7 best wheel balancers

The car’s wheel rims often receive direct impact from rocks and kerbs, and indirect impact through the tires when passing over bumps, resulting in deformation. The tires themselves are not always poured evenly in the factories, so one side is heavier than the other. All this leads to imbalance. When driving, it is felt by the bumping of the steering wheel, increased vibration on the body, excessive noise. Apart from discomfort, unbalanced wheels cause accelerated destruction of the chassis and steering. To eliminate such problems, balancers have been developed. If you have decided to organize a tire fitting shop, you can not do without a reliable machine, the best of which are presented below.

Rating of the best balancers

The best balancing machines for cars

The intended use of the machine is determined by the maximum weight of the wheel and the ability to work with certain disc diameters. In the category of passenger cars – it weighs up to 70 kg with a maximum size of R24. Here are the best balancing models available for purchase in RF, selected by experts.

MB WB277N

Rating: 4.9

Balancer has a small control panel with two displays and rubberized buttons. This is a fully automatic machine that detects by itself the size of the disc with the help of an external and internal ruler, as well as the width of the tire and the location of the balancer. Rotation begins immediately after lowering the protective cover. Designed for wheel balancing up to 70 kg. The machine itself weighs 116 kg, so it is stable on the floor and does not need any additional support.

This balancer is valued by professionals due to its wide cover that protects from stones and dirt when you twist the disc with the tire. As a rule, people come to the tire fitting shop to “re-shoe”, because those who have two sets of wheels and tires do the seasonal change of tires by themselves. Tires that have just been driven on always have dirt or stones flying out during the balancing process. You will be better protected with this machine.

Advantages

• Two electronic rulers;
• foot brake;
• Automatic detection of the wheel diameter and fixation place of the weight
• start of work immediately after lowering the hood.

Disadvantages

• only 1 year warranty on the product;
• few cells for lead pads.

STORM Proxy-8-2p

Rating: 4.8

Suitable for passenger car chassis, vans, minivans and light trucks. Max. permitted disc diameter is 30. Craftsmen in reviews like that the balancer knows how to make adjustments and shows exactly where to attach the weight. You can adjust the supply of the required section to “12” or “6” position, depending on how comfortable it will be for the craftsman to set the weight compensator. In addition to the laser line there is LED backlighting, making the work more comfortable. The machine body has 22 compartments to accommodate the necessary accessories and tools. Large 24-inch monitor makes a 3D projection and displays all wheel parameters.

One of the most powerful balancing machines, capable of balancing up to 180 wheels per hour. It takes 5 seconds to fully measure an R14 disc with a tire on both sides. Recommended machine for professional tire fitting with a high load.

Advantages

• brake pedal;
• 22 weight cells;
• large monitor;
• Illumination of the installation site by a laser
• Acceleration, measurement and braking takes 5 seconds.

Disadvantages

• high cost.

ATIS WB986

Rating: 4.7

Wheel balancer is designed to work with wheels R12-24 and connected to 220 V, so it can be installed in any garage. The maximum weight of the served wheel is 65 kg. Measuring time on both sides takes 7 seconds. The shaft speed reaches 180 rpm, so you can determine imbalance both at low rpm and with simulated driving on the track. The software is from the Italian manufacturer and has 5 balancing modes. The remote display creates a 3D design and helps you precisely locate the self-adhesive weight behind the spokes, so it doesn’t spoil the look of the car.

Judging by the reviews, craftsmen like the handy device for fixing the clamping cups put on the shaft. Since tire service sometimes uses three different diameters of clips (depending on the size of the disc), the clips often get underfoot and get in the way. Here also, the manufacturer has provided three studs on the left side that the cups are put on to be always on hand, but not in the way of.

Advantages

• large monitor;
• rubberized buttons;
• Five ways to balance;
• Possibility to check the curvature of the disc separately.

Disadvantages

• Flimsy pliers in the kit.

