Have an ugly dent on your vehicle that you'd like to repair? Save considerable time and money by investing in a good set of dent removal tools.
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Buying Dent-Removal Tools
No one likes to see a dent in their otherwise pristine vehicle, but unfortunately, sometimes those car dents can’t be avoided.
Dent-removal tools are readily available online, and when used with a skillful hand, they can help restore minor dings and dents to near perfect. You don’t need previous dent-repair experience to use these tools, but success does require plenty of patience and gentle movement.
Become familiar with the different dent removal tools before you start shopping. Designs and features vary, but they fall into one of three categories:
- Pulling Style: A suction cup or plastic pulling tab is stuck to the dented metal vehicle body, then gently pulled on until the dent disappears.
- Hammer/Tapping Style: Best for small dents, tool involves tapping a specially shaped punch with a smaller hammer, slightly to one side of the dented area. The idea is to “pop” the dent back out from the side.
- Rod Style: Some dents are much easier to remove by pushing on them from underneath rather than pulling them out from above. Rod style dent removal tools involve sliding long steel rods under or behind the dented vehicle panel, then carefully pushing them against the dent from underneath to push the compressed metal back out.
Here are additional considerations:
- Dent size, shape and location. For pulling-style dent removal tools, the size, shape and location of the dent determines the size of pulling tab you’ll attach (with hot melt glue) to the vehicle’s body panel. Pulling tabs should fit snugly within the dent for best results.
- Body material. Most vehicle bodies are made of either steel or aluminum. Steel is heavier and harder to bend, so you’ll use dent-removal tools with plenty of gripping power. You can get away with lighter adhesion if you’re working with aluminum.
- Tool cost and versatility. If your vehicle has several dents of different sizes and shapes, go with a full-featured dent pulling kit with plenty of different pull tabs. If you’ve just got one or two small dents and don’t anticipate more, a simpler tool with less attachments can work.
- Your personal level of patience and finesse. Dent removal isn’t a job you can rush or power through with enthusiasm alone. If you don’t consider yourself a careful, patient person, this is probably a job best left to a professional.
Keep reading for eight of our favorite dent removal tools and what makes each stand out.
Best Value Dent Remover Tool Kit
At just $13, the MMPP Paintless Dent Removal Kit comes with a robust dent T-bar shaped lifter tool and eight heavy-duty aluminum pull tabs of various sizes and shapes for dealing with various dents. Most pull tabs are plastic, and are more prone to breaking than the aluminum ones that come with this set. The tabs also have a series of small holes that allow the adhesive (which you’ll have to supply yourself) to get a much better grip.
“Nice product for the price,” shares one Amazon reviewer. “It works exactly as advertised,” says another.
Best Large Multi-Piece Dent Puller Kit
Want to be prepared for as many different sizes and shapes of vehicle dent as possible? Check out this kit of dent removal tools from Gliston. The 89-piece collection includes a full-sized dent lifter, two-in-one slider hammer, LED reflector board, hot-melt glue gun with glue sticks, a miniature dent puller, a large assortment of plastic pulling tabs and a rubber hammer for tapping dents out.
Customers particularly appreciate the versatility that comes with this large assortment of tools. “As far as the kit goes, it gives you everything you need and even more. I only need[ed] to use the smaller of the pull tabs for the dings. It was handy having multiple styles of pulling tools. I used them all,” shares an Amazon reviewer.
Best Pen-Style Dent Removal Tool
At just $10, this G&S Dent Removal Tap Down Pen does a good job removing smaller dents and dings for the price. It’s easy to use, durable, and the metal attachments are coated with plastic to prevent paint damage. With nine different shaped removable heads, you’ll be equipped to handle various types of dent effectively. That said, tap-down style dent removers like this one work best with dents an inch or less in diameter. Anything larger than this and you’ll probably have better luck with a pulling-style tool.
Best Dent Removal Tool for Severe Dents
Adhesion-based dent removal tools are great, but they’re not always up to the job when dents are deep and severe. That’s where this EWK Pneumatic (air powered) Dent Removal Tool comes in. Designed to work with an air compressor, the suction cup end of the tool adheres to the dented vehicle surface via vacuum suction. It’s heavy-duty, comes with a one-year warranty, and can easily achieve optimal suction pressure of 90 to 150 PSI.
Customers find it works exceptionally well for removing large vehicle dents. “Very good product,” shares an Amazon reviewer. “I have pulled out four major dents so far turning a $5,000 job into a $500 job.”
Best Simple Dent Removal Tool
If you want simple and compact, check out the QQCherry Dent Repair Puller. Consisting of two suction cups with a quick-release handle, there’s no chance of being overwhelmed by too many pieces or parts. And, despite their small size, these tools can exert up to 110 lbs of pulling force!
“It pulled a small dent out of my truck and it was very easy to use,” shared an Amazon reviewer.
Best Rod-Style Dent Removal Kit
Suction- and adhesion-style dent removal tools usually work well, but not always. For smaller, sharper dents, like those made by flying gravel or hailstones, it’s best to push on the dent from the inside surface until the dent is coaxed back out. Smaller, sharper dents often aren’t big enough to fit a pull tab within the dent itself. That’s where this kit from Mookis comes in handy. Including 10 different rods of various lengths and shapes, the kit makes it easier to apply force to the inside surface of dents in places your hands can’t reach. That said, you can only use this tool on dents where your vehicle’s body panel has an access port near the dent.
One Amazon reviewer said, “They had enough leverage to do what I needed them to…I would definitely recommend this set for the beginner.”
Best Heavy-Duty Dent Removal Kit
The trouble with many dent removal tools is the plastic is prone to breaking with heavy use. That’s where this dent removal kit from ExtremePower US stands out. Made of steel, this kit comes with a handle and various attachments for pulling and tapping on dents. Even pros are impressed with how solid and durable these dent removal tools are.
