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Best budget tire changer.

mjsrmiller9825

Guest
Guest
I've never had much luck having work done at shops. Ride in and wait for bike I imagine it is really expensive. Ordered a Marc Parnes balancer and now just need changer. After looking at Mojo bar they sure seem like a great tool. What are you folks using. I went through the archives for quite a while and didn't find any info. Thank You. BTW-- apparently Harbor Freight has discontinued their changer or at least part of it.
 
HF tire changer without the upper part. Mojo blocks on the arms…spoons and rim protectors to do the tire. Quality spoons make a huge difference.
 
I have the same set up as rexter except I use the No-mar mount/demount bar, YellowThing, Xtrahand and Tire Paste. I need to get a good set of spoons. Right now I use a big screw driver to get over that last pinch point. I didn't know Harbor Freight changed their tire changer. It works but does need some modification. I started doing my own tires after having my TPS damaged by a dealers shop.
 
I use some heavy duty zip ties and a set of small spoons. Break the bead with a clamp, run half a dozen or so zip ties around the rubber and tighten them down. Tire will almost fall off the rim. Then same for putting a new one on, zip tie around the new tire and you should be able to push it onto the rim most of the way, then use the spoons to finish it off.
 
WIKCO. Never turned back. Has done hundreds of tires in the 20+ years I have owned it. Paid for itself 50 times over.
 
I've been using a No Mar machine for 11 years now without any trouble. Takes me about 20 minutes to change a tire on my 2010, or any other 17" sport tire. I use No Mar tire lube, it's the best and Motion Pro spoons when I need them. When your taking the tires off C14 wheels start loosenin/releasing the bead opposite the TPMS. When you get near the TPMS you should be able to push on the bead with your hand a bit to loosen it, don't push it all the way down to the TPMS.
 
I'll have to find the discussion, but Cliff has the best "Budget" tire changer.
He nailed together some boards and made a stand to set the wheel on.
With it, he can change a tire faster that you would imagine.
I have a HF and after using his method, built one of his frames.

Ride safe, Ted
 
I thought I would come back in and say that I purchased a slightly used Olamax tire changer that I had to drive a hundred miles one way for. Very impressive tool and made in Poland, not China! There is a video on youtube done by a mechanical engineer who is also a bike enthusiast. One of the most professional vids I have seen. I paid $300 for changer and a couple of tire spoons and a gallon of lube stuff. (use it liberally). You can actually buy it cheaper on ebay from the guy in Poland I think it's about$275 but $70 or so and 6 weeks or more shipping. I used it on a welding table and it works very well. The video , from guy not affiliated with maker was big on the, I believe it is a Butler head. Doesn't take a lot of space and doesn't need to be bolted down.
 
I'll have to find the discussion, but Cliff has the best "Budget" tire changer.
He nailed together some boards and made a stand to set the wheel on.
With it, he can change a tire faster that you would imagine.
I have a HF and after using his method, built one of his frames.

Ride safe, Ted
Got the link yet Ted?
 
My OOps. Go here. Post #4.
He also made his own bead breaker (works great), and uses jack stands to balance the tires.

NOTE: {Please don't tell Cliff I sed anything nice about him}.

Ride safe, Ted


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My tire changing has evolved. I started out (1998?) with the Harbor Freight changer and tool. After doing a couple sets, I removed the upper arm on it, which made it easier. Then a few years later I got the MoJo bar and MoJo blocks, and the Ugly Yellow Thing from NoMar. I've probably mounted a couple hundred tires this way now.

If I were doing it all over, I might spring for one of the better NoMar tire changers, mainly because I like the way bead breaker is incorporated and it seems more easily adjustable to different wheel sizes and has a better wheel clamping method than the HF does. But I'd still want the MoJo bar over the NoMar tire tool, especially for Gold Wing tires, which are a bear to mount.

The Coats 220 would also be an excellent choice if you can afford it.

For balancing, I use the Marc Parnes balancer.

 
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Hey Fred, I'm with you on the NoMar tire changers. If I used my HF set up more often I would probably go ahead and upgrade to one of the NoMar's.
 
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