Buying tyres online

stoneill

These online tyre retailers seem really reasonable - not mentioning any names so can be accused of advertising.
I'm wondering if there would be a problem in getting them fitted.

I'm sure Paddy Whack Tyres LTD (made up name so as not to be accused of advertising) would not be too happy in fitting tyres if I did't buy them there.

Or would he?

I dunno.

CiniO

Sadly you are right.
They would not be too happy.

I bought winter tyres last autumn throught the internet.
Went to my garage, and your man tell's me it will be 15 quid per tyre to fit.
Just to mention fitting involves taking off the wheel, taking the tyre off the rim, putting new tyre, balancing and fitting back to the car.
To compare if I go there with flat tyre, what he does is take wheel off, take the tyre off the rim, fix the tyre (with patch), put tyre back to the rim, ballance, and put it back into the car. Actually more work, and he charges only a tenner for it.
Why then 15 for just fitting a tyres I asked him. He said that's the price. After few minutes I managed to get it down to 12, but it's still almost 50 quid just to fit a set of new tyres.
After winter when I was fitting my summer tyres back, I started looking for another garage to fit them, as I hoped to do it cheaper.
First one I came to, yer man told me it was 80 euros to fit 4 tyres, and when I asked why is it so expensive, he told me he also sells tyres, and then fitting is for free.
I went through good few garages, but no one seemd to want fit them for less then 50.
Finally found a garage in Castlebar which fit a set of four, for 30 quid. Still expensive enought though, but much more acceptable.

But even now, I got another set of tyres from the internet for my second car, for 41 euros each. Even if I pay 12 euros to fit, it's still only 53 euros per tyre.
To compare I can get Infinity, Kenda, etc. for 50 in my local garages, but they are all crap on wet surface. So for just 3 yoyos more per tyre, I got Debica Furio, which are one of the best value for money comaring to quality tyres.

n0brain3r

Use the search engine on eiretyres http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/stationssuche.pl?dsco=124 ring around and haggle with the price I got mine done about 3 months ago. Fitted and balanced for €10 a corner.

Curran

I've bought plent of tyres online! Mostly from a company in the UK!

Never have a problem getting them fitted - two places in my locality (Dublin) that fit them for €15 a corner - which includes disposal of the old tyre (as they have to pay for them to be disposed of). Always works out cheaper than buying them from them direct!
The times Ive arrived to get them done; he doesnt be too happy and a bit snotty, but he knows better to piss me off because he knows Id just go to the other lad if he does! Its far too easy money to be loosing that type of business!! Im sure they arent as pissed off as they let on! I mean; say less disposal, they get 10er a corner: €40 quid aint bad for 20mins work!

vectra

Paddy Whack Tyres LTD
Would be delighted to fit them for you as they would be "cash in the pocket"
Drinking money for the night :pac:

Tragedy

Just to be aware, good tyre fitting and balancing machines can cost upwards of €10,000 and it's not an instantaneous process. I think €10 per corner including disposal is fairly reasonable.

Midnight_EG

I've used those tyre machines personally a lot, extreme safety is taken when changing out the tyres! It's very easy to ruin a wheel on the machine, so utmost care is taken and a price can't be put on that, so a tenner to twenty quid is fine I reckon.

CiniO

Midnight_EG wrote: »

I've used those tyre machines personally a lot, extreme safety is taken when changing out the tyres! It's very easy to ruin a wheel on the machine, so utmost care is taken and a price can't be put on that, so a tenner to twenty quid is fine I reckon.

Look at it the other way.
It takes usually about 20 minutes for trained person to change the whole set of 4 tyres. Even take 30 minutes.
If the garage charges usually 50 euros for a work-hour, then the fair price would be 25 euros for a set.

Midnight_EG

CiniO wrote: »

Look at it the other way.
It takes usually about 20 minutes for trained person to change the whole set of 4 tyres. Even take 30 minutes.
If the garage charges usually 50 euros for a work-hour, then the fair price would be 25 euros for a set.

I'd have given an hour for all 4 wheels tbh. Getting the car on a ramp, taking off all the wheels, individually popping each tyre then taking them off, pasting the new tyres, putting the new tyres on, inflating them and then balancing them and putting them back on the car!

Reasonable time I reckon.

CiniO

Midnight_EG wrote: »

I'd have given an hour for all 4 wheels tbh. Getting the car on a ramp, taking off all the wheels, individually popping each tyre then taking them off, pasting the new tyres, putting the new tyres on, inflating them and then balancing them and putting them back on the car!

Reasonable time I reckon.

I changed my tyres in my cars at least 50 times already, and I don't think it ever took more then 30 minutes, unless there was some specific problem with studs or rim.

Midnight_EG

CiniO wrote: »

I changed my tyres in my cars at least 50 times already, and I don't think it ever took more then 30 minutes, unless there was some specific problem with studs or rim.

How many different types of rim have you changed, did the spokes arch out from the rims edge itself, was it possible the machine could scratch it if so?

There's a lot of factors to take into it, such as how alloys are done, for example some are done upside down rather than facing up, some are steelies which can be done in 10 minutes each, but for the most part I'd take care not to damage, and so would allow up to an hour for my wheels to be done.

Owen

CiniO wrote: »

Look at it the other way.
It takes usually about 20 minutes for trained person to change the whole set of 4 tyres. Even take 30 minutes.

I do my own tyres when they come in, a friend has a tyre shop and he doesn't mind my using his ramp, or his tyre fitting machine. Takes me :

5 mins to get up on a ramp, around 10 minutes per wheel to get the wheel off, break the bead, remove the tyre, , fit a new tyre, inflate it, check if it's balanced, if not, remove the weights and balance it again fitting new weights, then refit to the car. We're up to 45 mins so far, 2/3 more mins to lower the car, 5 mins to put the old tyres in the waste area, AND 10 more minutes to drive the car to make sure it's driving properly.

ytareh

Think Id be fairly concerned if it took a tyre place an hour to fit 4 tyres....certainly has never taken anything remotely like that in nearly 2 decades driving experience

Voodoomelon

I got a set of four good years from Camskill and drove round to McManus Tyres in Dundalk, popped the tyres out of the boot and the back seat and they did the whole lot no problem. Spotted that the rears were a different size to the fronts in an instant too.

I left the car there for about 2 hours as they were very busy, but I work just around the corner so handy as hell.

Got them fitted and balanced for €40.