Experience with Balance Masters?

[drury]

I did a forum search on the Balance Masters wheel balancers, and found exactly one post talking about experience with them. How about the rest of you Balance Master owners post your experience? Do they work well? Do they last? Any toxic mercury leaks? Are they quiet? Any fit issues? I'm considering a set.



Also, I know you Centramatics guys are an enthusiastic bunch, but this thread is for Balance Masters, not Centramatics. I've already seen lots and lots of posts about how much you love your Centramatics. If you feel the need to talk about Centramatics, please post here: https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106123

 

[pgleavitt]

I had them on my dually. They worked well with the 16" wheels but not on the 19. 5" when I went bigger.

 

[Mundgyver]

I think they would work well, but my only and by far the largest concern is that they have or supposidly have Mercury in them.



Now comes the very large dollar question.



If, and I use if in a hypothetical context, you should have an accident and they become broken and leak out, who is responsible for the clean up cost



The company or the buyer You know that if the liquid is Mercury and it gets spilled and a HAZ-MAT crew has to come to clean it up per regulations, somebody is going to pay large dollars.



Who will it be, the company or the buyer Find the answer to that question and get the responsibility down in writing, and I think it will determine if they are worth buying. We know they work and work well.



I am not bad-mouthing them, I just want to know what the answer is to an area of responsibility by which party, for the given situation, should it happen.



Food for thought.

 

[drury]

Someone brought up the mercury issue in another post, and the answer about who pays in the event of a wreck was "the insurance company". That answer seems quite reasonable to me.



There is no "supposedly" about the mercury. The advertise the mercury on their web site as the stuff that makes it work. It's actually a big selling point with me. Mercury solves the low speed noise issue that some have complained about with the Centramatics. (I hate noise with a passion. I plan on having the quietest CTD on the road when I am done. ) I also read one report of a guy having to change out his Centramatics under warranty three times because the balls started sticking in the fluid over time. Mercury is not subject to deterioration.



The rim issue is an interesting one. I've got the factory 17" rims, and they are advertised as 16-16. 5". I wonder if that extra 1/2" is going to reduce their ability to get the job done? Maybe they would need to be used in combo with static balance weights?