Monday 3rd August 2009

PistonHeads Tyre Finder

Black Circles launches a new website specifically for PHers

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More gentle ways to treat a tyre are available

Tyres; not that exciting to the average motorist. Usually they traipse along to a local outlet for the cheapest possible tyre and sit in the waiting room reading old copies of Bella magazine while waiting for the cheapo boots to be fitted.

PHers, however, are a little different. We know that tyre choice is hugely important to the way our cars drive, even more so if you do a lot of track work. So a few months ago we linked up woth BlackCircles.com to offer PHers an easier way to buy their rubber.

Its not often that we write about our reader offers, but sometimes they are too good to keep quiet about. This week PistonHeads and BlackCircles has improved the Tyre Finder service to offer you an even better deal on all sorts of tyres.

BlackCircles is already one of the most competitive tyre suppliers in the country, but in addition to the deals we have been offering you over the past year we now offer an additional 3 per cent discount when you use the PistonHeads code as you order. All prices quoted include VAT, delivery to the garage of your choice and all fitting costs.

We certainly recommend that you give them a try if you are in the market for new rubber, or if you are not ready to buy just yet then make sure that you bookmark this page for future reference. Do let us know what you think of the service once you have tried it.

 

[johnsam]

I've been using Black Circles for years and have found them to offer very competitive prices on a huge range of tyres. Their customer comments on each tyre are useful too. I don't bother looking anywhere else now.

[andyman_2006]

yep great site, and i too have been using them for years on my cars, last used them for some pirelli p-zero and a pair of yoko parada spec 2's were £40 a pair cheaper than any other retailer :-) will be using them for the next pair of fronts on the VXR soon....this 3% is a bonus £6.24 off each tyre for me :-)

Quality service too.

[jimmy306]

hmm, the tyres a fit to my car which are the Michelin's that the manufacturer put on, are about £15 or £20 more then i would normally pay from a garare

[angus54]

Blackcircles claim to offer huge discounts (I fail to see where these huge savings are) however I have found places like Kwik Fit to be just as competitive and they offer a price promise guarantee too.

To save a lot of faffing just drive into a Kwik Fit and they fit them then and there.

If you must buy your tyres online Kwik Fit offer an online buy and book tyre fitting service.

[Daz4m]

Used to be cheap but these days I have found I can get a better deal calling around and negotiating with the independents.

[tr7v8]

Daz4m said:

Used to be cheap but these days I have found I can get a better deal calling around and negotiating with the independents.

I've never found them cheap, most of time my local indies are cheaper. Also I choose a tyre fitter on the quality of their work so don't want to use any one they choose.
Just checked on their site & they don't list Falkens in the size I use on the Jag so that settles it!

[angus54]

So then all said and done...

Use your local garage be it independent or chain.

Negotiate your tyre price and get them fitted same day.

Anything that makes the process more complicated than that is in my book a waste of time.

(Plus knowing who's fitting them is a plus not just some random!)

[ScoobieWRX]

I've just done the comparisons on a popular tyre...Toyo 225/45/17 x 4, delivery only.

No Discount: £303.28

With Discount: £294.52 = 3%

Camskill for the same 4 tyres std price - £274.60 = £20 difference!!

Suffice to say when the lit on Blackcircles site says Discounts of up to 40% for PHers and you only get 3% for what is a very popular make of tyre my conclusion is that it's TOTAL BOLLUX!! It's not a new website for PHers tyre discounts but merely a page with some writing added to it!!

Come on PH....you can do much better than that!! As for Blackcircles.....same ole same ole

If PH want to do something of worth for PHers in the tyre department get some decent discounts from a tyre supplier like Camskill.

[Staffy1984]

Try Mytyres.co.uk they're cheaper for certain brands,

Not bothered about your pirellis or Yoko's, I drive an E36, that loves the cheapo nangkang or Kenda summer tyres in the wet or the dry, as you can imagine, she drives arse end out in the wet (which is what we want), but there is no difference in the dry whatsoever.

