# Part Worn Tyres? Yes or No?



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Ok, I have bought a used set of alloy wheels, going to tidy them up myself, they have no tyres with them, and I need to sort some, they are going on my wifes car and she only does around 1500 miles per year, just pops to the shops, school etc so being honest I dont really want to buy a set of brand new tyres as its an awful lot of money and they are likely to perish through sun damage on teh side walls as opposed to using up all the tread!

So I thought about Part Worns, have never used part worns before so I have no experience of them, no idea if its a good idea or a bad idea, it seems that I have a better chance of getting branded tyres as opposed to having have new and just getting budget ones from the local tyre shop.

Looking online in the size I need 225/45/17 it seems I can get a set of Conti Sport Contact 3's for £35 each with minimum of 4mm tread on them or similar Bridgestones, or my local, tyre shop is carging £52 for budget plus fitting.

So how do tyre shops take to fitting part worn tyres? What am I looking out for etc? Is it a good idea or are new budget ones a better idea?

Thanks for any help.


----------



## GR33N (Apr 5, 2009)

My dad always buys parts worns from ebay, most of them come from Germany where they have to change them with more tread than we do. He tends to buy Continentals, and reckons per mm tread they work out cheaper than buying new :lol:


----------



## rob warrington (Jan 4, 2012)

I know everyone will have their own opinion on this but for me I wouldn't fit part worn tyres to my car. I hear what you say about the low mileage the car will be doing but I don't like part worns. A guy I work with only ever fits part worns on his cars and always has done. i wouldn't feel good putting part worns on with my wife and kids being driven about in the car.


----------



## LittleMissTracy (May 17, 2012)

I used to put part worn tyres on my car when I first passed my test as I too used to only use the car for shopping and occasional trip to work.
But more miles or long trips then I wouldn't


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

not for me.

:thumb:


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

I would not buy part worn tyres.

With only 4mm left, or maximum of 2.4mm of wear the tyres will not have much life left and you will have the hassle of changing again soon.

Part work tyres are always a bit suspect as you never know what you are buying.

I've seen quite a few defective ones over the years.


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

These are double the price but they also have double the tread and you know they are new.

They would make more sense if you were local for free fitting.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225-45-17...Diameter:17&hash=item27c152fbe9#ht_743wt_1163

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225-45-17...iameter:17&hash=item53ee2cbf6d#ht_1041wt_1163


----------



## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

I'd fit them if I was either selling the car, or taking it to a drift day, not otherwise.


----------



## avit88 (Mar 19, 2012)

nope especially if the wife and kids are in it.


----------



## Ross (Apr 25, 2007)

Maybe for track use not for the road.


----------



## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Ross said:


> Maybe for track use not for the road.


Have you ever driven on part worns at the track?

I would want the best tyres possible for track usage, not the other way round.


----------



## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Kerr said:


> I would not buy part worn tyres.
> 
> *With only 4mm left, or maximum of 2.4mm of wear the tyres will not have much life left and you will have the hassle of changing again soon.*
> 
> ...


I see what you're saying, but if, as he said, she's only doing 1500 miles per year, she could easily get a couple of years running out of them. The only thing I might say to the OP to take into account, is they might be a bit thin if we were to have a rough winter.

What car is it?

This is one of the reasons I would avoid relatively large wheels for a runabout and why I steered my other half away from a big wheeled 1-series. She stuck with 16"s and can get perfectly good, mid-range branded tyres for £50-60, pretty much half the price of a 17/18" equivalent.


----------



## kevin whittaker (May 16, 2011)

I have bought part worn tyres from Top Gear Tyres http://www.topgeartyres.co.uk/ a few times.

I recently paid £45 each for Continental Sport Contact 3 (245/40/17) with 6mm of tread on them, fitted.

I am in no way connected to the company, just impressed with their products and service.


