Manual Tire Changer

[Tscott]

I've been dealing with a few tire issues lately and I have decided it would be a good idea to be able to change a tire myself in a pinch. Does anyone have any experience with manual style tire changers? Ideally I'd like something that won't scratch up rims but honestly most of the tires I would change would be trailer tires and front tractor tires (not the giant rear ones), stuff that is already scuffed up and scratching would not matter. Cheaper is better but I'd also like a quality tool. I'd also like to be able to change a wide range of tire sizes but nothing huge. the largest rim would be around 17" or 18" but the smallest rim would be 8" or 9" for some of the yard equipment. Any advice would be appreciated.

And yes I understand it's pretty cheap to get a shop to mount and unmount a tire, but I do most of my work on the weekends and a trip to the tire shop just isn't always convenient.

Tom

 

[dave*99]

I used a manual tire changer a few times. This was for 16 thru 18 inch car tires. Some of the tires were low profile making the task more difficult. It was quite a wrestling match to do the work.

 

[raceman17]

The cheap manual tire changers will scratch all the rims. The bead breaker is about the only good thing on the whole piece. I've changed probably 100 race car tires and rims with the one I had and it was always a pain in the ***. I finally gave up and bought a rim clamp tire machine. This manual machine always needs to be bolted down or it will move all over the place when you go to use it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[fsae0607]

I have the HF manual changer. Yes, it'll scratch the rims a bit. Wrapping a bit of duct tape on the bars will help a little. I bolt mine down with carriage bolts onto a 4'x4' sheet of 3/4" thick plywood. When you stand on the plywood, it stays put.

If you buy two of those drop center tools, it helps tremendously. Use plenty of lube, too. I use NAPA Ruglyde.

 

[rlitman]

The best advice I've seen online is to bolt it to a pallet. If you're standing on the same pallet while using it, it will not move around.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I built a bead breaker which is mounted to the wall of my garage. I use tire irons or pry bars to remove the tire. I do mostly motorcycle tires. It can be done without scratching by using plastic from something thick like laundry detergent containers but there is still always a risk. It is difficult work, especially the rear tire which has thicker side walls. i have also done small snow blower tires with it which are even harder believe it or not. The smaller diameter *****. But it is doable and is helpful when nothing is open.

I only use it if I'm in a rush, or completely broke and can't pay someone else.