It’s amazing how much work Todd at Project Farm puts into his product testing videos. Sometimes, I get exhausted just watching him set up a test or looking at the impressive test equipment he builds for each testing process.

For this test, he looked at seven different repair solutions for stripped threads: TIME-SERT, Heli Coil, E-Z LOK, HHIP, Loctite Stripped Thread Repair Epoxy, JB Weld, and simply using copper wire in the threads. The thread repair products were compared for maximum tightening strength and against a baseline (1/2 inch threaded aluminum). The damaged threads repaired by each product were then tested for tensile strength until the product failed or the bolt broke.

The bottom line: In the end, most of the brands performed well, even the cheaper ones. Which one you choose depends on a number of factors: Your need for corrosion resistance, the size of the insert, and the price that you’re willing to spend the have the threads repaired. For average situations, the Heli Coil Thread Repair Kit ($25) seems like the ticket.