Do you have tire machines on your farm and questions

JOCCO

Well-known Member
Guys I do not want to be in the tire business but with many tractors and autos I am seriously considering getting one (used) For me I have to take them off take them quite a ways pay to have a patch or changed out Thinking about old coats type. I don't plan on using it for income just my needs.
 
I have an old coats 50 manual machine, and an old may automatic machine. They do come in handy. Great for implement tires.
 
With all of the equipment and vehicles on our place the tire machine is probably the handiest thing next to a hammer.
Even better after the boys learned how to use it.
Would have a hard time without it.
Mine is an old Hoffman works well but you do need a good air supply.
 
I've had one for years, bought one older one, then ran up on a super deal on a lot newer/better one. Mine is a COATS center-post.
Really comes in handy, I've got a bubble balancer too.
Try to keep fresh patches and glue, it often saves a trip to town plus time and $$$'s
 
Yea, I have a old coats tire machine here. That thing is one of the best money I ever spent when I bought it. Don't use it every day but, when you need it , you have it. Think I gave a $100 buck for it at a auction years ago. I have saved countless time and money having it.
 
have had costs machine for years,but since finding a really good versatile plug, i very seldom use it now simply plug tire on unit and go. everything from skidsteers to graintrucks to mail delivery vehicle have yet to have one fail.
 

I don't have one but I have thought many times on trying to find one. Tire irons get old after a while....lol. If I could find one cheap I would buy it in a heartbeat. The way my luck goes if I have a flat it will always be after dinner on Saturday or on Sunday when there is no place open to fix it.
 
I don't have one but have sure thought about it many times. It is not the pay back in actual dollars, its the time lost when you discover a tire down when you get ready to do something. I do a lot on weekends and nights. Where you can get a tire fixed on a weekend is very limited here. When I was able I would just dive in and fix it at home on the floor. Now I have to take it somewhere on Monday.
 
Not a farmer(just 3 acres) but, I paid $300 for this old FMC rim clamp machine 8 years ago. Between me, the kids and the neighbor, I've changed at least 200 tires. About 4 years ago, I picked up a high speed balancer for $175. Now, I'm averaging $250 to put 4 tires on a car or tandem trairer and +- $350 for a pickup. Being able to do it any time of the day or week has been invaluable. One of the best investments I ever made.
a184610.jpg
 
I do tires the hard way, with a bead breaker and tire irons. I enjoy the exercise. Seriously. My income producing work is too sedentary.

Also have a bubble balancer which does a good job 99% of the time. Only rarely do I have a problem tire that I have to have someone spin balance. And tires seem to be getting easier to balance.

Within the last six months, I've mounted and balanced four new tires each on both my wife's Chrysler T&C and my Dodge Grand Caravan. Hankooks on the Chrysler and Coopers on my Dodge. All eight just needed a bit of touching up with less than an ounce of weight per tire.
 
yes I have 1 at home and use it. Make sure you have good liability insurance. If 1 of your repairs ever fails and you cause someone to get hurt you will need it. As far as using plugs in a tire, make sure you have 2 to 20 million minimum in liability insurance. If you don't believe me stop by your local tire shop and read the tire trade magazines they get.
 
I've got an import rim clamp machine and a coats balancer. Do all my own tires, plus the neighbors are over on what seems about a daily basis. Saves time and money. Only real problem is getting rid of all the used tires.

David
 
I have a Coats rim clamp machine and it was some of the best money I ever spent. The dollars saved in tire repair may never pay for it but the time saved more than pays. It seems most of my tires go flat on Saturday afternoon or Sunday or after hours sometime. Getting a field cultivator tire fixed and a field planted before a crucial rain MORE than pays for the machine. I would hate to be without it. Mike
 
Bought a new no name rim clamp changer three years ago. My body started telling me I don't need to be doing it by hand anymore especially with the bigger 10 and 12 ply wagon tires. While I was at it I got one that will handle up to 24" rims and up to 16" wide so I can handle bigger front tractor and wagon tires. It's in the truck shop so my son and his trucker buddies can use the side mounted bead breaker for truck tires. The manufacturer discourages using it to dismount and mount truck tires because of weight limitations. Besides, it would take a gorilla to lift a truck tire up there anyway. LOL
 
I had one for many years. It was very handy.(coats 220) Most popular guy in the neighborhood.
But, alas, people didn't put stuff back...used HUGE cheater pipes...on and on
sold it cheap
good luck
Kenny
 
I have a Coats 1010 that I bought at auction about 10 years ago for around $350. Pretty typical price for older ones here.
 
I use a slide hammer and spoons. It doesn't take much floor space is one benefit. I have used the manual machines before and they work good. The one I used would not work with the wider rims on larger implements or rims with no center like on an M. I can change one almost as fast by hand anyways but I still have young knees to help.
 
I may have the oldest out there ,use maybe 10 times a year. Bought a small manual one from harbor freight for the smaller tires. here are some representative pictures of what I use.
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I don't have a tire machine but often thought about building one using an electric motor and an orbit motor geared down. I don't really do anything other than front tractor tires or implement tires but it isn't the easiest on a persons back doing them on the floor.
 
It never fails. Somebody always has to start with the insurance thing.
I think the message here is to discourage the man from getting a tire machine. So, now instead of trying to tell him some other way, just tell him he will need 20 million in insurance to change his own tires. That way, you might scare him out of it.

My observations:
1) he wants to have the convenience of being able to fix his own tires at critical times. This would save him hauling flat tires many miles to have somebody else do it. Also saves him having to wait until Monday when a tire needs changing on Saturday afternoon.
2) He is NOT opening a tire repair facility. Just doing his own.
3) Helping out a neighbor in need should not amount to a lawsuit. If the tire goes flat again or blows out, how does that become his responsibility - and to the tune of $20 million????

