Which Tire Repair/plug Kit Brand Wins?
In our test we compared 4 tire repair/plug kit options head to head. Western Weld came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Western Weld
Price shown in test: $48
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Slime
Price shown in test: $14
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The quick take
The short version of why each pick lands where it does, built straight from the measured results.
“I really like the Western Weld plugs, in my opinion they're by far the best”
Placed top three in 1 of 4 measurements.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Products are listed in the order they finished.
Kit weight and size
- 1Western Weld2 lb
6.1 oz (1,082 g), by far the largest kit at 240 cubic inches
- 2Grand Pitstop1 lb
13.2 oz (829 g), 112 cubic inches
- 3Slime5.1 oz
(146 g), pretty compact at 50 cubic inches
- 4Dynaplug
by far the smallest and lightest kit at only 27 cubic inches
Ease of use
- 1Western Weld
tool handles are much more robust, giving a lot more comfort and control when applying downward force; plug diameter and reaming tool are both slightly larger than the Slime's
- 2Grand Pitstop
tool handles slightly larger than the Slime's, but the plug lubricant did not seem slick enough, taking several attempts and adjustments to insert the mushroom plug, more time and effort than the Slime
- 3Slime
plastic handles are really small, making the tool more challenging to manage when applying a lot of downward force
- 4Dynaplug
the small size of the plug and tool make it capable of being used in tight spaces, such as while the tire is still on the vehicle, though the parallel handle orientation makes it more difficult to manage than the Western Weld
Initial 6-plug seal test
- 1Western Weld
no visible leaks after installation, still 35 PSI and no air leaks after about a week
- 2Grand Pitstop
one of three plugs leaked in the related 3-plug durability test; by about a week later the tire was back to 35 PSI and the plugs were properly sealed
- 3Slime
no visible leaks after installation, still 35 PSI and no air leaks after about a week
- 4Dynaplug
no visible leaks after installation, still 35 PSI with no visible air leaks after about a week
3-plug worn tire durability test (gravel, rock, and airstrip driving)
- 1Western Weld
plugs are heavier duty than Slime and Grand Pitstop and took more effort to cut, no leaks, appeared to have the least amount of wear of any brand after rough driving
- 2Grand Pitstop
experienced significant pitting and wear from rough driving, but no air leaks noted at that stage
- 3Slime
did a great job sealing the tire, held up really well with none of the plugs leaking
- 4Dynaplug
one plug leaked initially and a second plug was installed to seal it, held up really well through rough driving after that with no visible air leaks
Pull force test (average of 3 plugs, after 6 hour adhesive cure)
- 1Western Weld89 lb2nd
(about 31 lb higher than the second place Grand Pitstop) on individual pulls of 97 lb and 99 lb the plug did not rip or tear at all, a third plug gave up at 71 lb
- 2Grand Pitstop58 lb
average (46 lb, 64 lb, and 64 lb on the three pulls), moved into the lead over the Slime at that point in testing before being overtaken by the Western Weld
- 3Slimeabout52 lb
average, the plugs tended to rip and require a second pull attempt to fully remove
- 4Dynaplug41 lb
average (55 lb, 37 lb, and 31 lb on the three pulls), the lowest average of the four brands but described as impressive given the much smaller diameter of the Dynaplug's plugs versus the competition
100-plug single tire durability test
- 1Western Weld
no leaks reported from this brand's plugs after 15 miles of driving and about a week
- 2Grand Pitstop6
of the 100 total plugs in this tire were Grand Pitstop, and 2 of those 6 were leaking
- 3Slime
no leaks reported from this brand's plugs after 15 miles of driving and about a week
- 4Dynaplug
no leaks reported from this brand's plugs after 15 miles of driving and about a week
All measurements (3 more)+
Adhesive tack test (10 lb load, 15 seconds)
- 3Slime6.6 lb
(3 kg) of pull force to release, the plug flattened under the 10 lb load rather than holding its shape
- 4Dynaplug5.5 lb
(2.5 kg) of pull force to release, described as still pretty good considering the small plug diameter
- 1Western Weldnot tested
- 2Grand Pitstopnot tested
Adhesive tack test (10 lb load, 15 seconds, no extra adhesive applied)
- 1Western Weld10 lb
(4.5 kg) of pull force to release, 34 percent more tack than the Slime, held its shape well under the load unlike the Slime
- 2Grand Pitstopnot tested
- 3Slimenot tested
- 4Dynaplugnot tested
Adhesive tack test
- 2Grand Pitstop
skipped, since the mushroom plugs have no adhesive and are not sticky
- 1Western Weldnot tested
- 3Slimenot tested
- 4Dynaplugnot tested
How it was tested
- kit weight and storage size in cubic inches
- ease of use and tool ergonomics installing 6 plugs per brand (3 through the tread, 3 between tread) into separate tires, checked for leaks over about a week
- durability test with 3 plugs per brand installed in one old, worn tire, then subjected to gravel, loose rock, and airstrip driving
- pull force test (in lb/kg) to remove a cured tire plug after a 6 hour adhesive cure time
- adhesive tack test applying 10 lb of weight for 15 seconds with no additional adhesive applied
- real world test installing 100 tire plugs into a single tire and driving it 15 miles on gravel and paved roads, then checking for leaks after about a week
“I really like the Western Weld plugs, in my opinion they're by far the best”
