How to choose a tire fitting machine?
How to choose a tire fitting machine?
One of the most necessary equipment for a garage is a tire fitting machine, which can be found in every universal garage. This is because car owners are simply accustomed to the fact that a tire fitting or wheel balancing service can be provided by any garage. And it is true, the payback of assembly machines is very fast, they usually pay off faster than a year. However, during the tire change season, many specialized services open up that only provide this service, i. tire fitting and wheel balancing. It is for such specialized services that the machine set pays off particularly quickly. So it’s definitely not an expensive investment.
Many such businesses open during the season and they are all successful, because it is during this period, which will soon be the case, that all car owners have to change their tires from winter to summer. And the machines don’t really wear out in a month, so this equipment brings value to entrepreneurs for an even longer period of time.
When preparing to start this business, or maybe just upgrading your equipment, the most important thing for you is to choose the right tire fitting machine. They come from a wide variety of manufacturers, so we will list the main criteria to consider when choosing an assembly machine. This will make it easier for you to choose and simplify your search to the most relevant ones. Remember, you can always contact the specialists of our company to help you find the most suitable one.
What size tires will you service?
The primary criterion is what vehicles you will work with. Assembly machines may only be used for passenger cars, cars and minibuses, trucks and buses or tractors and other agricultural machinery. When choosing the right mounting machine, evaluate what size tire you will usually work with to make it easier to choose by paying attention to a parameter called the internal compression range or internal compression limits.
If you only work with cars, it is enough for such vehicles to have a crushing of up to 24 ”. In this case, the tire fitting machine will be able to fully service passenger cars. If you plan to install tires on trucks and buses as well, you will need a machine with a larger clamping range.
But no less important is the smallest tires you will service. If your car repair shop also repairs ATVs or garden tractors, conventional car tire fitting machines will not be suitable, as the internal compression range for passenger cars is usually from 12 ”. And to service quads, which is actually becoming more common, requires a completely different assembly machine and the usual just won’t work. This is because the mounting table has grippers that have a minimum clamping range. All other functions will work as well as possible - you can inflate the wheels with air, with the side function of the machine you can press the chord off the rim, but remove it from the rim - you will not be able to.
Tire fitting machine column control
Assembly machines can be divided into two types: semi-automatic and automatic. These are the two main differences that are visible both in appearance and function. This criterion is no less important, as the ease of management will also depend on it.
The semi-automatic tire fitting machine has a column that is manually turned sideways and is mechanically locked. If you know that you don’t often provide tire fitting services, this is a good solution and you will rarely feel the difference. Another difference between semi-automatic tire fitting machines is the so-called fitting support of these machines, which is fixed manually. The mounting head of the semi-automatic assembly machine is adjusted by means of a locking screw and a handle (the mounting screw is at the top of the column and the handle is mounted to the column).
Automatic tire fitting machines have a pneumatic column that folds forward. The recline is controlled by the pedal when compressed air is supplied when the pedal is depressed. Another difference from semi-automatic machines is that the locking of the rim diameter is done with a button, which also speeds up the whole process. When working with automatic tire fitting machines, the work process is much faster, more convenient and definitely less tedious. Since almost all processes are performed automatically, these machines are usually chosen by those services that know from experience that tire fitting is a frequent part of the day for their customers or that only provide tire fitting and wheel balancing services during the tire change season.
Of course, automatic tire fitting machines are more expensive, but many mechanics recognize that these machines pay off faster. Because investing in these machines simply makes you want to provide the service more often because it’s no longer that burdensome. You will perform v. Much faster