Both options have certain advantages and disadvantages. But perhaps the rule that new is always better than is valid in this case
used?
It is difficult to judge the quality
One of the main advantages why drivers are tempted to buy not new but used tires is an attractive price. For example, lightly used, premium a set of OEM tires can cost as much as one or two new ones, but the cheapest ones often are
tires of an unknown manufacturer. Drivers are seduced by the fact that the tread depth still reaches 80 or even 90 percent, which is why it is considered that these are practically new tires.
Although at first glance such offers seem like an opportunity to get quality tires at a great price, Tautvydas Laurinavičius, manager of the tire trading company Geros padangos UAB, points out that a used tire can hide things that we cannot
to see or notice.
“The biggest problem is that we don’t know the history of that tire. How did they arrive, how were they exploited, for what reason were they abandoned in general? The conditions under which they were kept also have a great influence. For example, it takes a year in the wrong conditions
a stored tire may have lost its good properties and can no longer provide the characteristics it should be characterized by.
In this case, we face a security risk. Yes, the tires look good, they are washed, sprayed with polishes, but we cannot see what their real quality is. Maybe they were thrown away somewhere in Germany and written off as no longer suitable for use, but here they are sold as good,” emphasizes the tire specialist.
One of the criteria that is important to pay attention to is the year of tire production. For example, it can be observed that used tires sold as retreads may have been manufactured 5-6 years ago. For this reason, a natural question should arise – where are they?
been all those years if not used?
In addition, in modern cars, even what kind of car they were used on – rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive – has a big impact?
The suspensions and structures of today’s cars are so complex that often even tires of the same model are designed for a specific car model and do not necessarily fit another manufacturer’s machine. Especially when they were already used on a completely different car – them
wears differently, following that it can be stepped on, which causes huge vibrations, extraneous sounds, in many cases it is extremely difficult to balance a used tire.
Another reason why they were thrown away is accidents – the tires of cars involved in major accidents are written off if the car is damaged beyond repair. What blows did they withstand? Maybe the cord is damaged or they have suffered extreme shocks? Nobody
does not know and cannot verify.
Even when buying the cheapest – more guarantees
When buying a new item, one of the biggest advantages is that you know it has no hidden defects, and the seller or manufacturer provides warranties, so even if there are problems, it’s not at the customer’s expense. This is also emphasized by the tire expert.
“When you buy a used tire, its origin is unknown, and it doesn’t have any certificates, labels, etc. Meanwhile, all new tires have certificates, which means that they meet the requirements of our market and are guaranteed. We had a case
when there was a batch of defective tires, but the manufacturer took responsibility and it did not cost the customers anything”, emphasizes T. Laurinavičius.
Marius Kalendra, head of UAB “Transratai”, names a similar problem. He adds that used tires can have defects that may not become apparent until following dealers stop accepting claims.
“Since we don’t know how those used tires were operated, we already lose a lot of guarantees regarding their overall quality. Some defects related to the construction of the tire
damage can appear even following a month, because everything seems to be fine while it is standing still, but when you start using it, bumps or vibrations appear. When you go to the seller with claims in two weeks or a month, no one will agree with them,” adds M.
Coriander.
It is necessary to evaluate one more aspect – tires wear according to the geometry of the wheels of each car. This means that if the car was technically in disrepair, the tires wore unevenly and irregularly, hardly noticeable tread defects might appear,
for example, one part of it is more worn than the other. This reduces the contact area of the tire, reduces grip and stability, and has a negative impact on braking. Finally, on another car, such a tire continues to wear unevenly, other defects may appear, such as
climbing, so the properties are lost even more.
New but cheap tires are often avoided by drivers because they do not trust their quality. It is often questionable whether they can provide good fuel economy, braking and handling characteristics. But some manufacturers of economy class tires can really boast
with good results and specifications. In addition, according to the requirements of the European Union, all tires must meet certain criteria and they are marked on the tire label – so the buyer already knows what to expect when choosing a tire (grip on wet surfaces, noise level and
pan.).
“I can give an example when the subsidiaries of major manufacturers that produce economy class tires have worse characteristics than, for example, the products of Chinese manufacturers. We have examples of a Chinese manufacturer getting a German TUV
certificate, where the requirements are really strict, but those tires are not only high-quality, but also inexpensive. You just need to consult with specialists and you can find the optimal option,” advises T.Laurinavičius.
Used tires create ecological problems
Which tires to choose is the personal choice of each buyer, but you should also think regarding the ecological footprint and pollution. According to Jekaterina Volkė, head of the “Tire Importers’ Organization”, buyers of used tires change tires much more often, following all, following buying a set of new tires, they last for several seasons, while used tires often last for one season, sometimes even shorter, and thus tire waste is generated several times. more than buying new tires.
Also, is the consumer actually saving? After all, the more often you buy, the more often you have to install them, and all this costs money, so in the end, used tires cost the consumer the same or even more expensive than new ones.
It should also be taken into account that used tires sold in Lithuania are often imported from other countries as waste, their sales are not declared, and in many cases paying taxes and keeping records is avoided. And the waste is not properly managed, although there is a lot of it, because following bringing a truckload of such tires, only some of them are potentially suitable for further use, and the rest remains as waste, only moving from other countries to Lithuania. This is also the reason why bulky waste collection sites are so disproportionately generated
large amounts of tire waste, and responsible and honestly operating companies are forced to manage them.
“Since the routes and quantities of used tires are “not known”, they are rarely accounted for, distributors do not fulfill their obligations set by the Law on Waste Management, the market is distorted, and its shadow side is not destroyed, we greatly miss the actions of the responsible authorities and
cooperation in order to ensure fair competition in the Lithuanian domestic market. Therefore, buyers should consider not only the cost of their safety, but also the fact that when buying used tires they often support a shady business that harms the entire waste management system of our country”, –
says J. Volkė.
Regulatory bodies are still apathetic regarding this issue, so for now the only way is to raise consumer awareness. Therefore, buying new tires is a positive step not only from the perspective of safety, comfort and guarantees, but also considering
ecological impact. Every decision we make has consequences.
#tire #cheap #premium #Business
2024-07-09 13:39:49
