Up here in Edinburgh there are several branches if the two "big hitters" to approach and quite a number of "nearly big hitters" then there are quite a number of small set ups, some with just the one outlet, some with several. I think there are also dealer groups who benefit from doing bulk ordering (don't quite know how that works). Over the last few years the used tyre dealers seem to be more prominent too.- reflecting the increasing difficulty people are having making ends meet? For many reasons I will not consider a used tyre.
I find one of the big hitters is particularly keen to compete (and it's not K.F. surprisingly) so I usually start by giving them a bell and making it obvious I'm phoning around. Usually that gets you the valve and balance free right away so you are immediately starting with a lower base negotiating point. As I'm not running around in a Ferrari or WRX Subaru I'll be looking for a "known make" so Barum, Avon, Dayton, Yokohama, "mid range" tyres in other words. I don't push this first contact too hard as then you can go back in on friendly terms if you need to but it does establish a fairly representative base line figure to work from. Then I start on the smaller guys who are usually "hungrier" giving you the balance and valve all in as standard at the same sort of price the big guys are doing just the tyre, so more leverage here. Keep it light hearted and jokey, don't upset anyone and you'll be surprised what can be achieved. If your budget is really tight you might even find you could buy a cheap obscure brand (make sure it's E marked though) for almost the price of a part worn! And, your getting it professionally fitted and balanced.
Personally I don't like directional tyres (they have an arrow on the sidewall indicating DOR) as you are tied to being able to only run them on one side of the car once fitted but I do quite like asymmetric tread designs which can have noticeable benefits over the more traditional symmetrical designs. Whilst it doesn't bother me to have different brands front and rear I always try to run identical tyres on the same axle. Also, particularly if you think you've found a "real bargain" look out for the 4 figure date numbers on the sidewall they are week week year year. For example 3616 is week 36 of 2016. Tyres age badly if stored badly. They need cool dark dry places if possible. The older a tyre the greater chance it may not have been stored well so the general rule of thumb I use is : only buy new tyres. No more than 2 years max from date of manufacture but the newer the better and once a tyre is more than five years old I keep a close eye out for sidewall crazing and cracks in the base of the tread design. You can do all 4 tyres in just a few minutes. A more detailed check including inner sidewall I do two or three times a year.
So, for me, although I have at least 4 really good tyre levers, life's too short - just get the professionals to do it!
I find one of the big hitters is particularly keen to compete (and it's not K.F. surprisingly) so I usually start by giving them a bell and making it obvious I'm phoning around. Usually that gets you the valve and balance free right away so you are immediately starting with a lower base negotiating point. As I'm not running around in a Ferrari or WRX Subaru I'll be looking for a "known make" so Barum, Avon, Dayton, Yokohama, "mid range" tyres in other words. I don't push this first contact too hard as then you can go back in on friendly terms if you need to but it does establish a fairly representative base line figure to work from. Then I start on the smaller guys who are usually "hungrier" giving you the balance and valve all in as standard at the same sort of price the big guys are doing just the tyre, so more leverage here. Keep it light hearted and jokey, don't upset anyone and you'll be surprised what can be achieved. If your budget is really tight you might even find you could buy a cheap obscure brand (make sure it's E marked though) for almost the price of a part worn! And, your getting it professionally fitted and balanced.
Personally I don't like directional tyres (they have an arrow on the sidewall indicating DOR) as you are tied to being able to only run them on one side of the car once fitted but I do quite like asymmetric tread designs which can have noticeable benefits over the more traditional symmetrical designs. Whilst it doesn't bother me to have different brands front and rear I always try to run identical tyres on the same axle. Also, particularly if you think you've found a "real bargain" look out for the 4 figure date numbers on the sidewall they are week week year year. For example 3616 is week 36 of 2016. Tyres age badly if stored badly. They need cool dark dry places if possible. The older a tyre the greater chance it may not have been stored well so the general rule of thumb I use is : only buy new tyres. No more than 2 years max from date of manufacture but the newer the better and once a tyre is more than five years old I keep a close eye out for sidewall crazing and cracks in the base of the tread design. You can do all 4 tyres in just a few minutes. A more detailed check including inner sidewall I do two or three times a year.
So, for me, although I have at least 4 really good tyre levers, life's too short - just get the professionals to do it!
) and found the value for money disappointing.
