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Posted (edited)

Greetings looking for feedback on tires and associated equipment. A shop I am in negotiations to purchase doesn't have any tire mounting or balancing machines or alignment for that matter. The owner claims that due to the big tire chain store in town he feels it is a loosing proposition. The chain store does a lot of free work. I was wondering what others have to say? I wasn't necessarily looking to start selling tires but being able to mount and balance seems like a positive thing. I could see being able to do winter tire switch overs and balancing as ways to get a ROI

Edited by Sean
Posted

We do tires at our shop. We got a great deal on some used machines. We are in a high traffic area so we get a lot of walk in business for people with flats, etc. It's an added bonus to be able to offer tires to our customers instead of losing the business to someone else. We just hooked up with a new vendor for tires and we really make a decent profit on tires. We don't stock tires so they need to be done on an appointment basis. I think the profit is worth the investment in the machines.

Having a the ability to balance tires in house is a huge plus. A lot of our customers issues can be solved with just a re-balancing of their existing tires and it's great to be able to do that for them rather than send them elsewhere.

Posted

Selling tires is not necessary, especially if your shop is small. The advantage of selling tires is that you are offering your customers another service, rather than going somewhere else. But, again, most shops can build a lucrative business and not sell tires. For large repair shops, it makes sense, since they can keep the business for themselves, while still performing all other hire level repair and service work.

 

However, I do think that you will need a balancer and tire machine. This items are essential shop equipment. Also, have the ability to repair flats.

 

I hope this helps.

Posted

Greetings looking for feedback on tires and associated equipment. A shop I am in negotiations to purchase doesn't have any tire mounting or balancing machines or alignment for that matter. The owner claims that due to the big tire chain store in town he feels it is a loosing proposition. The chain store does a lot of free work. I was wondering what others have to say? I wasn't necessarily looking to start selling tires but being able to mount and balance seems like a positive thing. I could see being able to do winter tire switch overs and balancing as ways to get a ROI

 

We are installers for Tire Rack, Tire Easy, and were for Discount Tire Direct before Discount Tire came to town. We pick up some addition work and customers from this. We have three sets of Tire Rack Tires this week. We gain these customers without advertising dollars. The money we pick up from this alone would pay for a balancer and changer in a few years without anything else. If you have a balancer and changer you can pick up some tire sales if you are interested. We have a Discount Tire, Sams Club, Walmart, Pep Boy, and an independent within 3/4 miles of us and still do $10K plus monthly. Is that enough compeition?

Posted

Interesting thoughts here guys. I was considering the tire rack option already and appreciate that being pointed out.

Posted

Do you stock tires?

I stock a few common high moving numbers. Usually less than 100. We have overnight delivery from four large wholesalers and in town I can pickup stock from four different sources. Where most of our tire sales come from is cars in our shop for other service and we see the need and speak to them about it.

Posted (edited)

I spoke to tire rack on the phone this morning and it was a promising conversation. I need to do some research on the types of machines I would need. I don't want to finance a bunch of expensive new equipment so I will be looking for used, refurbished on sale etc. I will avoid super cheap machines that won't last. Any thoughts ?

Edited by Sean
Posted (edited)

I spent about $3500 2-3 years ago on a brand new set of Ranger tire machine and balancer. Ranger is made by Bendpak and is not a top machine like COATS but it has served me well since I've had it with some maintenance.

Edited by ATSAutomotive
Posted

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good place to purchase the tire machine and changer? I have found some online I was just wondering if anyone has a company they love to do business with?

Posted

I bought a Coats tire machine and a Snap on balancer used and in very good condition, both for $1000. Found them on Craigslist. I don't sell tires but the equipment comes in handy from time to time.

Posted

You can talk to the area Hunter and Coats service guys and sometimes find used equipment. Ebay and Craigslist is another source. If you are looking for new it is hard to beat the price of the on line places like Tool Topia, Toolwarehouse.net, and NTX. Coats is running some rebates.

Posted

New tires, seasonal snow tires, balancing tires and tire repairs are a good part of my business. Until recently I always had

Hunter tire machines and balancers. Two years ago I changed to Snap-on and they have been very good. Understandably both Hunter

& Snap-on are expensive but they both offer very good service when needed. I believe Snap-on is running equipment specials right

now and that could also mean that your Snap-on dealer may have info on used equipment if the new is too expensive for you.

Posted

I'm the opposite of most shops on here. I'm a tire shop that does auto repair. The only thing that I will say is get a changer and balancer that will clamp on the outside of a 20" rim minimum. You will need it. Also you can make money on tires don't sell your self short. IF you have a Meyers tire supply that services your area the sell their house brand it built by corghi 9824 but has a 10year transmission warranty. worth the money.

  • Like 1
Posted

I'm the opposite of most shops on here. I'm a tire shop that does auto repair. The only thing that I will say is get a changer and balancer that will clamp on the outside of a 20" rim minimum. You will need it. Also you can make money on tires don't sell your self short. IF you have a Meyers tire supply that services your area the sell their house brand it built by corghi 9824 but has a 10year transmission warranty. worth the money.

 

Speaking of Corghi has anyone used any of their equipment? How durable, reliable, etc? How hard is it to find someone to service?

Posted

Corghi was one of the first rim clamp machines available. I had one years ago and had good luck with it. Service was a bit of an issue. I have been using Hunter for the last 15 years because they do have good service available, but we rarely need it.

Posted

Corghi was one of the first rim clamp machines available. I had one years ago and had good luck with it. Service was a bit of an issue. I have been using Hunter for the last 15 years because they do have good service available, but we rarely need it.

I prefer Hunter or Coats because I can get service.

  • Like 1
Posted

 

We are installers for Tire Rack, Tire Easy, and were for Discount Tire Direct before Discount Tire came to town. We pick up some addition work and customers from this.

 

Frank, I've been thinking about getting in on this as well. What percent of your tire sales would you say come from these sources?

Posted

 

Frank, I've been thinking about getting in on this as well. What percent of your tire sales would you say come from these sources?

 

I cannot give you a percentage but I would guess that annual this produces sales in the range of $5K or so but also has generated some return customers for other work. The Tire Rack customers are good candidates for alignments and brakes.Wes, give me a call on this and I can share a related idea.

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      It always amazes me when I hear about a technician who quits one repair shop to go work at another shop for less money. I know you have heard of this too, and you’ve probably asked yourself, “Can this be true? And Why?” The answer rests within the culture of the company. More specifically, the boss, manager, or a toxic work environment literally pushed the technician out the door.
      While money and benefits tend to attract people to a company, it won’t keep them there. When a technician begins to look over the fence for greener grass, that is usually a sign that something is wrong within the workplace. It also means that his or her heart is probably already gone. If the issue is not resolved, no amount of money will keep that technician for the long term. The heart is always the first to leave. The last thing that leaves is the technician’s toolbox.
      Shop owners: Focus more on employee retention than acquisition. This is not to say that you should not be constantly recruiting. You should. What it does means is that once you hire someone, your job isn’t over, that’s when it begins. Get to know your technicians. Build strong relationships. Have frequent one-on-ones. Engage in meaningful conversation. Find what truly motivates your technicians. You may be surprised that while money is a motivator, it’s usually not the prime motivator.
      One last thing; the cost of technician turnover can be financially devastating. It also affects shop morale. Do all you can to create a workplace where technicians feel they are respected, recognized, and know that their work contributes to the overall success of the company. This will lead to improved morale and team spirit. Remember, when you see a technician’s toolbox rolling out of the bay on its way to another shop, the heart was most likely gone long before that.
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