Harbor Freight Tire Machine?

[jajpko]

I'm thinking changing my own tires. Wondering what everyone thinks of the HF and also if you don't like it, what would you buy.
I always took my tires in and it was not too bad, but the shop has gone up on price and I think with this bike I might save some money. Ha...

So, what do you think?

 

[dcstrom]

I have one, but found it such a pita to use that I no longer do... acutally just use it for breaking the bead. If you practice your tire changing technique long enough it gets pretty easy. Not as easy as using a good tire changing machine, but the HF is not that!

 

[markjenn]

I agree with the previous. Some like this HF unit, but an equal number thinks its junk. I have a friend who has one and while it works in a fashion, it seems no better than my home-brew setup using an old steel car wheel to hold the mc wheel and conventional tire irons. If you want a decent changing machine, I'd step up to the Nomar. But you've got to have dedicated space and a way to bolt the thing up.

This describes the home-brew approach I use. I also like the 16" Motion Pro tire irons (x3). When not in use, all I have to deal with is an old car wheel I can stash on a shelf.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing-doc.html

- Mark

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I have a HF tire changer. But I also bought a Mojo Lever and plastic blocks to prevent scratching. As delivered it's a scratch machine. With the extras I bought the rim is safe. It's not a high quality changer, but if I use enough swear words I get my tires changed using it. It's cheap, it works, but I have to think other units are more graceful if you're willing to spend the money. Changing your own tires will save you a lot of money.

 

[Mellow]

I don't believe HF sells it anymore. So, you may have to buy used.

I had one once and gave up on changing tires as it was too much for me.. but, I was looking for something easy and didn't have the patience for it.

I've since gotten a no mar and have done many tires, they sell a cheaper version called the cycle hill tire changer, both are great products. But, you need to do a few tires before you get to the point everything goes smoothly and every now and then you get a strange tire/wheel combo that is a little tougher than normal. During the summer I'm doing 2-4 tires almost every weekend 'til it gets real hot, then things slow down.

I found putting the Mich Anakee2s on the S10 I had to put a strap around the tire to get the bead to seal and get it to hold air and seat. Same happened this weekend putting a Shinko 705 on a GS 1150.

You are more than welcome to just have the tires shipped to me and then ride over to Carrollton and we'll install them.

 

[jajpko]

I agree with the previous. Some like this HF unit, but an equal number thinks its junk. I have a friend who has one and while it works in a fashion, it seems no better than my home-brew setup using an old steel car wheel to hold the mc wheel and conventional tire irons. If you want a decent changing machine, I'd step up to the Nomar. But you've got to have dedicated space and a way to bolt the thing up.

This describes the home-brew approach I use. I also like the 16" Motion Pro tire irons (x3). When not in use, all I have to deal with is an old car wheel I can stash on a shelf.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing-doc.html

- Mark

Thanks Mark, that was a good read..

 

[coastie]

Or you could make your own for a few bucks, like my buddy Trace did. There are actually a bunch of free or almost free ways to break a beed.

 

[jajpko]

I don't believe HF sells it anymore. So, you may have to buy used.

I had one once and gave up on changing tires as it was too much for me.. but, I was looking for something easy and didn't have the patience for it.

I've since gotten a no mar and have done many tires, they sell a cheaper version called the cycle hill tire changer, both are great products. But, you need to do a few tires before you get to the point everything goes smoothly and every now and then you get a strange tire/wheel combo that is a little tougher than normal. During the summer I'm doing 2-4 tires almost every weekend 'til it gets real hot, then things slow down.

I found putting the Mich Anakee2s on the S10 I had to put a strap around the tire to get the bead to seal and get it to hold air and seat. Same happened this weekend putting a Shinko 705 on a GS 1150.

You are more than welcome to just have the tires shipped to me and then ride over to Carrollton and we'll install them.

Thanks for the offer Mellow. I'll keep it in mind.

 

[jajpko]

I have a HF tire changer. But I also bought a Mojo Lever and plastic blocks to prevent scratching. As delivered it's a scratch machine. With the extras I bought the rim is safe. It's not a high quality changer, but if I use enough swear words I get my tires changed using it. It's cheap, it works, but I have to think other units are more graceful if you're willing to spend the money. Changing your own tires will save you a lot of money.

Thanks DD, I saw what a guy suggested on the Goldwing forum and was the same as yours. What makes the tire changer so difficult to use? Is there anything else to do to it?

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Thanks DD, I saw what a guy suggested on the Goldwing forum and was the same as yours. What makes the tire changer so difficult to use? Is there anything else to do to it?

A few things make it challenging. You must install something to keep the unit from scratching your rim. The after market plastic rim holders I use are slippery and allow the rim to spin. Which means you need to hold it in place with a tie-down. That works, but still allows a little movement. I've bolted it to my barn floor, but it is still has more movement than I would prefer when under pressure. It's not horrible, but I have to believe there are better operating units out there.

 

[jajpko]

A few things make it challenging. You must install something to keep the unit from scratching your rim. The after market plastic rim holders I use are slippery and allow the rim to spin. Which means you need to hold it in place with a tie-down. That works, but still allows a little movement. I've bolted it to my barn floor, but it is still has more movement than I would prefer when under pressure. It's not horrible, but I have to believe there are better operating units out there.

