Does anyone have this tire changer

[Butch 194]

I have this changer but haven't used it in over 5 years. I had poor luck

trying to get rear tires off so I gave up on it. Now I wanna mount some

new 8" tires and don't know if I should try this again or just take them

to a tire dealer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=34552

Thanks

Butch

[sorekiwi 761]

I almost bought one a while ago, but HF was out of stock. There are a lot of people that swear by it. It does apparently have some issues.

There are quite a few threads about Tire changing over at MTF.

I ended up building my own thing for rear tires: http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=5701

and a bead breaker:

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4328

but I havent had to do a front lately.

[bambooheels 0]

great set up mike, and yes i have the same unit from a company called jthomas engine parts who ultimately sent me a harbor freight unit, i think it sucks! for the small amount of moeny my local gas station charges me its worth it to take to them, i save on headache pills=tylonol

[84 400 0]

What is MTF???

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

What is MTF???

My Tractor Forum

See: http://www.mytractorforum.com/index.php?

[Butch 194]

Sorekiwi I had seen that post but noticed it was for rear tires. I'm doing the fronts. When I had tires mounted on my 6" rims I took them to the tire dealer

who I consider the best around my area. He does all tires and even stocks these

garden tractor tires. But they didn't use a machine on them. They used screwdrivers and irons!! The tire machines could do the rears but the fronts were

too small. I guess they don't have machines for these smaller wheels. I also

guess a tractor store would also just be using screwdrivers and irons.

Butch

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,663]

I have one and it works just fine. You do need to put some elbow grease into it sometimes tho. Of course all the tires I dismount are usually 30 years old at least so that makes it harder.

My local guy was getting $7 to take off and $7 to put a tire back on before I got the tire changer and that was about 5 years ago. I dont know what he gets now. At $14 for a complete swap it only took me doing 2 swaps on my own to make up for the cost of the changer which I got on sale for $29.99.

I bet without exageration that I have swapped out 20 tires with it not to mention coming to the rescue of my neighbor when he needs a tire swap or two.

Mike...........

[Butch 194]

Spaky do you have it bolted down to something? How tough to mount 8"

tires? Are the supplied tools strong enough without bending?

Thanks.

Butch

[sorekiwi 761]

There's 12 reviews of this thing at Northern Tool, http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...970_13610_13610

About half the people like it.

Somewhere (probably MTF) I read about someone who mounted it on a 2x2 steel tube so they could put it in the reciever of their truck. That was actually the inspiration for the bead breaker I made.

Next time I need to do some fronts, I think I'll just weld a long 3/4" bolt to piece of bar so I can clamp that in my vice. All you need is someway to hold the wheel still while you have at it! I do have some tire spoons that work well, a short pair: http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/sto...970_14318_14318

and a long pair: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=93230

Northern have some cheap long ones too, but were out of stock when I needed them.

BTW I have never found a way to avoid screwing up nice new paint with the spoons, now I leave the edge of the wheel bare and paint it before I pop the tire up on the bead.

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,663]

Mine lives in the box it came in untill I need it. I put it in a vise when I use it. The 8" tires with the deep offset are real tough, and in my opinion are the most difficult. The ones with less offset are pretty easy. The 12' rears are usually easy. Older tires are allways tough as the rubber is stiff with age. Now if the tire is a 4 ply it will be much harder to mount or dismount in either size over a 2 ply tire. The 2 ply's are softer and more "bendy" and easier to coax onto the rim. I keep a spray bottle of soapy water and use lots of it during both the dismount and remount. I also stick in a new valve stem since the tire is allready off the rim and its real easy.

The tire tool it comes with is plenty strong and has never bent. The center bolt on the tire changer is less strong and I'm carefull to not bend it. The trick is to not put to many spacers on the rim when mounting it on the tire changer. The deeper rims require more spacers and the shallow rims need less. The instructions that come with it you might as well toss out as soon as you open the box cause their useless. I figured out the tricks to using by just using it a few times.

