So I did buy some LingLong Ditchfinders

So I did buy some LingLong Ditchfinders

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DJP

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

178 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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I know, shoot me now!

Background: 3 years ago I bought a 3 year old ex-Motability car with just 4,000 miles on the clock.

And we do a relatively low annual mileage (due to having other vehicles) so this car has only recently topped 20,000 miles.

And the original Michelins, although nowhere near worn, were starting to go off with two of them needing regular pumping up. So I'd already decided to replace the whole lot, just before the next MOT, in about 1,000 miles time.

And then last week, I found a screw through the sidewall on one of them. So I drove to the nearest tyre place for a new set of tyres.

Unfortunately, they only had 4 of the very cheapest in stock. But being a forced purchaser I thought “Sod it” (and I figured that if they were that bad then I could at least get them changed at my leisure).

Well, I'm still waiting to find out what the catch is.

I've pushed the car hard into empty roundabouts and the tyres only start to squeal when I'm cornering far harder than I normally would. On wet, just above freezing roads, they haul the car up very satisfactorily and they're quiet on the motorway.

They do seem to be made of very soft rubber, so I suspect that they will wear out quite quickly but that's fine by me: I'd rather they wore out than died of old age like the last set.

So cheap tyres – not always a disaster.

wormus

14,509 posts

202 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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What are they? I've used Primewells and Nexens for example and they proved perfectly adequate even though they were cheap. They aren't all terrible.

Jim AK

4,029 posts

123 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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They're Davanti's & I think you're Davanti's CEO with the next part of your marketing campaign!! laughlaugh

Can't link the original thread on my phone sorry.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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my tyres are 205 55 16. not sports tyres. branded tyres are 55 quid budgets 45 quid. to save 10 quid a Tyre over a years usage is just being a cheapskate, and the difference is clear from reviews and grades for fuel and wet weather performance.

Jimmy Recard

17,540 posts

178 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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The Spruce goose said:
my tyres are 205 55 16. not sports tyres. branded tyres are 55 quid budgets 45 quid. to save 10 quid a Tyre over a years usage is just being a cheapskate, and the difference is clear from reviews and grades for fuel and wet weather performance.
I needed a tyre a couple of weeks ago and the only tyre in stock was a budget. It couldn't wait until the next day and the next tyre place was a good 15 miles away (and probably closed - this was 5pm on a Friday)

I wanted to get something a bit better but I really haven't found what they put on any worse than the Continentals that are on the other three wheels. I can't remember the name of the tyre, sorry. It's 225/40R18. I'll check the brand and name.

ETA: I've just had a look at the tyre. It's a Centara Vanti HP. I've never heard of it before now

Edited by Jimmy Recard on Wednesday 22 February 19:19

DJP

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

178 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
quotequote all
wormus said:
What are they? I've used Primewells and Nexens for example and they proved perfectly adequate even though they were cheap. They aren't all terrible.
They're "Presa" brand (nope, never heard of them either!). 215 55 16.

£200 fitted and got me out of a hole.

I thought that was OK (not that I had much choice under the circumstances).

They'll do for the Mundano shopping trolley!

XMT

3,779 posts

146 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Different strokes for different folks. Had plenty cheap tyres in the past on used cars I've bought. All crap. Adequate I think would be a push to describe any cheap tyres. They all do ok in the dry just about, it's in poor conditions, which you oddly seem to they they are still ok for and quick manoeuvres in unexpected situations that you really see their down fall.

I don't like them at all, I don't buy a used car anymore that has crap tyres on it, it says a whole lot about the owner and I certainly don't put any cheap rubbish on my cars, regardless of 90bhp or 300+

Edited by XMT on Wednesday 22 February 19:05

Cupramax

10,469 posts

251 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Can we shoot you for starting your thread with "so" as well. madshoot

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Interesting. I've had some mid price tyres that have been acceptable, but my experience of cheap ones has been outright terrifying biggrin

J4CKO

41,287 posts

199 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Forgivable on a small, town bound car but been looking at 500 bhp Mercs and seen Jinyus, Nexens etc, traction limited car and you stick those crummy things on !

DJP

Original Poster:

1,198 posts

178 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
quotequote all
I know that this is PistonHeads but even so I think that we need to keep a sense of proportion and consider the use to which the vehicle is actually put.

