Owning a shop in Texas can be a great experience- if you're into cars and trucks there's no better way to stay around your passion than to be underneath them as you work on them! Just as a technology enthusiast surrounds themselves with as much information as possible about new and upcoming technology, mechanics and automotive technicians are constantly surrounded by vehicles of all types and function.



Texas is a rather peculiar state in that the majority of the vehicles on the road are trucks. In fact, the most common vehicle is the half tone pickup truck. The sheer popularity of these vehicles is enough to warrant shops based in Texas to purchase heavy duty tire changers in order to properly handle the demands placed by these trucks.

You should look for a tire changer with the following qualities:

1. Scratch resistant operation – It's a guarantee that your customers are not going to be happy when they come pick up their vehicle if their rims are covered in scratches. Unfortunately, many tire changers inadvertently scratch up the rims in the process. This is due to both the skill of the operator and the quality of the tire changer itself.

Newer tire changers operate in a way that is "anti-scratch". The part of the tire changer that actually connects with the rim is coated in a material that will not scratch the metal alloy of the rim, and no other part of the tire changer makes contact with the rim. This will save you loads of headaches later.

2. Effective gripping mechanism – When that wheel is on the tire changer you want to make sure that it is well secure and that it isn't going anywhere, period. Look for a tire changer that has plenty of time and due attention put into the clamping mechanism. Knowing that the tire is on their good will save you hassles later if the rim slips and is damaged by the equipment.

3. Size – The large rims that are found on trucks can be a pain to work on if your machine can't properly handle them. Make sure that your tire changer has been designed with large or deep rims in mind. This will save you time and hassles later as the tire changer does its job efficiently and without complaint.

Remember, this is a piece of equipment that you will have for quite some time. Don't be afraid to spend the money for a good quality unit, as good units tend to last for years and are very reliable.