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Thanks chaps for the views, it pretty much sums up the way I am thinking, I dont really know what to do, I dont really want to buy budgets new, the car currently has 16" alloys on it which are OK, they have Event Tyres on the front and they are just dreadful Ok they are needing to be changed soon, but she wants a bigger wheel as the car looks better with 17" as opposed to 16" not buying aftermarket we have bought some OEM alloys but need tyres, and I am chewing it over in my head, part worns or new budget tyres? Really cant decide what to do.

The car is a 2001 VW New Beetle, she drives like a Granny and only does minimal stuff, so I almost begrudge buying new ones as they just wont see the wear, but on a car we had previously we could only afford budgets, and the local place had cheap 'Diamond Back' brand tyres, and although I wouldnt put them on teh front the compund they were made of just never wore down, we used them on about 3 cars in the end over about 5 years and done about 10K with them and they looked as good as the day they went on.

One thing that I do know though is that if I did buy part worns they would have to be ones that hadnt been repaired in anyway, as then you are right you wouldnt have a clue as to the quality of the repair etc?

Just really undecided what to do if I am being honest.

I suppose one way of looking at part worns is when you buy a used car it generally has tyres on that you dont know the history of and we all usually take those for granted, so is it the same as doing that?


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Kerr said:


> These are double the price but they also have double the tread and you know they are new.
> 
> They would make more sense if you were local for free fitting.
> 
> ...


Those Kumho's at £150 a pair fitted certainly seems good value, but unfortunately too far for me, just thinking about it thought my brother uses a tyre place a few miles away as he is a business and claims the VAT back and gets a discount on stuff too, he doesnt mind me using his account so if I can get reasonable quality new ones fitted for around £60 after discount and VAT taken off then that wouldnt be too bad I suppose?


----------



## will930 (Apr 15, 2012)

whats so wrong with them? 

ive never bought a brand new tyre, have done 20k on part worns and no problems at all, and mine have even been budget part worns and have been round on a track session and eat up the miles, and at £12 each from the local scrapper its all good!

providing you know what your looking for they will be fine, for instance uneven wear, bening run flat, scrubbing etc, damage to sidewalls.

mine came with over 5mm of tread and managed to get two matching pairs, a decent part worn is better than oober budget tyre


----------



## Black Magic Detail (Aug 17, 2010)

just put a part worn on the rear of my m5 ,with over 5mm left £65 fitted or new 8mm £330 fitted .275/35/18 pzero


----------



## crazysnakeman (Oct 12, 2011)

I read an article on this, http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/35532/used-tyre-scandal, I was considering some part worn but after reading this I went for brand new mid range.


----------



## Hasan1 (Jul 1, 2011)

If I was you I'd get the new budget ones if there is not to much driving 
this way you know all 4 corners are the same. With part worn it's hard to get 4 the make. I get my dad budget as I know he never drives fast and don't drive to much


----------



## RD55 DUN (Dec 30, 2008)

Ive always been sceptical about part worns. Dont know the history and ive always wondered "why" would a good tyre be removed from a car?


----------



## bigmc (Mar 22, 2010)

RD55 DUN said:


> Ive always been sceptical about part worns. Dont know the history and ive always wondered "why" would a good tyre be removed from a car?


I've put them on everything from a 1.1 fiesta to a 440bhp sunny and never had one problem, your brand new £300 a corner Pzero tyres are part worn as soon as they turn a wheel.


----------



## Bero (Mar 9, 2008)

Jeepers a lot of very cautious people on here.

Here is a very pertinent question to EVERYONE who said they would not use pert worn tyres. When you buy a NEW or second hand car do you have a mobile tyre fitter come out and change the tyres before you drive away? Even tyres on a new car have been used (very little admittedly), obviously tyres on a second hand car could have any degree of use. Why is that any different? It's not!

Have said all that I fit new ones....but because I can, it's easier and my usage justifies it rather than concerns over using part worn tyres.


----------



## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

RD55 DUN said:


> Ive always been sceptical about part worns. Dont know the history and ive always wondered "why" would a good tyre be removed from a car?


Quite a few, genuine, reasons. A lot come from Europe where tyres are cheaper and drivers are encouraged to change well before they reach legal limits and with the recommendations/requirements for winter tyres there's a lot of surplus there.

