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]]>Yet, they will cost you a lot more than new tires in the long run. Here are 3 reasons why:
Burning cash
1. "Usable" vs "total" tread depth
It is important to differentiate "usable" from "total" tread depth. Brand new tires typically come with a total of 10/32” tread depth, out of which on 8/32” is usable. Why? That’s simply because the minimum allowed tread depth on Canadian roads is 2/32”. When buying any tires, you should think in terms of usable tread depth – this is what you are paying for.
Let’s look at an imaginary used tire with 5/32” total tread depth left. Seems like it should have 50% tread left compared to a brand-new tire. And this is correct in terms of total tread depth (5 vs 10). However, in terms of usable tread depth, it only has 37.5% left (3 vs 8).
A “50% tread left” tire, should be called a "37.5% tread left" tire. Think in terms of usable tread depth, no total tread depth.
With used tires, you end up spending a lot more money on replacement services compared to new tires. In a lifespan of a new tire, one could have to replace 2 or even 3 used tires. Unlike rubber, mounting and balancing service costs the same both for used and new tires. Instead of spending $100 on installation services, you can expect to spend $200-$300 in the same time frame.
A used tire can appear in good condition after a visual inspection, but any internal damage is completely invisible. Unless the tires have been X-rayed, there is absolutely no way to ensure the steel cord is not compromised. There are multiple factors that could’ve caused cord weakening from tire overloading by the previous owner to damage when they were taken off. A potential blowout on the highway could cost you thousands of dollars.
While selling used tires is legal, and very lucrative, I don’t want to get into this business. I’ve always run my companies on the idea of “doing the right thing”. Making profit on used tires does not seem like the right thing to do.
At Kors Tire in Kelowna, we will stick to our goal of providing good quality tires at affordable rates by implementing various strategies that don’t compromise the quality of the tires.
Thank you for reading!
Sergey Kors
]]>My hometown is marked with a red pin in the image below.
In early 90s we started working with American tire brands but quickly switched to Japanese and South Korean manufactures in mid 90s. We didn’t do any business with Chinese factories at that time as I simply wasn’t convinced in their quality. As a business owner, I did not want to invest in a product that I didn’t personally trust. For over a decade I was monitoring Chinese tire industry, watched it develop, did a lot of research and kept visiting their factories every other year.
During my visits in late 90s I have seen some mind boggling practices. For example, tires getting completely deformed to fit one into another. Similar to the video below, but done manually. This way you can fit a lot more tires in a container and save money on transportation. Such technique results in cord breakage and makes the tire unsafe. This was completely unacceptable to us and we kept looking.
Finally, I learnt the best tire manufacturers in China are government controlled. In 2008 we placed our first order with one of those factories. We received quite a bit of interest but also scepticism from our customers. The price was so attractive that those Chinese tires were given a shot. After the first winter we received a ton of positive feedback! We confirmed that Chinese tires can compete with brand name tires at a fraction of a cost.
Here is a video compilation of typical road conditions in winter in my hometown :)
Since 2008 the quality and scale of Chinese tire industry has improved even further. ChemChina, one of government controlled factories, has recently purchased Pirelli for over 7 billion dollars! Over the years Chinese tires got so popular in Russia, that Russian tire manufacturers could not complete and lobbied anti-dumping duties. In 2015 Russian government was forced to introduce additional import duty on Chinese tires to support Russian tire manufacturers. Exactly the same happened in the USA.
To sum this up, I would like to say there are still sub-par tires from China, but there are also quality ones out there nowadays. You just need to do your research and know the market. Those who claim that all tires made in China are bad, simply follow stereotypical thinking. I am very familiar with Chinese tire market, and know what is good and what is bad, who to work with and who to avoid.
Thank you for reading! More to follow...
Sergey Kors
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