I'm looking to buy a new tire lathe. I wanted to get some opinion on the tire truers that are readily available or easy to get. I know everyone has a favorite, but I wanted to hear positives/negatives on what you are currently using. Just wanted to hear what people do and don't like about the tire lathe that they have now or previously owned.

For example, the Integy tire lathe seems to be easy to find, but doesn't come with a 1/10 front tire adapter. You also have to use saw blades as cutters.

Hudy auto: excellent built, excellent motor power, variable cutter speed, overpriced but most likely the better available

3 Racing: Very good machine but hard to get, variable cutter speed, has edger and excellent motor power. very good price for an excellent machine

Ofna: fair machine, no cutter speed

Integy:Good motor power, edger is no on them or optional, variable cutter speed, reliable switches.

Cutters: Carbide Cutter that I sell are hands down the best money spent and will work on any of the above machines. Throws off the MM marks on some but you should be measuring anyway

Arbor: Hudy is without a doubt the best out there. Overpriced but it is true and balanced great

Carbide Trim sticks are also available for edging tires

The Integy Auto Lathe doesnt have the power of the Hudy, but for the money its a nice piece. Cuts straight. I suggest buying either the Hudy or Murdock carbide bit for it. Also the rc4less arbor works great for just about any pan car tire. Even adding the arbor and the carbide blade, its still cheaper than the hudy.
One note of advice keep the buttons clean and blow around the buttons with an air hose. Sometimes after long uses, when the tire dust starts to cake on it, the buttons would stick. blowing it out gets it back on track.

I had the ofna auto and it was a piece of junk. every week something else broke on it.

the integy V2 has a bunch more power than the v1's

I just got a Integy v2 and it seems to have enough power. I got the one with the edge cutter/ sander and I wouldn't spend the money unless you will be doing tires of the same width. Like sedan tires. It isn't very easy to move the sanders from, say pancar front to rears. And the cool part is it comes with a case with foam inside! I would get the Murdock carbide cutter, but it does come with extra blades. Their just hacksaw blades cut to the right length.
It is new so I'll have to wait to see how it holds up. If it works as good as the V1 it will be a descent truer. If it has more power, it will be better.

i love my 3r racing unit! but it is hard to find.

I know you said "new", but find a used Maxmod A/C truer. You power right through tires in about a quarter of the time it takes with the auto truers. Maybe I am impatient, but the speed of the Hudy Auto truer drives me nuts.

The Rc4less arbor is nice and does all 1/10 1/12 pan car foams.

Use it on my Integy autotrue this combo trues foams very nice.

Jake

Who made the truer that used the blade to actually cut the tire instear of grinding the foam away? Cut the tire in 1 neat ring, it was really trick, would love to find one. Kind of looked like an X-acto blade cutter...

Integy v2 and carbide bit from Murdock works great you can cut tires down from full to 2.20" in one pass if you like. Arbor from RC4LESS is the best also!

Thanks everyone for the responses. I've looked at the Integy in the past. If the v2 has a better motor, then I may consider that.

the HUDY arbor is a PITFA for front tires...reguardless of brand.. You really have to muscle the tire on the arbor... I switched from that to a RC4less arbor and have never looked back.. ALSO the RC4less arbor works on all brand tires... My Hudy One would not work on TM rears..

I agree with above on maxmod as well.. those things have so much power its almost dangerous... I regret ever selling my maxmod truer.. :cry:

Having seen and used several different truers, here is my input

AC powered: Maxmods are the ticket, and the Hudy and Cobra units are nice too, but all of them are manual.

DC powered: Hudy def. has the best auto truer, but as Rob said, very overpriced. The integy unit is probably the best for the money, its relatively inexpensive, cuts nice, reliable, variable speed, overall a great unit. As Erock suggested, get a carbide cutter for it and you will be all set. RC4Less makes compatiable arbors for them.

Matt Olmsted
www.redneckrc.com