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HF tire changer worth it?


Heagachongoose
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I go through a lot of tires.. I'm used to spoonin' it out but if it saves me some effort I wouldn't mind picking up a tire changer from Harbor Freight, x<$100 when they're on sale. I've never used one, and really not sure how much easier it would be than the spoons. I've read a lot of mixed reviews on the hardware. Many either super positive or super negative. Does anyone here have any real first hand experience with one?  

 

Above term "easier" is read as; "less time consuming". lol

 

 

Ride safe  :monkey:  damn we have a lot of cool smileys here! Neat. 

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I don't know if you are referring to the motorcycle attachment or the tire changer itself, but... I would say worth it if you don't care about your rims and manual labor. You need to bolt it to something. I used a pallet and that still destroys the pallet. Ideally it is bolted to a concrete floor.

 

You are going to scratch the crap out of your rims. You'll need some sort of lubricant to help get the tire off. Depending on the size of tire and how much you care about your rims, you may only get a few uses out of it. That is my experience. I have an extra one still in box that I have been wanting to sell.

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+1 on No-Mar. Mine has officially paid for itself within 2 years.

 

Definitely recommend the NoMar system.  I as well picked it up at the Motorcycle show.   Came with all the accessories + the gravity balancer.   While I spent extra for the NoMar over other brands, I have confidence in the fact it won't damage my tires and even more importantly, I have confidence to change others and help recoup some of the cost.  Definitely a good setup. . 

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google search (their page seems to be down) the mojolever and check out http://www.no-scufftiretool.com/

 

add the HF stand to use as a glorified beadbreaker and figure out a way to secure the wheel....done

 

If I had $500 to blow, I'd consider the NoMar.  I've used one and it works awesome, even the very first timer(for someone who has changed a lot of tires) it was a breeze.  Best all in one solution, period (besides paying someone else)  The only downfall is the room it takes up in my car....I've integrated my tire changer into my trailer at this point to save space.

 

Do not use the HF MC attachment and expect to have pretty wheels! after the first use they will be scratched to hell withouth special precaution.  Both the stand and tool/rod will cause all sorts of damaged to the finish.  The HF stand is an ATV tire changer....and for that it is perfect.  

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I thought HF quit selling the tire changer?   anyway there was a site that made delrin rim clamps for it and you can buy the no mar mount bar.  I have a changer I got from ebay that kind of looks like the HF changer but it's a little different.  and it will fuck up rims too.  I made some plastic clamp protectors which work but it also allows the rim to spin in them too easy.  so it makes changes without someone to help hold the rim almost impossible.  but I don't have scratched up rims.

 

I want the no mar changer instead.   unless I can come up with something better to hold the rim.  but would I go back to spoons...HELL NO.  haha   the bead breaker alone is worth the price of the changer.  

Edited by serpentracer
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if anyone is interested this is the one I bought.  it actually holds up to a 21" rim not a 16.5 like it says.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-to-16-1-2-Multi-Tire-Changer-For-Motorcycle-GoCart-Trailer-Bike-ATV-Truck-/271974427685?hash=item3f52f06c25:g:R3AAAOSwLVZV5plj&item=271974427685&vxp=mtr

 

 

whoa wait a second, no mar has one for $395 now,

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorcycle-car-No-Mar-Tire-Changer-Cycle-Hill-Standard-model-/121698494870?hash=item1c55cba996:g:D-8AAOSweW5VLo5b&item=121698494870&vxp=mtr

 

the mount bar alone was like $120 when I bought it.

Edited by serpentracer
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Easy way to hold the rim is a piece of all thread, couple washers, couple nuts, 3 small pieces of 2x4, and a hole in a flat surface the size of the wheel.  

 

Use the 2x4 as spacers to support the wheel, use threaded rod to cinch the wheel down, then take a tie-down strap and wrap it around one of the wheel spokes to keep it from spinning.  I added a piece of 6x6"x1/2" nylon to act as a big fender washer for the wheel.

 

I drilled a hole through my trailer deck and mounted a couple pieces of angle iron to the side of my trailer to emulate the HF bead breaker on the stand....I can change tires at the track if I bring the mount/demount bar, few small pieces of 2x4, tire lube, balancer and wheel weights.

 

BTW, if you buy or have the HF balancer, check that the balancing bar is straight.  I'd put money on it being crooked; mine was.

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Easy way to hold the rim is a piece of all thread, couple washers, couple nuts, 3 small pieces of 2x4, and a hole in a flat surface the size of the wheel.  

 

Use the 2x4 as spacers to support the wheel, use threaded rod to cinch the wheel down, then take a tie-down strap and wrap it around one of the wheel spokes to keep it from spinning.  I added a piece of 6x6"x1/2" nylon to act as a big fender washer for the wheel.

 

I drilled a hole through my trailer deck and mounted a couple pieces of angle iron to the side of my trailer to emulate the HF bead breaker on the stand....I can change tires at the track if I bring the mount/demount bar, few small pieces of 2x4, tire lube, balancer and wheel weights.

 

BTW, if you buy or have the HF balancer, check that the balancing bar is straight.  I'd put money on it being crooked; mine was.

I do have that the balancer and it's straight as an arrow.  I bought it a long time ago probably before they started having issues.  finding a straight rod is easy though.  for me at least. I work in a machine shop. I could use drill rod if I wanted to.  that's very straight and a lot stronger than some cheap hot roll steel

Edited by serpentracer
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The HF stand is an ATV tire changer....and for that it is perfect.

Agreed! Although I was skeptical about this for awhile. I finally spent the $39.95 on one about a year ago. It works well for breaking the beads. I still use the spoons to remove and mount the tires. A few more tire changes and it will be saving me money. If you were to spend 3 to 5 hundred on a changer, I'd think you'd have to be changing tires almost for a living. Once or twice a year, it would take along time to pay off a high dollar changer. I know the convenience factor is nice though.

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