Which Thread Locker Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 5 thread locker options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Some figures on this page were transcribed from the test video and have not been independently re-verified. Treat the numbers as a close guide and watch the full video for the exact readings.
Permatex 242000
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | No-load torque test | Pre-vibration removal force | Post-vibration removal force |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Permatex 242000 | possibly moved at 20 in-lb (transcript garbled: "from a text move to 20 inch pounds"; brand attribution inferred by elimination, not stated by name in the transcript) | failed at 8 lb (weight-on-wrench-arm method) | failed (no lb value captured in transcript, transcript only says "Permatex fail") |
| 2JB Weld 24206 | moved at 25 in-lb | not tested | failed at 8 lb (transcript: "GD well failed 8 pounds"; "GD well" resolved to JB Weld against the description's product list) |
| 3Loctite 242 | did not hold, failed immediately at 10 in-lb | not tested | possibly 9 lb (transcript: "9 pounds ok Permatex fail"; brand inferred by elimination as the one remaining unnamed product in this clause, not stated by name) |
| 4Pro-Seal 24206 | 235 in-lb (transcript: "Pro steel did 235 inch pounds"; roughly 10x the other three no-load values of 10 to 25 in-lb, likely a dropped caption digit, e.g. possibly 23.5; kept verbatim per rule, not corrected) | not tested | failed at 8 lb |
| 5Vibra-Tite | just moved (no specific torque value narrated) | not tested | failed at 11 lb |
How it was tested
- torque required to loosen the nut with no load applied (baseline, measured with a torque wrench)
- force to remove the nut from a bolt torqued to 50 in-lb, before vibration exposure (weight-on-wrench-arm method, since the torque wrench could not measure this high)
- force to remove the nut from a bolt torqued to 50 in-lb, after several hours of vibration on a running lawn mower engine (repeat measurement, same weight-arm method)
Data notes and caveats
5 products tested (Permatex 242000, JB Weld 24206, Loctite 242, Pro-Seal, Vibra-Tite) across 3 tests: no-load torque, pre-vibration 50in-lb removal force, and post-vibration removal force after several hours on a running lawn mower engine. Numeric attribution is heavily garbled throughout: brand names are dropped or badly mangled next to their measured values (fibertite/viper tight = Vibra-Tite, GD well = JB Weld, Pro steel = Pro-Seal), and two values required elimination-based brand inference rather than an explicit name in the transcript (a 20 in-lb no-load value likely belongs to Permatex, a 9 lb post-vibration value likely belongs to Loctite); both are flagged as uncertain in the respective product notes, not stated as fact. Pro-Seal's no-load value of 235 in-lb is roughly 10x its peers (10 to 25 in-lb) and is likely a dropped caption digit; kept verbatim, not corrected. Pre-vibration removal-force data is only clearly captured for 2 of 5 products (Permatex 8 lb, one unnamed product 13 lb); the other three brands' pre-vibration values are missing or unattributed in the transcript, most likely a caption/edit gap rather than the products being skipped, since each of those three does have a post-vibration and/or no-load value elsewhere. No price is mentioned anywhere in the transcript. The narrator declares no overall winner (closing line: "not all thread lockers are equal"); products are listed in the order they were introduced in the intro rather than a performance ranking, since the three tests produce mixed and incomplete results across brands that do not support a single ranking. Pro-Seal's description-listed model number (24206) duplicates JB Weld's, likely a description typo; kept as given per the verbatim rule.