A lot of main dealers in the UK won't sell an approved used vehicle with tread under a certain threshold. The other halves 1-series had 4 new Goodyear Run Flats fitted to her (58 plate) car when she bought it earlier this year. The tyres still had a good tread left on them so we hadn't even mentioned it when doing the deal, but apparently it was their policy. I'd imagine that, whilst their tolerances might be a bit lower, even independent garages will find themselves removing quite a few perfectly serviceable tyres over the course of time.

There's also those that buy a tyre and "don't like them" so swap them after a few hundred miles.


----------



## Multipla Mick (Feb 5, 2006)

Bero said:


> Jeepers a lot of very cautious people on here.
> 
> Here is a very pertinent question to EVERYONE who said they would not use pert worn tyres. When you buy a NEW or second hand car do you have a mobile tyre fitter come out and change the tyres before you drive away? Even tyres on a new car have been used (very little admittedly), obviously tyres on a second hand car could have any degree of use. Why is that any different? It's not!
> 
> Have said all that I fit new ones....but because I can, it's easier and my usage justifies it rather than concerns over using part worn tyres.


Was just about to post the same thing myself. If the part worns check out visually, (and you can inspect them more thoroughly before buying or fitting them than you can when buying a second hand car) then bung 'em on. When replacing tyres I always buy new, but I wouldn't replace all the tyres on a used car, bike or van that I'd buy unless they weren't the right type or speed rating or something.


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

Bero said:


> Jeepers a lot of very cautious people on here.
> 
> Here is a very pertinent question to EVERYONE who said they would not use pert worn tyres. When you buy a NEW or second hand car do you have a mobile tyre fitter come out and change the tyres before you drive away? Even tyres on a new car have been used (very little admittedly), obviously tyres on a second hand car could have any degree of use. Why is that any different? It's not!
> 
> Have said all that I fit new ones....but because I can, it's easier and my usage justifies it rather than concerns over using part worn tyres.


Pretty much agree with everything!

I usually buy part worn tyres. This is because i only do up to 3K miles a year, so the tyres will deteriorate before reaching the legal tread limit.

Basically it's common sense, as long as the worn tyres are defect free and in good condition, there's nothing wrong with them. 
Plus i'd personally rather have a part worn quality brand tyre than a new budget tyre.

Again i make the same point as others - when you buy a second hand car do you change all the tyres regardless of tread left?
How about hire cars?

When you buy new tyres and take the car for a drive, they've become 'worn' don't they?

If people buy new, great! That's up to them, their money and it's usually justified when doing many miles a year.
But to imply that part worns are going to lead to automatic death & destruction, is like saying breaking the speed limit by say 5mph is wreckless & you are automatically going to kill people! 

Just a bit of common sense required imo.

:thumb:


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

RD55 DUN said:


> Ive always been sceptical about part worns. Dont know the history and ive always wondered "why" would a good tyre be removed from a car?


I think many of them come from lease/company cars, so garages usually recommend replacing decent tyres because that they know the companies will just pay up without question? The company will just end up paying rather than the driver so they don't really care so much if at all.

Also they may come from cars that are broken for spares & scrap - perfectly good cars, just uneconomical to repair/run & put on the road.


----------



## d7ve_b (Jul 1, 2010)

I've run part worn's before, don't see the problem TBH. As long as I can get them matching, they're a decent brand and have had no repairs then what's not to like....?


----------



## Gruffs (Dec 10, 2007)

That Auto Express article is loaded and biased.

"All but one failed" Because there was no 'part worn' stamp. :lol:

Does anyone have a URL for a part worn tyre supplier?


----------



## THE_GOOCH (Jun 25, 2012)

i used to be a tyre fitter and 90% of our sales were part worn. i use them on my own cars and the only trouble iv ever had is a wheel bearing like noise which was due to uneven tyre wear. when buying id suggest looking for flat spots and damage to side walls 


Sent Using My Thumb Like A Big Boy


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Thanks for all the views seems that as long as I can see the tyres prior to them being fitted and they look as though they are in good condition i.e. no obvious damage, puncture repairs then they would generally do the job.

