On Tue, 24 Oct 2017 16:48:44 -0000 (UTC), Blake Snyder
wrote:

On Tue, 24 Oct 2017 09:06:05 -0700 (PDT), in
, trader_4
wrote:

I do a lot of repairs, but having the equipment to break a bead on
a tire, storing it, screwing around with it, isn't on my list.

A lot of people have a lot of yard where having the lawn mower in the shed,
storing it, screwing around with it, isn't on their list.

A lot of people have a driveway where having the equipment to maintain it,
screwing around with the tarblack, isn't on their list.

A lot of people have a pool where having the equipment to test the
chemistry, vacuum the crud, and skim the bugs isn't on their list.

We all know this.
Those people should not respond if they don't know the answer.

If I need that, I just go to a tire shop, where it's done quickly
and inexpensively.

And people with lawns hire landscapers to mow it.
And people with driveways hire asphalt guys to tarblack it.
And people with pools hire a pool company to maintain it.

Those people aren't ever going to know the answer to any related question.
They can only guess.

I can guess too. I don't want to guess.
I'd rather learn from someone who has purchased & used the patches.

For example, now that I've done perhaps 25 patches, I *know* which I like
best, and it's the patchplugs - by far. I even know *why* I like them.

Do the others work.
Yes.

I do all the above, except dismounting tires at home.

That's fine as I *know* most people don't dismount tires just like most
people don't dig their own fencepost holes.

You don't have to *like* the task. I never said you did.

The only thing I'll say, since I've done plenty of tires, is that it's so
easy that anyone who complains that it's difficult hasn't ever done it or
is an idiot who can't figure out how it's done.

Likewise, anyone who complains that the tools cost too much is merely
proving they can't do the simplest of math problems spanning the time
period of the useful life of their tools.

The real reason people don't do it is that they don't like doing it, which
is fine. Nobody is forcing anyone to like anything.

Just don't make stuff up about the job.
Just tell the truth to yourself.
And to others.

a. It's easy and convenient to fix flat tires whenever you feel like it.
b. The tools are no more expensive than any others you have in the shop.
c. It just takes a little knowledge (which many people may not ever have).

What makes a source the best?

I can tell you the best source of pool chlorine in my area if you ask me,
and it's not the big box hardware stores.

I can tell you the best brand of chainsaw to buy and you're not going to
find that brand at Sears.

I can tell you the place in town to get whiteout, but it's not going to be
at Staples or OfficeDepot.

How do I know such things?
Because of two factors inherent with this thing called "experience":
. I have bought the *wrong* stuff and suffered because of that
. I have bought the *right* stuff and benefited from that.

Take for example the suggestion to path and plug. I've done it.
Everyone has done it. It's so easy to do that it's the first thing you'll
try.

But once I received a bona-fide patchplug gratis from a tire shop, I was
instantly *sold* on the beauty of the thing. It's a work of art, really.

It just *feels* great to patch plug so professionally beautifully.
How do I know this?

Because I have experience in all the methods of patching a tire.

I'm only asking for people's experience.
I don't need or want guesses.

I can guess as well or better than most of you can guess.
If this thread had zero bad answers, that would be a bonus.

How many flats are you having?

I have the wife, and kids and grandkids and nearby friends, neighbors and
relatives, where I fix their flats all the time for them, gratis.

I'd guess I'm fixing about 2 a year or so at this rate, but that's only an
average as I just last week fixed two slow leaks on the same neighbor's
car. So I can go though five patches in a year, but not more than that.

The problem is that I can't plan on how many patches I will need to do
since they come in when they come in. I, myself, get about 1 flat a year
only, and often I can go for three years without a flat, but then I can get
three in a year. You can't plan these things.

A lot has to do, I think, with the fact I recycle, where you can't believe
the stuff you have to drive over to dump a truckload of stuff. Another
thing is that I help everyone in the neighborhood. And I pull over on
shoulders at times, to help people who have flats.

All these places have "debris" on the macadem, which can lodge into the
treads.

But to directly answer your question, about five patches should last me
about a year or so where I don't want to store the sticky rubber longer
than that.

I've had about two in ten years.

Good for you!
That means you don't have nearly the experience that I do.
Lucky you!

One resulted in the loss of the tire.

That's a very *deep* and *emotional* topic for many.
Ever wonder why Goodyear and Schwab and America's Tire do "free" tire flat
repair?

Ka-ching!

All follow RMA recommendations, which will fail a tire if two patches are
on the same line, if they're too close to the edge, if there is fluff
inside, if the hole is angled at greater than about 45 degrees, if the
shape isn't easily patched, if the tread is worn down to a single wear bar,
if the rim isn't in perfect condition, etc.

I would *love* know what their failure rate is for the mom-and-pop who
innocently brings their tire to be fixed for "free" and they're left
holding a rim in one hand and a tire on the other because the shop will
almost always *refuse* to put it back on the car.

Then I'd love to know how many people buy whatever tire is in inventory at
the tire shop, because they just want to get the car back on the road (a
lot depends on their willingness to use the spare but they still need the
flat fixed at some point relatively soon so they cave in to the current
hard sell at the shop because it's a PITA to bring a car to the shop for
many people).

The other one, I fixed with a string type plug, without taking it
off the car. That was many years ago, it's been holding fine.

Surprisingly, they work just fine to hold the air in and to protect the
treads from doing further damage inside the thickness.

But you don't get the same satisfaction from doing the job right.

It's the same difference as making your own salad dressing with first-press
olive oil versus buying the slop in the grocery store made out of God knows
what.

Both work fine as salad dressing - but one is done right.
And that just feels right.

You just said you have sources for five. How many is a handful?

About a year ago or so, I went to a shop to ask them where to get the black
goop they put on the *inside* of the tire, and they gave me an almost
finished can of that, plus they dug their hand into their patchplug bin
when I asked what size they use most for passenger car tire flats.

Out came five patchplugs, which I used up during the ensuing year.
I don't want to ask for freebies again and they don't sell them.
Well Blake, I've likely fixed as many tires as pretty well anyone
else on this list (24 years in "the business") - but I don't have room
for a tire machine at home, and at my age I'm not relishing dismouting
and rmounting tires on alloy rims with a set of spoons. I know I can
do it - I've done it before when necessary and would still do it if I
HAD to - but generally I don't HAVE to any more - so I don't. I DID
break the bead on my wife's Taurus wheel to clean up a bead leak on
the weekend by using a scissors jack under the frame of the truck -
but when I got a small puncture in my Nokian snow tire on the truck, I
just dropped it off at my local Nokian dealer and took advantage of
the free repair feature of their road hazard warrantee. Dropped it
off on the way to the office and picked it up at lunch.
I have access to a tire changer - about a 20 minute drive away - and
that's where the plugs I source end up - for use by my friend who owns
the farm. - and where I can do repairs if I NEED to on a weekend or
holiday.

Usually it's just more convenient to have someone else do it and pay
the price.