Hofmann designed the 7200S to be installed close to a wall. That is a listed feature, not an inference, and the cabinet backs it up: 31" deep in a family where the high-volume models need half again as much room behind them. If the reason you have not bought a video-display balancer is that the bay cannot spare the floor, this is the model that answers the objection.

It is a high-performance balancing system with a colour video display, aimed at shops that want the guidance of a screen without the footprint of a full-size machine.

Small cabinet, full-size measuring

Nothing about the compact footprint is a compromise on measurement. The 7200S uses Hofmann’s patented Virtual Plain Imaging — VPI — measuring system, resolves weight position to ±0.35°, and publishes a balancing accuracy of 0.035 (1 g) at a measuring speed of under 200 rpm. The shaft is 40 mm across and 225 mm long, the same shaft geometry as the larger models in the range.

What you give up against the bigger machines is not precision. It is the power clamp, the largest monitors and some of the automatic data acquisition. What you gain is a machine that fits against a wall in a bay that was full.

The display, and the ten-second answer

In under ten seconds the colour display shows where the imbalance sits and identifies the best position for a tape-on or clip-on weight. That second half matters more than the speed does: telling a technician where the weight goes, and which kind of weight to use, removes the two judgement calls that most often send a wheel back onto the shaft for a second attempt.

smartSonar simplifies parameter entry, and the fast spin cycle is designed to produce a usable measurement in the fewest cycles rather than the shortest single spin.

Hidden weight mode

Hidden weight mode splits a corrective weight so it can be placed behind the spokes instead of on show. On a customer’s polished alloy this is the difference between a wheel that looks untouched and one with a strip of adhesive weight visible from the kerb. It is a small feature that generates a disproportionate share of the compliments a tire bay receives, and it is standard on this machine.

Safety and handling details worth knowing

Two of the listed features are about the operator rather than the wheel. The wheel brakes automatically after measurement, so the assembly is stopped rather than left to run down while somebody reaches for it. And the main shaft lock is pedal-operated, which keeps the wheel still while both hands are busy positioning a weight. Neither shows up in a marketing headline; both are noticeable on the hundredth wheel of the week.

The machine also carries a tire and wheel optimisation program for assemblies that will not balance cleanly by weight alone — the routine that tells you to break the tire down and re-index it on the rim rather than keep adding lead.

Will it fit your bay?

The cabinet measures 40" x 31" x 72" and the machine weighs 220 lbs (100 kg). The 31" depth is what enables the close-to-a-wall installation Hofmann specifies; the 72" height is the figure to check against low shelving, ductwork or a mezzanine edge, since the wheel guard has to travel.

Power is 230 VAC, single phase, 50/60 Hz. Confirm that supply is available at the spot you have chosen — and confirm the doorway and aisle a 220 lbs crated machine has to travel through. Both are the buyer’s responsibility, and both are far cheaper to check now than to solve on the day.

Specifications

A note on data entry: one of our product fields describes this machine as manual entry, while the specification table lists semi-automatic ranges and the feature list credits smartSonar with simplifying parameter entry. Those do not sit comfortably together, so if the level of automation is what decides your purchase, ask us to confirm it against the manufacturer’s sheet instead of relying on either description.

Perfect For

• Bays with a wall to work against — the 31" depth and the close-to-a-wall installation are the whole point of this model.
• Shops that want a video display without moving to a full-size high-volume machine.
• Alloy-wheel and dealership work, where hidden weight mode keeps the wheel looking untouched.
• Mixed general repair, where the balancer is one of several jobs rather than the whole business.

What comes with it

The optimisation program, hidden weight mode, automatic braking and the pedal shaft lock are machine features rather than options, so they are included by definition. Beyond that, our product data does not itemise the cones and accessories in the crate, and we will not invent a packing list — ask and we will confirm before you order.

The EZ-Collets app is available for choosing collets, flanges and quick plates by vehicle, free from the Apple and Google stores with an email activation.

Certification, stated plainly

Our product data records no independent safety listing for this balancer, and we are not going to imply one exists. If your insurer or a local inspection requirement asks for equipment listed by a third-party testing laboratory, treat it as a pre-purchase question: contact us and we will ask the manufacturer for the documentation and forward whatever they provide.

Delivery and inspection

This is freight to the contiguous United States. Hofmann machines carry their own delivery, set-up and instruction terms, set out in the Pick Up and Delivery section on this page — please read it, because it is different from the way most equipment on our site arrives.

Inspect before you sign. Check the pallet, the monitor housing and the guard, and note any damage on the bill of lading in front of the driver. Once a clean bill of lading is signed, a carrier claim becomes very difficult.

Warranty

Warranty runs through our warranty claims page. Do not disassemble the machine before a claim is open: photograph the fault, keep the packaging if the damage might have happened in transit, and speak to us first.