Harbor Freight tire changer on sale $29.99...

Don't know if anyone's interested, but I got an email coupon for HF's portable tire changer the other day.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/ema ... tailB.html

You'd have to buy the motorcycle tire attachment, but it'd still be $40 off the whole setup. I'm sure I've seen the motorcycle attachment on sale too, just not at the same time as the main unit. :roll:

Just figured I'd post this here in case anyone was looking at these...

 

Have both myself.... Used for the first time a month ago. I patronize Harbor Freight (you Snap-On & Mac Tools guys, go ahead and laugh at me... it's ok) a lot.

I used to be a tire technican at National Tires & Battery so I knew a thing or 2 about changing tires.

You will HAVE to bolt the tire changer onto something, since I was working in my father's garage and didn't want to drill holes in the cement, I simply placed and screwed the changer on top of a wooden loading pallet that I had laying around. It still moved around but not as bad because you're wrestling with the changer to get the bead off.

You will need to watch out that the metal angle on the bead breaker does not mar the aluminum rim. I placed mine diagionally, still a bit tricky.

The clamps on the motorcycle tire changer attachment should be covered with something soft (I used strips of bicycle rubber tube zip tied around each one) as not to mar the rim. Even if you tighten it, the clamps will still loosen and it's confusing when tightening the screw because it's turned the opposite (counterclockwise to tighten).

Lastly, the bar used to pry the bead off is made out of steel and if you don't file it smooth first, it WILL scrape soft aluminum off the edge of rim.

If it's $$$ you're concerned about, go ahead but be careful. If not, I suggest you find something better.

If you need help using it, please PM me.

Good luck!

 

Since you have experience with tire changers I would like your opinion of this one. The Jr. Pro. at
http://www.nomartirechanger.com
My riding club is considering buying gone for the members. All will contribute $25 a piece toward the purchase. Though they have cheaper models we are looking for one that will handle everything from my XJ to a Vulcan Nomad rear tire.

 

Just make one from an old 15" automobile wheel with some fuel line on the rim to protect the wheel. Some 1/2" threaded rod, nuts, flat washers and wood blocks to hold it to the bench and hold the tire on. Cost about $10.

 

Yes i know about Adam Glass's tire changer but that won't work for these guys. We have many R.u.b.'s in the group who take great pride in their Hog's and Vulcans. They would never trust the home made changer. I would, but not them.

 

Yeah, I've seen those... There's a review of the product at

http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle- ... e-changer/

The only way to know for sure is to try one out yourself. From what I see, seems like a good product. I'm sure it's much better than the one from Harbor Freight. The only reason why I got it is because I didn't want to spend that much and wait for the delivery.

Really, it's just matter of technique. As long as it's done correctly, should be no problem.

Good luck with whatever your club decide to go with.

 

Hey, thanks for the web site. That was a good read and tells me a lot about the changer. This may be just what the club needs.

 

I've used the Harbor Freight tire changer to put my GT501 tires on the front and rear wheel of my XJ550 and it works very well. You just have to be sure to insulate any part that touches the rim. We used electrical tape...about 5 layers and it worked perfectly. For the price, you can't really beat it. It is what my friend uses at the track for his YSR50 race bikes. He bolts it to the door/ramp of his motorcycle trailor when it folds down.

 

I've got the Harbor Freight model. Works well, even when not bolted down (yeah, it's a wrestling match but I win). Ciscobird, could you pretty please post photos of the way the machine is supposed to be set up and utilized? I'm not sure I've got mine rigged right. Incidently, I used old milk jugs for pads on the rim when using the prybar. I've upgraded to purpose built rim protectors ($10 wasn't too bad) since but I'm not sure I'm using the device correctly. I can snap a pic and post if you like.

 

yeah, we used these plastic rim protectors that snap on the edge of the rim and have a little rope attached to them to pull them off and hold them on the rim when you are prying. They work well and only cost about $10 for 3 of them.