I know we have a local place that is offering a set of Pirelli P-Zero in 225/45/7 with 4mm for £120 plus fitting and he also has a set of Conti Sport Contact 3 with 4.5mm for £140 plus fitting, so I am considering those sets at the moment, they seem like reasonable value to me.

Looking at the new cost of those tyres they are over £100 each plus fitting so its certainly looking attractice price wise!


----------



## adamck (Dec 2, 2010)

sometimes you can get a good deal buying new alloys with tyres, then selling the alloys.
Or selling your alloys and keeping the new ones lol.

I had a mate who did this a few times and saved a ton of cash!


----------



## DW58 (Nov 27, 2010)

Defo not


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

God I've heard some scare mongering dribble about part worns before but really!

As others have said, nothing wrong with part worns if they're damage free, especially with the mileage the OP has stated she'll be doing, also I think any reputable garage/tyre fitters wouldn't let you drive off in a dangerous tyre after fitting, let alone fit one in the first place.

Bought 2 for the KIA when I got it, bu66er all wrong with them, and they were guaranteed damage free as well


----------



## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

someone i work with got part worn put on... they were 8 years old!


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

andy monty said:


> someone i work with got part worn put on... they were 8 years old!


Bit young to drive let alone own a car and be working


----------



## Paintmaster1982 (Oct 23, 2007)

interesting thread as iam in the market for new/part warn tyres. 

In all honesty the motorway i drive on day to day kills tyres as its that horid loud sand coloured road surfice with the lines that go across the road. 

I have no problems with part warns, again as long as you use your loaf then your fine. My mate got his for his clio and got all four for £25 each, fitted, and they had at least 7 mm on every tyre.


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

andy monty said:


> someone i work with got part worn put on... they were 8 years old!


Thats a good point, isnt there a code on the tyre that says manufacture date?


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html


----------



## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

Some people will replace both tyres if only one needs replacing (puncture or something) because they like to have tyres with the same wear level. They might do this even if the original tyre wasn't that old.


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Ok, just been on ebay just to see whats around, and there are several listings for 'retread' I am familar with retreads on commercial vehicles as my bus has two retreaded tyres on the rear and they are Michelin, so a quick google and it seems that these are obviously a world away from the 'remould' of old, just wondered about these modern day retreaded tyre, good or no good?


----------



## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

I've never seen the appeal, they're not significantly cheaper than new tyres and you don't know the reason(s) why they've been taken off of a car or how they've been used


----------



## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

I have used part worn tyres without issue. However, some places that offer them often have a bit of a mixed bag on offer, and more often than not the speed ratings won't match. I can understand peoples reservations, but if you can get a matching set of decent tyres with all the toppings, and at least 5mm of tread then go for it. If you are in the least bit concerned, then fit some fresh ones.


----------



## Bigpimpinpete (Jul 30, 2012)

I'd use partworns every time, infact I do! My budget doesn't allow me to buy new but if it did I'd go for these airless tyres


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

S1600Marc said:


> I've never seen the appeal, they're not significantly cheaper than new tyres and you don't know the reason(s) why they've been taken off of a car or how they've been used


How they've been used? Well, they've been on a car and driven I would have thought? If they've been "abused" then it'd show up, damaged sidewalls, cuts, etc, so you wouldn't fit them, you sort of made it sound like he'd fit the first ones he sees which I'm sure he'd check first anyway


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

james_19742000 said:


> Ok, just been on ebay just to see whats around, and there are several listings for 'retread' I am familar with retreads on commercial vehicles as my bus has two retreaded tyres on the rear and they are Michelin, so a quick google and it seems that these are obviously a world away from the 'remould' of old, just wondered about these modern day retreaded tyre, good or no good?


Not so sure on Retreads, never come across them for car tyres, do they have to come up to a certain B.S. level?


