Harbor Freight / Tire Balancer

Has anyone tried the motorcycle tire balancer from HF?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=98488

Must be a new product, haven't seen it before.

I use the HF tire changer, we all now there stuff is not the best...but the changer gets the job done. I think for balancing tires, I would spend the extra 30 bucks and buy a better quality balancer.

It looks quite similar to the No-Mar balancer I have.....but I agree with STindy05 about the quality. HF isn't known for putting out a product that will stay with you for the long haul. Before I got my No-Mar changer, I made a balancer out of 4x4's - used nails in one end of each 4x4 to hold the axle in place....shimmed under one end of the axle if needed (to level axle). This setup worked great & cost about $5.

John

Without seeing the HF balancer along side any other balancer, how would I know $30 would buy a better balancer?

I'm in the R/C aircraft hobby, and I use a balancer with a similar design to balance the props for my planes and the rotor assemblies for my helicopters. It works great. I was hoping to find someone who has worked with the HF balancer and another like the Marc Parnes balancer.

Thanks!

trek2120 said:

Without seeing the HF balancer along side any other balancer, how would I know $30 would buy a better balancer?

Thanks!

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Its a Habor Frieght. JMO.

"Its a Harbor Freight. JMO."

...that still doesn't answer the question...

Looks to me like it would do the job just fine. It's not rocket science. How many times do you really think that you would use it anyway? JMHO.

Scooterb said:

Looks to me like it would do the job just fine. It's not rocket science. How many times do you really think that you would use it anyway? JMHO.

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Scooter, my thoughts are like yours. I use the HF tire changer with excellant success. I just can't understand how any one could have a problem. I just saw this thread and ordered the HF balancer, If the thing centers the wheel and sets the supporting shaft on the ball bearing ends, what could go wrong?Not rocket science at all
I have 4 bikes and the tire changer has paid for itself many times over.
Stealers out here are charging as much as 90 bucks for mounting and balance and thats when you carry in your own wheels and tires.

trek2120 said:

"Its a Harbor Freight. JMO."

...that still doesn't answer the question...

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Buy one and report back to us then....

I have a Marc Parnes but if the HF would have been available at the time I sure would have given it a try. Only thing I see, does it have other adapters, like for a Honda?

Trek
The design looks good- if the bearings are free, it should work as well as anything on the market. I built a similar style, and I know it is 3 - 4 times more sensitive than the Marc Parnes unit that's a lot more money than what you are looking at..

Must be a new product! I'll until it's on sale!

forgitaboutut said:

Must be a new product! I'll until it's on sale!

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I'm with you... should be on sale by their day-after-turkey sale...

STindy05 said:

I use the HF tire changer, we all now there stuff is not the best...but the changer gets the job done. I think for balancing tires, I would spend the extra 30 bucks and buy a better quality balancer.

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Found out that most Sears Craftsman products are from same chinese mfg as Harbor Freight. Heard from a reliable source.
Also some of your more expensive US brands use parts from Chinese mfg. so hard to get away from them even if you spend more money.. JMHO.

I have the HF balancer, and it works well for my occasional jobs, after you ensure it is all square and true. Store it in a safe place to prevent knocking it about. IMHO it will work as well as anything, but if I was a tire shop I would want something more robust for repetitive work. The cones that come with it will do all Hondas except those one or two needing special adapters. I would suggest you upgrade the set screws in the cones to hex socket cap screws.

Silver Bullet 7 said:

Found out that most Sears Craftsman products are from same chinese mfg as Harbor Freight. Heard from a reliable source.
Also some of your more expensive US brands use parts from Chinese mfg. so hard to get away from them even if you spend more money.. JMHO.

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Absolutely not! HF is much better. Take a look at the (Chinese) HF 42" bottom roller tool cabinet on sale this month (to the 24th). Crapsman boxes are comparatively like tin foil and weigh 2/3 as much AND cost more than double! I have been looking/researching for a month for a new roller cabinet to weld up a new steel work bench frame around. I called an old buddy that works for Snap-On to ask about scratch&dent/trade-in deals. He said to check out HF and I could not believe my ears, but I did anyway and he was right. The box is made like a tank; nice ball bearing sliders(double sliders on deep&full width drawers), @283lbs it is WAY, WAY heavier than an equal size Craftsman, much closer if not stouter to a Mac box, really heavy gauge stuff. It also comes with nice beefy casters W/ZERK FITTINGS! It weighs MORE than the 52" Craftsman box despite being 10" shorter! You can fully extend even the thin drawers and they do not twist like the flimsy Craftsman drawers. All this for an incredible $399. Now if I just work out a deal with momma to get the top chest ($239) and side box ($199). A Mac (my dream box) has a much nicer finish but cost 8 times as much.

I've got a HF balancer, no complaints. HF sells various adapters, such as for the VFR, separately.

I got one along with their changer too, got all for under $150. Works great installed PR2'S 1200 mi ago. Two tire changes and I will have it paid for, last set cost me $70 for both mounted and balanced off the bike. I will get a Mojolever before the next set goes on.

I recently bought a HF balancer using a 20%-off coupon from my NRA magazine. It is sufficiently sturdy for the hobbyist tire changer, but I found a small problem with mine. The 1/2" diameter rod was not straight. Those things are sheared to length, and my dial-indicator said it was out about 0.015". So, the money I saved with the coupon went towards a length of 1/2" drill-rod.

I'm impressed with how sensitive the bearings are. I experimented with its sensitivity using an 1/8-ounce weight on a balanced wheel, and the HF balancer never failed to indicate the heavy side.

It's good enough to suit my needs ... which means I may use it once or twice per year.