Anyone Got a Pneumatic/Electric Tyre changing machine?

[chris-red]

Fingers crossed I should end up with a decent sized garage in the new year. I'm thinking about what I want in there and I feel one of the most useful things would be a tyre changing machine. A Quick glance at ebay shows you can pick a working one up for ~£250. I find tyre changes such a ballache. working Mon-Fri means it only really leaves saturday morning free and even loose wheel it is costing £10 per wheel. I genuinely think I could make my money back on it eventually but more than that the convenience of being able to get in from work whip a wheel off change the tire and have it all back together at worst an hour is very attractive.

Currently it will take me the best part of saturday morning to get it down.

I've seen them being used and they do not look too difficult.

Let the tyre down.
Break the bead with the arm on the side
Clamp it on the turntable
Put the top arm on the rim and lever the tire over it
Spin it to remove the tyre.

Has anyone got one/used one/ have any advice about them?

There isn't any real difference between a car and a bike machine right?

PS I have no interest in changing it by hand, been there done that, nearly lost an eye
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Copycat73]

[MCN]

Bike and car wheel hub centre is the only major point. If you need/want to balance the wheel on a machine the bike wheel will need 'special' adaptors. That may be supplied with a balancer.

But you can easily balance with the manual ones that hold the wheel on a fake axle.
You gently spin (roll) the wheel round, let it stop, you add weight to the point that always rests at the top after two or three goes.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[MCN]

Buy bead lube (A de-fatted petroleum product).

Do not use soapy liquid. the sodium can rot the alloy rim and cause leaks.

(Sodium is the salt in washing up liquid everyone cries about when washing a car or helmet visor. )

Get some rim protectors.

A valve stem remover.

A valve core remover.

And a soft crayon or blackboard chalk. (To mark the position the wheel is on the rim to negate a need to re-balance the wheel.)
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[chris-red]

I've got the soap stuff and other tools with my manual kit. As for balancing I just raise the front wheel, remove my calipers and balance it between the forks.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Fizzer Thou]

Have you got a compressor?

Have you got 3 phase?

Have you got the space that can be dedicated to just that one piece of equipment?

You will need a valve inserting tool.

I do my own road tyres and it takes about 35 minutes to do say a 190 rear for my R1 and about 40 minutes to more accurately balance a 120 front after fitting.

I did contemplate owning a tyre changer as I used to work for a company who dealt with them as well as other garage equipment.But to make itself cost effective I would have to do other peoples tyres as well.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[chris-red]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[johnsmith222]

For home use, you are probably best just using manual equipment. I change my own car and bike tyres, using different equipment for each (bike tyres are a lot easier to do with the levers I have).

My equipment for bike:

Abba bead breaker bought second hand for maybe £40
3 long tyre levers
5 or 6 rim protectors (don't need that many, but makes things easier not having to change positions)
Big bucket of tyre soap
tyre soap brush
Stanley blade for removing old valve
99 pence valve puller/core tool
£50 compressor second hand (not worth messing about with brake cleaner and lighter method, ratchet straps etc).
£40 balancing stand


equipment for car:

£35 tyre changing stand and large wooden pallet (can get them on ebay. Also has bead breaker built in).
£70 "alloy mate" bar. Sealey make them too. Stop you fucking your rims.

Wheel balancing: none. Car's a shiter so I don't bother. Depending on how much I care, I might get a bubble balancer if I can be bothered.

that stand can do up to 16" wheels in the instructions, but was also able to do my 17 inch 225/45 tyres on my saab with force. I wouldn't want to do anything more than that.

Biggest savings are on: cost of buying tyres online from the likes of oponeo, or for the car, buying good part worns from gumtree rather than relying on the pikey bastards that hide bubbles on the inside at the part worn place.

My equipment has definitely paid for itself since 2012.

[Fizzer Thou]

[Enduro Numpty]

I've been changing my own tyres for years and the longest part of the operation is usually removing and re-fitting the wheels.

I use a Scorpion mousse changer left over from my enduro days. Basically a heavy duty, manual bead breaker that also holds wheel.

Quality tyre levers - Buzetti.

Tyre lube - helps removal and fitting

50 litre compressor - best money I've ever spent.

valve removal tool.

Static balancer and weights (rarely bother balancing rear)

I've got rim protectors but TBH I find them more bother than they're worth. I keep my bikes for a long time so the occasional scratch on the rim doesn't bother me. I've also got a tyre bar but am just as quick with levers.

Decent pressure gauge and that's about it.

From starting to remove tyre from rim to finish fitting replacement (to rim) is generally well under 10 minutes. It's all the other stuff that takes the time.

If I had a garage the size of a warehouse and too much money I'd likely buy a commercial changer but these days, in a year I probably change 6 or 8 tyres.

[G]

I've had an air-only tyre machine (I still have it, but awaiting collection as sold to a friend I owed some favours too for a knock down price a while ago.)

I don't find it massively harder using a completely manual cheap 'machine' - and much easier to take to trackdays etc. (And people have actually tried to give me money to do their tyres at trackdays - but usually been busy enough with my own stuff.)
Does take a little longer.

[Courier265]

[sickpup]

[G]

It's getting rather expensive for a completely manual solution, but if I find myself doing a good few again (only had one trackday this year), I may be tempted by one of these...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ymwz2sMqU

[Copycat73]

[chris-red]

[dodgydog]

I have one, the Hoffman mega mount, it's bike specific, and as you would imagine It's great for bike tyres. Also it will easily cope with removing and fitting car tyres.
The only problem with it is breaking the bead on car rims, which is a real struggle for some reason.
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I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realise that what you heard is not exactly what I meant

[sickpup]

[chris-red]