Tire machine recommendations

[bigred177]

I'm looking for recommendations on a tire mount/balance set.

I'm looking for a machine that can do everything from AMG alloy wheels to bobcat skid steer tires and be gentle enough but also durable enough to handle each. No crazy big rim sizes. Probably no more than 21".

Not necessarily looking for the lowest price, but the best value. This will be for my personal garage, but I seem to go through a bunch of tires for some reason.

If there isn't a suitable machine that's fine too. I'd prefer the ability to do car tires over skid steer, but y'all have way more collective information than I could hope to find.

Thanks

 

[red61cj5]

 

[Shadowdog500]

I added the duckbill mod to mine and mounting and dismounting tires is really easy. I also mounted it to a pallet so it doesn’t dance around. A retired friend was the head mechanic at a Toyota dealership stopped by when I was mounting these tires and I let him mount one. He couldn’t believe how easy it was. His tire machine was broken and he couldn’t get parts so he now has this same setup. He also had a couple old balancing machines break over the years so this time he bought a balancer that you spin the tire by hand and he really likes it.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I added the duckbill mod to mine ...

Where did you get that !

I have always said that manually mounting tire is at least 1/3 the correct tools, 1/3 adequate lube and 1/3 technique/muscle.

There are better built "stands" than the one from HF and better made mount/demount bars ! This is worth the price

Beadbuster XB450i Bead Breaker - Amazon $149

 

[Shadowdog500]

Where did you get that !

I have always said that manually mounting tire is at least 1/3 the correct tools, 1/3 adequate lube and 1/3 technique/muscle.

There are better built "stands" than the one from HF and better made mount/demount bars ! This is worth the price

Beadbuster XB450i Bead Breaker - Amazon $149

I bought it from eBay. A YouTuber came up with the idea and made a video showing how to make one. There are several people selling them if you look. I wish Harbor Freight would sell one as an add on to their tire machine. I also had to weld a brace to stiffen up the bead breaker on my HF tire machine.

Here is a video showing how it works. I have the drop center tool shown in this video and the No-Mar yellow thing tire tool that prevents the tire bead from creeping when mounting the top bead. Both of these do help. I bought these two tools when I bought the No-Mar tire changing bar which IMHO wasn't that great for car tires.

The person I bought it from appears to be out of them. Others sell them on eBay.

 

[red61cj5]

I posted it in jest, but I use mine quite alot. I pounded some threaded inserts into the floor so I can bolt it down.

 

[rockbaron1]

I made a copy of the hf manual tire machine with the duckbill mod using some old boiler pipe and flanges. I love it, works great. I also have a hand spin model balancer I use with it. I have anchors in the floor that serve double duty to secure the tire machine or the tube bender. When not in use they get stored in the corner.

 

[bigred177]

And y'all can use this on alloy rims without damage as well as something as heavy as skid steer tires?

 

[rockbaron1]

I’ve used mine on alloy rims and big off-road truck tires. Not sure about something like skid steer tires. I also haven’t had a chance to try it on low profile car tires yet but my wife’s Lexus needs tires soon so we’ll see.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I just bought this set of Amazon and so far I like it. Fast and easy to swap a tire, I've done a dozen so far, all good. I like doing my own and not scratching the rim. Took a little practice with a spare and a utube videos, also had to get an assortment of weights.

 

[djbmw]

And y'all can use this on alloy rims without damage as well as something as heavy as skid steer tires?

Not without it taking 4 hrs. per wheel lol. In all reality, if you have expensive rims that you care about and low profile (or run flat) tires, you'll want a machine with at least 1 helper arm. The manual tire changers pictured above are great for trailer tires and the like - but there's no way in hell I'd actually use one on an expensive rim and/or a hard tire (low pro and run flat).

Look on the used market for a Coats 7060 or similar - having a helper arm is helpful lol. Otherwise you'll have to mess around with those plastic bead drop tools (or scratch the heck out of the rim pressing the bead down with several bars while ensuring the tire doesnt pop off the duck head).

If you have the $$ to spend, a chinese combo (like the set that Renegade1LI above purchased) will fit the bill.

