Cost of tyre fitting

[metroman]

I've got four new tyres that I want fitting to some bare rims. Trouble is I'm being quoted between £50 and £90 wherever I ask. This seems pretty extortionate to me seeing as it's at max a ten minute job per wheel and they don't have any old tyres to get rid of. Is this the going rate?

If so I'm tempted by the Sealey fitting and static balancing machines on the bay. At £100 they suddenly seem a good option, has anyone tried them?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-TC960-Car-Tyre-Changer-Machine-Manual-Operation-Remover-Bar-Garage-Tool-/141023221758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20d5a397fe

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-Wheel-Balancer-Tool-INCLUDES-VAT-FREE-24H-DEL-Rust-Resistant-Model-/231048605699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35cb91f003

Cheers

James

[sharkattack]

I know of three places within a 10 minutes drive of my house that will fit or remove a tyre for a fiver. Two local garages and the part worn tyre dealer. Maybe you should hit the streets and find something similar.

[jmsheahan]

I can never find anywhere willing to fit tyres - always turn away saying they can't fit for insurance reasons but I think its more that you haven't bought the rubber from them. Local blackcircles 'approved fitter' even frowns at you purchasing them online.

[Mr S]

I've got 2 local places to me that will fit tyres at any price between free and a fiver dependant on their mood!

But I got fed up of taking stuff to them so I made myself a bead breaker, bought a couple of tyre levers and do them myself now....!

[omega]

look for a tyre place that fits tyres for taxis

[willowandmikey]

Where are you based ? People may be able to direct you to a fitter

[usedabused]

I've decided to fit my own tyres as I was paying £30-£35 a set.

Since shelling out £100 for levers,bead breaker,and all the associated curse word valves valve tools etc It's paid off twice over.

I made my own balancer out of a commercial axle stand and a centre bubble level..

[ax16vts]

place near me does them for between a pack of biscuits for the tea room and a fiver fitted and balanced. If they ask for a fiver i take a couple of their old tyres away with me and its back down to a pack of hob-nobs!

[keithyboy]

My local part-worn guy will do it for a bluey too.

[ToolsnTrack]

Sept 7, 2013 14:55:25 GMT usedabused said:

I've decided to fit my own tyres as I was paying £30-£35 a set.

Since shelling out £100 for levers,bead breaker,and all the associated curse word valves valve tools etc It's paid off twice over.

I made my own balancer out of a commercial axle stand and a centre bubble level..

This really demands a "how to" thread my man!!

[MiniDan]

I've never had to pay more than a fiver as long as I take the old tyres (if applicable) away with me.

I walked to the one near my unit and the joker there was asking the same but for £20 a tyre instead a few months back. No thanks matey.

[retrobarmy]

A fiver a tyre at the ones near me (but don't expect a receipt!)

[Foxy]

Full set of 4 18s done recently for £20.

[roccoguy]

Sept 7, 2013 11:57:36 GMT metroman said:

I've got four new tyres that I want fitting to some bare rims. Trouble is I'm being quoted between £50 and £90 wherever I ask. This seems pretty extortionate to me seeing as it's at max a ten minute job per wheel and they don't have any old tyres to get rid of. Is this the going rate?

If so I'm tempted by the Sealey fitting and static balancing machines on the bay. At £100 they suddenly seem a good option, has anyone tried them?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sealey-TC960-Car-Tyre-Changer-Machine-Manual-Operation-Remover-Bar-Garage-Tool-/141023221758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20d5a397fe

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Portable-Wheel-Balancer-Tool-INCLUDES-VAT-FREE-24H-DEL-Rust-Resistant-Model-/231048605699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item35cb91f003

Cheers

James

I use one of those manual tyre machines on a regular basis, does the job fine and is easy enough to use

[Dez]

I use a manual one too, mostly as I do a lot of big cross plies with tubes, and modern tyre fitters seem incapable of doing tubes without damaging them. I've managed to do tyres fitters with Proper machines have given up on as 'wont fit' as you get more feel for how much give there is in the tyre with the manual one so run less risk of tearing it.

I've managed to bend the bar a bit and the bead breaker has had a fair bit of re enforcement added, but for the price of doing 2 sets of tyres even at backstreet rates, they're great.

[VIP]

xbollox did a DIY guide years ago.

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/115874/diy-tyre-swapping-ultimate-mingebaggery

[ChasR]

I have been quoted from free to £10 a wheel from the usual fitter. Some of the cheaper places near me won't balance them though at a £5er.

[andrewbaran]

I haven't found anywhere local to me that will do it for less than £15 a wheel inc balancing, and I always supply my own tyres and take old ones away. It's a price I always forget to add on when i'm pricing up new wheels/tyres...

[richp]

I have the same issue as above. Getting things done for sensible drink money seems to have gone out of the window!

Especially annoying as I used to be a tyre fitter when I first left school years ago but don't know anyone in the trade this days

[Iain]

I also feel your pain, many times I've spent far too much getting tyres swapped over several times a year. Tenner a tyre is the going rate round here but it's too much really.

How do the DIY tools fare with nicely painted/polished/rare rims?