Where Are Tire Changers Manufactured? What the Manufacturer Won't Tell You

The question "where are tire changers manufactured" seems simple – after all, the machine carries the logo of a well-known, often Italian brand. The reality is quite different: the vast majority of budget passenger-car tire changers sold in Europe are made in China today – including many machines offered under European brand names. In this article, we show where genuine European production has survived, how to identify the real country of origin of your machine from the nameplate and the CE Declaration of Conformity, and – most importantly for your wallet – why spare parts for tire changers of different brands are often interchangeable.

Where are tire changers manufactured? The map has shrunk

According to market data (Fortune Business Insights, 2025), the Asia-Pacific region accounts for nearly 49% of the global tire changer market, while Europe holds only around 25%. The center of OEM production is China's Liaoning Province (the Yingkou area) and the region around Shanghai – home to factories such as Bright, Trainsway, Unite and Yingkou Yuanmech, which build machines later sold under dozens of European trade brands. The very same model can reach the market in several colors, with different stickers and at very different prices. Remarkably, even the legends of the industry have gone to China: the Nexion Group (owner of the Corghi brand) has operated its own joint venture, Corwei/Bright in Yingkou, since 2017 – established precisely to cover the full product range, from the premium segment down to the entry level.

Did you know? It was in Correggio, Italy, that Erminio Corghi built the "Artiglio" in 1961 – the first tire changer in history. Ever since, the small town in the province of Reggio Emilia has been known as the world's "tire changer district".

Correggio – the last bastion of European tire changer production

Genuine production from the ground up – frame welding, machining, in-house components – has survived in Europe essentially in one place: the Italian Correggio district and its surroundings. This is where the premium tire changers of the following brands are built:

• Corghi, Sice, Mondolfo Ferro, Teco – Nexion Group, Correggio (premium lines, including the leverless Artiglio models),
• Giuliano, M&B Engineering, Sicam – Correggio and the surrounding area; nearby, Ravaglioli/Butler (frame welding plant in Ostellato) and Snap-on Equipment (Hofmann, John Bean) also manufacture,
• Cemb (Mandello del Lario) and Fasep (Florence) – smaller manufacturers declaring 100% Made in Italy production; the American manufacturer Hunter produces exclusively in the USA.

Important: the same European brands usually run two lines – a premium line manufactured in Europe and a budget line that is produced in China or assembled from Chinese components. The logo on the housing won't tell you which line your machine comes from.

How to check where your tire changer really comes from

The only hard evidence of a specific machine's origin is the nameplate and the CE Declaration of Conformity. There you will find the legal manufacturer, the model, the year of production and the serial number – and the Declaration of Conformity states the country of production. If your classic tire changer fit within a budget of up to around €5,000, it most likely rolled out of a factory in China – no matter how European the name on the sticker sounds. And that's no reason to panic – it's simply a market reality worth knowing when it comes to one very practical topic: selecting spare parts.

What this means for tire changer spare parts

Since many budget tire changers come from the same OEM factories, their parts are often structurally identical or interchangeable between machines of different brands. The manufacturer won't tell you this – but instead of hunting for the "original" part by logo, all you need to do is compare the appearance and dimensions. This applies above all to wear parts: the protective cover for mounting shoe Type K or the plastic covers for clamping jaws Type C fit many popular designs, and the Type C spring plate (left, double-bent) is a classic turntable component found in dozens of models.

The same goes for pneumatics and electrics: the valve block – pedal air distributor Type D and the rotary switch (two speeds) are typical components fitted to machines of many brands from the same source. And when the mounting head wears out, a universal design such as the universal metal mounting foot (with additional covers) solves the problem – regardless of what's written on the housing. That's why at AZworkshop we describe every part in detail, list the exact dimensions and show it in photos from every angle – if the appearance and dimensions match, the part will be compatible with your tire changer.

From workshop experience

The most common mistake we see: customers look for parts "only from the manufacturer of my machine" and walk away from a purchase when the brand isn't listed in the description – then end up overpaying for an identical part with a different logo, or waiting weeks for an import. If you can't find the nameplate and have no documentation, select the part by category, photos and dimensions – measure the old component with a caliper (hole diameters, spacing, material thickness) and compare the values with the dimensions listed on the product page. In 9 out of 10 cases, that's enough to get it right the first time.

Looking for parts for your tire changer? Browse the full range with exact dimensions and photos: spare parts for tire changers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How can I check where my tire changer was manufactured?

The only hard evidence of a machine's origin is the nameplate and the CE Declaration of Conformity. There you will find the legal manufacturer, the model, the year of production and the serial number. Neither the brand name on the housing nor the company's headquarters determines where the machine was actually made.

Are spare parts for Chinese-made tire changers interchangeable between brands?

Very often, yes. Many budget tire changers sold under different brands are built in the same Chinese OEM factories, so mounting shoes, covers, spring plates and pneumatic components are frequently structurally identical. The key is to compare the appearance and exact dimensions of the part – not the logo on the machine.

Is a tire changer made in China a bad choice?

No. Budget tire changers from China have been working reliably in thousands of workshops for years and perform well when operated correctly. More important than the country of production is the availability of spare parts and the ability to select them easily by dimensions.

Which tire changers are still manufactured in Europe?

Genuine European production has survived mainly in the premium segment, above all in the Italian Correggio district in the province of Reggio Emilia. Machines from brands such as Corghi, Sice, Mondolfo Ferro, Teco, Giuliano and M&B Engineering are built there; nearby, Ravaglioli/Butler and Snap-on Equipment also manufacture. Hunter produces in the USA.