Allstar Brake Bleeder Bottle

I can't believe I've waited this long to get a product like this. In the past I've tried those cheap little vacuum kits from the car store, and of course I've tried enlisting the help of unwilling teenagers or spouses, and used jars, a variety of tubing around the house, and even no tubing and just a glass jar.Bleeding brakes is a piece of cake. Flushing fluid is just as easy, you just do it slightly longer. So you'd think there would be little room for improvement in something that's already so simple. Wrong. This thing is fantastic.The tube itself is silicon, which means it pops right on, pops right off and is perfectly sized for bleeders. In the past I've used more readily available PVC tubing and trust me, silicon is much better handling. Unfortunately silicon is rather opaque, but I was able to clearly see air bubbles in the tubing. I couldn't really easily tell when I had flushed out all the old fluid though, because the way my resevoir is designed I couldn't remove all the old stuff from it first, I had to just keep adding new to it and so there wasn't a really obviously "dirty, new" change: it was more dark brown fading out to yellow then eventually clear. That meant that it was a bit more difficult to see in the tube. Next time I'd like to see if there's colored fluid I can use. That way as long as I keep changing colors it will be really obvious when the new fluid has chased out.The jar can hold an entire flush, although I emptied it between wheels so I could inspect what was coming out of each one. It's translucent, and you can generally see the color of the fluid. In the photo's you can see how easy it is to tell that the old fluid coming out is dark brown (I'm a bad car owner, and I should feel bad). You can also tell that it's clearing up, although you can't quite tell if it's yellow or white. As the new fluid mixes in it can be hard to tell, particularly since the silicone tube is a bit more opaque. However, if you unscrew the lid and peek in, the tube that's inside is PVC and quite transparent so I just kept going until it seemed like I had flushed, could see some "layering" of fluids in the jar, then I'd just unscrew the lid and peek in to confirm. I suppose that is one advantage to PVC hosing - it's perfectly clear so you can see exactly what's in it, but I much, much prefer the handling of silicon tubing.The built in check valve works pretty darn well, and definitely makes it safe for 1-person bleeding or flushing. I like that the vale is on the INPUT side (the red nipple) so you can unscrew the lid while it's attached without letting air in.There's even a black nipple that you can use to attach a vacuum hose if you want. I found that to be extremely helpful, and check this out -when you're done using it, you just pop the end of the hose on the black nipples and no spills - you've closed the system !The magnet seems just strong enough. I let it get about 2/3 full at one point, and the magnet held strong. As others have said it is riveted in, so take care not to rip the plastic bottle.Every other time I've tried to bleed or flush my brakes it's been a total pain in the ass of trying to track down one of my lazy teenagers ,and then when they do finally get off their butt and come help, it's the old "ok, press down a few times, hold down, ok up". This device made flushing so easy I actually *enjoyed it*. Yes. I actually enjoyed flushing my brake fluid using this.If you do your own brake work, and you're getting along just fine without something like this - buy it anyhow because seriously you don't realize how nice and easy it can get. You wont regret it. Using this product is the first time I've actually enjoyed flushing/bleeding my brakes.

Very handy! Size is a 10/10, storage capacity is a 10/10, I love the magnetic design, value for money is a 8/10, just wish it was a tad bit cheaper. But, quality and durability is a 10/10!

I purchased the version of the bottle with the magnet and check valve. It worked beautifully. Key reasons, 1) the silicone tubing fits perfectly snug and stays on my Honda Gold Wing's 8mm bleeder valves. 2) the check valve inside the bottle is indispensable, as it prevents back-flow of air brake fluid into the tubing and brake lines. The bottle, tubing and construction are good quality, and although 30 bucks seems somewhat steep for plastic, the trouble-free experience made it well worth it for me. I'm a first timer at bleeding brakes, and I was able to bleed the brakes on two Gold Wings in little while.

I received this Allstar Performance Brake Bleeder Bottle with one-way check valve and magnet this morning and I put it to use on two motorcycles. This thing is wonderful! I just leisurely worked and did both bikes in about an hour and a half with zero issues. Nothing leaked and the check valve worked flawlessly. This is such a simple device but it is a game-changer for me. I have a vacuum bleeder but it is just too cumbersome and involved and always makes a huge mess. I had zero messes with this bleeder bottle and it was a pleasure to use. The magnet was great, as I stuck it to the disc and it stayed in place with no problem. The brake feel is absolutely solid with zero air introduced into the system. I love this item and I only wish I would have gotten it sooner. It's well-made and should provide many years of quality service. I don't usually leave reviews, but this item is awesome and fun to use! I would get one if I were you.

Works well for single person brake bleeding

I've never used a one man bleeder before, but it's always been a convenience I wanted to have access to. I was debating between this model and one that was @$8-15 on amazon. I chose this one mainly due to the included check valve, and larger reservoir.I would recommend that the quality of this product justifies its added expense.-The hose is a thick-walled, soft, silicone material. It stays firmly attached (& air tight) to bleeder nipples regardless of turning or light tugging. It is easy to position/route, and see-through (allowing you to check fluid color & air contamination). Much better than a vinyl type hard-walled hose.-The check valve seems to work well. Not a necessity, but again, I went with the "buy once" motto. It sure is a nice convenience at the very least. a 1/4" in line check valve would run you at least $3-4 from what I found. When you disconnect the hose from the bleeder, the remaining fluid in the hose will still pass through into the bottle via gravity (mess free).-The material that the bottle & cap are made of seems adequate to last 5+ years. The lid threads on well. If the bottle tipped over I wouldn't be worried.-The magnet is adequate. I'd like it to be 25% stronger, and I somewhat worry about how it will last over the years where it is fused to the plastic bottle. I thought a magnet would be useless & planned to use a tether- the magnet actually was of use. I stuck it to the trailing arms in the rear and it kept the bottle vertical. I had the wheels off in the front & think I stuck it to the rotor or somewhere convenient. I'd recommend sliding the magnet off of a surface when removing it (rather than yanking/levering it off like a refrigerator magnet). This is due to the way the magnet is fused to the rather delicate plastic. I don't foresee issues if you're aware of it & take precaution. If the magnet were stronger I assume it would make this issue worse, so again: the magnet is perfectly adequate to hold the bottle (I had it ~half full when I was using it)In short I'm glad I spent the $5-10 more to get the bottle I wanted. I'm sure it'll save a few headaches over the years. If I could do it again I'd choose the magnet style over the tether style. I'm also going to keep an eye out for a hose that's ~8-12" longer of the same material.And watch bleeder nipples, air can be introduced via their threads if they become very loose during bleeding.