Tire shop tires vs.Wal-mart tires.

[ksJoe]

I know a lot of people don't like Walmart, and think they get lower quality stuff even when its the same brand/model. Maybe they do that a little on some things, but I've not really had a problem.

But there is one thing I really like about buying at Walmart and other large corporate owned chain stores. Its best illustrated by a (true) story.

One time I was filling up my car and my father was with me. I clicked "No" when the pump asked if I wanted a receipt. He said "Wow, your trusting". I hadn't really thought about it before, but I looked up and said: The store is corporately owned. Their is no way they could get away carrying out an overcharging scam at the cooperate level because someone would turn them in. And at the local level, there is no one who would benefit enough to make it worthwhile since they don't own the store.

The same theory applies to any other purchase where there is easy opportunity for fraud.

Who was Pennzoil busting for using cheap oil while charging for theirs? Independents.
What gas stations do you hear about rigging the pumps to overcharge? Independents.

When it comes to worrying about what if a company is really giving you what they say they are, I don't Walmart should be your top concern.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Many times Walmart, Sam's even Costco get brand name tires with a name/model unique to them. This allows a discount to be had without dinging a retailer.


Michelin's X Radial sold at Costco and the Destiny at America's/Discount is the same thing as the WeatherWise sold at Sears and the mainline Harmony, just the tread is different.

However, I do notice that Wal-Mart sells a lot of Goodyear imports, I seen a Australian-made set on a Accord we got from the auctions at work.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: ksJoe

Who was Pennzoil busting for using cheap oil while charging for theirs? Independents.
What gas stations do you hear about rigging the pumps to overcharge? Independents.

When it comes to worrying about what if a company is really giving you what they say they are, I don't Walmart should be your top concern.


Quoted for truth. I also buy stuff like smoke alarms and safety goggles from big box stores with the idea that they really don't want to get sued... and if there's a recall you'd hear about it on the evening news.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: nthach
Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Many times Walmart, Sam's even Costco get brand name tires with a name/model unique to them. This allows a discount to be had without dinging a retailer.


Michelin's X Radial sold at Costco and the Destiny at America's/Discount is the same thing as the WeatherWise sold at Sears and the mainline Harmony, just the tread is different.


True; but the point is, because nobody else sells, for instance, a "Michelin WeatherWise II", Sears doesn't have to worry about price-matching anybody. Even though you and I know the tire is the same as the Harmony (save for small differences in the tread pattern).

 

[law3500]

12 years ago when I worked for a Tire Store that at the time was owned by the michelin corp, they had 2 grades of tires available we only carried the grade "a" tires and most of your wal/costco/sams discounters got the "b"'s. I never did a side by side comparison but according to their in house liturature they had a much higher "out of balance" and "out of round" tolerance than the grade "a"'s did. I can not speak to wether this is still true today.

 

[wafrederick1]

Wal Mart's tires are junk and I heard horror stories getting them warrantied if one goes bad.Here is one of them,would not warranty a tire because of one missing lug nut.

 

[bullwinkle]

I have to disagree-their road hazard warranty is the BEST in the industry-it even covers COMMERCIAL vehicles! They do sell some junk low end tires, though-the Douglas Xtra-Trac & Uniroyal Radial A/S are both lumpy junk, just be careful what you buy there. I actually had them warranty 2 tires on 2 different vehicles for road hazard when they weren't-one had an icepick stuck in the sidewall, & one split a sidewall for some unknown reason (ice storm?) & they covered them both 100%!!

 

[PandaBear]

I don't trust store brand tires regardless of which company they are from, and especially company that has a reputation of putting cost over anything else out there. My personal experience with Walmart lotion tells me that they are cutting corner and fall out of suspension way earlier than the real stuff, and while I may save a few bucks, I'm not going to risk braking distance for a few dollars in saving.

The only thing I'll trust is something that I can find tire rack review on, and hand be out in the market for a while for me to see its 50k-70k miles review. I don't want a tire that would be great for the first 10k and are junk for the remaining 50k.

