A lot of shops still do that with big truck tires. You can't really seat the bead very well through the valve stem restriction. So some use a big air tank with a nozzle and a ball valve, and some use ether. I've seen dad do both with success. Also the air tank with a different attachment makes one hell of a golf ball shooter.
My lifted dodge with 35s has a can of ether behind the seat just in case I knock one off the bead. Ether is an all purpose tool that should be in every tool box IMO.