----------



## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

bidderman1969 said:


> How they've been used? Well, they've been on a car and driven I would have thought? If they've been "abused" then it'd show up, damaged sidewalls, cuts, etc, so you wouldn't fit them, you sort of made it sound like he'd fit the first ones he sees which I'm sure he'd check first anyway


I meant they could've been involved in a smash, on some lil chavs first corsa, driven over rough terrain etc, all of which could be hidden with a good clean.

Obviously you'd check for damage before driving out of the garage but all I'm saying is they're not for me


----------



## Porkypig (Jun 20, 2012)

I have part worns tyres on all my cars. They were new once upon a time but now.... 

As long as they are not puncture repaired or damaged cant see the harm on the car you decribe and its use.

If it was a high miler every day or performance car then not a chance.
:thumb:


----------



## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

I agree^


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Ok have spent a bit of time trying to get my head round tyres in general at local tyre shops, popped to one (where my brother has an account so can get the VAT back) and he offered me Maxxi's at £100 per corner, or his budget make at £80 per corner, or Pirelli at £117 per corner, I dismissed the Pirelli as I hate Pirelli tyres, every time I have had them I have found them to be rubbish, not to say they are always rubbish, but thats what I have found, he said the Maxxi's were a good all round mid range tyre.

Next place, I explained what I wanted, budget or part worn, he took me through to look at the part worns didnt have any, so said about the budget ones he had, he had two brand Triangle and another one, he said the Triangle ones were better as they were fully rotational to get the most amount out of the tyre, cost £70 per corner, the other one he had there he said was OK, but the Triangle I would get better value from, and in fairness they looked OK, but when branding a tyre why would they call them Triangle, is that how they go after 2K miles??

So, popped into a 3rd, who I know does part worn, he showed me his selection, has a pair of Sport Contact 3, Michelin and a pair of Barum there, all were approx 4.5mm and were a fixed price of £35 per tyre fitted, including balancing, valve and tyre disposal, I said that I had never bought part worns but was attracted because of the mileage the wife will do, but I was concerned because they were 2nd hand etc etc, he said his come with a 3 month warranty and he doesnt sell ones that are repaired, he said you are welcome to go through my stock of what I have and pick out what you want, he essentially said he has nothing to hide and if I was to get any issues in the first 3 montsh he would replace for free.

Then, I decided to come home and have a look on Blackcircles as you can buy tyres fitted on there, plus if you spend £300 you can spread the cost, the cheapest ones they do to get the £300 cost spreading is two different Kumho's either the KU39 or the KH31, a quick look at reviews and they seem to be talked of in very high regard, and I know people on here have talked about Kumho's and how good they are.

So there you go, to sum up its either:

4 Part Worns for £140 fitted
4 Budgets for £280 fitted
4 Kumhos for £339 fitted

Thats my options, I have to admit, its either going to be the part worns or the Kumho, I am figuring the part worns will probably be good for circa 5K and the Kumhos will be good for circa 12K but will be new? I think I have discounted the budget tyres and for an extra £50 its better to get a brand?

Thoughts anyone, what would you do?


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

Well, I'd get the part worns and see how you get on While spending what you save on Detailing products


----------



## Kerr (Mar 27, 2012)

Many of the part worn tyres end up in the UK as the tyre has been deemed illegal in other countries. 

They force people to change tyres on the same axle at the same time. So if they need to replace one damaged tyre we get the other one. 

If all these other countries see it unsafe to have mixed tyres, why in the UK where we have too many road safety problems, why are we happy to accept this? 

Not good enough for them but good enough for us? 

When you are buying part worns you have no idea what you are getting. Rarely are you getting a matching set. You might get two of a similar brand and tread depth but they could have been made at different times at different factories and possibly in different climates where temperatures and road conditions have had different effects on each tyre. 

I'm surprised to see on a site where car care is so high, where people don't hesitate to spend large amounts on money and time on things the average driver wouldn't dream of. 

Yet these average drivers wouldn't scrimp on buying good tyres. 

That is a bit back to front for me.


