Unbranded tires

[sketty55]

Does anyone know anything about unbranded tires. I was at Consumer Tire in Markham today to get a price for some all season tires. They gave me a price for BF Goodrich ($114 per tire) and Michelin ($144). They also told me they have an unbranded tire made by Yokahama for $75 that is just as good as the others, it's just cheaper because it's unbranded (no name on the tire). It's a good saving in cost but I'm wondering if there is catch. Any ideas?

[700mb80min]

had them before ....wore the same . had " brand name " only on a new vehicle. too expensive to replace the originals.

[Buffdaddy]

There are only a 'few' tire MANUFACTURERS in the world, according to the shop from which I buy my tires (few is a relative term I imagine).

Basically these tire makers will put the brand names on the tires they make FOR companies like BF, Goodyear, etc. Obviously, the Goodyear $$$ super-tire may be the highest quality/style they make, but ultimately the difference is more in the name than the tire itself.

I'd say its similar to how in clothing Ralph Lauren makes
Chaps, Polo Sport, Polo Jeans, Polo and Ralph Lauren, which are all decent clothing lines, but the higher you go up the 'name' hierarchy, the more $$$ it costs for a pair of jeans. If you have the cash you buy the best, but if you simply want something to wear, Chaps will suit you just as well as Polo.

For example on my vehicles I've used Hercules and Cooper tires, which are from the same manufacturer as many of the other US-made tires such as goodyear and BF Goodrich, but cost about half as much.

Cooper are actually a damn good tire name, but they arent advertised or anything like the bigger companies.

I'd go with something cheap and decent especially if money IS an object. If its low-profiles for your 22" rims on your Escalade, Benz or something, then you should deck it out with some sweet skins, but if its going on your daily driven, Camry sedan or civic or something, why drop an extra 300-400 so that your tires have a name on the sidewall?

A good tire is going to be a good tire, basically, regardless of name brand.

Spend that cash elsewhere.

[Mark099]

We have always bought replacement tires from Canadian Tire. The quality is good. The price is good. The free tire rotations, free repairs, and lifetime warranty helps too. I believe Costco has a similar deal.

[D-3vil]

QC for unbranded tires is *likely* to be less strict. As well, they *may* be made of a lower-grade rubber compound, even if the thread is the same. But, unless you push your tires to the edge, it won't make a difference.