jimmuller 

That must have been a negative experience.

Esteban32696

I have a few spoons that I use at times. I have had a couple of bikes that were harder to get the tires off . All spoons have very smooth handles, & I have bent a couple of the spoons to the side to where I can hook the spoon end behind a spoke.

Amesja

I've had a few OEM 590 tires on E3S's that were so tough that I had to use motorcycle tire levers on to get them off. I don't know if there was an issue with some of the tires that came out of Nottingham or their suppliers but those babies were TIGHT. It's really easy to pinch a tube with levers andwhen they are this tight that they fight you getting them off it is best to pull off one bead at a time so at least you can pull the tube out after you get the first bead over the rim.

I've been changing motorcycle tires since I was was a kid. I grew up racing motorcycles and I didn't have a mechanic. My dad was the kind of teacher who thought that once he showed you how to do something you were responsible for knowing how and doing it from that point on. Most motorcycle tires are tough and the levers used on them are srs bsns.

Bicycle tires are almost always easy enough to remove and install to never need spoons/levers -or the cheap plastic ones at the very most which are less likely to pinch a tube. I've got pretty strong thumbs too but some of those older tires just don't want to come off. Funny thing is the new-production kendas I use always pop on without a fuss. I thought at first that was just a function of the rims being cleaned up/derusted but I've tried putting those old tires back on and they are still just as tight. Maybe they had larger millimeters back then?

RobbieTunes

You will not get a Hutchinson Fusion on or off without two levers, in my experience.
Major, major PITA.
Once they're on, you will feel somewhat "committed."