I'm sure a trackday would show the difference but £120 for 2 tyres beats £240 for 2 every day of the week.

Long live the drifters

Edit,

It's official mytyres.co.uk sucks when compared to Camskill.

Edited by Staffy1984 on Monday 3rd August 16:50

[angus54]

I second that.

Camskill are such good value - it just shows you how Blackcicles are making a mint!!

Come on PH you need Mr Welsh to work just a little bit harder and be a a lot more "transparent" with the "40% savings claims"...

Dunlop SP Sport 01 205/55 R15 V (88)

4 TYRES FITTED @ KWIK-FIT = £370.00 (that includes everything - tyre disposal etc)

4 TYRES FITTED @ BLACKCIRCLES = £383.36

So actually more expensive than the so called expensive place!

40% savings at Blackcircles don't apply here clearly....

Edited by angus54 on Monday 3rd August 16:24

[OnTheOverrun]

For my car:

Toyo T1R - Black Circles with PH discount £135.59 Camskill £106.20
Falken FK452 - Black Circles with PH discount £106.31 Camskill £88.90

[angus54]

OnTheOverrun said:

For my car:

Toyo T1R - Black Circles with PH discount £135.59 Camskill £106.20
Falken FK452 - Black Circles with PH discount £106.31 Camskill £88.90

Is that a supply only price?

[Munter]

I suppose it must be taylored to PH because the only recommended tyre it came up with for my car was the Toyo R888....

As others have said I find I can beat online prices by walking down the road and talking to Frank at the local garage.

www.frankguestmotorz.co.uk

Mind you I think I'm putting his kids through college....

[angus54]

"Blackcircles.com offer a wide range of tyre brands and sizes all at savings of up to 40% compared to the high street fast fits."

Garlick it might be a good idea to get a comparison table posted up of popular tyre sizes of BC versus the big boy competitors.

I and may others fail to see where these giant savings claimed above actually materialise.

If the save "up to 40%" is for monster truck tyres then BC are having a laugh and need to be bit more honest about their claims.

The challenge is on then.....

Edited by angus54 on Monday 3rd August 16:44

[Orb the Impaler]

I need some rears - 285/35 R18 Michelins at 278 each.
That's not good.

(Falkens 166 each - that's 36 more than Camskill).

In fairness though, for some things they're cheaper, for others not.

[TheD]

I used blackcircles 2/3 years ago and it wasn't great. Due to work blah blah I got it done at a local garage (old shed) and I had to wait for ages. Then I noticed they hadn't balanced the wheels and they told me they couldn't do that kind of wheel. Try Ats or something they say. I said no bother but you phone and tell them and also you pick up the bill. Loads of humming and ho-ing with phone calls. Feckin nightmare. Now I know you can say that's not BC's fault, but they shouldn't list the garage, and they weren't that cheap either, just convenient.

[Barkychoc]

I used http://www.event-tyres.co.uk and can't recommend them enough, very professional and a very smart setup in the van.

They were the cheapest for the tyres I wanted - but I guess it may vary as with all suppliers.

The clincher for me was they come to you - so no hanging about in a grubby garage waiting room - if they even have one.

[OnTheOverrun]

angus54 said:

OnTheOverrun said:

For my car:

Toyo T1R - Black Circles with PH discount £135.59 Camskill £106.20
Falken FK452 - Black Circles with PH discount £106.31 Camskill £88.90

Is that a supply only price?

Yes, from both suppliers. I have my own local friendly fitter who knows how to balance wheels correctly without leaving the wheel 45 degrees out and the only marks he ever leaves on my alloys is dirty fingerprints!

[tegwin]

.... What "discount code" is this? Its mentioned occasionally, but no one seems to know what it is!

[OnTheOverrun]

tegwin said:

.... What "discount code" is this? Its mentioned occasionally, but no one seems to know what it is!

It's in the link in the article you just read. . . . . .