United States
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
IrelandProject Farm finds heat beats penetrating oil on rusted bolts
Todd's comparison of induction heaters crowns Bolt Buster in every category and names Mxmoonfree the pick for tighter budgets.
Project Farm
Story of Why this story? 1,935,872 views so far, and here is what is inside it.
I’ll Never Use A Torch Again for Rusty Bolts!
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:45A rusted nut needs 290 foot-pounds to break loose with no heat or oil, the control for every comparison.
- 3:19Heating and loosening while hot drops the average to 43.9 foot-pounds, far better than AeroKroil penetrating oil.
- 3:35Heat gun, MAPP gas torch and each induction heater race to bring a 10mm bolt to 1,000°F.
- 10:08Each unit melts a low-temperature aluminum welding rod inside a 3/4-inch bolt, timed head to head.
- 15:12Calipers show Bolt Buster and Mxmoonfree have the thickest coil wire, 3.2 mm and 3.0 mm.
- 18:19Scoreboard: Bolt Buster wins every category; Mxmoonfree is the recommended budget pick.
Project Farm opens with a rusted nut that takes 290 foot-pounds to break loose cold and dry. "Now, that's a lot of torque," Todd says.
That is the baseline for "I'll Never Use A Torch Again for Rusty Bolts!", and the title's promise arrives within the first four minutes. AeroKroil penetrating oil lowers the effort somewhat. Heating the nut with a magnetic induction heater and turning it while hot does far more: across the heated bolts, the torque averaged roughly a sixth of the untreated figure. "Penetrating oil is better than nothing, but not nearly as good as applying heat," Todd concludes.
The rest of the video asks which of these flameless tools earns its price. Each heater races to bring a 10mm bolt to 1,000°F, alongside a heat gun and a MAPP gas torch, and Todd notes one induction unit finishing "11 seconds faster than the MAPP gas." Later rounds melt a low-temperature aluminum welding rod inside a bolt, heat a larger bolt to 1,300°F with the same coil on every machine, measure coil wire thickness with calipers, and run each unit on a thick steel shaft until its overload protection steps in.
The verdict is unambiguous. Bolt Buster, the most expensive heater on screen at $400, "ran circles around the competition," taking first in every category. For buyers watching costs, Todd says he "would definitely go with the Mxmoonfree." The description adds that he bought every heater himself.
The review has drawn nearly two million views in three days. Many commenters fix on how the test bolts got that way, describing a rusting agent applied every day for three months, while others ask for a tour of the workshop where the surviving tools and his test rigs live.
Published on Trari
Where next?
What viewers say
Treated the bolts every day for 3 months! Your dedication to your tests and viewers is always very appreciated, Todd!!
@Dug69420See it on YouTubedo i need one? No.
do i want to know which one is the best? yes!@TheKillerman3333See it on YouTubeThis channel is what Consumer Reports SHOULD BE.
@southbound1969See it on YouTube
7 more comments
Sunday game: ❌
Project farm: ✅@In-car-NateSee it on YouTubeI bought one (Vevor) a few years back. Best money I ever spent. Only thing I'll add is to remind people that just because a bolt or nut isn't glowing, doesn't mean it's not still hot.
@hydewhyte4364See it on YouTubeI did suspension work on my rotting Midwest car and this thing was a lifesaver. Among the best "nice to have" tools I own
@janitor4594See it on YouTubeAs a mobile mechanic these are a life saver! I’eve brought it with me to remove 02 sensors and exhaust bolts. Really worth the money when you need them.
@meanodustino9563See it on YouTubeI’d love to see a behind-the-scenes episode showing how you store all the tools that survive testing, especially the previous winners that you bring back for future comparisons! A tour of your testing equipment, workshop, and how you design and build those wonderfully elaborate test rigs might be just as entertaining as your regular comparisons. I suspect I’m not the only one who’d love to see it!
@ten24bounty11See it on YouTubeSpending 3 months to make rusty bolts is awesome:)
@elijah06See it on YouTubeYou deserve a medal just for pronouncing all those unusual product names with breaking into a chuckle😄. Thanks for another great review. Always thorough and to the point.
@johnbower5527See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
Is this your channel?For the channel's owners and team: a ready picture and text for your audience
Share the story with your audience. Everything is ready:
For an Instagram story or a WhatsApp status
For a community post or your channel's description
- Channel
- Project Farm
- Subscribers
- 3,950,000 ▲ 10,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 4,968,505
- Channel views, pace per day
- 1,036,190 (on a normal day: 576,024)
- Video published
- October 25, 2026
- Video views so far
- 1,935,872 (3 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 756,255 (on a normal day: 511,305)
The numbers
The rusty-bolt review is pulling in viewers at a brisk pace, in line with a channel where daily views are running well above their usual level.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which penetrating oil does Todd test against heat in the rusted-bolt torque test?
The video compares untreated bolts, bolts treated with AeroKroil and bolts loosened while induction-heated.