tire changer & wheel balancer

[rollscanhardly]

just went in on a shop with a buddy (still keeping my day job in the interim) but I am looking for opinions on tire changers and balancers

like most people, i don't have a money tree

i see the chinese ones all over ebay

any recommendations? experiences?

anyone know of auction houses/brokers that deal with used shop equipment?

(i'm in socal if that helps, i.e. auctions etc)

 

[kamesama980]

You get what you pay for. Granted my experience is shop environment not shopping for cheap ones but of the many I've used, some are easier/better than others.

fancier balancers will deal with stick-on weights better or inside-only weights. Better (pricier) balancers will hold calibration better. Make sure it has adapter cones for the wheels you're likely to be using it on.

consider the wheels/tires you'll be doing. Many of the manual and cheap tire changers will butcher aluminum rims. same for low-profile tires.

 

[ricky836]

We just sold our 5 year old Hoffman tire changer and balancer for $4000. Hoffman, Jim Beam and Snap on are all the same just different colors. I'd look for a used hunter if possible. Nice machines, that's what we upgraded too.

 

[firebox40dash5]

We got a used Accu Turn pair off CL for $1000. Not fancy, damn sure not new, but they mount and dismount tires. Around here tire competition is fierce and margins **** anyway... we make MAYBE $100 on a set of 4, less if it takes a bunch of expensive weights, just to be kinda competitive. That's not counting running to the tire place up the street and storing junk tires until we have enough to haul them back up there. If we used the distributors that would drop off at the shop, we'd be the most expensive shop around. Just food for thought...

 

[rival904]

Coats machines are dime a dozen and decent around here.

 

[jfcasey]

If you are looking at hunter, ask some local shops that already have them about your local hunter rep, because they make all the difference when the new machines inevitably go down.

 

[BD1]

I bought the cheap harbor freight one. It was $ 32.00 then. I use it on farm implement wheels and hay wagons , can't complain. I don't know about pick up truck tires.

 

[fordnut85]

Look at Baseline by coats, good price bought mine thru tooltopia for about 2k ea. Free shipping install and training. Been using them for 8 mo. Now with no problems

 

[nicksnothereman]

Coats machines are dime a dozen and decent around here.

Yep.

 

[garyhgaryh]

I bought a HF Semi-auto tire changer (very basic - no assist arms or pressure rollers) and I can change low profile, runflats, low profile runflats, and truck tires.

Still going strong.

 

[bobcatdan]

My buddy has about $2500 in everything from the machines, assorted tooling and wheel weights. He bought used coat equipment.

 

[garyhgaryh]

Harbor freight tire changer changing run-flat tires: