What to look for in a new tire changer?(1)

With proper maintenance and repair, standard tire changer tools for steel rims and regular valve stems lasts for many years. However, fuel economy regulations, newer vehicle designs and trends are changing rim size and composition leading to an effect on tire changers as well. This is the age of touchless tire changers, but then it takes the user some getting used to.

Along with changing brakes and oil, repairing and changing tires is among the most common jobs handled by a light duty fleet maintenance facility. Modern vehicles have tires with aluminum rims that are soft, have stiff sidewalls along with TPMS or tire pressure monitoring system valve stems. Most of these can break if serviced improperly. A new tire changer must be able to handle these changes.

Should You Select A 110V Machine Or A 220V One?

One of the most commonly asked questions on tire changers is whether one should buy a 110V machine or a 220V type. Not that there is much of functional difference between the two and many shops have used one or the other without noticing any. Although both machines consume the same amount of power, the one with the higher voltage rating will run at half the amperage.

To put it in simple terms, power is a product of voltage supplied and the consumed current. Therefore, for producing the same power output as for a 220V unit, a 110V machine will consume double the amperage. However, installing a 110V tire changer is simpler as it does not require an electrician to intervene.

However, one clear differentiator exists between selecting a tire changer working on 110V from the one working on 220V. This is explained by Jeff Kritzer of BendPak, the global leader in capital equipment related to automotive repair, such as oil filter crushers, wheel and tire service equipment and lifts. The senior vice president of sales and marketing explains that a motor running on higher voltage has an advantage when starting under load.

I will tell you some about choosing tire tools in next futher.