Has anyone actually got any use out of the garage floor tool tire changers fro Harbour Freight?

[Cranky]

I've had a harbor freight tire changer for at least 15 years. Saved me tons of $$$
Make sure you bolt it down with at least 8- 3/8" anchor bolts. Because 4 bolts in cheap concrete just won't hold up.

I have a good steel work platform made from 5x5" tube that's 8' 6" long and 4' wide welded flush to the tubes. There's studs welded for my bender and more for the tire machine I used to have. I drag it around where it's needed using a floor jack or my garden tractor then gets pushed back out of the way when it's not needed. Did the holes in the concrete at first and decided they weren't going to work all that well plus having to clean out the tamp-ins each time sucked too.

 

[YY1]

We mount and balance 4 tires for $100 here at work. Not hateful IMO. Especially considering the pain-in-the-*** savings for the customer. Walk in, sit down, have a cup of coffee, watch some tv or browse with the wifi...and your car's ready in about 45 minutes.

Good for you- not gouging.

The local CPDJ charges $59 just to rotate...and they don;t tell you that's an added charge to a service until the bill comes, they just casually ask if you want it done.

 

[33 IMP]

Instead I bought a tire machine and a balancer.

The mounting machine pays for it's self with the next two I do- and I have them almost ready to go.

The balancer has a bout six to go before it pays for it's self.

...then all those $48 savings go right in my pocket.


If you are getting that done for free.....that's not normal or realistic for the rest of us.....but more power to ya.

It was definitely a one-off. Walmart service manager liked my rims (original one piece American daisies), and it was a rainy afternoon, with NOTHING in the shop.

 

[Slap Stick]

We have a new Discount Tire here so I gave em a shot on new shoes for the Dakota. Good price on the tires but add the $20/tire more for mounting and balancing.
Service was excellent and they were super friendly, unlike many of the tire shops around here.
They also own Tire Rack, so ordering tires from them and having DT mount them shouldn't be a problem.
Ulli, if Cora needs new slippers, here is an alternative you might want to try.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

If I owned a shop, I would not mount carry in tires. Not making mark up on the tire or given a shot at pricing out the new tires and I sure would not take on the liability of mounting a used carry in tire. I know this sounds pretty shitty, but that is how I would handle it.
The other thing you have to consider is the overhead these shops have. I just installed a tire changer at a shop this morning $14000.00 thats not even our top of the line machine.

 

[BearDodge67]

Another option is tire spoons like we used to use on te Busch car and Modified. It's like old school bicycle tire changing on a bigger level, and what they use to change big rig tires that blow on the road.. Much cheaper at HF and other sources. I would be careful if they are aluminum/allow rims thou...

and $150 is quite pricey.. I paid a Ram dealer $140 to transfer tires and TPMS from one set of rims to another and balance. Only caveat is I took spares with me to dispose of with town for free.

 

[BearDodge67]

If I owned a shop, I would not mount carry in tires. Not making mark up on the tire or given a shot at pricing out the new tires and I sure would not take on the liability of mounting a used carry in tire. I know this sounds pretty shitty, but that is how I would handle it.
The other thing you have to consider is the overhead these shops have. I just installed a tire changer at a shop this morning $14000.00 thats not even our top of the line machine.

Mavis Discount Tire will not mount used tires.. not if's ands or buts... you got snows you use in winter on daily driver better have extra set of rims

 

[Takoctopus]

I have the harbor freight tire changer and a cheap bubble balancer. I have lots of tires to deal with so it was a no brainer for me to do it myself. My only problem I have had is tires that have been on rims for decades out in a corn field. It was a battle getting them off. But other than that it’s really easy to use and can do what I need to do in the same amount of time it would take to bring them to a tires shop. I set anchors in the concrete side porch at my house and bolt it down. When I’m done I just stash it away and put greased up bolts in the anchors so they do not fill up with junk.