Cycle Hill vs. NoMar Classic

I haven't changed my own tires since the Huffy back in Jr. High but thinking that a tire changer would be a great new toy. With the FJR rolling up miles and likely a stablemate for the girlfriend coming soon, it should pay for itself in no time. Even with wheels off I'm looking at $70 for someone to mount a set...$50 for the teenagers at Cycle Gear, but I don't exactly get warm fuzzies that they're not going to scratch my rims.

I'm torn between the two no-mar products. I don't have room to floor mount and by the time I add the hitch mount to the cycle hill changer, the price difference is $200.

So I have 2 questions:

1) Do both packages have everything I need to get the job done or do I need additional stuff?

2) The classic looks a little more substantial...is it worth the extra $200?

I've included details of the two below for an easy comparison.

Option A:

Classic Ultimate Package

Price: $795.00 + $40 shipping for a net $835

This package includes the No-Mar Motorcycle Classic Model Tire Changer WITH Stand AND Tire lubes, AND our patented Mount/Demount bar w/extra tips and lifetime warranty on Non-Marring parts. The best warranty by any tire changer company!

PLUS all of the following:

* - Standard Wheel balancer w/ sm cones and rod

* - Tire lube

* - Valve core tool

* - Starter kit of Balancing weights

* - Medium Balancer Cones Set

* - 3 Extra hand clamps

* - Floor mounting kit.

Your changer can ship with either a Floor Stand, for stationary mounting, OR a No-Mar HitchMount for mobile use. Please select which mounting system you would like with your changer.

Cycle Hill Big Package

Price: $555.00 + $79 for hitch mount + free shipping = $634

Cycle Hills's "Big Package" with balancer and MORE TOOLS!

Comes complete with

* - 1 Xtra Hand Clamp

* - 2 -16" Spoon Bars

* - Floor mounting bolt kit for concrete floors

* - Tire lube Concentrate with spray bottle

* - The No-Mar patented Mount/Demount bar w/ 2 extra tips

* - Standard Bead Breaker w/ wood platen block (Non-Marring Bead Breaker is Optional) See our shopping cart for details)

* - 3 center posts and Rim Clamp set

* -Static wheel balancer with small and medium Sized Polyethylene Cones (1/2" -1 1/2")

* -Large cone adapter (Cone Pack 6) for single sided swingarms is *Optional (See our shopping cart for item)

* -One Yellow Thing Bead keeper Tool to aid in tire installation

* -60- 1/4oz lead weight squares (narrow for motorcycles)

* -Valve stem core wrench

* - Complete set of written instructions with helpful diagrams and schematic

* - 5 Year Limited Warranty

I got the Coates model 220 (I think). It cost around $700 and I've been very happy with it. I don't know what they cost now, but it is a solid product. Just thought I'd give you another option.

I'd still suggest the Harbor Feight model to hold the wheel ($100)

Add the Mojo Bar and wheel protectors: ($150)

and a Marc Parnes balancer ($150)

==> $400

I would buy the basic Cycle Hill changer and add some options. I think you will prefer this mount/demount bar https://www.no-scufftiretool.com/ or the Mojo lever, and the Harbor Frieght balancer works just fine and doesn't require extra cone sets (but change the set screws to brass screws. You can also pick up regular tire spoons cheaper than buying theirs.

I just got the Cycle Hill Big package a couple of weeks ago and what I did was had them remove the two sppon bars and give me a 64 dollar credit and then I added the hitch mount. My total price came out to 560. I did my first change last week and I did not need any additonal items (I did use some 2x4's covered in rubber to lay down on the floor for bead breaking. Overall I think if you are only changing a few tires a year the Cycle Hill product is the way to to go. With the difference in price that is one set of tires

You can see my thread here

clicky

Edit- I forgot to mention that they have the big package listed on ebay for 545.00, 10 dollars cheaper. To make any changes to the package you have to call and tell them you saw it on ebay and they will honor that price.

I bought the Cycle Hill basic package w/hitch mnt. as I already had the Marc Parnes balancer. Very nice, heavy duty unit. Couldn't imagine needing anything more. I also like the fact that you can rotate two of the arms inward to create a narrow profile for storing flat against a wall. I don't believe you can do that with the others.

r1byker said:

I got the Coates model 220 (I think). It cost around $700 and I've been very happy with it. I don't know what they cost now, but it is a solid product. Just thought I'd give you another option.

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I have an older Coates model 200 I bought used for $200; money well spent and it's more than paid for itself.

If you're a truly cheap bastard (like me) you could go this route:







It's really just a matter of getting your technique down.

Two thumbs up for the cheap bastard route.

