To be fair, it can be hard to convey/read tone on the Internet, and you weren't the first to question him in this thread. If I were in his shoes – if I had posted thoughtful commentary based on real expertise, and a bunch of people respond by trying to find flaws in what I had said – I can't say I'd have an easy time interpreting everyone's posts charitably.
I never stated that these tires couldn't be balanced. Or that all of them were a tough balance. Some took a few more weights to get there than some others. But all balanced given the effort. I just happen to have a mechanic who I've known for many years who is willing to convey more backroom details than a lot of other mechanics and tire shops will with their customers. And he shared that with me. Looking at them later, you then notice these details more carefully.
It's no secret that Michelins are some of the most precisely constructed and best balanced tires in the industry. They've had that reputation since the early 70s. And they've earned it. I've had more than one over the years that were "bullseyes".
But if the thing eats through a tread in 8,000 miles, or dry cracks after three years, it's perhaps not so great a tire. And I've had a couple Michelins do some of those things, too, over the years. No tire is perfect yet.
And we're talking about low mass precision adhesive weights, not the high mass clip on ones you hammer on. All tires take more of the former style to balance. And I'm also talking about a couple street cars that have also been weekend tracked at over 130 mph. There, any tire and wheel irregularities are magnified immensely. When I mention a "serious vehicle", that's what we're talking about. Not the family Honda or the BMW commuter car darting down a wet Turnpike.
For the vehicle doing some of those weekend things, this tire would not be a first choice. And not just because some are harder to balance. There, I'll lean towards a Michelin. For lots of reasons.
But I'm sure all the people buying these Contis at Discount Tire or Costco are getting them delivered back balanced, and never worry or even think about these things. And for a street tire, or for the BMW hustling back and forth to work in rain and snow, they behave just fine. It's a tire worth what they charge for it.
What I find most amazing about this thread is the latching on to the very last phrase in what was a much more lengthly exposition of what is generally a very good, high value, performance tire. Very good tires. Not the most communicative tires, and they don't wear as gracefully as some others. And they're not as precisely constructed as the competing Michelin models are, and it's reflected at the balancing machine.
If that's a problem for some, I'm sorry.