For some shop owners, the thought of buying a new piece of equipment to perform a service they have sold for years is difficult to rationalize. But, it even if the basics of tire service have stayed the same, the vehicles and wheels have not.

Try the following experiment. For one week, time how long it takes to mount and dismount a tire. Make notes on the size of the tire, how many people were required, and also if the vehicle has TPMS or other factors like a reverse drop center.

Some wheel and tire packages can kill productivity of the entire shop if you do not have the right training and equipment. It might come in the form of a 20-inch rim with a tight bead that takes two techs to wrangle on to the rim. If that same wheel has a TPMS sensor, if makes the procedure even more time consuming.

After the week is up, look at what you where able to charge and how much time it took to complete the job. It may be a sobering moment, even if you use "c-techs" or "tire busters."

Now, consider the possibility a rim, tire or TPMS sensor could be damaged and replaced at your expense. You may even want to get out of the tire business altogether. But, can you really afford to send your loyal customers to possibly your biggest competitor who wants more of your mechanical work? No. A new tire changer is not an ATM. Instead, it is an "enabler" that will allow a shop to operate more efficiently and han...