----------



## m1pui (Jul 24, 2009)

Are you planning on keeping the car for longer than 4 years (roughly how long they could last, tread depth wise)?

I'd say the part-worns for what you're wanting them for, especially at half the price.

Other than tread, for arguments sake, the only thing that could write off a tyre to the extent of needing replacement is damage/puncture and you could equally get that with a new £80 tyre as with a £35 part-worn.


----------



## pooma (Apr 12, 2008)

I've motor'd on a budget for a few years now and have used part worns for a while, never had an issue with any I've bought. Now funds have free'd up I think I'll probably still go part worn.

Of the 3 choices you've listed then I'd go either part worn or Kumhos, if your gonna spend good money then you might as well go that extra 70 quid for a known and trusted brand. I would count the budgets out from the start and probably end up with part worns


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

bidderman1969 said:


> Well, I'd get the part worns and see how you get on While spending what you save on Detailing products


Just been speaking with the wife and she seems to be of the opinion she would rather have the part worns, and with what we save put it towards a cooker or something? I did say we could use it on some 'man' things but that didnt go down too well!


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

Kerr said:


> Many of the part worn tyres end up in the UK as the tyre has been deemed illegal in other countries.
> 
> They force people to change tyres on the same axle at the same time. So if they need to replace one damaged tyre we get the other one.
> 
> ...


I see your point but i still have to disagree overall.

I think our road safety problems are generally mainly due to poor or negligent driving rather than poorly maintained cars.
Maybe it's possible that the standards are unreasonably high abroad compared to here, that they have to change both tyres on the same axle? I guess it could then be argued that if you change just one tyre that you have to change the other 3 to make them all equal.

Doing over 70mph here is illegal & often told it's dangerous, but it's not illegal on sections of the autobahn. Is it any less dangerous over there than over here? Or it's a bit like sell-before-dates for food - loads of food is thrown away unneccessarily on the basis of over-precaution/safety meassures.

I personally feel that there's too many rules & regulations trying to take over common sense imo.


----------



## VW STEVE. (Mar 18, 2012)

Part worn quality brand i.e Conti or cheap crap wang nang ditch finder!!!!!!!!!.No brainer in my book.
Used loads of quality part worn in the past with no problem. The place i used always let me have a good look over them before being fitted.


----------



## MA3RC (Jun 19, 2012)

Does the price warrant part warn though?
I know at first they'll be cheaper but how long do they really last? If they're only going to last a year or so then it'd be worth brand new for an extra £100 and they'd last longer


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

If I had the cash sat in the bank then it woudl be new ones all day no long, no issue with that, but at this moment in time we are on a 'budget' for a few months, so need to pull the purse strings in, so really its either the part worns, or the Kumho's on the 12 months HP, and being honest there is just something so wrong about buying tyres on HP! It just doesnt seem normal!

I think I am edging towards the Conti Partworns if I am honest, however on another forum I have just been offered a set of part worn Kumho with 6mm on two of them and 4.5mm on the front, just awaiting the price and I might go for them, at least with them then as they have come of a members cars then they should at least have a history with them.


----------



## Modmedia (Jul 25, 2008)

Kerr said:


> Many of the part worn tyres end up in the UK as the tyre has been deemed illegal in other countries.
> 
> They force people to change tyres on the same axle at the same time. So if they need to replace one damaged tyre we get the other one.
> 
> ...


You sir, nailed it.

I will have to take a photo of the rear of my garden where I have loads of ****e brand tyres.

Because, when I buy a car (which is quite often) the first thing I do is fit 4 brand new tyres and They are only ever Goodyear Eagle F1 V2's or Bridgestone Potenzas (I did this with my DC5 even though it had 4 almost new tyres on it).