We bought the nomar three years ago and it has well paid for it's self. My wife Iris (herfjr) and I both have an FJR and so everything we do is times 2 (it paid for it's self the first year). I used (4) lag bolts to anchor it the the middle of the garage floor and when we're not using it, you remove the lag bolts and store it in the corner. Works very well for us. Like any of them, you learn little tricks to make it easier. Good luck.

Although I'm a fan of the cheap bastard method, I'm leaning toward the cycle hill package. I might try to negotiate a credit for the spoons in order to add the hitch mount. Thanks for the idea!

I've bought enough at Harbor Freight and seen it fall apart much sooner than expected, come without parts, or not actually fit together. I still shop there occasionally, but only when desperate.

I'll order next week, but have one more question...what is the going rate for allowing a friend to change his tires...6-pack, 12 or bottle of jack?

DeweyIsgod said:

I'll order next week, but have one more question...what is the going rate for allowing a friend to change his tires...6-pack, 12 or bottle of jack?

Click to expand...

12 pack for sure

FjrVfr said:

If you're a truly cheap bastard (like me)

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All Hail the cheap bastards! :yahoo:

I made my setup for almost free in the proudest redneck tradition:





All materials were scrounged except the threaded rod. Works much better than trying to wrestle a wheel sitting ontop of a plastic bucket! :lol:

Harald said:

FjrVfr said:

If you're a truly cheap bastard (like me)

Click to expand...

All Hail the cheap bastards! :yahoo:

I made my setup for almost free in the proudest redneck tradition:

All materials were scrounged except the threaded rod. Works much better than trying to wrestle a wheel sitting ontop of a plastic bucket! :lol:

Click to expand...

Hi Harald, you and FJRVJR are giving me some ideas here... old tinkerer that I am. Any future setups I might go for should include a way of doing car tires as well though.

I really like your idea of sticking it into the trailer hitch, it just won't move anymore after that (as in no extensive 2x4 bracing required as in FJRVJR's setup :lol: )

I guess I can't quite tell what you are using for balancing... Are you just using the bearings that are already in the wheel the axle rides on?

I'm with the cheap method. I bought the Harbor Freight model and after watching a couple of tire changing videos put the tires on using the garage floor and 2 x spoons. I did use the HF to remove the tires, but next time I won't. From experience I can absolutely tell you that it takes longer to set up the HF than it takes to put the tires on w/o using it. It took me 2 minutes to put on the front tire and 3 minutes to put on the rear - and that's rounding up! I did use the HF to remove the tires but will do it next time w/o the HF.

cruppelt said:

I guess I can't quite tell what you are using for balancing... Are you just using the bearings that are already in the wheel the axle rides on?

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I slide the bike axle inside the wheel and then rest the axle on the bearings/custom bracket that are part of my balance stand. It spins very nicely with my surplus aircraft flight recorder bearings! :yahoo:

Harald said:

All Hail the cheap bastards! :yahoo: I made my setup for almost free in the proudest redneck tradition:

[ img]https://home.earthlink.net/~haraldstenger/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/tire_changer.jpg[/img]

[ img]https://home.earthlink.net/~haraldstenger/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/balance_stand.jpg[/img]

All materials were scrounged except the threaded rod. Works much better than trying to wrestle a wheel sitting ontop of a plastic bucket! :lol:

Click to expand...

Thanks Harald! I am Sooo gonna rip off that idea! It that also in the redneck tradition?

I owe ya a beer mang!

Harald said:

FjrVfr said:

If you're a truly cheap bastard (like me)

Click to expand...

All Hail the cheap bastards! :yahoo:

I made my setup for almost free in the proudest redneck tradition:

All materials were scrounged except the threaded rod. Works much better than trying to wrestle a wheel sitting ontop of a plastic bucket! :lol:

Click to expand...

Redneck YES, Cheap, NO. Shouda got another 1 or 2K out that front. Mines worse than that and I am still runnig it.

Dave

08FJR4ME said:

Redneck YES, Cheap, NO. Shouda got another 1 or 2K out that front. Mines worse than that and I am still runnig it.
Dave

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I agree with you 100%. B) And there's no way I'd already be changing that tire except I was getting ready to head out on a 1500 mile trip fully loaded with wife and gear. I may be cheap, but I ain't stupid enough to risk a flat out of town with the wife along. :blink: And keeping with Murphy's law, this is going to be the 3rd year running that I'll have to change tires early due to the same situation. :angry2: All those still useable tires are sitting in the shed waiting for donation to a needy "on the road" FjrForum member or else I'll spend one summer changing tires every month to use them all up! :yahoo: