A device for selecting the tools of the tool carrying head of tire removal machines in general comprises a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit (17) arranged to cause a tool carrying head (6, 7) to rotate, and connected in parallel with a hydraulic cylinder-piston unit (11) which causes a bar (1) on which the head (6, 7) is rotatably mounted to swivel in a vertical plane. A sequence valve (31) is provided in that pipe connecting together the cylinder-piston units (11), (17) through which the oil passes for moving the bar (1) into its rest position, and a free-wheeling linkage (20, 23, 24) is disposed between the bar (1) and head (6, 7) to enable the head (6, 7) to rotate in only one direction, and is associated with a positioning element (25) which fixes said head in position at every half revolution.