This is our Mundano shopping trolley. I don't track it, I don't stuff into bends on it's earhole and I seldom exceed the speed limit in it.

Within those parameters (and even exceeding them considerably) I've yet to notice an issue and I did 500 miles on these tyres last weekend.

And no, I wouldn't fit them to a 500 bhp car. biggrin

Now, my other vehicles are motorcycles and I always fit the “Best” tyres to them. Or rather tyres at the upper end of the price range.

Because if you ask a dozen motorcyclists what the best tyres are, you'll get a dozen different answers. (Personally, I go for Michelins because they feel good to me, wet or dry, and I feel confident pushing them right to the edge of the tyre).

So I wonder if all of these people who claim to always fit “The best” tyres actually know what that means and whether it actually makes any difference at all to their use of the vehicle.

Anyway, tomorrow I shall drive past a bus queue of primary school children - just to see how many survive.

Place your bets! wink

wormus

14,509 posts

202 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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I put Falken 452s on my 800hp Monaro a few years ago and they worked great initially...in the dry. Totally st when part worn and atrocious in the wet.

bigdom

2,072 posts

144 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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I was following a Ford Focus a few months ago onto the motorway, on a dual carriageway, bit wet, nothing special. She had just got past a car in the inside lane, when mid-corner she lost it, very interesting experience watching a crash happen in that way, tank slapping, then backwards up the concrete kerb snapping the rear suspension.

I pulled over with the car she'd just got past, she was a bit shaken, kids were okay. Plenty of tread on the tyres of some brand I'd never heard off. I suppose, you pay your money and take your chances, personally I wouldn't.

Mr2Mike

20,143 posts

254 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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DJP said:
Well, I'm still waiting to find out what the catch is.
Hopefully you never will, as you only tend to find out when you really need the extra grip or stopping ability that quality tyres provide, i.e. in an emergency avoidance situation.

ch108

1,127 posts

132 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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I made the mistake of buying budget tyres (can't remember what brand) a few years back for a Renault Laguna I had. Within 15 minutes of getting them fitted I done a very slow 360 degree spin in the pouring rain on a roundabout I used every day. I couldn't have been doing more than 15mph as the roundabout was well known for having an odd camber, so it wasn't one that people tackled at any great speed.

Luckily there was no other traffic on the roundabout and I managed to miss every signpost, bollard and kerb that surrounded it.

Ever since I've always bought at least mid range tyres. Although if I was in a position when I needed a tyre in an emergency I would probably consider a budget if that was all that was on offer.


pits

6,423 posts

189 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Wait till it rains it you need to do an emergency stop

CoolHands

18,496 posts

194 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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50 quid a pop doesn't sound cheap to me for st tyres.

Rickyy

6,618 posts

218 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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Nexen is the cheapest I will go. I've only ever fitted them on my vans and I'll probably fit them to my Grand Vitara, which actually came with Nexens on it. We have done 15k on them and they still have a few months left to go.

I haven't done many emergency stops in the wet, but I think I've done it twice on Nexens and an emergency swerve in my Vitara in the dry after someone decided to pull out in front of me, they perform adequately, no loss of control and only slight assistance from the ABS.

Whereas the previous firm I worked for would fit the cheapest tyres to the vans, my Transit came back with 'King' tyres or something along those lines. They looked and behaved like Lego tyres. ESP would intervene at very low speeds and anything more then gentle braking would send the ABS into a frenzy!


Dr Doofenshmirtz

15,187 posts

199 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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pits said:
Wait till it rains it you need to do an emergency stop
Assuming he's driving sensibly and paying attention, it shouldn't be an issue.

alex290568

271 posts

213 months

Wednesday 22nd February 2017
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I'm sorry in advance for this post but I've done 170,000 miles in my E class 320 on budget tyres over the last 4 years.
I've never had an accident, never lost control never killed anyone and I am far from a slow driver.

I've never felt the need to by tyres at £120 a corner when £50 a corner is adequate. I drive to conditions of the road and am forever backing off when in the fast lane and someone fills the stopping distance gap.

I know this goes against the grain of Pisonheads but it's what I've done. Someone not wanting to buy my car because it has budget tyres on can jog on and buy someone elses car. Mine has had a fully synthetic 5w 40 fully synthetic oil change every 10,000 miles, gearbox oil, from suspension refresh and drives like new. Oh but the oil wasn't Mobil 1 either, so that
L be another reason to steer clear.........