Does Harbor Freight’s Tire Changer Work For Truck Tires? What Users Are Saying

These days, there isn’t much that the do-it-yourselfers of the world cannot purchase at their local Harbor Freight Tool store. Even if you can’t find what you need in-store, odds are the family-owned hardware retailer has a functional option available in its online outlet. While many no doubt flock to Harbor Freight in search of home improvement gear, the retailer also carries a full range of options best fit for use in the garage. In case you didn’t read the headline closely, yes, that does indeed include a DIY Manual Tire Changer.

That potentially game-changing garage fixture comes from Pittsburgh Tools, which is one of many notable brands currently owned by Harbor Freight Tools. At present, that tire changer is selling for a mere $64.99, and according to one customer, that budget-friendly sticker price may save you close to $20 every time you use it, since taking tires to a shop for swapping can get pricey in a hurry. It’s safe to assume the savings would be even bigger if you are looking to swap truck tires.

Thus, the question becomes whether the Pittsburgh Manual Tire Changer is up to that particular task. The answer isn’t entirely cut-and-dried, but according to its Harbor Freight product page, the changer should be able to handle tires for many light trucks. The site also notes that the device tops out at tires with 16-inch rims. Users, however, believe it may be able to handle much larger tires.

For the record, the Pittsburgh Tire Changer currently holds a user rating of 4.3 stars from real customers, so some were less than satisfied with their purchase. As for what those customers didn’t like about the tire changer, most noted durability issues, claiming their device broke after little use or even on the first use. Others questioned its ability to function on passenger tires and even light truck tires.

That was hardly the case, however, for the YouTuber at Rock’s Powersports, who put their Pittsburgh Manual Tire Changer to the test with a set of 20-inch truck tires. Though even the tester was uncertain of the changer’s capability, he was ultimately able to swap out the 20-inch tire using the device. It should be noted, however, that it wasn’t exactly a smooth operation. He damaged his rims in the process and inadvertently broke the tire’s pressure monitoring sensor, which had to be replaced before installing the new tire.

As it happens, other consumers claim success in changing truck tires with the Pittsburgh changer in various user reviews. One even claims they successfully changed out a 22-inch tire using their Pittsburgh Tire Changer. They did, however, note that they were only able to do so with the help of a couple of extra accessories purchased separately. A couple of users state that a “duck head” attachment greatly improved the tire changer’s performance. So keep that in mind if you’re considering using Pittsburgh’s Manual Tire Changer to change your own truck tires.