As a kid, I spent many a day helping my dad bleed the brakes on the family vehicles. I had no idea what was going on, I just followed the directions to push, hold and release. But one thing that sticks out in my mind was the time I pushed when he wasn't asking, and the result didn't please him.
Then, among the parade of tools that would appear every so often was a thing that looked like a ray gun. I thought it was neat, but I could tell it didn't please him either, because it was used only once, and never made another appearance.
Once I started to do my own work, I tried the one way check valves, which didn't work well. Then a friend gave me a lead on a reasonably-priced pressure bleeder he was using, and I never looked back.
The principle is sound, thorough, and as long as the bleeder is constructed decently well, mishaps are unlikely to occur. These are
the professional tools that one company, which has engineered brake systems for over 100 years, from top to bottom, produces. Notice the principle on which they are based.
My old pressure bleeder was showing its age, and I came across a deal on a Motive, so it's what I use now.
Honestly, it does the job and makes life much easier, but in a perfect world, where I could design the perfect DIYer bleeder, I'd do things a little differently.
The Motive traces its lineage to a garden sprayer, so the reservoir is probably larger than it needs to be for a home wrench. And unless you get the fancy version with the swivel fitting on the cap, you have to be cognizant of the twist of the hose. There is no pressure release valve; the pump cap must be unscrewed to release pressure once you are done. Mind you, none of these are deal breakers, but can make things a bit fiddly.
Going even further, there is no diaphragm between the air and fluid, like you'd find in a pro-bleeder, so there is the risk of pushing air into the system if one is not paying attention. But to be fair, I don't think any home bleeder has such a feature.
Aside from the niceties like a release valve, another thing I've come across in both bleeders has been the fussiness of getting a good, proper seal on the cap. For whatever reason, the gaskets on these cheap bleeders are crudely cut, ill-fitting, and require care to make sure they don't leak.
That said, it does the job, saves a lot of time and hassle, and won't break the bank.
I'd definitely recommend it, or another pressure bleeder of some kind.