----------



## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Not in a year of Sundays.
Many part worn tyres out of Germany, Holland and other countries are from write off's.
With the high speed on German motorways you never know what happened with that tyre.
The Germans are not keen on re-used tyres, the German equivalent of the V5 even states which tyre make you can use (most times 2-3 different brands) because that are the tyres used for the type approval.
Modification and alterations are more difficult in Germany and Holland.
UK is very liberal and allow a lot, hence the amount of kit car builders and small companies like Westfield.
But coming back to the tyres, i wouldn't even think to send my wife and kids out with tyres who i dont know the history off.
How would your wife handle the car if she got a blow out? 
And don't underestimate 30 miles per hour in a car weighing close to 2 metric tonne, ever hit a wall with 5 mile per hour?
And yes I do replace tyres as pairs and most times all 4, my life is worth defiantly more than a grand which it cost.
And if i buy a second hand car with more than a few miles the tyres will come off, and are replaced with premium brand tyres, drive a little to fast to **** about.
Its only a few square centimeters of rubber what make the different between coming to a standstill or runin the back of another car.
Buy decent tyres from decent brands, just for your piece of mind.

Also tyres get directional in use, hence the reason not to turn or change tyre diagonal.
Many problems with noise, extreme fast wear, and bad grip of even premium brands part worn are caused by running the tyre against his "worn in" direction. Therefor mark your tyres if you take them of and there is a chance the could get mixed up.



I still dont get it, people spend fortunes on cars, alloys and ICE, but step back on quality tyres, fuel and oil.


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

Caledoniandream said:


> Not in a year of Sundays.
> Many part worn tyres out of Germany, Holland and other countries are from write off's.
> With the high speed on German motorways you never know what happened with that tyre.
> The Germans are not keen on re-used tyres, the German equivalent of the V5 even states which tyre make you can use (most times 2-3 different brands) because that are the tyres used for the type approval.
> ...


you sound like you have the money to spend over a grand on tyres, and "drive a little too fast" which could be construed (sp) to mean "reckless" even? again, assumptions, but as the chap has stated, he's on a budget, his wife sounds like a careful driver, so why waste money on over-priced-for-what-they-require tyres? think you are trying to make him feel he should be paying more for "your" type of driving, and im not saying that in a detrimental way.

and how do you know these tyres come from "write-off's"?

also, some new tyres are know to have defects, enough to have blow outs too


----------



## james_19742000 (May 8, 2008)

Seem to of opened a can of worms here havent I!

On our family car which does 90% of the work in our house, that doe sonly have good quality tyres and I would only buy brand new for that one, however, on this car I am talking about its definately a budget car, and this is where I am really torn on it as I know of the pit falls as has been pointed out on this thread but I would rather have new tyres, so I am really struggling with this one, I need tyres and I dont have the budget for the forseeable future to put the tyres on that I would put on in an ideal world! All very frustrating really, still keeps going round and round in my head!!!


----------



## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

bidderman1969 said:


> and how do you know these tyres come from "write-off's"?
> 
> also, some new tyres are know to have defects, enough to have blow outs too


As you probaly have noticed from my spelling I use to live for 33 year in Holland and was for many years involved in the car "dismanteling" business.
In this industrial process, mainly write off cars are stripped of all their valuebles to create clean recycable materials, this goes as per Dutch standards to the exxtreem ( even the paper of the cigarette butts gets reused:lol 
There was daily a big supply from cars out Germany as the rules in Germany dont allow a similair method.
The engines where taken out and immidiatly loaded in shipping containers for depending on the make to Asia, South America, or Africa.
For recycling reason the tyres are taken of the wheels to be able to sell the alloy or steel.
The wheels which where good (just a visual check) for sale where kept separate.
The same with the tyres, if you could see sometimes how bad the wheel was damaged, you wouldn't have trusted the tyres.

Of course there are people like myself who don't wear tyres out, and you could buy a reasonable tyre of me.
But do you know if I replaced them because i hit a pothole on speed?
Or somebody who upgrade his wheelsize and ends up with part worns.
You can inspect a tyre as much as you like, even on a spreader, but you can not see the ply's and if there is any damage.
Also most tyres get damaged with mounting and taken of the rims, seen some monkeys on the machines.

