How to choose a tyre changing machine
The gap between the cheapest machine on this page and the dearest is about seventeen thousand dollars, and it is not a gap in build quality. It is a gap in how much of the work the machine does for you, and how forgiving it is with an expensive alloy. Which end you buy at comes down to how many wheels you turn over and what kind of wheels they are.
The three types of tyre changer
Swing arm
The mount head swings out of the way on a pivoting arm. Simple, proven, and the least expensive way into a workshop-grade machine. Ideal if tyres are part of what you do rather than all of what you do. Repositioning the head between wheels takes a few seconds longer than a tilt back, which matters at volume and not at all otherwise.
Tilt back
The column tilts back to clear the wheel, so the head returns to the same position every time. Faster between jobs, better with wider and larger rims, and the standard choice for a workshop doing tyres most days.
Leverless and touchless
No steel lever contacting the rim at all. This exists for one reason: modern alloys, low profile tyres and stiff sidewalls, where one scratched rim is a several hundred dollar problem and a damaged customer relationship. If you handle high value wheels regularly, the machine pays for itself the first time it does not mark one.
What the wheels you see should decide
Rim diameter and width
Check the stated clamping range against the largest wheel you actually see, not the largest you saw once. Four wheel drives and modern performance cars have pushed average rim sizes up, and a machine specified against the fleet of ten years ago will bottleneck.
Low profile and run flats
These are the jobs that separate machines. Stiff sidewalls that will not move with a basic bead breaker are where a cheaper changer stops being cheap and starts being slow. If run flats and UHP tyres are a regular part of your week, factor that in.
Helper arms and bead assist
Anything that holds the bead down while you work is doing a job that would otherwise take a second pair of hands. Worth the spend if you are a one or two person shop.
What the machine needs from your workshop
Power
Some are single phase, some need three phase. Confirm what you have before ordering. It is the single most common cause of a delayed install.
Air
A tyre changer runs its bead breaker and inflation system on compressed air, and it wants consistent volume rather than a pump that is always catching up. If your compressor already struggles during a busy morning, adding a changer will expose it. Worth sizing the two together. See air compressors.
Floor and space
Most bolt down. Allow working room all round for handling a wheel, not just the machine's footprint.
Working through the range
Entry
The Ranger R745 is the way into a workshop-grade swing arm machine without workshop-grade spend. Straightforward, honest, and enough for a general repair shop.
Mid range
The R980XR, Beissbarth TC22, R76ATR, R980DP, TC45and TC22 Pro cover the ground between a busy general workshop and a tyre specialist. This is where most buyers land and where it is worth a phone call rather than guessing from a spec sheet.
Professional
The R80EX for speed and control at volume, and the RV1 Wheel Guardian for touchless work on high value wheels.
Truck and bus
The R26FLT, and the rest of the heavy vehicle gear on the truck wheel service page.
Do not buy the changer on its own
A tyre changer without a balancer is half a tyre bay. Every wheel that comes off the changer needs balancing before it goes back on the car, and a slow balancer will bottleneck a fast changer just as effectively as the other way round. See wheel balancers, or the wheel service equipment overview if you are specifying the whole bay.
Common questions
How much does a tyre changer cost?
Our range runs from around four and a half thousand for an entry level swing arm machine to just over twenty one thousand for a touchless professional unit. Most workshops land in the middle. Finance is available across the range, see equipment finance.
Do I need three phase power?
It depends on the machine. Check the specification on the product page, or call us with what is at your wall and we will tell you what fits.
How is it delivered and installed?
Pallet freight, and you will need forklift or tailgate access. Most machines bolt to the slab. See installation options.
Can it handle run flats and low profile tyres?
The mid range and above will. If those wheels are a regular part of your work, tell us and we will point you at the machines that do it comfortably rather than just possibly.
Do you deliver Australia wide?
Yes, free delivery Australia wide, with a price match guarantee. Call 1300 405 581.