Know this: NOTHING peeves me more than when one of you "spoilers" or "control freaks" has to start up trying to make a big thing out of insurance. Why don't you say what you really mean: "I don't want you to get a tire machine."

End of rant.
 
(quoted from post at 10:53:13 02/28/15) yes I have 1 at home and use it. Make sure you have good liability insurance. If 1 of your repairs ever fails and you cause someone to get hurt you will need it. As far as using plugs in a tire, make sure you have 2 to 20 million minimum in liability insurance. If you don't believe me stop by your local tire shop and read the tire trade magazines they get.

BS. The standards that apply to tire shops do not apply to your home shop. You should not tell anyone you are a professional tire man, nor should you charge. If you don't do those two things you need no pay attention to those horror stories that are meant for people who claim to be professionals and charge for the service.
 
I do mine by hand, in the winter I bring them inside to warm up but that doesn't work as well with loaded tires. I have only had to work on those in the summer so far. I pry the tire over the rim with crowbars, pry bars and such after breaking the bead with a C clamp or by pushing down on it with the fast hitch on the Farmall 300 or the loader bucket on the Massey 35.
Zach
 
I have the well you dip the tire into water and check for leaks .I have the bead breaker .But no machine just irons. Last tire I did was motorcycle and I use a 2x4 frame to lay the wheel on . The sidewalls of the old and the new tire were so stiff it made me rethink this whole changing tires by hand thing. I don't use irons to put new tire on I use the Ken-Tools rubber faced tire hammer. But what a workout . Sick of it.Sick of it I say.
 
I did the same thing as WyoDave. I wanted something for bigger farm tires and aluminum car rims. The help and neighbors use it way more than I do. My New Years resolution was to charge $5.00 for every tire that does not leave the yard. Have a large pile to take to the town reycling center and they charge $3.00. Insurance guy told me if I do not get rid of them I could get my insurance canceled.
 
I'm not sure what model of Coats machine I have, but I have 1. Works great up to 16 inch rims. I have done 17s and 18 inch tires, but man what a pain. Its worn so bad that the cone that holds the wheel down jumps up. Also have a coats balancer, that was given to us. it will get them close, but not perfect. We live 40 miles from a tire shop, so the boss thought we should have them.
 
If you let or help the neighbor or your worker and do not charge for your services, where is the liability.
 
I have the whole works, Coats rim clamp, Coats computer balancer, chloride pump and all the tools. Started out with a Bishman, then on to a Coats 10-10 with a bubble balancer and so on. Tires always thrilled me, been in the tire business since I was a kid.
 
I bought a Coats 20-20 , old style with the external air tank, for $100 from a towing co. that was moving up to a newer model. It was in such poor shape I had to have a new front panel made , but it looks like new now ! I redid the hoses inside and lubed everything works good now !
 
I change all of my own (not split rims) the old fashioned way with a slide hammer and two good tire irons. Of course I never use liquid ballast.

If you have proper hand tools, changing tires is not difficult.

Dean
 
A friend of my brother asked him if he wanted a tire changer machine that his FIL had in his station. My brother said that he didn't need it but our nephew would use it as he is a long way from anywhere they service tires. Nephew has been using the tire changer a lot with all the trailers that he has on the farm, plus the vehicles.
 
Back in 1980 I was getting some new tires at American Discount Tire in Las Vegas, Nevada and I noticed that they had several old tire machines in a fenced off storage area, so I asked the owner how much he wanted for them. Paid $100. for two Coates 10-10's & one 20-20, plus a complete set of tools for one machine. Since I was living in Death Valley, Calif. & working in the Mines (Top Millwright / Senior Underground Mine Maintenance Mechanic), I hauled everything home and made one good machine out of parts from all three machines - my Coates 10-20 .

Once word got out that I had the only tire machine outside of the Mine for 50 miles in any direction, I was suddenly in the tire repair business whether I wanted it or not. Not only was I getting fellow employees but I was also getting Tourists, I was even getting referals from the California Highway Patrol and the Park Rangers. Worked out good for everyone as I was on permanent Graveyard Shift so I was usually home during Daylight hours. I only charged replacement cost for my supplies & $15. per hour for my time & labor as I wasn't "officially" in business and was doing it as a courtesy.

PS. - I still have my tire machine, it's in my shop right now.

Doc :>)
 
I don't know the model number but I have the old Coats machine my dad bought when the local Co-op was upgrading over 40 years ago. It was and is well used. Has the air cylinder on the bottom to break the bead. I've changed bigger tires with levers and on the floor but if I can possibly make it fit I will use the tire machine.
 
Ten or 12 years ago I really got fed up with the local tire place and there crappy work and high prices. They were the only place for 25 miles so it was the only place around and they knew it. I bought an old Atlas tire changer and it paid for itself in the first month I had it. I can buy tires and tube wholesale and do the work myself and save some money. 90% of the time you have a flat tire its after hours or on the week end when no ones open to fix it. Most places charge $10 or more for a dismount and a mount of a tire, So if you have trucks hay wagons trailers and such it don't take long to add up so they pay for themselves pretty quick. Bandit
 
I have probably well over a 100 tires combined on my equipment and trucks.
For the few flats i have per year it ain't worth buying a tire machine for.
A home build slide hammer bead breaker and a couple tire irons have always done the trick for me.
 
I'm with Fixerupper. My shoulders are bad, so 2 years ago I upgraded from a Coates 10-10 to a rim clamp machine. besides the shoulder issue I have, the rim clamp machine does not beat up the aluminum rims. It is also easier to do tires that have tubes.
 

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