Back in the mid-1950s my father's shop had an old Bear wheel balancer that was so sensitive that they could start shaving a little lead at a time off a 1/4 ounce wheel weight with a pocketknife before the machine was satisfied the wheel was balanced. It was possible to stand a nickel up on edge on the top of that machine with the wheel spinning at around 100 MPH. Wheel balancing has always been more about the skill of the operator than the type of machine being used. Balance beads have always seemed to be a P.T.Barnum gimmick to me.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!