Finding the Best Tire Changer for Your Shop

Even the most durable tire changer eventually needs service. Make sure the manufacturer supports its products in the field with a team of reliable service representatives.

Does the manufacturer offer training at installation, onsite training, training videos, a thorough operation manual, and anything else necessary to ensure safe and efficient use?

This is vital with today's high-performance specialty wheels. All reputable tire changing equipment has wheel protection built into every contact point with the rim or tire.

Tire changers take a lot of abuse. Steel thickness, welds, component size and overall weight are good indicators of a machine's sturdiness and durability.

Various tire changers are optimized for certain types of tires. The best companies offer appropriate styles of equipment, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” product. HD tires require their own classification of equipment to service.  

Tires today may require more torque to service than previous generations. Pay particular attention to the power choices available, and especially consider 220V options.

Leverless tire changers offer superior wheel protection, safety and ease of use for even the most difficult tires. Levered tire changers are fast and familiar for most technicians, but require more effort and pose more damage risk.

The side shovel arm and mechanism is the most abused component on a tire changer. The size and heft of this system is an easy-to-spot indicator of the tire changer's durability.

Features like a leverless mount head, roller bead breaking, press-assist devices and wheel lifts make the technician’s job safer and easier at the same time.  

While side shovel bead breakers are very effective, roller bead breaking offers a higher level of wheel and technician safety.

The mount/demount head guides beads on and off the wheel, leverless heads are physically easier to use and safer for wheels than traditional heads.

Controlling heavy or stiff beads takes a lot of force, assist devices like press arms allow a single technician to position beads right where they are needed for mounting and demounting.

The most challenging and time-consuming part of tire service on some fitments can be sealing and seating beads. Built-in blast inflation takes the place of handheld devices, making bead sealing faster and easier for a single technician to perform.

A wheel lift system is crucial for technician safety. The lift can raise the heaviest assemblies with ease. Additionally, it helps prevent damage to the wheel and eases back strain. 

Center clamping provides maximum wheel safety and never slips, although it may require adapters for certain wheels. Tabletop clamping is very fast and doesn't require special adapters, but doesn't provide the same level of wheel protection.