The BeadBuster XB-450i is the Premium Small Tire Bead Breaker…There is no Question

BeadBuster is the only USA based bead breaker brand that makes our products in the USA. The other bead breakers of this size are all basically the same copied design, and come from China.

THE MAIN ADVANTAGES TO THE BEADBUSTER DESIGN ARE:

• CLAMP & RAM MECHANISM – The BeadBuster style mechanism is SUPERIOR to any other bead breaker mechanisms, such as the “Shoe & Lever” and “Plier Style” bead breakers. The “Clamp & Ram” is the only style that effectively applies force directly to the Bead Bundle (aka. the steel cord in the tire bead). The other tools don’t work well because they apply force to the sidewall of the tire, and if the tire is stubborn that flexible sidewall will not transfer force to where its stuck at the tire bead. There are some other “Clamp & Ram” tools, but the XB-450i is the only one specifically designed for use with SMALL wheels found on motorcycles, ATV’s, Cars, Trucks and Lawn Mowers, etc.
• PATENTED CLAMP BOLT DIRECTION – is perpendicular to the clamping surface. All of the force from the clamp bolt acts to pull the tool into place. The “Other” Clamp & Ram tool design has the clamp bolt oriented almost parallel to the clamping surface. The result is the clamp bolt loses almost all the mechanical advantage turning the corner, and it is very difficult to get the tool mounted in place, especially on old, stubborn tires. This is why that design has a “Hammer Strike Pad” because its expected that you’ll need to hammer the tool in place. The BeadBuster will not need to be hammered, the powerful mechanical advantage of the bolt threads does all of the work.
• CONSTRUCTION – The BeadBuster is made from single piece Investment Casting, from Hardened 4140 Chrome-Moly Steel. The Other designs are made from mild steel and cast iron parts, and vary in build quality but all fall far short from the BeadBuster premium build quality. BeadBuster material strength is at least 4x greater than the others.
• RAM DRIVE – The BeadBuster Ram Drive is a custom Grade-8 Bolt. The other Clamp & Ram design is a Hex Nut coupled to some All-Thread with a Spring Pin. The pin has relatively low shear strength and can easily break from the shock loads of an impact wrench. This design is NOT compatible with an impact wrench. The BeadBuster CAN and SHOULD be used with an impact wrench.
• SIZE – The other Clamp & Ram tool is not in the same size class as the XB-450i. Its ram foot is far too long to be PROPERLY used on small wheels. The BeadBuster more compact and lighter (3 lbs) than the other portable style bead breakers (5-12 lbs). The XB-450i is the only bead breaker that can easily be stashed in a glove box, tool box or trail box.
• WHEEL PROTECTION – The BeadBuster comes with a padded clamp arm to protect Aluminum wheels. The other tools will certainly scratch nicely finished wheels.
• PRICE – BeadBuster is not the cheapest. We are more expensive than some of the other tools from overseas. But the BeadBuster XB-450i is PROUDLY MADE-IN-USA, and BeadBuster is a USA Small Business in Pennsylvania, owned and operated by 2 partners who invented the product in 2013. The quality of the BeadBuster is unquestionably superior. With BeadBuster, it is not a cliche: you get what you pay for!

You will need a 3/4” hand or socket wrench to drive the clamp and ram bolts on the XB-450i, and 15/16″ for the XB-550i.  A small cordless impact works beautifully for this.  You will also need BeadBuster Tire Mount Lubricant to lube the tire up.  After breaking the bead on a rim, you will need Tire Irons to complete the job of removing the tire from the rim. Beers are optional.

We use a heavy duty, polyethylene bumper, which is the only part of the BeadBuster that touches a visible surface on your rim.  The pad is attached to the clamp arm with a screw, not glue, so that it will always stay in place.  Other manual bead breaker tools are designed so that hard metal edges grab onto the rim, which will scratch and dent aluminum…Not Good if you have nice looking wheels.