A Heavy Duty Tire Changer Can Change Everything

If you were asked to name the most important pieces of equipment for fleet maintenance, we’re guessing tire changers wouldn’t be very high up on that list. After all, you don’t necessarily need one to change a tire. But it does beg the question: Why are you still using sledgehammers to do the job if there’s a faster, safer way? For all of the reasons below, it’s time to seriously consider an upgrade to a heavy duty tire changer.

Improved safety. There are many reasons to bring a tire changer into your shop, but safety sits at the top of the list. Changing heavy tires can cause all kinds of injuries to almost every part of the body. Techs can throw out their backs. They can injure themselves with one misplaced swing of the hammer—from smashing a leg to hitting their heads (or the head of someone walking past them). And nothing ruins your day like the combination of an injured employee and having to deal with a workers’ comp claim.

Reduced fatigue. Even if your employees don’t face a serious injury, the strain of picking up heavy tires day in and day out will take a toll on their bodies over time. Eventually, they may need to call in sick for a day or two to get some rest. There’s much less physical exertion when using a heavy duty tire changer, so your techs show up ready to work day after day.

It’s easy to learn. Using a hammer and bar is an acquired skill. It takes a lot of work to use them efficiently. Most techs who are highly skilled in the method have been perfecting it for years. But new techs don’t have years. You need them to become productive right away. With a heavy duty tire changer, it rarely takes more than a day from the time someone receives training to the time they’re changing tires with maximum efficiency.

Productivity goes up. Once techs are skilled at using a tire changer, the wheel service revenue can begin to flow at a rate you couldn’t have imagined before installing it. Or, you’ll have your fleet back on the road and back to work faster.

Minimized damage. Lastly, a heavy duty tire changer will cause less bead damage due to incorrect mounting and demounting. But just as importantly, it protects the new alloy wheels that are becoming more common on today’s trucks and heavy equipment by limiting the metal-to-metal contact that’s common with a hammer and bar.

When you’re ready to look into adding a heavy duty tire changer to your maintenance shop, you should start with our line of products. From the superfast R501N to the roadside R560 to the wide-ranging R511, we offer anything you could want in a heavy duty tire changer.

Don’t forget about wheel alignment.
While you’re considering upgrading your tire changer, wheel alignment is worth a mention. That’s because implementing a regular wheel alignment program can lead to major savings every year. Between improved fuel efficiency, more up time and lower fuel costs, wheel alignment has many benefits for any fleet. Curious how much “major savings” really is for your shop? Use our free HD ROI calculator to find out.