The JohnDow Tire Taxi HD, No. JDI-TT1-HD, is designed to allow technicians to transport larger wheels and tires in an efficient and safe manner. The HD Tire Taxi has a diameter of 33" and is designed with 4" industrial casters to maneuver over rough, uneven surfaces. One of the casters can be locked for safe storage. The HD Tire Taxi holds four heavy duty wheels and tires with a load capacity of 552 lbs.
The review
Moving tires and wheels around a shop can be awkward and even hazardous, especially when working with heavy duty trucks or buses. The JohnDow Tire Taxi HD is designed to alleviate this burden by allowing technicians to stack heavy duty tires and wheels and move them around without having to carry or roll them individually.
Eric Moore of DeMary Truck in Columbus, Ohio, says the Tire Taxi HD met this goal handily. While lighter duty tire and wheel carts may not have been up to the task, “the Tire Taxi [HD] seemed to be able to handle the weight of the bigger wheel/tire combinations we see for polishing,” he says.
A user’s manual is not included with this product, but Moore says one is not needed because there is no setup necessary and use is self-explanatory.
“Throw tires/wheels on it, and push it in the direction you want to go,” he says.
Moore says DeMary Truck’s main tire technician used the Tire Taxi HD “to move wheels, tires and wheel/tire combinations through the shop to the demount/mount area, and back. He also used it for transport of loose wheels to the polishing area.”
“We didn’t feel comfortable stacking more than three at one time,” Moore says. “It could handle the weight if we had chosen to stack another one or two, but since our floors are on the rough side, not smooth, we felt it was disaster waiting to happen if we stacked any more on.”
The technician suggested larger wheels or pneumatic tires may have allowed the Tire Taxi HD to roll over the shop’s rough floors more easily, but Moore argued that this change could lead to a reduced weight capacity or a different center of gravity, making it less stable and more prone to tipping. He believes the current design is a good compromise between stability and the product’s ability to handle rough terrain.
Overall, Moore and the technicians at DeMary Truck found the product to be a worthwhile investment.
“The JohnDow Tire Taxi HD was a usable piece of equipment, and when moving more than one wheel/tire, it did save time by [avoiding] making several trips,” Moore says. “If you’re a tire/wheel specialty shop ... you have got to get one of these.”
