Changed my mind about using a stud welder after snapping off my third dent pull

I've been doing body work for about 12 years now and always thought those stud welder kits were a waste of money. Figured a good set of glue pull tabs and a slide hammer was all you really needed. Last week I was working on a 2017 Ford F-150 door in San Antonio that had a crease right along the body line. Pulled out the glue tabs like always but after the third one snapped off clean and left glue residue all over the paint I was pretty frustrated. My buddy down the shop brought over his stud welder and showed me how fast it worked on that same spot. He welded on maybe eight studs in five minutes and the pull was way more controlled than what I was doing. Ended up finishing that door in half the time and with way less filler needed. Now I'm thinking about picking up one of those cheap units from Harbor Freight just to try on the next job. Does anyone here use a stud welder regularly or do you stick with glue tabs for most stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

umabailey1mo ago

Oh man, I gotta say I was in the same boat for years... swore by glue tabs and thought stud welders were just for hack jobs. Then I borrowed my cousin's setup on a tricky quarter panel and it totally changed my mind. The control you get is just way better, especially on those stubborn creases near body lines. I ended up buying a used one off Craigslist and now I grab it for most things, even when glue tabs would work. It's just faster and way less messy in the long run.

angelac631mo ago

Ugh, I feel that SO much. I was the exact same way until a buddy made me try his on a door skin and I never looked back.

andrewt411mo ago

Honestly, the thing nobody's talking about is how much cleaner the backside of the panel stays with a stud welder. @umabailey mentioned the control and they're dead right, but when you're pulling glue tabs on a door skin and that glue heats up, it can warp the metal around the pull point if you're not careful. With studs, you're putting tension exactly where you need it without heating up the whole surrounding area. Plus, a cheap Harbor Freight unit will work fine for basic stuff but keep an eye on the trigger switch, mine started sticking after about six months and I had to swap it out.