 

[chet2]

i aint real impressed with walmarts techs as far as balancing a tire...maybe the equipment is cheap

 

[pzev]

Balances depend on the tires, and the machine. As someone who has used balance machines in the past, its almost impossible to skrew up on the new computerized machines. In fact, the only way you could mess it up would be on purpose.

I had a set of G-Force sports that would never stay balanced, and wouldn't balance properly. I tried two different tire chains to get them balanced and each time they lost balance relatively quickly.
My current set of tires has held a great balance since being mounted, and this shop wasn't anything special.

It could be that particular wallmarts machine, especially if you had good success with balances on the same tires at other shops.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
I don't trust store brand tires regardless of which company they are from, and especially company that has a reputation of putting cost over anything else out there.

I have complete confidence in Costco-sourced Michelin X Radial DTs.

The only tires I won't trust are PrimeWells or any Chinese import unless it was from a reputable supplier(Kumho, Hankook, Toyo, and Michelin AFAIK make tires in China, Federal and Nankang are decent from what I've heard) or anything that is bargain-bin.

 

[ahoier]

Originally Posted By: wafrederick1
Wal Mart's tires are junk and I heard horror stories getting them warrantied if one goes bad.Here is one of them,would not warranty a tire because of one missing lug nut.
If you fight long enough, they will fall through. I got a friend who works at a local WM and they say they warranty tires almost every day, people come in with nails, rocks, etc that punctured the tread. If the puncture can be patched (say, it's in the middle region of the tread) they will patch it, up to 4 patches per tire. If the puncture can not be patched (something that is too close to the side wall) the tire gets pro-rated based on the remaining tread of the tire, so they get a discount off the "replacement" tire.
Though yes, they do have clauses to their road hazard warranty. It is for "road hazards" it does not cover vandalism, say something slices your side wall, nor does it cover out-of-alignment or out-of-balance issues, resulting in un-even tread wear, blow out, etc.....

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
one had an icepick stuck in the sidewall, & one split a sidewall for some unknown reason (ice storm?) & they covered them both 100%!!
Let's just say, you got lucky

I've heard of stuff like that occurring at my local WM, if you go in side to get written up and they write the repair as under warranty, before having a tech check it outside, since they wrote the order up as under-warranty they usually will cover it no matter what [censored] you feed them, "just to keep the customer happy"...heh.

Originally Posted By: river_rat
Maybe fresher. I've seen some pretty old date codes on the rack at Wally's.
depends what you consdier fresh. I know personally, WM will not mount anything that is older than 5 years old as per the date code on the tire. Ive heard people going for cheap "used tires" and bringing them to WM to mounnt and balance (cheapest place around here) but WM won't do it for liability reasons. And you say "on the rack" - at least my my WM, they have one display tire (for those who want to feel the tread before they buy it lol) along with the tire features on display....the rest of their tires are out in the shop locked up.

 

[javacontour]

That's one reason I like going to Sam's Club. I can pick the tires I want, look at the date code and say put these on.

My concern was wondering if you can get a tire that is "too new."

I bought at the end of March and the tires were dated the 11th week of 2010.

For control freaks like some of us on BITOG are, places like Sam's Club that allows one to pick the tires are heaven.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: ahoier
And you say "on the rack" - at least my my WM, they have one display tire (for those who want to feel the tread before they buy it lol) along with the tire features on display....the rest of their tires are out in the shop locked up.


Some Walmarts do have a tire rack, like Sam's Club. The one in Dublin, VA, does for instance. I love going in and looking at and feeling all the tires. Maybe that makes me a tire pervert. Still, I don't buy a tire without being able to see/feel one up close.

 

[javacontour]

I joke with my wife that I'm heading down to TLE to sniff the new tires and look for oil deals.

She must love me because she's stopped shaking her head.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Everytime we go into Sam's, my wife knows we have to make a hard left into the tire department so I can smell the tires. The kids have caught on too.

 

[BearZDefect]

We have diversity at BITOG.

I can't stand the smell of new tires.

 

[bullwinkle]

Mmmmm-the smell of new tires! Only second to the smell of diesel fuel!!!

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Mmmmm-the smell of new tires! Only second to the smell of diesel fuel!!!