Vacuum or pressure brake bleeders

[KING46Calais V]

Has anyone used the one man brake bleeder kits. I see they come in two variants.
A pressure bleeder which you attach to the brake master and pump up to pressurise a container. Then you open the bleeder nipple and have the fluid pushed out until is bubble free.

and a vacuum bleeder which usually involves attaching an air compressor to a bottle which is connected to the nipple and it sucks the fluid from the master reservoir out of the nipple.

I have heard the pressure set up is best as the vacuum set up can let air in via the nipple threads

Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

I usually do it the traditional way with someone pumping the pedal but Id like an easier and simpler way that I could do on my own.

 

[lmoengnr]

Haven't tried the pressure system.
I did use the vacuum bleeder for the first time on Friday to do a flush on a Corolla.
Thought I might need a second person to keep an eye on the fluid level in the reservoir.
But it is pretty slow to bleed the system, with the trigger locked in the open position, so it was no problem keeping the fluid topped up.
It was really easy to suck the manky original fluid from the reservoir so I could start with fresh fluid.
I have an auxiliary reservoir that clips on the master cylinder reservoir to keep the fluid at a set level, works great on a Commodore, but wouldn't work on the Corolla.

 

[panhead]

I use the old milk bottle method, I keep the milk bottle and tubing in the shed with my other tools.

I can do a complete flush on some of my old girls in under an hour.




.

 

[vc commodore]

I used the vacuum bleeder on my VC to do the system on that.

After each corner I just topped the master cylinder up and everything was fine.

So yes, a matter of keeping an eye on the fluid lever

 

[dassaur]

I switched to a pressure bleeder. So good! Much easier and quicker than vacuum which I used to use.

 

[stick3]

i have the vacuum bleeder makes the job so much easier and does comes with a bottle you fill with brake fluid to insert into the master cylinder its has different size legs to fit various m/c

 

[krusing]

as the vacuum set up can let air in via the nipple threads

Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

I usually do it the traditional way with someone pumping the pedal but Id like an easier and simpler way that I could do on my own.

I purchased a vac type unit, and you are 100% correct, as it does let air back into the caliper via the nipple thread,

I am with you, I ALWAYS use a second person to bleed the brakes, most efficient way to get the air out of the system, and clean fluid through the system,

What I do use, are these to clamp the hoses before disconnecting them from the caliper, and only remove them when ready to bleed each side,
so all the fluid is not drained/siphoned out the lines.

 

[RevNev]

I use the old milk bottle method, I keep the milk bottle and tubing in the shed with my other tools.

I can do a complete flush on some of my old girls in under an hour.

I've tried both vacuum and pressure bleeders and still prefer the bottle and tube manual method with someone pumping the brake pedal.

 

[shane_3800]

I've used both, my current work has an ATE electric pressure bleeder, which is magic, it really makes biannual brake fluid flushes a breeze.
I have used the vacuum type since I was an apprentice.
The air getting past the threads isn't air going into the brakes, but it does make it hard to see what is coming out of the nipple.

If you're not doing this at a trade level, then some clear tubing on the nipple and a hole in the top of a bottle is fine.
You just pump the pedal and the fluid travels into the bottle, then you lock up the nipple, air won't move into the system.

 

[shane_3800]

This is the ATE unit I currently use, they retail for 5k
https://www.ate-info.de/en/details/...gsgeraet-fb-30sr-mit-integr-absaugvorrichtung