Draper Brake Bleeding Kit – Product Review

We’re not going to lie. We used to be a little afraid of bleeding brakes, thinking it was a dark art that had to be mastered through hours of trial and error, the fear, perpetually looming, of a potentially spongy pedal or even worse, poor or compromised braking efficiency as a result. We viewed the process as a job that could only be completed with a partner in crime, one of us in the driver’s seat, the other at whichever anchor was being flushed with fresh fluid, constantly struggling to get in sync with opening the bleed valve on the caliper while depressing the pedal. Oh how wrong we were. We just needed a brake bleeding kit.

A brake bleeder is a simple apparatus really. It’s essentially just a bottle with a hole cut in the top and some rubber tube, and this will work, generally speaking, if a little primitive. However you choose to bleed your brakes though it is a vital part of classic car maintenance. Whether you’ve had to replace a caliper, or the fluid has been in the system a bit too long and has taken on a little too much moisture (as it is prone to do), or you’re master cylinder seals have perished you’ll no doubt need to bleed your brakes at some point. Some of you may be lucky enough to have that one friend who will be only too happy to drop everything and rush round to help on the promise of a few cold beers but realistically you’re going to be doing this job on your lonesome. If that’s the case then you’re going to need a brake bleeder designed for one person. Luckily Draper has you covered.

Get your Draper brake bleeding kit here.

The Product

Most people have heard of Draper. The British company has been around since the early twentieth century after all, providing tools for consumers and professionals alike. We’ve been using its products for years and so when we needed to replace our rather sorry looking home-made bleeder we opted for the Draper brake bleeding kit. Draper isn’t re-inventing the wheel here but what it is doing is providing a simple, effective little bleed kit that allows one person to successfully and easily bleed their brakes.

Much like the DIY bleeders you can make yourself the Draper kit consists of a bottle with a hole cut in the screw-top lid and a length of hose that fits snugly inside. The difference here is that the hose has a one-way valve in the end that sits in the bottle which prevents any old fluid travelling back up towards your brakes. This is the part that dispenses with that friend we mentioned earlier, as well as the price of a six-pack as payment.

The Test

Our trusty Volvo 940 estate just so happened to require a new set of rear calipers in order for it to pass its latest MOT and so this was the perfect opportunity to break out the Draper brake bleeding kit for a test. This obviously involved disconnecting the calipers from the flexible brake hoses and replacing them (along with the hoses for peace of mind) with brand spankers. This meant that a complete bleed of the entire system was required, moving methodically from one corner to the next to ensure the new calipers, and the system as a whole, was operating at maximum efficiency in order for the car to pass its MOT re-test. And also not kill us, obviously.

The Result

Being so small the Draper kit is incredibly portable and so getting it into the right position above the relevant bleed nipple on the calipers wasn’t an issue. The supplied rubber hose is the perfect diameter to fit snugly and although it was at times difficult to get it on, it’s better to be a little tight than have a loose fit and any potential leakage.

With the hose connected we could then loosen the bleed screw, move to the cabin and depress the brake pedal slowly to the floor a few times before heading back to inspect the fluid in the hose, repeating this process while keeping the reservoir topped up until we could see clear fluid free from bubbles. We then knew that that particular part of the system was flushed and full of fresh break fluid and we could move on to the next corner. All told it was an incredibly simple, not to mention quick affair and we had the entire system bled within half an hour. We had a good, firm brake pedal along with the brakes themselves working correctly without issue.

The Verdict – 4 out of 5

The Draper brake bleeding kit is simple to use and allowed us to successfully and swiftly bleed our brakes. The non-return valve works perfectly, eradicating the need for any help and with a basic spanner for undoing the caliper bleed screws it does exactly what you need it to do. At almost £20 it is a bit pricey for what it is but if you’re not confident in making your own kit then it’s worth spending the money. It seems sturdy enough to last but we are docking a point for the cost of what is essentially a plastic bottle and a length of hose. The fact of the matter is it works, and it works well.