Its a shame that tyre fitters are badly paid, as if its proper done the fitter worth his weight in Gold.
But because they pay peanuts in the tyre centres they get monkeys, who damage your expensive, just polished/ refurbished alloys with their machine or by dropping the wheel face down on the ground.:devil::devil:

But I understand the position of the OP we probaly been all at sometime in our life in that position, but as I understood he was upgrading to a bigger size rim, maybe should for now keep his money in the pocket and keep with the smaller rim.
And yes its his own choice, but i think he put the question on a public forum to hear some other opinions, or was he hoping that we all would think that it was a great idea?
I have the OP on a higher level, and i apolegise i cannot take his initial doubts away.


----------



## Rayner (Aug 16, 2012)

If you buy cheap you buy twice!
I bought part worns for a car I was selling once and thenhqd an absolute nightmare trying to get someone to fit them. I also realised I could have got very good new tyres for about 50 quid more. Have a look at Toyo tyres - great grip and price but they won't last as long as some others which isn't a problem for you as you say but I know I would never buy PW tyres 
again. Also as many have said you have no idea what they've been through.Well you've certainly got some feedback anyway 
Good luck


----------



## djdarren (Oct 17, 2011)

A lot of comments about part worn tyres being cheaper if you work out the price per mm of usefull tread new tyres are better value. Also doing a visual inspection of a part worn tyre will not tell the full story. If a tyre has been under inflated the side wall may look ok but could be weakened, most blowouts are caused by weakened side walls.Also people need to remember no matter how good you car is the tyres are the only contact point with the Tarmac . So many people say oh it's only a tyre:wall: just look at few cars next time you walk though a car park and the shocking condition of there tyres.


----------



## kh904 (Dec 18, 2006)

djdarren said:


> A lot of comments about part worn tyres being cheaper if you work out the price per mm of usefull tread new tyres are better value.


Yes price per mm might be better value IF you do enough mileage to justify it.
I (along with many others) do not do enough mileage per year to justify new tyres. The tyres will deteriorate & need to be replaced before reaching the legal tread limit, so that extra mm's of tread will never be used.

If i did say at least 6K miles a year, then yes i'll get new tyres, but i barely do 3K miles per year.

It's like going to the supermaket looking for a pint of milk @ say £1 per pint, then seeing an offer for 8 pints for £4 (equating to £0.50 per litre). While it's better value buying 8 pints, the chances are many pints will go out of date & therefore wasted. There maybe some circumstances when you will use 8 pints within time & it's worth it.


----------



## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

djdarren said:


> A lot of comments about part worn tyres being cheaper if you work out the price per mm of usefull tread new tyres are better value. Also doing a visual inspection of a part worn tyre will not tell the full story. If a tyre has been under inflated the side wall may look ok but could be weakened, most blowouts are caused by weakened side walls.Also people need to remember no matter how good you car is the tyres are the only contact point with the Tarmac . So many people say oh it's only a tyre:wall: just look at few cars next time you walk though a car park and the shocking condition of there tyres.


ah but do people change tyres every time they clip a kerb, pothole, etc, etc as after all, there could be damage to the tyre without knowing it?

im guessing no


----------



## triggerh4ppy (Jul 15, 2011)

Always used part worns on all my cars never had a problem. Just got to keep a closer eye on tread levels


----------



## bizzyfingers (Jul 30, 2009)

Not a problem. Used part worns off a friend for £10 a pop with 6mm(ish) of tread every time. Done this for years. This is an every day car, if you drive sports or performance NOPE.


----------



## Mean & clean (Aug 19, 2007)

I think quality branded part worn tyres in good condition and only a year or two old, are better than new un heard of branded budget tyres.

I recently bought a used pair of Bridgestone Potenza tyres for my rear wheels. They were manufactured in late 2010 and have 7mm of tread on them. They are un marked and never repaired. I paid £130 for them, new they would of cost over £300.

If you are choosy and buy with your head you can get good used tyres. 

On a low mileage sensibly driven car such as the OP's wife's car, I think it makes sence to buy a premium used tyre for less than it costs for new budgets.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD


----------