 

Robert, here it is! I'm afraid it's the only one I have of the changer in its set up. That was a month ago, I'm back at school and the changer is in pieces again. Excuse the mess in the background, junk, I know...



Ok, you see the long red bar on the pallet? That's the combination of pry bar and pressing (don't know the formal term) tool. The flat tip on the top(looks like an alligator) is to pry the lip of the bead off AND slide the remindar of bead off.

You slip the end in then pry the bead over the rim and lever the bar against the silver metal post in the center and pull it the opposite direction. The end of the bar is supposed to slide around (be sure to lubricate the rim and bead-I use water/soap). You will need to unclamp the rim and move it around so you can complete the process. You could do it in the opposite direction (but not with the pressing end as I will explain soon). You do it twice (one revolution per bead).

To press the bead back on, try to install as much as you can with your hands, arms, whatever before using the bar. Now, use the opposite tip that has the curved end (looks like a hippo to me, on the bottom of the pix). The tip seems to go in only one direction. You could go in either but it's asymmetrical shaped and it works better when going clockwise.

I strongly recommend that the edge of the tip be filed smooth because when you slide it down the rim to press the bead ONTO the rim, it will slide directly on the rim. Yeah, yeah, you could use protector (plastic or garden hose like I did) but it would be more difficult to slide it around. You press the bead under the rim with the tool and lever it against the pole again and pull it the opposite direction. It will help to have a wooden (I'm using 2 extra pry bars seen in the pix) or something slipped under the rim at one or two points to hold the bead under or it will pop back up.

Be sure to remember to have the bead at the opposite side resting against the middle part of the rim (not seated) because it will allow more room for the bead to go under the rim. The second bead is the hardest, IMO.

The whole thing, even bolted tight, shakes like a leaf. What do you expect from a cheap set up.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

Great! Thanks for the tips. Looks like I used it correctly to start with (intuition can be useful). I dislike that the center prying rod (vertical in the center) isn't more form fitting in the center pole. I like your pallet idea, I was about to drill holes in my garage floor.

 

Yeah, the motorcycle tire changer kit comes with two metal rods, one small and one large. For mine, I used the small one, the larger one was too large to fit through the bearing. I kept having to tighten the knob at the top.

With most of tools from Harbor Freight, you have to be prepared to:

1) Learn how to use it on your own (the instruction/manual that comes with the tool, they're joke)

2) Make modifications to it as not to damage the product you are using it on or to fit onto it or even to work properly as described here

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=5991.html

3) For it to break.

Sure, I could go with tools from Craftman, Snap-On, etc... But why pay $$$ if I use it only a couple of times? Harbor Freight tools are ok as long as you have the patience AND ingenuity to use them.

 

Hi guys, I`ve been searching over here in the UK for the Motorcycle wheel attatchment/Adaptor 42927 without any success. The main stand 34542 is marketed by a company known as Sealey, does HF sell the attatchment over there.
Thanks Terry

 

I believe they discontinued it.

I've got one and was never that impressed with it. I only hang on to it to do small wheels that won't fit on my automatic machine. When I do use it I just use it to hold the wheel and change the tire with irons.

 

My personal philosophy on junk tools is... I don't buy them.

If I buy a tool, it had better be made to last a lifetime (despite what any warranty says.) So far, I've had really good results with this philosophy.

Good example: Harbor Freight's $30 shop stool on wheels is a piece of junk; Craftsman's GOOD shop stool on wheels also sells for... $30.

Harbor Freight is good for some things, but you have to be careful; if something breaks the second time you use it and you end up having to buy another one, pretty soon you've surpassed the cost of a quality tool to begin with.

I buy blasting media there...

As far as changing tires, the store I buy them from mounts and high-speed balances them and they take better care of my rims than I do. I consider it cheap insurance.

 

around here it's $25 to mount and balance. $50 if you take the bike down.

i'm on the cheap insurance. cuz knowing my luck. my chrome rims would look like shit afterwards.