Originally Posted by
rccardr
A properly utilized tire iron will not harm the tube.
...and a properly used hammer will never damage a bicycle. Honestly, the bead jack is a good tool. I find that most of the people who talk them down have not used one. I don't know whether you have or not, but the principle of reaching over the tyre and levering it into place goes a long way toward avoiding the "improper" use of tyre irons.
It's like having the thumb of god on your side.