Nordberg 4523PA

Rating: 4.7

Completes the category of automatic wheel balancing machines for passenger cars brand Nordberg. The stand is powered by 220 V and consumes 0 power.18kW. With this wheel balancer you can check rims from 10 to 24 inches in diameter. maximum weight 65 kg. Detects imbalance in both sides in 8 seconds. The unit makes only 70 dB of noise, so other tire changers will not be disturbed by the machine. The equipment is endowed with functions of autocalibration and self-diagnosis – easy to work on it, even for beginners. LED illumination on the inside of the disc for easier weights installation. In reviews, craftsmen like the fact that power surges do not affect the accuracy of the calibration, because the bench uses an updated circuitry of the power board.

The machine stands out for its compact dimensions, measuring 930x730x1200 mm. This is very handy for a small room at a tire station. Another balancing machine achieves an error of only 1.5 grams, so that unbalance is completely eliminated and no unnecessary vibrations can be felt during driving.

Advantages

• laser pointer;
• LED backlight;
• automatic calibration;
• voltage fluctuations do not affect the measurement accuracy.

Disadvantages

• few cells;
• small protective cover.

The best balancing machines for trucks

Truck wheels can weigh up to 130 kg or more, so truck tire service is a separate industry and paid more. To work with a greater mass uses special balancing machines and here are the best of them.

Stancoimport ST-200A (T)

Rating: 4.9

Truck balancing equipment from “Stankoimport” is made in China, so it has a more affordable price than Korean or European counterparts. The ST-200A (T) is connected to a 380 V mains supply and draws 0.5 kW. Own weight of 332 kg makes it stationary when rotating large wheels with a maximum weight of 130 kg. Disks from 10 to 24 inches are available in diameter. With the largest mass to be balanced, the error is 5 grams, which is not bad, considering the dimensions. Three balancing modes are available for operation. Large, height-adjustable wheeled carriage with frame makes it easy to mount wheels on shaft. Craftsmen in the reviews like the advanced control command input system.

Huge truck wheel balancer made the list of the best, because it works at 70 dB as loud as the passenger car model. You will have all the tire changer’s employees, who have to stay in the same room with the changer from morning till night, to thank for it.

Advantages

• Powerful cart on casters;
• studs to hang a set of cups;
• a lot of compartments for small items;
• quiet operation.

Disadvantages

• Only connects to 380 V;
• manual input of distance.

BT-850 AET

Rating: 4.8

This balancer is also sold with a pneumatic lifting device that facilitates the installation of large truck wheels. To control the machine there is an LCD monitor and rubberized keys that are comfortable to press even with work gloves. In total, the program unit contains three basic scenarios. All measurements are made automatically for both dynamic and static balancing. Masters like the precise location of the weights, even if on different sides they are close to each other. The machine does all calculations in one cycle, which improves productivity.

In the opinion of the editors it is one of the best balancing models in terms of price/quality ratio, even though it is assembled in China. The machine is also capable of working with a weight of up to 150 kg, which can not all competitors in this category.

Advantages

• large protective cover;
• Practical cart for feeding the bore of the disc to the shaft
• stable operation of the microprocessor responsible for control;
• automatic parameter setting;
• Dynamic and static balancing possible.

Disadvantages

• Three-phase mains supply required.

Nordberg 45TRKE

Rating: 4.7

Another electric wheel balancer for wheels weighing up to 150 kg from Nordberg. The machine is connected to 380 V and completes 100 to 200 rotations per minute. The maximum allowable wheel diameter is 40 inches by the manufacturer. Wheel width can be up to 510 mm, so the machine can handle KAMAZ, MAN, Volvo and other truck chassis. To get started, the operator needs to measure the tire width and offset, enter the data into the program, and press Start. Calculations occur on two sides at once, but because of the manual input machine is considered semi-automatic.

We noted the balancing time of 7 seconds for a huge wheel. For working with truck chassis, this is a fairly short time, helping to improve productivity at the tire changer. This characteristic is especially relevant if the service station operates near the highway, which is often passed by lorries.

Advantages

• Handy handles on the compression nut;
• pneumatic cart;
• large protective cover;
• handles weights up to 150 kg.

Disadvantages

• A thin pedal, from which the foot often slips off;
• all menus in English;
• 10 g accuracy;
• Only plugs into a 380 V mains supply;
• manual measurement of distances and widths.