Good and bad bead breakers?

[tractorguy2]

I'm looking at buying a breaker to make removing tractor tires easier. Just wondering is one brand better than others. They all look about the same. Seems to be a lot of different ones and prices. Every site from Harbour Freight to Northern Tool has them.

 

[craigco]

I have the harbor freight and works just fine. Use it about 4 times a year. Not supposed to use an impact on it or threads will strip. I just use a rachet and socket.

 

[Watthour]

I acquired a dual-stage hydraulic version, and use an air-operated pump to run it. The biggest I've done is a 13.2-38, but since it didn't even flinch pushing that one off I suspect it will do a LOT larger tire on a lot deeper wheel long before the air pump has to hit its 10,000 PSI peak.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I have the harbor freight and works just fine. Use it about 4 times a year. Not supposed to use an impact on it or threads will strip. I just use a rachet and socket.

yep cheap available local smack in with hammer and just use a wrench by hand to turn works great. For smaller tires a tire slide hammer is handy as well

 

[caterpillar guy]

IF you do a search there is one that says you can use an impact on it. I thave thought about getting one every time I need to do a tire then I just put a fork against the bead and push a little and it comes off then do the inside by the 3pt arms to get it down . I have also if just removing the tube and patching the tire on bigger tires like 24.5-32 or even on a 12.4-38 I pulled the outside bead away a bit with a chain and hook so I could get in there to buff and patch then patch tube abd reinstall that way easier than getting the second bead off. On a tubeless tire also easier to seat the one bead only .

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

I have a slide hammer bead breaker it works quick. Might have to hit tire in a few different spots to break bead. Have used a clamp on type but you have to hammer bead some to get it to clamp to rim.

 

[DanielW]

I too have a slide-hammer bead breaker. I had a smaller Ken-Tool one (not sure where it went) which worked pretty decently, but I then made my own uber-heavy one for larger/tougher beads. It works a treat and is faster than the clamp style for most tires, but it's a bit of a pain to use: The sliding portion on mine must weigh 80-90 lbs., which really wears on you after a few strokes. But it does great for the few tires a year I need it for. I recently used it to break a pair of 18.4-30 skidder tires free on very rusty rims - no problem.

If I was doing more, I'd look into one of the clamp types that you can use an impact on. I wouldn't want the air/hydraulic ones, because I'd want to use it easily in the field without having to haul power-packs or compressors around. For the few I do a year, I can live with losing the couple of minutes a hydraulic or pneumatic unit might save me.

If getting a threaded one, I've also heard the same thing that CatGuy notes above: Get one that says you can use an impact on it. Even if you don't use an impact gun, it means the threads will be hardened and tougher. But if it's just for the odd tire, even that probably doesn't matter so much.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I'm looking at buying a breaker to make removing tractor tires easier. Just wondering is one brand better than others. They all look about the same. Seems to be a lot of different ones and prices. Every site from Harbour Freight to Northern Tool has them.

 

[gears]

Geo, that looks a bit overkill - I don't think the wife will let me purchase a terramite to change garden tractor tires!

 

[Eman85]

As for the ones with threads or any pullers try some high pressure lubricant on the threads.

 

[NDIHC]

I have the tried and true duck bill hammer. Works for me. Ive used the air over hydraulic ones when I worked in a tire shop. They are nice...and spendy!

 

[Fred Werring]

I'm looking at buying a breaker to make removing tractor tires easier. Just wondering is one brand better than others. They all look about the same. Seems to be a lot of different ones and prices. Every site from Harbour Freight to Northern Tool has them.

I have one, looks like the one on the left. Use it rarely, only when I have to
Not supposed to, and do what you want, but I have used an impact on it. I just make sure the threads are well lubed.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

gears.
I have two terramites and two properties 20 miles apart.
I will only work on lawn mower tires.
When it comes to big tires, I take them to a tractor tire shop.
I'm too old to repair big tires.

 

[chcase]

I'm looking at buying a breaker to make removing tractor tires easier. Just wondering is one brand better than others. They all look about the same. Seems to be a lot of different ones and prices. Every site from Harbour Freight to Northern Tool has them.

