Model Comparison
| HD MAX® | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clamping Range (in inches) | 11.625" - 22.625" | 11.625" - 22.625" | 11.625" - 22.625" | 11.625" - 22.625" |
| Clamping Range (in Wheel Size) | 10" - 21" | 10" - 21" | 10" - 21" | 10" - 21" |
| Tire OD clearance | Unlimited | 34.5" | 34.5" | 34.5" |
| Max. Pulley Clearance | 4" | 4" | 2.5" (4" w/Posi-Clamps®) | 2.5" (4" w/Posi-Clamps®) |
| Bead Breaking Clearance | 9.5" (230mm) | 9.5" (230mm) | 10.5" (250mm) | 13.0" (330mm) |
| Single Sided Swing Arm Ready | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes |
| Upper Arm Movement | N/A | Rotates and Slides | Rotates and Slides | Rotates and Slides |
| Working Floor Space | 5' Diameter Circle | 5' Diameter Circle | 5' Diameter Circle | 5' Diameter Circle |
| Minimum Wall Clearance | 12" from rear | 6" from Back Post | 6" from Back Post | 6" from Back Post |
| Weight | 57 lbs / 26 kg | 76 lbs / 34.5 kg | 77 lbs / 35 kg | 82 lbs / 37 kg |
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
| Posi-Clamp® Wheel Clamps | Posi-Clamp® Wheel Clamps | Locking Cam & Block Wheel Clamps | Posi-Clamp® and Locking Cam & Block Wheel Clamps |
| Heavy Duty Floor Stand (Optional Hitch-Mount Available***) | Heavy Duty Floor Stand (Optional Hitch-Mount Available***) | Heavy Duty Floor Stand (Optional Hitch-Mount Available) | Heavy Duty Floor Stand (Optional Hitch-Mount Available) |
| Patented Mount/Demount Bar | Patented Mount/Demount Bar | Patented Mount/Demount Bar | Patented Mount/Demount Bar |
| Spare Demount Tip [1] | Spare Demount Tip [1] | Spare Demount Tip [1] | Spare Demount Tips [3] |
| Tire Lube Paste and Spray Bottle | Tire Lube Paste and Spray Bottle | Tire Lube Paste and Spray Bottle | Tire Lube Paste and Spray Bottle |
| Ground-Level Bead Breaking | Ground Level Bead Breaking | Waist-High Bead Breaking | Waist-High and Ground-Level Bead Breaking |
| ATV Bead Breaker (Scratch-Proof Available) | ATV Bead Breaker (Scratch-Proof Available) | Scratch-Proof Bead Breaker | Scratch-Proof and ATV Bead Breakers |
| 3 Center Posts (1/2", 3/4", 1") to fit various wheel bearing sizes | Articulating Overhead Arm with Indexable Center Post | Articulating Overhead Arm with Indexable Center Post | Articulating Overhead Arm with Indexable Center Post |
| Upgradeable - Expandable | Tool Collar | Tool Collar | Tool Collar |
| Lifetime Limited Warranty* | Upgradeable - Expandable | Upgradeable - Expandable | YellowThing® Bead Keeper Tool |
| Lifetime Limited Warranty* | Lifetime Limited Warranty* | XtraHand® Clamp Bead Depressor Tools [3] | |
| SpoonBar® Non-Marring Tire Spoons [2] | |||
| Extra Strong Professional-Grade Frame | |||
| Lifetime Limited Warranty* | |||
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
*LIMITED WARRANTY applies to all structural steel, welds and hardware. Cosmetic powder coat is not covered under warranty. Plastic replaceable consumable parts (bar tips, spools, etc.) are not covered under warranty. See our Warranty page for full details.
(a la carte) | (a la carte) | (a la carte) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YellowThing® Bead Keeper | YellowThing® Bead Keeper | YellowThing® Bead Keeper | Professional Wheel Balancer | Professional Wheel Balancer |
| Scratch-Proof Bead Breaker | Scratch-Proof Bead Breaker | ATV Ground-Level Bead Breaker | YellowThing® Bead Keeper | Patented Large Balancer Cone Set |
| "Plus" Upper Arm Kit | Locking Cam & Blocks* | Posi-Clamps® | XtraHand® Clamp Bead Depressors [3] | Adhesive Wheel Weight Starter Pack |
| Locking Cam & Blocks* | Waist-High Bead Breaking | Hitch Mount | Adhesive Wheel Weight Starter Pack | Sample Kit of our Chrome Re-Usable Spoke Weights |
| Waist-High Bead Breaking** | Hitch Mount*** | Standard Valve Stem Core Wrench | Standard Valve Stem Core Wrench | |
| Hitch Mount*** | 2 ADDITIONAL SpoonBars® [4 Total] | |||
| Non-Marring Bead Depressor Blocks [Set of 4] | ||||
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
*Locking Cam and Blocks when added to a Cycle Hill HD or HD Plus models work for wheel clamping only, not waist-high bead breaking without additional upgrade components.
**Waist-High Bead Breaking upgrade for a Cycle Hill HD requires the addition of the Plus Upper Arm Kit upgrade.
***Hitch Mount use with Cycle Hill HD and HD Plus models which have not been upgraded to waist-high bead breaking require the use of an alternate bead breaker such as the BeadBuster XB114.
Cycle Hill® HD
Our most economical model, beats the cheap "freight store" imports! Best for occasional tire changing at home. Most frequent choice for Dirt Bike and ATV tire changes, but still capable enough for Harley Davidson and Vintage wheels with a little extra muscle. Includes our Posi-Clamps® Patented Wheel Clamping System which provides the most clearance for leaving pulleys, sprockets, and rotors attached plus allowing for more room to manipulate those stiffer tires to keep the bead in the drop center of the wheel. HD frame and stand help clamp wheels securely, but is less ergonomic due to limited Mount/Demount leverage with smaller, less rigid center posts than our overhead arm models. Not recommended for car and truck tires, but will do well with small trailer and agricultural tires. Bead breaking is done at ground level and includes an ATV style bead breaker. We recommend adding a scratch-proof bead breaker if keeping your wheels free from damage is important to you. Our new modular design for 2019 makes it expandable and upgradeable to a full Classic HD model if desired!
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Cycle Hill® HD Plus
Our intermediate model, still economical but a step up! Adds our articulating overhead arm assembly with indexable center post for maximum Mount/Demount leverage. This is the perfect entry-level tire changer for Harley Davidson, Metric Cruiser, Adventure, and Vintage owners, while making dirt bike and ATV tire changes even easier. Includes our Posi-Clamps® Patented Wheel Clamping System which provides the most clearance for leaving pulleys, sprockets, and rotors attached plus allowing for more room to manipulate those stiffer tires to keep the bead in the drop center of the wheel. HD frame and stand help clamp wheels securely, with the added leverage of our overhead arm assembly making the overall tire changing experience easier! Bead breaking is done at ground level and includes an ATV style bead breaker. We recommend adding a scratch-proof bead breaker if keeping your wheels free from damage is important to you. New modular design for 2019 makes it expandable and upgradeable to a full Classic HD model if desired!
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Classic® HD
Our most popular model, commercial grade and the perfect option for the serious enthusiasts! Ideal for Sport and Sport-Touring tire changes yet still fully capable to change dirt bike, ATV, and heavy cruiser tires with the addition of our Posi-Clamps®. Includes our fast and efficient patented locking Cam & Blocks Wheel Clamping System which works best with the softer, more compliant tires found on Sport and Sport Touring bikes. The Classic HD comes standard with waist-high bead breaking and a scratch-proof bead breaker. This is the perfect "pro-sumer" machine and is also a great choice for the small home-based shop or commercial shop starting out on a budget. This is the model you will see us using the most at rallys, races, and shows. New for 2019 HD stand and frame assembly helps keep your wheels clamped securely and can take the extra stresses that come with less cooperative tire and wheel combinations as well as being great for most standard car and light truck tires. Modular design allows for expanding and upgrading as needed, including making your tire changer portable with our Hitch Mount. For more than 15 years, the Classic model has been praised by countless magazine articles and reviews, and now with the Heavy Duty HD design improvements, it's our best Classic ever!
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HD MAX®
For the best in strength, durability, and flexibility, our HD MAX Model means business! Professional grade and offers the widest range of wheel and tire sizes, including up to 13.0" (330mm) wide! Includes both our patented wheel clamping systems, Posi-Clamps® and locking Cam and Blocks! Also includes both waist-high and ground-level bead breaking, and both scratch-proof and ATV style bead breakers for maximum flexibility. Comes with the most accessories of all our models, including a YellowThing® bead keeper, XtraHand® Clamp bead depressors [3], and a pair of SpoonBar® tire spoons with replaceable non-marring tips. Whether you are a large shop with several techs, or an enthusiast who demands the best tools for the job, our HD MAX model makes tire changes quick and easy, and most importantly without damaging your customer's wheels! Business financing through PayPal available (see link on product page).
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The easiest way to help you decide is to break it down to three main factors: 1. Physical Effort Required, 2. Wheel Clamp Choice, 3. Bead Breaking Type
1. Physical Effort: Generally, the amount of physical effort required to change tires decreases as the cost of the tire changer increases. Our base Cycle Hill® HD model requires the most effort, and our HD MAX® model requires the least effort. This also applies to tire type and profile. Wider, stiffer tires become easier with the more expensive models, while the less expensive models do very well with narrower, softer tires.
2. Wheel Clamps: Wheel clamp choice depends on what kind of bikes you'll be working with. In general, you will need Posi-Clamp® wheel clamps for Harley-Davidson, adventure bikes, dirt bikes, ATV, SxS, and metric cruisers. Our Locking Cam & Block wheel clamps are designed for sport bikes/sport touring, and all Carbon Fiber wheels. While our Posi-Clamp® wheel clamps (included standard with both Cycle Hill® models) will clamp ALL wheels, they can require more time and effort to get the wheels clamped in. Our locking Cam and Block wheel clamps are mainly used for sport and sport touring tires and will clamp these wheels quickly and securely. The locking Cam and Block wheel clamps also serve as the press plate surface for waist-high bead breaking which is the standard configuration on our Classic® HD and HD MAX® models. Posi-Clamps® are REQUIRED for all rear cruiser and adventure tires and also are the preferred choice for dirtbike and ATV tires.
3. Bead Breaking: Because both Cycle Hill® models include Posi-Clamps® as the standard wheel clamps, bead breaking is done at ground-level. Ground-level bead breaking requires extra precautions to avoid damaging the wheel, including removing sprockets and rotors, and can also be difficult for people with bad backs or knees. Ground-level bead breaking can offer more leverage when dealing with difficult tires such as ATV and automotive. Waist-high bead breaking is standard on Classic® HD and HD MAX® models, and is available as an optional upgrade to Cycle Hill® models. Waist-high bead breaking allows rotors and sprockets to be left attached while avoiding awkward bending over or kneeling.