What Is An Automatic Wheel Balancer?

Just like cars themselves, the garage equipment used to service and repair them has come on leaps and bounds in recent years. Modern advancements make servicing processes simpler and more efficient than they’ve ever been – just as well when you consider how complex cars have become!

Wheel balancers may have a relatively simple job to do, but that hasn’t stopped manufacturers from developing new features and implementing new tech. The biggest advancement in wheel balancing tech has been the emergence of automatic machines, designed to make the balancing process as efficient and user-friendly as possible. But what exactly do these machines do differently – and what makes them so sought after?

What does ‘automatic’ mean?

On a conventional wheel balancer, before the balancing process can take place, you first have to manually input the wheel’s width, diameter and offset. Semi-automatic machines take away part of this responsibility, automatically inputting the diameter and offset – but you still need to measure the wheel width yourself.

Enter the fully automatic balancer. These machines measure all three parameters automatically and input the data, saving you the job. Not only does this make them extremely user friendly, it saves time.

Why choose an automatic machine?

Garages that balance wheels regularly (think busy tyre shops) will notice immediate efficiency improvements with an automatic wheel balancer. Measuring the wheel’s dimensions yourself can be a little fiddly and, though not especially time consuming, over a full day the time spent measuring can soon add up.

Although automatic wheel balancers are pricier than manual or semi-automatic variants, the efficiency improvements they can deliver allow them to pay for themselves in the long run (provided you use the machine often enough). You’ll be able to get through jobs more quickly, allowing you to balance more wheels per day. Stretched out over a month or a year, this additional revenue can make a significant difference!

Order yours online today

At Tyre Bay Direct, you’ll find a selection of durable, well made automatic wheel balancers from top brands like Atlas Platinum and Hofmann Megaplan. Explore the full range today and place your order online.