I have one of the cheap ones I got used because someone used a impact on it. Fixed the threads and works good on smaller tires. A few years ago I stopped at a friend's house to tell him I bought a older tractor that both back tires won't hold air. He had a cousin visiting that had done tire repair since he was a kid. I told him I had 2 new tubes. I was told to come back after lunch and pick them up. When I picked them up they bought out a wooden tool box about 3 feet long and handed a stop watch. When we got to tractor he brought out three different tire bead tools that he used a large hammer with. It was truly only a matter of minutes he had both beads broke down and old tube out and new tube put in and tire all together. It was a true work of art to see that done. I was very happy to buy them supper later that night.

 

[Caryc]

I have the tried and true duck bill hammer. Works for me. Ive used the air over hydraulic ones when I worked in a tire shop. They are nice...and spendy!

I had a guy replace the rear tires on my MF202. He brought the new tires and tubes with him. He had a fully equipped box truck full of everything he needed to do the job. What surprised me was that he didn't use a bead breaker, he used a duck billed hammer. He took no more than 3 swings on each bead. I was afraid that he would hit my rims but he didn't. Of course he must have done hundreds of them. I'd be too scared to try that myself.

 

[bob p mn]

I have one of the air over hydraulic ones a buddy of mine sold me the pump and the breaker for a hundred dollar bill, he bought it as a factory rebuilt and didn't like using it so I always broke the tires down for him. It's an OTC very good tool. Where the hydraulic ones shine in my opinion is when the tire has been leaking chloride and the beads are badly rusted. I have never used one of the screw types but I would go for the one that is supposed to be ok for impact use.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

My first bead breaker was similar if not identical to the Harbor Freight model. It worked but I broke a corner off the "foot" trying to get it under the edge of the rim on a tractor tire. For car and small truck tires it's fine but I could tell it wasn't going to last being used for large tractor tires.

Buy once, cry once. I paid $250 for a Beadbuster XB550. It's fabricated, not cast, and much tougher than the cheapie Harbor Freight model. You can beat on it, use an impact if you want. It can take it. Love my Beadbuster. I've used it hundreds of times on everything from a garden tractor tire up to an 18.4x38, including 20" truck tires.

 

[bc]

I screwed some 2x4 blocks into the side of a barn support post high enough slide a 10 ton hydraulic jack between the tire on the ground and the 2x4s. Homemade drill press. Lay the tire under a heavy tractor rear end and stick hydraulic jack in between. I spray WD in there as well when dealing with rusted rims. Hopefully tractor weight will break the bead.

If tire still on a tractor then park the tractor next to something solid and use a jack in between and close to the ground to break the bead. Then drive away to get room to change it.

If in the field, dig a hole deep enough to stick a 8 foot 4x4 post in and use as a lever or chain the top of the post to the tractor and use a jack in between.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I screwed some 2x4 blocks into the side of a barn support post high enough slide a 10 ton hydraulic jack between the tire on the ground and the 2x4s. Homemade drill press. Lay the tire under a heavy tractor rear end and stick hydraulic jack in between. I spray WD in there as well when dealing with rusted rims. Hopefully tractor weight will break the bead.

If tire still on a tractor then park the tractor next to something solid and use a jack in between and close to the ground to break the bead. Then drive away to get room to change it.

If in the field, dig a hole deep enough to stick a 8 foot 4x4 post in and use as a lever or chain the top of the post to the tractor and use a jack in between.

Oh heck we used to mess around with all kinds of contraptions and gadgets to break beads. Bumper jack... Fast hitch down pressure was highly effective...

Once you have the right tool for the job, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

 

[NDIHC]

I had a guy replace the rear tires on my MF202. He brought the new tires and tubes with him. He had a fully equipped box truck full of everything he needed to do the job. What surprised me was that he didn't use a bead breaker, he used a duck billed hammer. He took no more than 3 swings on each bead. I was afraid that he would hit my rims but he didn't. Of course he must have done hundreds of them. I'd be too scared to try that myself.

A little lube on the sidewall near the bead so the duckbill will slide easily and most break pretty easy. Some of the bigger tires with the beads that are about 3 or 4 inches thick are more than I want to tackle with a duck bill though!