Dent pulling machines: how to choose a dent puller for steel and aluminum
A dent puller is a small spot welder that attaches a ring or stud to the panel so you can pull from outside. Steel and aluminum need different machines; this guide compares them, with the kits, carts and pulling tools around them.
A dent pulling machine is a small spot welder. It welds a ring, a stud or a wavy wire to the panel for a fraction of a second, you pull on it with a slide hammer, a lever or a leveling bar, then you twist the ring off and grind the spot flat. No drilling, no access from behind, and the paint on the other side of the panel is untouched. GYS makes two families: resistance spotters for steel, and stud welders for aluminum. This guide compares them with the US prices on this store, and explains when a kit is enough and when a full station pays for itself.
Steel panels: the GYSPOT spotters
All four steel machines run on single-phase 230 V, which in a US shop is a 240 V outlet. They weld pulling rings, pulling electrodes, keys and wavy wire; the difference is the current, the gun and how much adjustment you get.
| Machine | Current | Gun | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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GYSPOT 34.02 | 3,500 A | Fixed manual gun | $720 alone; LITE kit $859, PLUS kit $913, PRO kit $1,215 |
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GYSPOT 39.02 | 3,800 A | One automatic gun | $1,629 |
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GYSPOT PRO 230 | 3,800 A | Manual + automatic | $2,057 |
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GYSPOT EXPERT 200 | up to 5,100 A | Manual + automatic, current and time separate | $3,040 |
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GYSPOT ACCU 2900 | 2,800 A peak | Cordless hand-held | $1,950, December 2026 |
Searching for a mini dent puller? The 34.02 is the one: 31 lb, a fixed manual gun, and enough current for doors, hoods and quarter panels. The kits add the slide hammer, rings, electrodes and keys so nothing else is needed on day one.
Aluminum panels: stud welders
Aluminum cannot be pulled with a resistance spotter. The panel needs a stud welded to it, either by capacitor discharge or by drawn arc.
The ARCPULL 200 needs an argon bottle and the FLOW 1440 regulator ($153); the builder adds both automatically. The ALU 66 comes as a LITE kit ($1,995) or PRO kit ($2,495) with studs, puller and consumables.
Kit or station?
A kit is the machine plus its consumables and pulling tools in a case. A station adds a cart that carries the power unit, the leveling bars, the gun leads and the consumable drawers to the car, so nothing is walked across the shop. The DENTSTATION builder prices a station live from the parts on this store: pick steel, aluminum or both, pick the power units, the cart, the pulling bars and the accessories, and order it online. It ships on one pallet.
- One technician, a few dents a week: a 34.02 kit, or the 39.02 if you want the automatic gun.
- Daily steel work: PRO 230 with the MANUSPOT lever kit and a leveling bar, on a cart.
- Steel and aluminum, OEM-certified shop: PRO 230 or EXPERT 200 plus ARCPULL 200 on a DENTSTATION.
- Aluminum only, on a budget: the ALU 66 LITE kit.
Pulling: hammer, lever, bars, tower
The spotter only attaches the ring. What you pull with decides the finish.
Consumables to stock
Steel: pulling rings (straight for flat panels, twisted for body lines), the Ø16 electrode for 8x16 rings, keys, wavy wire, copper stars and a magnetic earth. Aluminum: AlMg3 rings and studs for the ARCPULL, M4 to M6 studs for the ALU 66. All of it is in the dent pulling consumables collection, each page listing the machines it fits.
Every machine here is the US-voltage version with the 2-year GYS warranty, stocked in California. To talk through a build, call (415) 419-5824, Monday to Friday Pacific time, or build your station online.
Ready to equip the shop?
Everything in this guide is stocked in California and ships with the 2-year GYS warranty. Build a dent station online, browse the collections, or call for a quote.