The JohnDow Tire Taxi, No. JDI-TT1, is specifically designed to make moving tires and wheels through storage areas and service bays simple, fast and safe. Equipped with four heavy duty casters, it offers a load capacity of 265 lbs. The Tire Taxi can move up to eight tires or five tire and wheel assemblies. Also available is the Tire Taxi EX, No. JDI-TT1-EX, which offers an overall working height of 23”.
The review
Rolling tires manually across the shop floor is fatiguing and causes unnecessary strain on technicians. Still, it can sometimes be the easiest way to get tires from Point A to Point B when a technician lacks designated equipment.
Other times, technicians may try to use basic dollies which are usually not big enough to provide proper tire support. At least that was Scott Straffen's experience as service manager of Audi Middleburg Heights in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, before he found the JohnDow Tire Taxi.
The JohnDow Tire Taxi, No. JDI-TT1, was designed to make moving tires and wheels through service bays safer and faster.
With the Tire Taxi technicians at Straffen's shop can more efficiently move tires around the shop, he says.
“The purpose when we bought this building was to save time and increase productivity,” Straffen says of Audi Middleburg Heights moving locations. “[Having the Tire Taxi] became a win-win because the techs are saving some time instead of having to roll two [tires] down, or find another means of getting them to the tool room where the tire machine is. This means turning more work quicker.”
T.J. White, store manager at Tire Source Neighborhood Car Care Montrose, in Fairlawn, Ohio, also sees more efficiency in his shop with the Tire Taxi.
“For us, it’s a major time-saver and it really helps,” White says. “The guys [technicians] like it because they say it helps their backs from having to lift tires.”
Straffen and White both agree techs typically stacked the standard four tires per cart. But White says that he has seen his technicians on occasion stack up to eight with no problem. Both agree that when trying to stack more than four tires, it requires more effort to keep them aligned and balanced.
“We put [four] 21" wheels on there, so weight-wise there's quite a bit,” Straffen says. “But it does seem to handle very well. It pivots effortlessly; I'm very pleased with that. The casters have held up well.”
There are spokes all the way around the Tire Taxi, which Straffen finds useful when strapping down tires for transport and storage. He has 10 Tire Taxis in the shop, and uses ones not in use to store his customers’ seasonal tires in the shop. Adding straps to the equipment allows secure storage.
The heavy duty casters on the Tire Taxi are designed to carry up to 265 lbs. Both Straffen and White say that the casters are able to smoothly get over bumps without unbalancing the tires.
When there are wider gaps, like for example in White’s shop where there are drains on the outskirts of the shop which have been bent over time, the casters will occasionally stick up. But White says in a typical shop there should be no issues.
The Tire Taxi features a center compartment to keep things like lug nuts contained, as well as a brake on the caster to keep the unit from moving during use.
In a shop environment durable and stable material is also important, and Straffen and White agree that the Tire Taxi holds up.
“I like the material it’s made out of because it’s very durable,” White says. “Occasionally it will get pushed underneath someone’s [tool]box, or sometimes you’ll pick it up and carry it back and it’ll scrape the ground. It’s very durable and strong so it doesn’t get scraped up.”
Straffen agrees.
“They've held up well, and my guys aren't the easiest with them,” Straffen says.