 

[PoorUB]

I added the duckbill mod to mine and mounting and dismounting tires is really easy. I also mounted it to a pallet so it doesn’t dance around. A retired friend was the head mechanic at a Toyota dealership stopped by when I was mounting these tires and I let him mount one. He couldn’t believe how easy it was. His tire machine was broken and he couldn’t get parts so he now has this same setup. He also had a couple old balancing machines break over the years so this time he bought a balancer that you spin the tire by hand and he really likes it.

I have a heavily modified version of the HF changer with the motorcycle attachment, just a rim clamp set up. The factory mount/demount bar is ****, unless you don't care about your rims.

I bought a duckbill and made a setup similar to the above. I have only done one tire since, but is seemed to me much easier that with a demount bar.

 

[bigred177]

What's y'all's opinion on the Hunter road force balancer? Very likely overkill but there are a few used ones that aren't eye wateringly expensive. They seem to be the only one doing it, useful?

 

[djbmw]

What's y'all's opinion on the Hunter road force balancer? Very likely overkill but there are a few used ones that aren't eye wateringly expensive. They seem to be the only one doing it, useful?

Out of 3,000 new wheel assemblies you might have a single one that would have been better to roadforce balance.

Now... if you are mounting up USED tires onto wonky rims, a roadforce balancer will let you know the orientation on the rim that you should remount the tire to.

Would i ever buy one? Nope.
If my machine calls for too much weight I'll just break the tire down and spin it 180 degrees. That usually drops the requested weight in half.

 

[MikeC55]

Wow, I never imagined the HF manual machine could do car tires (I bought it to do small lawn tractor tires). Has anyone successfully used it for 60 series tires on aluminum rims (with duckbill arm)? I just paid $20 each to have tires dismounted and put on mew wheels. I had been looking at used tire mount machines and most are in the $1,000 plus range. $75 is much more palatable and the HF machine doesn't permanently take up space...

 

[PoorUB]

Wow, I never imagined the HF manual machine could do car tires (I bought it to do small lawn tractor tires). Has anyone successfully used it for 60 series tires on aluminum rims (with duckbill arm)? I just paid $20 each to have tires dismounted and put on mew wheels. I had been looking at used tire mount machines and most are in the $1,000 plus range. $75 is much more palatable and the HF machine doesn't permanently take up space...

I swapped four car tires with my HF changer a couple years ago. It actually went very easily. A whole lot easier than motorcycle tires. I think it was because car tires typically are wider and have more side wall. I could slap the first bead on with a bunch of lube and just throw the tire on the rim. The second bead was a bit more difficult, as it required tools, but it slipped right on.
I have since added a duck bill and have swapped on front tire for a Goldwing, but it went on relatively easy. I would think a car tire with the **** bill would be simple. A lot of it depends on the rim. Some do not have much of a drop center and it makes it more difficult.

 

[djbmw]

Wow, I never imagined the HF manual machine could do car tires (I bought it to do small lawn tractor tires). Has anyone successfully used it for 60 series tires on aluminum rims (with duckbill arm)? I just paid $20 each to have tires dismounted and put on mew wheels. I had been looking at used tire mount machines and most are in the $1,000 plus range. $75 is much more palatable and the HF machine doesn't permanently take up space...

A 60 aspect tire should be fine.... though no guarantee about rim scratches.

A low profile tire is generally a 45 aspect or lower.. in which case a machine is almost a necessity for damage free repeatability. Same is true for runflats.

 

[MikeC55]

Thanks guys. I'm going to order one of these up.

 

[giles45shop]

Just to throw out another option for the relatively low cost manual version. I bought one of these off Amazon for $129. My original need was for ATV tires, which don't typically have a center that works with the HF mounting cone. It arrived the other day and I can say that the bead breaker worked very well, which can be a problem with these flexy side-wall ATV tires. I'm waiting on the new tires to arrive before I can comment on mounting, but I suspect it will work fine. In typical Chinese fashion, the clamps are a little sloppy on the tightening process and the center rod that you pry against during the mount/dismount is a little sloppy, but for the cost it seems like it will work fine and will pay for itself in just the eight ATV tires I need to change.

https://www.amazon.com/Gelacie-Multifunctional-Portable-Suitable-Motorcycles/dp/B0F1MXMZP3/?tag=atomicindus08-20