Gene gets fired up about knockoff PDR tools, breaks down the real economics of a small industry, celebrates the family-owned companies that keep innovating, tag-teams a botched Denali bedside with Mack, and pimps out the Tool of the Week: the KECO Robo Lifter.
Timestamps
00:00 - Welcome back - Episode 80, knocking on 100 before the end of the year
02:00 - Studio background tour: VIP PDR Tools "Trust Me, I'm a Dent Guy" shirt, Piotr's knockdowns and grip tips
04:45 - The Get a Grip cup from Matt and Dad's retirement police badge - miss you, Dad
05:45 - The Porsche cup from John and the goal it represents
06:15 - The limited edition Robo collection: the collaboration Robo, the 60th anniversary, and 10th anniversary #11 of 75 from Chris White
07:30 - 2019 MTE Mentor of the Year and the Dent Reaper bobblehead
11:30 - The main event: knockoff tools, Temu tools, and why Gene refuses to buy even one
13:30 - "I can't even recommend the cheap tools" - budget conversations with new techs
14:15 - Old-school PDR: torsion springs, leaf springs, and bending your own tools at Metal Supermarkets
16:30 - What knockoffs actually steal: the R&D (they didn't even remove Carl Stuckey's logo from the mold)
18:00 - A decade of prototype testing - six near-production hammers before one hit the market
21:00 - How small PDR really is: maybe 15,000 techs in the US vs. 30,000 body shops
24:00 - A "home run" PDR tool sells 1,000 units - Home Depot has over 2,000 stores
27:00 - The innovations that saved Gene's career: ratcheting handles, leverage handles, long kick tools
29:45 - Glue pulling's rise from last resort to first resort, plus cold glue changing the game
31:15 - The families behind the brands: Keco, Anson, the Stuckeys, VIP, Finesse, Dentcraft, Cam Auto, Ultra, Dent Jents, Dent Reaper, Excalibur, Black Plague, Shane Jacks
35:15 - The bottom line: support the companies that support us - and come to PDR Expo
37:30 - The '24 Denali bedside save: cleaning up another tech's locked-up mess with Mack
43:00 - Bonus rant: if the job is outside your skill set, refer it to a real PDR tech
45:45 - Weekly win: watching Mack take PDR by the horns - a proud dad moment and a five-star review
48:50 - Tool of the Week: the pimped-out Robo Lifter
49:45 - Black Plague Robo Legs - adjustable extension for offset pulls
51:45 - The JVF Tools tab adapter - tumbled edges, easier on the tabs and your fingers
52:45 - Crease feet and the offset trick nobody notices
53:45 - The precision plate story: fixing the "impossible" dent that sold Bob a whole system
56:00 - Wrap-up: PDR Expo at the Rio September 25-26, and help us break 5,000 on Facebook
Links & Resources
KECO Robo Mini Dent Lifter ($159.95): https://www.kecotabs.com/products/keco-robo-lifter
Robo Lifter Precision Crease Feet Upgrade Kit ($84.95): https://www.kecotabs.com/products/keco-robo-lifter-crease-tab-upgrade-kit
KECO Precision Pulling Base / Precision Plate ($59.95): https://www.kecotabs.com/products/robo-precision-pulling-plate
Black Plague Adjustable Robo Foot Set - on KECO ($50.00): https://www.kecotabs.com/products/black-plague-adjustable-robo-r-foot-set-for-use-with-keco-robo-r-mini-lifter
Black Plague Robo Legs for the RoboLifter (pair): https://www.blackplaguepdr.com/products/robo-legs-for-the-robolifter
JVF Tab Adapter for Mini Lifter: https://www.jvftools.com/product-page/jvf-tab-adapter-for-mini-lifter
PDR Expo 2026 - Sept 25-26, The Rio, Las Vegas: https://www.pdrexpo.com
Follow Dent Repair Now: @dentrepairnow on all platforms