Thanks.... I agree with better units, but the price looks good. ::025:: I just didn't want to sink a lot of money into this...
I've been looking for a used No Mar or other brand, but no joy..

 

[stevepsd]

I have the HF machine, and now I have the No-Mar Pro.

The HF is a scratch-O-matic, no big deal for steel rims but brutal on Aluminum unless you buy the MoJo tire lever and securing blocks. Then it's ok. Just ok. I finally got fed-up with it.

Even the cheapest NoMar (the CycleHill at around $450) is a much, much better than the HF.

 

[stevepsd]

I change tires on the floor by hand and even done my GL1800 Goldwing this way despite everyone on the GL1800 newsgroup saying it was not possible. I guess everything is possible if you set your mind to it, and yes I did the change with no scratches. Takes practice and I have plenty of that over the last 40yrs. I like the Nomar stuff and use their irons, lube, the yellow thing, other tips on their site help too like using wood blocks. Don't need the machine though.

I did the same for many, many years.....but it is much easier on my back to use the No-Mar machine and get off the floor ;D ....just like I finally bought a bike lift so I don't have to do so much work on my hands & knees and I am even thinking about buying a 2 or 4 post car lift as well! Getting where I hate to lay on my back on a cold concrete garage floor to do maintenance!

 

[markjenn]

I did the same for many, many years.....but it is much easier on my back to use the No-Mar machine and get off the floor ;D ....just like I finally bought a bike lift so I don't have to do so much work on my hands & knees and I am even thinking about buying a 2 or 4 post car lift as well! Getting where I hate to lay on my back on a cold concrete garage floor to do maintenance!

Bike lifts (and tire machines) are great. I'd love to have a car lift, but I think that would put me over a Maginot Line with the wife where I might as well go ahead and put it a bed and bathroom out there as well and visit the rest of the house on alternating thursdays.

- Mark

 

[Checkswrecks]

I have the HF and it took a couple of tires to get technique down. Now it just works.


First is that I don't have room to permanently mount it somewhere. It stows easily and mounts to a 4'x4' piece of 3/4"(?) plywood that is normally against the wall behind my roll-away tool box. When it's time to change tires, it assembles with 4 wing nuts, so at most 5 minutes.


My bigger issue is to throw a strap around a spoke to keep the wheel from spinning on the changer.


I used to keep meaning to get a no-mar bar, but wrapping a piece of wet leather around the end of the stock bar works to prevent scratching.


So no, it's not as easy as handing over money to a shop but we're doing too many tires for that.


Don't forget that it works for mail-order car tires, too!
http://www.onlinetires.com/

 

[jajpko]

Thanks for all the info!! It has been really helpful. It looks like it is a moot point though.. Harbor Freight does not sell the tire changer anymore..
So now it looks like another tire changer brand, is what I will be looking at.. ::025::

I will start looking at the No Mar, or maybe build one myself. :-\

Thanks again everyone..

 

[dcstrom]

put it a bed and bathroom out there as well and visit the rest of the house on alternating thursdays.

- Mark

That doesn't sound like SUCH a bad idea - conjugal visits fornightly? If it was me I'd negotiate for weekly... but the rest of it sounds fine!

 

[mcrider007]

Thanks for all the info!! It has been really helpful. It looks like it is a moot point though.. Harbor Freight does not sell the tire changer anymore..

There is another option that hasn't been mentioned.....the Wilco tire changer.

http://www.wikco.com/mc110.html

I think it is safe to say that the HF is a cheap knockoff of the Wilco and the Mojolever is very similar to Wilco's mount/dismount bar.

I have the HF changer and Mojolever and have never scratched a rim but I avoid all metal to metal contact by cutting up a garden hose and using contact cement to glue the rubber to the inside of HF's 3 contact points and bolting a cross section of tire over the bead breaker. Tire changing is more about technique than equipment and after I did a couple of dozen tires I got pretty fast at it. As long as the HF keeps working I am not going to replace it, but if I were to replace it I would probably go the Wilco route because I think their mounting bar end (the dismount end is the same as the Nomar) works better than the Nomar's on tires with stiff sidewalls. In fact, Nomar had to design special tire irons for Goldwing rear tires because their mounting bars will not work on that stiff of a tire...the Wilco bar will but you have to know what you are doing.

 

[terrysig]

i kept my eyes on craigslist looking for a coats 220 and was finally rewarded with a very lightly used unit for less than $200. Use the Coats mount/de-mount bar for the dirtbike rims and added the nomar bar for the streetbike rims. Strategically placed pieces of split fuel line and careful technique and no scratched rims.

Truth be told the stiffer dirtbike tires (Trelleborgs) still need a spoon for the last bit of tire but no problem with any of the street tires.

New to the S10 so changing those tire will be a new experience.

 

[jajpko]

i kept my eyes on craigslist looking for a coats 220 and was finally rewarded with a very lightly used unit for less than $200. Use the Coats mount/de-mount bar for the dirtbike rims and added the nomar bar for the streetbike rims. Strategically placed pieces of split fuel line and careful technique and no scratched rims.

Truth be told the stiffer dirtbike tires (Trelleborgs) still need a spoon for the last bit of tire but no problem with any of the street tires.

New to the S10 so changing those tire will be a new experience.

Wow, that was a good deal!!