I have never had a tire I couldnt dismount or mount on any rim yet. But I have broken a wicked sweat on some and used my best "english" to convince a tire to get on the rim.

Mike.........

[sorekiwi 761]

And the best ones are the ones filled with calcium that drip nasty crap everywhere, and the tire is firmly embedded in the rust on the rim.... and its a genuine Silverton that you want to save... and that nasty stuff makes your vice, spoons, tire machine, bench and anything else within sight really rusty within days...

[mike_1951 0]

For doing front tire's , I took a spindle from a newer style horse and welded a bracket on the axle side that fits the top and bottom jaws on my vice. Have had no trouble mounting or dismounting 6" or 8" tires so far. :banana:

[HorseFixer 2,012]

I have this changer but haven't used it in over 5 years. I had poor luck

trying to get rear tires off so I gave up on it. Now I wanna mount some

new 8" tires and don't know if I should try this again or just take them

to a tire dealer.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...temnumber=34552

Thanks

Butch

I HAVE ONE NOW!

Butch I purchased one of these tonight, I was over in Mishawaka at Harbor Freight and got one of them. They are on sale for $34.99 I thought Awe what the heck I will give it a try once I start on my first rebuild this winter on the yellow 701 . I also purchased a couple tire Irons while over there. The concept looks pretty good to me, I can see where it will pay for itself in convenience! I have a heavy workbench made out of 4X4's and 2X12's to mount it to. So stability shouldn't be a problem. for showing me this thing should be a great addition to the HorseFixers shop! :hide:

[Tennessee Country Boy 0]

I looked at your link to the tire changers. I got the tire changer that is on it call the portable tire changer from HF. It was on sale for 29.95 when i got it. It does need bolted to the flood, but works good.

[marvairplanes 34]

I've had mine for 2/3 years...haven't found a tire yet that I wasn't able to change.I bolted it to a 4 foot long 2X12...I can C-clamp it to my work bench, use it on my outside bench, or just set it on the floor and stand on the end of the 2X12.

Paid for itself after the second tire !!!

Marv (NW Oh)

[Butch 194]

I've had mine for 2/3 years...haven't found a tire yet that I wasn't able to change.I bolted it to a 4 foot long 2X12...I can C-clamp it to my work bench, use it on my outside bench, or just set it on the floor and stand on the end of the 2X12.

Paid for itself after the second tire !!!

Marv (NW Oh)

How was it mounting tires on 8" wheels? Do you think it's easier to use on a bench or on the floor?

[GlenPettit 1,714]

I bolted mine to a cut round 16" dia log/tree stump, so it's about 16" off the floor, the stump is very heavy and I can just roll it out of the way rather than lifting. Also got a 55# anvil from Harbor Freight ($19.99 w/free ship [part of a $52 order] that is also mounted on a matching stump to roll around. How they can ship and sell that stuff so cheap???

[HorseFixer 2,012]

How was it mounting tires on 8" wheels? Do you think it's easier to use on a bench or on the floor?

Butch, mounting it to a bench and tire when on the unit being about chest height will give you better power I think! Much better than bending over. Working at that height you can get your whole body into it :hide:

[sorekiwi 761]

Butch, mounting it to a bench and tire when on the unit being about chest height will give you better power I think! Much better than bending over. Working at that height you can get your whole body into it

Yeah, us old guys dont bend in the middle too well anymore!

[Sarge 3,462]

All I can say is , find a good set of spoons (got mine from JC Whitney, not the best but good overall) and find yourself an older truck mechanic that knows how to use them . I worked for a guy for quite a few years that never even owned a decent set of spoons, just one flat iron and a 5lb hand drill (read-very short mallet) . That's how he changed all tires , clear down to 4" baby lawn riders . He could roll car tires off of aluminum alloys without a scratch , every time . I just finished swapping out the entire set on the 1277, took about 1 hour with cleanup .

Sarge

[JimD 3,345]

Yeah, us old guys dont bend in the middle too well anymore!