Lisle24300 Speedy Brake Pad Spreader

First off, let's get this right out of the way.. I'm not a pro. At anything. I wanted to save a couple hundred bucks so I decided to change my wife's brake pads and rotors myself over the weekend. I didn't have any clamps or other tools for resetting the caliper piston, so I came on here and picked this tool up based off of the user feedback. It did not steer me wrong! Even for a first timer, this tool was intuitive to use and worked well on the first try. There may be cheaper options out there, but this tool looks good and is well built so I'm expecting it to last a long time. If you're looking for something that's easy to use and will last a long time, try picking this up. As an added bonus, tell them that, "Ryan sent you" when making your purchase. They won't care, or know who that is, but do it anyway. Let's see what happens.

I'm a professional mechanic and I've been using the Lisle break pad spreader(it's really a caliper depressor) for about 8 months now. I was worried after seeing the bad review here on Amazon, but after searching and finding no other viable options I bought this. It appears to be the same unit that the Matco truck guy sells. The quality of the unit seems exceptional and has held up great for me so far. I could see this unit possibly breaking in the wrong hands. It works great it you squeeze the handle slowly as the caliper will not want to move easily. If someone tried using this on a frozen caliper or the ratcheting style calipers I could see it breaking due to misuse - I'm not saying the other reviewer did this, I'm just surprised that his unit broke so easily. A caliper shouldn't require extensive amount of strength to depress when using this tool, if it does the problem is probably with the caliper. The metal it is made out of seems plenty solid and in no way did it seem as cheap as the other reviewer led me to believe. If mine broke today I would definitely order another one, this is an essential tool for any mechanic or diy'er.Update 2/13/13: This tool is still performing great. I just helped a buddy do his front brakes and although he insisted he had everything to do the job(he did), I brought these along just in case. I handed them to him when it came time to depress the caliper and he kind of looked at me funny. At first he wanted to use his trusty C-clamp but I insisted he try this tool. I showed them how they worked and let him try them out on both calipers. At the end of the brake job he was asking who made them and where he could get them. It's just one of those tools that some people don't even know exists, but once you do you wonder how you lived without it.Update 8/28/15: I've been using this for well over three years now and it's still working great. I also purchased the quad piston caliper compressor and the pad spreader by lisle and they all work equally well.Update 2/23/17: It's been 5 years now and this tool is still working like the day I bought it.

The operation is simple and effective, and the assembly feels sturdy, if a little sloppy. The process to make it flat for easy storage is a little more involved than I'd like it to be, so it takes a bit of room in the box. Otherwise, much better than just a big pair of pliers

I have used just about every common method to push back/retract brake pistons, but this is by far the easiest and fastest method to date for pushing back non-ratcheting, single-piston calipers.I personally don’t work on cars for a living, but it has provided both cost-savings and enjoyment over the years. Enjoyable when things go well or as intended. Frustration when a seemingly simple task takes too long. Properly designed tools go a long way to reducing frustration, and making automotive maintenance more fun than a chore. This tool checks that block. A single piston takes less than 10 seconds to retract. No fumbling with a clumsy C-clamp (if you can find one that actually fits), no damage to the protective coating on the caliper or piston boot - just a few effortless steps and you’re done. Simply retract the compression head, insert the back plate to the apprising side, squeeze the caulk-gun style trigger 3-4 times (it’s obvious when the piston is fully retracted - there’s no need to try to force it either), retract the compression head a little, slide it out and you’re done in just a few seconds.If you have to squeeze hard with this tool - your caliper uses a screw-ratcheting piston (usually rear brakes where the parking brake is part of the caliper), and this is not the correct tool.

This thing work great for standard break calipers. I wish I would have got one years ago.

Good

It's simple to use and beats using an old c-clap to push the piston in. I wish I had gotten one of these 40 years ago.

I've always done my own breaks and simply used C-clamps in the past. But, this compact device made swapping brake pads a breeze. Effortlessly compressing calipers, saved me time and frustration. Sturdy build and ergonomic design is a game-changer for home repairs.A small investment for big convenience!

Excelente producto, muy buena calidad y súper fácil de utilizar.

Great tool makes changing brakes 10x faster tool pays for itself on the first job you use them on will be buying another set for sure

Muy buena herramienta , la verdad muy práctica y de buen material ... la recomiendo 👌

Es una herramienta super útil tengo el de doble piston desde hace más de 10 años y finalmente este de 1 piston,lo recomiendo al 100%

Buen terminado y excelente material.