Harbor Freight Wheel Balancers: The Two Pittsburgh Models, Their Limits and Alternatives

People searching for a Harbor Freight wheel balancer mean one of two tools, and they are not interchangeable: one is for car wheels, one for motorcycle wheels. This page sets the two product pages side by side, as read on October 11, 2026. The owner's manuals could not be opened from our location, so nothing here comes from a manual, and we have run no trials. We earn nothing when you buy at Harbor Freight.

The two models side by side

Harbor Freight notes that specifications are approximate and subject to change.

Portable Wheel Balancer, item 59140

This is the model most people mean. It works as every bubble balancer does: the wheel rests on a pivoting head, and a level shows the heavy side. Two figures on the product page decide whether it suits your wheels, the 15 in. limit and the hub range. Trailer wheels, older cars and trucks on 14 and 15 in. wheels are inside it; current pickup and SUV wheels are not.

The principle, the checks before buying and the sources of error are on the page about bubble wheel balancers, the working steps are under how to use a bubble balancer, and the accuracy question has its own page: are bubble balancers accurate.

Motorcycle Wheel Balancing Stand, item 58738

The stand holds a motorcycle wheel on a shaft between two supports with ball bearings, so the heavy spot can settle at the bottom. The product page states the axle range and the largest tire, and it names leveling feet for uneven surfaces. It gives no cone sizes. Since the cones are what centers the wheel in its bearing bores, measure your wheel bearings and check the stand in the store.

The tire makers accept a balance stand for motorcycle wheels: their bulletin says the balance of tire and wheel must be checked with a balance stand or a computer wheel balancer. How to choose such a stand is on the page about motorcycle wheel balancers, and the work itself is described in how to balance a motorcycle tire.

What neither of them does

Both tools balance statically, in one plane. The manual of a shop spin balancer we read, the Coats 1250, describes dynamic balancing as using two planes for correction and names static balancing for narrow wheels, with a motorcycle wheel as the example. A gravity tool cannot do the two-plane part. The difference is explained under static vs dynamic balancing. If a wheel still shakes at speed after a static balance, have it spin balanced.

For whom, and for whom not

Amazon alternatives

Pittsburgh is a Harbor Freight house brand and is not in our selection. For car wheels, our selection has bubble balancers of the same type. The one in our list is an example, not a pick, because we know it from its listing only.

Example from Amazon: listing data onlyAd

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Portable Bubble Wheel Balancer

A portable static balancer: the wheel rests on a pivot and a round bubble level shows where it is heavy.

Seller data only: We only have the Amazon listing for this product. We list it as an option, not as a recommendation.

Why here: A portable bubble balancer in the budget price class. Hub range and wheel sizes are seller statements: compare them with the two figures of the store model, hubs of 1-1/2 to 4-1/4 in. and wheels up to 15 in.

Best for: Home garages that mount their own tires and want a static balance check without a powered machine.

Type

Bubble (static) wheel balancer

Mounting

Free-standing; needs a level surface

Measures

Static imbalance, one plane

Price class

Budget

What it does well

• Listed as a portable static balancing tool with a bubble level, according to the seller
• No power and no air line needed: the principle works by gravity
• Budget price class

Where it falls short

• No manufacturer page with specifications found; all data are seller statements from the listing
• Hub and wheel size range are not documented by a maker; check the listing against your wheels before ordering
• Shows static imbalance in one plane only; it cannot show the side-to-side imbalance a spin balancer measures in two planes
• Wheel weights are a separate purchase unless the listing says otherwise

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonRead the comparison

For motorcycle wheels, two stands on Amazon come with figures published by their makers: the Rabaconda Motorcycle Wheel Balancer^* (paid link), with a 12 mm shaft and cones for hubs up to 35 mm, and the Motion Pro Axis Truing-Balance Stand^* (paid link), with a 15 mm axle and cones for bearing bores of 18 to 32 mm. Both sit in the mid-range price class.

The changer that goes with the car balancer is described on the page about the Harbor Freight tire changer, and the store's stand for bikes under Harbor Freight motorcycle tire changer. All tools are sorted on the manual tire changer overview.