to figure out how to make it more like a soldering iron and less like that monstrosity that it is. I get it that they're probably pushing 1kW through that coil, and that much energy rapidly changing to heat isn't the best thing to have near the hands... but if one wants to use this for any practical application where access is a much more significant consideration, I think it needs to be smaller...

I have no idea how small they can make something like that, and still have it produce enough energy quick enough to get something that hot, that fast. I find the speed at which some of these things heat simply amazing.

 

[Traction]

I always liked this video on induction heating a piece of metal floating in the air until it melts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i2OVqWo9s0

 

[ironman_gq]

I've used them quite a bit. Not a necessary tool to have but when you need them they are worth every penny. They're great for quickly heating something up in a spot where a torch would damage things around it, only the part inside the coil gets hot and it'll heat a nut up to glowing red in under 30 seconds. Lots of exhaust studs saved with one of these.

 

[Audios]

Works amazing, saves your butt sometimes. Kinda pricey, I split it with another shop and we use it fairly often. You can usually see when youre going to need something like this.

 

[Railrust]

I have one...hardly use it at all anymore. It's just easier to torch something than to get this thing set up and going. It's bulky, sometimes it's hard to get it where you want it - that eliminates half its usage - and it's really only useful on nuts...and those nuts had better be easy to reach.

I did like using it on sway bar links and on nylon nuts that I needed to melt the nylon out of. That was about it.

The thought alway was...this will be safer to use, especially around tanks and fuel line...well you can't fit this thing around half the stuff you'd like to use it around.

 

[another Todd]

I use a blow torch.

 

[dlundblad]

We're those that rusty to begin with? Lol.