Produced out of durable steel with a high-quality polished chrome finish, the Mueller-Kueps Clip Lifter 5-pc kit can be used for the quick and easy removal of a variety of retaining vehicle clip types. With its ergonomic design and the rubberized non-slip grip, it fits comfortably in any user’s hand and won’t slip off, according to the company. The tools are arranged in a quality die-cut foam case to enable the user to keep them organized.
The review
Having access to the right tool for a certain job allows a technician to work both quickly and effectively. No matter the vehicle or the application, being able to save time while conducting repairs or maintenance can make a technician’s day a little easier and help improve a shop’s bottom line.
Ken Elzinga, owner of Byron Center, Mich.-based Hilltop Auto Service, found the Mueller-Kueps Clip Lifter 5-pc kit was a versatile offering comprised of unique clip removal tools that were designed with just the right angle and shape to allow him to get stubborn rivet clips to come out of a variety of places on the vehicles he serviced.
“The clip lifters are all similar yet unique enough that they all have their own place and purpose,” says Elzinga.
Rivet clips are seemingly everywhere on the cars and trucks of today, he says. When testing the Mueller-Kueps offering, Elzinga used it to remove clips under dash trim panels, inner fender liners, trunk access panels, some door panels, and center console panels on several makes and models of vehicles.
“What makes this tool set unique are the specific sizes of the tools that allows you to use (one) that is just the right size for the clip involved,” says Elzinga, adding that all he had to do was take a look at the clip, and find the most appropriate lifter in the kit.
Elzinga says he has used several clip removal tools in the past. However, it immediately became apparent to him the Mueller-Kueps kit was different in that it provided tools that would allow him to remove certain sizes of clips he was not able to deal with in the past.
“This set is smaller than my other clip removal tools, so it allowed me to use them on smaller clips -- where I may have used a pocket screwdriver with less success than the clip tool,” he explains.
Furthermore, many of the clips Elzinga encounters are unique to a specific vehicle. So being able to keep the clips for future use allows him not to have to replace them all, saving him money.
“Having a tool that will remove them without damage allows the job to be completed in a timely manner and maintains the originality of the vehicle by having the original clip, instead of something universal that may not look or fit as well as the original,” Elzinga adds.
Overall, Elzinga says he was pleased with the performance of the Mueller-Kueps Clip Lifter 5-pc kit, and he did not have any suggestions for how the company could improve on future iterations of the product.
“I believe the tool is unique enough to have in any technician’s toolbox, even though you may have other clip tools,” says Elzinga. “Its small size and unique shape makes it a good addition when you are trying to remove clips and not destroy them in the process.”
